Scots Language Awards 2024: William Hershaw

Weel duin tae William Hershaw 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 Cumnock Toon Ha, Cumnock in pairtnership wi East Ayrshire Cooncil on 14th September at 7pm. Tickets fir the ceremony are available tae buy here: https://eastayrshireleisure.com/events/scots-language-awards/.

We askit William Hershaw o William Hershaw thae speirins.

Tell us aboot yersel or yer ootfit.
I am a Scots makar, playwricht, sang screiver, teacher, editor. I am the editor o Lallans, the journal o the Scots Leid Associe. I have published a nummer o collections o Scots poetry including The Sair Road. I foundit The Bowhill Players a collogue o fowk musicians tae celebrate Fife's mining heritage. In 2024 I recorded the Leid album screivit hailly in Scots on the Folksville label.

Whit wis it got ye involvit wi the Scots leid?
I grew up in a coal mining community in Central Fife whaur Scots was a leivan language, spoken by aabody including ma faimily and feirs. Ma grandfaither wrocht in High Valleyfield Pit and this kittled me up tae screive ma first poem in Scots anent the disaster there in 1931. Later as an English teacher I taught Scots tae the bairns at Beath High Schuil including the works o Joe Corrie.

Why dae ye feel it is important tae use Scots in everyday life?
Scots gies communities and individuals identity and includes fowk. Forby this Scots provides us wi a cultural identity and sense o oursels in the world. It is important tae yaise Scots and no let it dee out. It is heidmaist tae pass Scots on tae the neist generation. Scots should be recognised no as a minority leid in Scotland but as yin spoken by a majority o fowk. Scots should be gien recognition as a national leid and no be marginalised in education and in the Media. Tae restore Scots is a sair darg but a worthwhile yin.

Dae ye hae a favourite Scots phrase or saying?
"Whit's mintit for ye will no gae past ye."

"Haud faurrit!"

Is there a Scots speaker who inspires you?
There hae been a wheen: Twaa former Scots makars and editors o Lallans, Donald Campbell and Willie Neill, gied me a heeze as a prentice makar. The late George Philp wha foundit Scotsoun and Scotscreive. Ma mither. Michael Marra and Frieda Morrison. Monie ithers.

Do you hear Scots spoken regularly in your local area? Have you noticed any changes over time?
Aye, aye, neebs – hou’s it gaun?
Ye see it aa – I’m hingan on by a threid.
Gey thrang the day then?
Ocht aye, ye wadnae credit it – since the keek o daw.
Then hae a bit blaw tae yersel, Sur.
The chance wad be a fine thing!
Hou no?
Weill, there’s twaa o us aff wi the lurgie –
and the shop’s been gaun like Links Mercat.
Ma heid’s birlan like a peerie.
But onieweys…whit is it that ye’re efter the day?

Juist twaa rolls and a mutton pie,
oh, aye – and a yum yum for the wife . . .
. . . it’s turned out brawer again though . . .
Aye, though I’ll no get tae see muckle o it…
it was gey dreich this mornin though.

Hae ye gotten awaa ataa?
Twaa weeks in Magaluf – yersel?
We were awaa in the caravan.
Dunkeld?
Aye.
Braw wather?
Bilin. But I dinnae like the heat, ye ken . . .
it disnae agree wi me.
Weill, that’s it aa ower wi for anither year at least . . .

Are ye wantin a poke for this?
Nae thanks. I hae yin wi me.
Aye weill, imphm, sae whit time is it that ye get lowsed?
The back o fower.
Weill, dinnae fash yersel, ye ken? Tak it cannie.
Aye Sur – it’ll aa be the same in a hunner year.

Ony particlar career heighlichts
Awards: McCash Scots Poetry Prize, Callum MacDonald Award, Wigtown Poetry Competition.
Bibliography:
Poetry collections
Four Fife Poets/Fower Brigs Ti A Kinrick (with John Brewster, Harvey Holton, Tom Hubbard), Aberdeen University Press, 1988
The Cowdenbeath Man, Scottish Cultural Press, 1997 ISBN 1 898218 68 4
Fifty Fife Sonnets/Makars, Akros Publications, 2005
Johnny Aathin, Windfall Publications, 2010 ISBN 978 0 9557264 3 9
Happyland, Fras Publications, 2011
Postcairds Fae Woodwick Mill, Orkney Poems in Scots, Grace Note, 2015 ISBN 978-1-907676-62-8
Stars are the Aisles, Neepheid Press, 2016 ISBN 978-0-9956504-0-4
Buirds, Roncadora Press, 2017
The Sair Road, Grace Note Publications, 2018 ISBN 978-1-907676-96-3
Earth Bound Companions, Grace Note Publications, 2021 ISBN 978-1-913162-15-3
Saul Vaigers, Grace Note Publications, 2021 ISBN 978-1-913162-1-39
Selected Poetry Anthologies
Dream State – The New Scottish Poets, Polygon, 1994
Scotlands – Poets and the Nation, Carcanet, 2004
Skein of Geese – Poems from the 2008 Stanza Festival, Stanza Publications
The Smeddum Test, 21st Century Poems in Scots, Kennedy and Boyd, 2012
Scotia Nova, Luath Press, 2014
Drama:
The Tempest, translated in Scots, Grace Note, 2016 ISBN 978-1-907676-75-8
Michael Scot of Balwearie, A Ballad Play in Scots, Grace Note, 2016, ISBN 978-1-907676-76-5
Jennie Lee’s History Project, Grace Note, 2017
Novel:
Tammy Norrie, The House Daemon Of Seahouses, Grace Note Publications, 2014 ISBN 978-1-907676-43-7
Music:
A Fish Laid At The Door, Dances With Whippets Records/Birnam CD; 2002
A Song Cycle For Craigencalt Ecology Centre, Dances With Whippets Records/Birnam CD 2009
Cage Load Of Men – The Joe Corrie Project, Bowhill Players, Fife Council/Fras Publications/ Birnam CD 2013
Leid, Folksville Records 2024
Education:
Teaching Scots Language, Learning Teaching Scotland, 2002
Scots Language and Literature – Examples and Activities, Learning Teaching Scotland, 2002

Wha’s yer plans fir the days aheid?
I will be promoting the Leid CD at gigs in Folk clubs.
The launch of "Orgreave" ma new collection o poems will be at the Scottish Poetry Library on 20th o November.
I hae been puitten thegither Issue 105 o Lallans.

The Scots Language Awards are in the Cumnock Toon Ha, Cumnock on 14th September at 7pm. Tickets are available to buy here: https://eastayrshireleisure.com/events/scots-language-awards/ There wull be some grand entertainmint oan the nicht tae, includin a recital fae Billy Kay, Susie Briggs, alang wi musical performances fae Claire Hastings an Sèan Gray.

If you would like to support Hands Up for Trad in their work with Scottish trad music and musicians please consider supporting our Patreon campaign. We have 3 tiers starting at $1 a month and everything helps support us in our work. Read more at www.patreon.com/handsupfortrad