Weel duin tae Ashley Douglas wha hae bin nominatit in Scots Book o the Year (sponsored by Scottish Book Trust) in the Scots Language Awards. Vote now!
The 2026 Scots Language Awards tak place on Saturday 19th September at the iconic Discovery Centre, home of the RRS Discovery Ship (1pm). Reserve yer ticket here.
The awards will be a daytime event this year, making them as inclusive and accessible to as many award nominees from across Scotland as possible.
We askit Ashley Douglas o Ashley Douglas thae speirins.
Tell us aboot yersel or yer ootfit.
I’m a historian, translator and author, specialising in LGBT+ history and the Scots language. I’ve worked with a range of national heritage, literary and educational organisations, including the National Library of Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Time for Inclusive Education, and Scottish National Galleries. I’ve also been engaged as historical consultant for two of the plays in Rona Munro’s acclaimed The James Plays series.
Last year, I published the first ever original LGBT+ inclusive book for bairns in the Scots language, The Lass and The Quine. This year, I have just published my first full-length book for adults, With My Own Hand: The secret life of Marie Maitland, Scotland’s sixteenth-century Sappho, which tells Marie’s extraordinary story in full, for the very first time – and which includes lots of Scots language! Scots was still the language of the Scottish nation when Marie lived, and so all the original records relating to her life, documentary and poetic, were written in historical Scots, which I share in the book (with English translations). The book is based on years of original research, through which I uncovered and decoded many records in historical Scots, which have been unseen for centuries.
Whit wis it got ye involvit wi the Scots leid?
It was through studying languages and history at university (both at home in Scotland, and on my year abroad at the University of Bonn in Germany) that I became aware of the status of Scots as a proud language of Scotland’s history and literature. Since graduating from my second master’s degree a decade ago, I have developed specialisms in both LGBT+ history and the Scots language – and there is lots of overlap between the two! For example, Marie Maitland was a remarkable woman who lived in the 1500s, and whose powerful lesbian love poetry, in historical Scots, is some of the earliest we know of since Sappho of Lesbos herself, the Ancient Greek poet and “original lesbian”.
Why dae ye feel it is important tae use Scots in everyday life?
Despite the status of Scots as a proud historical and written language of the Scottish nation – used in our Parliament and courts, in poetry and record, and spoken by Kings, Queens and everyday people alike – this is not always recognised or celebrated today. It is important to use Scots proudly today to honour its rich past and to ensure it survives into the future.
Is there a Scots speaker who inspires you?
I am very inspired by the historical figure of Marie Maitland, a Scots speaker who lived centuries ago, and who wrote powerful lesbian love poetry, in Scots, in the 1500s. The morally suffocating and punitive world of immediately post-Reformation Scotland was extremely hostile to women, let alone women who love other women – but, despite this, Marie enshrined and celebrated her love for another woman in passionate and defiant verse.
Ony particlar career heighlichts
Getting to speak about my new book, With My Own Hand, to a sold-out audience at the Edinburgh International Book Festival this summer has definitely been a highlight! I have also loved getting to work with the wonderful playwright Rona Munro on their fantastic James Plays, and with the amazing folk singer Josie Duncan – who has been inspired by the story of Marie Maitland, which I have uncovered, to write beautiful original music and songs based on her life and poetry. Last year, it was also a huge honour to publish the first ever original LGBT+ inclusive book for bairns in the Scots language, The Lass and The Quine – a fairytale in which the princess falls in love with and marries not a prince, but a quine.
Wha’s yer plans fir the days aheid?
I am very busy at the moment promoting my new book, “With My Own Hand: The secret life of Marie Maitland, Scotland’s sixteenth-century Sappho” – and am looking forward to appearing at many more festivals and bookshops across Scotland over the next months.
I am also excited to be working on a second bairns book, The Lad and The Loon, which is a sequel to my first bairns book, The Lass and The Quine. I am delighted to be co-authoring this one with wonderful Scots writer Shane Strachan, and to be working once more with the brilliant illustrator Kate Osmond, who also brought my first bairns book to life with her gorgeous artwork!
Read more about Ashley Douglas
http://www.ashleydouglas.scot
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/
Instagram: @ashdouglasscot
The Scots Language Awards are in Dundee on the 19th September at 1pm. There wull be some grand entertainmint includin a recitals fae Yvonne Tait an Hugh Macmillan alang wi musical performances fae Iona Fyfe and Scott Gardiner.
To attend the Scots Language Awards there are a few tickets remaining. Click here to reserve your tickets.
Join Elfie Picket Theatre for the Scots language nicht BLETHER, fur a nicht o music, poetry and stories aa celebratin Scots Leid & culture. We hae twa special guests jynin us and a wee open mic. Leadin us intae a big Dundee Fringe Ceilidh! Startin at 6pm, tickets £10.
If you would like to support Hands Up for Trad in their work with Scottish language please consider donating here.