Poem: Pride of Lions
Pride of Lions and the newspaper said, ‘We are proud to be Scottish, but we must ask the difficult questions.’ and the Laird said, ‘This family’s proud to be Scottish, but but what about our right of...
View ArticlePoem: Something or other
Something or other I am a twenty-first century twenty something or other, I am vague and distorted and I don’t give a shit, I am liberal with myself but conservative in general, I am Thatcher’s child,...
View ArticlePoem: Dreamers
That man who supports independence Him in that parliament; him on the telly – aye, him Papers say he’s the only one to share the dream, don’t they He’s only one man mind you. But see that mother who...
View ArticleInterview with Scott Hames, editor of ‘Unstated: Writers on Scottish...
From Burns to MacDiarmid, Scottish writers have never been shy of politics. So far the debate on independence has looked to politicians for their wisdom and vision. But more often than not it’s the...
View ArticlePoem: A Winter’s Challenge / Frae Winter’s Quest
A Winter’s Challenge If once you’d ask from all half-hearted men, What way their thoughts would turn, and turn again, Before they knew which way that wind would blow, There’d be no wonder left beyond...
View ArticleIndependence Politicians in Christmas Pudding Bake-Off
Tension has increased within the Independence debate after a Christmas pudding campaign row. The Westminster/Yes Scotland Christmas truce broke down after David Cameron called the proposed Independent...
View ArticleIndependence Would Be ‘Apocalyptic’ For Scotland
According to reports, Alex Salmond has been accused of being a ‘horseman of the apocalypse’ and offending the Maya people over his constant references to the Scottish independence referendum in 2014....
View ArticleWhat Would You Miss About Westminster?
According to The Herald, Better Together plan to ‘step up debate in 2013’ by asking Scots what they would miss about Britain should Scotland vote for independence. Aside from the matter of Anas Sarwar...
View ArticleJenny Lindsay (Poet): I Have To Believe In A Better World
It was almost like what I imagine it would be like admitting to being an alcoholic. Most folks I knew had indulged in a little bit of it; most had experienced a dalliance at the thought of it – some...
View ArticleDave Coates (Poet): I Don’t Want Scotland To Rule The World, Just To Rule...
I support Scottish independence for one basic reason: I think things could be better. Not because I have evangelistic faith in Alex Salmond personally, or that I think Scotland will overnight become...
View ArticleMark Buckland: Publishing and Independence
A Unionist did something momentous for me the other day. He made me think for the first time about what it means to be a publisher. It’s not that it’s the first time that’s occurred to me, but it is...
View ArticleHow To Be A Scottish Writer
A poet’s job is to serve their country and the world with words. A writer’s right is to be paid a proper wage. It is frequently observed that Scottish writers do not earn a living wage because their...
View ArticleVive La Lunchbreak
Daniel’s pulled a news website up and beckons me across. I glance round the office before getting up. The boss, Gordon, might be carrying the weight of the world around his waist but he’s got a...
View ArticleAn Open Letter To J.K. Rowling
Dear J.K. Rowling, I was saddened to read your blog post about your reasons for supporting the Better Together campaign. I was dismayed to read your fears that a minority of nationalists will consider...
View ArticleLiterary Events In July
July is here and we’re turning up the heat (well, if it’s anything like June we might literally have to turn the heating back on). It’s a month to go until that pilgrimage that is the Edinburgh...
View ArticleDr Laura Bissell: Creativity Is Not The Special Realm Of Artists
I am a lecturer in Contemporary Performance Practice at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland – that is my job – but whichever “hat” I put on dependent on my role, be it “educator”, “woman”, “academic”,...
View Article9 Reasons Why Independence Will Benefit Literature And Publishing
1. The Great VAT Debate Mark Buckland, Director at Cargo Publishing: Publishing Scotland have cautioned that if Scotland were independent, the EU would demand that Scotland adds VAT to its printed...
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