Training Opportunity for writers
Ullapool Writers’ Week
15 October 2009
Twelve new, established and prospective writers joined Stòrlann in the Cèilidh Place in Ullapool from 14 to 8 September for an event aimed at building their skills as potential producers of text for Stòrlann and other agencies in future.
Leaders included poet Aonghas ‘Dubh’ MacNeacail, playwright and novelist Des Dillon, literary translator Derrick McClure, songwriter Karine Polwart, children’s writer John Fardell and education and new writing specialists Philippa Cochrane and Caitrin Armstrong from The Scottish Books Trust. The programme for the event was as follows:
Session |
Morning |
Afternoon |
Evening |
Monday |
Core principles: prose |
Core principles: poetry |
Mentoring time |
Tuesday |
Building on traditional idiom in poetry and song |
Writing to and for melody |
Mentoring time |
Wednesday |
Landscape: navigation and professional development |
Writing time |
Mentoring time |
Thursday |
Writing for children and young people |
Writing for children and young people with illustration |
Mentoring time |
Friday |
Special challenges for minority language writers |
Plenary and readings |
- |
Workshops were in the main hands-on and participants left with pieces in development which they will submit to Stòrlann for publication in a new anthology of short fiction.
The rationale for the week was that Stòrlann’s publication programme includes a considerable fiction commitment for school pupils at various levels. A recent national questionnaire returned by over 750 pupils in primary and secondary schools demonstrated dissatisfaction with the range, scope and quality of fiction output from Stòrlann and other Gaelic providers. This confirms feedback from teaching staff and advisors. It was therefore decided at a Resource Advisory meeting that investment should be made in training producers.
On the Wednesday of the course Stòrlann also hosted a day-seminar on behalf of the National Gaelic Education Strategy Steering Group’s Working Group on Resources, Translation and Terminology.
