The author of Shuggie Bain has offered a sharp critique of arts and culture funding in Scotland after the Aye Write! festival was cancelled
NOTEBOOK by BILL HEANEY
Councillors and far too many of our local school pupils who would like to read this article should begin at the top left hand corner of this paragraph and proceed to the right from there.
These instructions are only to assist those of you who have difficulty reading and writing or perhaps cannot read at all. Please do not be offended.
Yesterday I said that Glasgow City Council should think black burning shame of its SNP self for its failure to sponsor the Aye Write book festival in the city.
Today, the Booker Prize-winning author, Douglas Stuart, has lent his support to the Aye Write! book festival, which has been cancelled this year as a funding bid was refused.
Douglas has added to his criticism by taking to task West Dunbartonshire Council and all of the other 31 Scottish local authorities who have withdrawn their financial support from festivals such as Aye Write …
… slashed their buget for books — ande closed community libraries such as Balloch Library despite people of all ages taking to the streets with protest banners and raising a petition with 1500 names on it.
West Dunbartonshire Council even took it into its own hands to ban a harmless book written by a teacher at Dumbarton Academy.
Not only did they ban the book, but they banned the teacher at a time when there is a shortage of teachers.
But then they also sacked a GP during the covid pandemic and cost the community around £1 million for victimising and bullying a disabled employee.
Is it any wonder that I was able to write that too many pupils leave school without the ability to read and write, and do it to a decent standard that would allow them to write a job application.
So far as I know that is perfectly true, but they won’t let me talk to their press officers to confirm it. But then they have banned me too.
I am glad to be singing from the same hymn sheet as the Glasgow-born author of Shuggie Bain who offered a sharp critique of arts and culture funding in Scotland, comparing it unfavourably to Ireland’s.
Other writers who have backed the festival include Damian Barr, author of Maggie And Me, and Darren McGarvey, author of Poverty Safari.
Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon, a well-known book lover, also said the cancellation was “really bad news”.
Her memoir is not due to hit the bookshops until next year but it is already on sale for £28 a copy.
Earlier this week, Humza Yousaf said he would look at what “potential support” the Scottish Government could provide to Aye Write.
Stuart posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, for the first time since July last year to make his feelings known.
He said: “The righteous outrage around the cancellation of the @AyeWrite festival is not merely a conversation about the merit of literary festivals, or whether Scotland’s first city deserves one. It is much, much bigger than that …
“I have watched in horror, as Scotland has haggled over funding for the arts, has closed her libraries, and now has allowed the cancellation of a major literary festival in her largest city. A festival that has a focus on Scottish voices.
“In the past year, I’ve sat through many interviews asking about the surge of great Irish writing.
“And while Irish writers are GREAT, it’s also clear to me that Ireland understands that culture, people and literature are her strength and they fund it like they mean it.”
He said it is “unacceptable” that his home city of Glasgow does not have a literary festival.
The author added: “When I won the Booker Prize, within hours of the announcement many of the major political parties contacted me asking for my support.
“But the politicians who wanted to use my art to protect their jobs are failing to do their jobs to protect my art.”
He added that “working-class people are crucial to Scottish literature”, which is something Diane Cronin, the daughter of Dumbarton-born author A.J. Cronin, pictured with him, below left, also had to say when she visited the old family home in Roundriding Road.
A spokeswoman for Creative Scotland said earlier this week: “We recognise the significance of Aye Write! to audiences and the literature sector and understand that this is disappointing news.
“We are currently only able to support around 30% of applications to our open fund due to limitations on the money available to us and difficult decisions need to be made on a daily basis.
“As demand for these funds continues to increase, Creative Scotland continues to advocate for more resources to support culture and creativity across Scotland.”
The Scottish Government has been approached for comment.
