Weel duin tae James Robertson wha hae bin nominatit in Scots Writer o the Year sponsored by National Library of Scotland in the Scots Language Awards. Vote now!
The Scots Language Awards are in the Johstone Toon Ha, Johnstone on 16th September at 7pm. Tickets fir the ceremony are available tae buy here: https://handsup.link/SLA-BuyTickets.
We askit James Robertson o James Robertson thae speirins.
Tell us aboot yersel or yer ootfit.
I'm a poet and novelist, wi seeven novels published tae date, the maist recent bein News of the Dead, which wis awarded the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction in 2022. Forby this work, I am a co-foonder and editor o Itchy Coo, which has been pittin oot books in Scots for bairns for twenty year.
Whit wis it got ye involvit wi the Scots leid?
It's aw roon aboot us, spoken and heard ilka day. When I wis aboot twenty I wantit tae ken mair aboot its history and literature, and see hoo the daily oral language wis conneckit tae or representit in oor written culture.
Why dae ye feel it is important tae use Scots in everyday life?
Language is a keystane o individual and community identity. It's yin o the maist important o thae things that mak us whit we are. If we in Scotland dinna yaise it and value it, naebody else wull.
Dae ye hae a favourite Scots phrase or saying?
The warld's gane gyte.
Is there a Scots speaker who inspires you?
Jock Tamson and aw his bairns.
Do you hear Scots spoken regularly in your local area? Have you noticed any changes over time?
Aye, Angus is a rich repository o guid Scots. Jist the ither day I learnt a new word, 'scrowie', which means a sudden, heavy downpour o rain. I heard this fae a Forfar loun, and it seems tae be verra local tae that airt.
Ony particlar career heighlichts
Performin 'Pilgrimer', a Scots version o Joni Mitchell's album 'Hejira', wi Karine Polwart, Steven Polwart and a wheen o ither braw musicians and singers at Celtic Comnnections in 2016.
Wha’s yer plans fir the days aheid?
Gettin on wi the nixt novel.
Read more about James Robertson
https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/11001/james-robertson?tab=penguin-books
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The Scots Language Awards are in the Johnstone Toon Ha, Johnstone on 16th September at 7pm. Tickets are available to buy here: https://handsup.link/SLA-BuyTickets There wull be some grand entertainmint oan the nicht tae, includin a recital fae Renfrewshire’s poet laureate Shaun Moore,wha wis appointit as the region’s Tannahill Makar last year. talks fae weel regairdit Scots scrievers Cat Cochrane an Shane Strachan, alang wi musical performances fae celebratit multi-instumentalist brithers Euan and Lewis McLaughlin, an sangster Iona Fyfe.
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