Weel duin tae Ely Percy wha hae bin nominatit in Scots Writer o the Year (sponsored by the National Library of Scotland) 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 Ely Percy o Ely Percy thae speirins.
Tell us aboot yersel or yer ootfit.
Ah write in both Scots an English mostly comin of age or slice a life stories about bein Scottish an livin in Scotland. A usually ma characters are queer, trans, disabled, neurodivergent and / or workin class cause those are ma lived experiences.
Whit wis it got ye involvit wi the Scots leid?
Ah started writin when ah wus fifteen but it wusnae till ah went tae night classes in creative writin four or five years later than sumdy gave me a book by Jim Kelman. Up until then (outside The Broons an Oor Wullie) ah didnae know yi wur allowed tae write how yi spoke.
Why dae ye feel it is important tae use Scots in everyday life?
Cause it’s our voices!
Plus sometimes thir just isnae words tae adequately describe things in english.
Dae ye hae a favourite Scots phrase or saying?
Is there a Scots speaker who inspires you?
Folk ah meet in the street inspire me – ah love earywiggin intae conversations!
Do you hear Scots spoken regularly in your local area? Have you noticed any changes over time?
Definitely!
Ah moved tae Edinburgh about six years ago an one ae the things ah really enjoy is tryin tae pick apart folk’s accents. Ah’m not yet confident enough tae write in an Edinburgh accent but yi never know. Certainly, ma own accent has changed since comin here tae live.
Ony particlar career heighlichts
Ah told all ma pals when ah wus seventeen ah wus goin tae be a playwright one day… well it took me three decades but I finally finished one (in Scots) the other week.
Wha’s yer plans fir the days aheid?
Ah’ve got a short scifi scots story comin out in Somewhere For Us magazine in the Spring (hopefully, the first a many wi ma Edinburgh-based narrator Cyrel Pye)
An ah’m still buzzin about ma play.
It’s called ‘Sectioned’ an it’s set in a Renfrew high school an an adolescent psychiatric unit in 1989 durin Maggie Thatcher’s Section 28 era – really it’s about what happens when yi force young people tae pretend tae be somethin thir not.
Read more about Ely Percy
http://elypercy.com
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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.