SCOTS is not new. More than a million people speak it and have done for hundreds of years. But social media has catapulted it to a global audience and reminded many in Scotland that their tongue can be written as well as spoken.
With the growing interest, Eemis Stane is aiming to provide an answer for those looking to express themselves in their own language.
It’s a new magazine which will run three times a year, publishing essays, poems and short stories in Scots.
For its first issue, it is looking for submissions from anyone interesting in writing in Scots, with a deadline of January 31.
READ MORE: Major US newspaper shines spotlight on Scots language in boost for campaigners
The National spoke to one of its founders to ask why they created a Scots magazine now.
“The idea came about at the start of this year when I was talking to Matthew Fit, who is one of the other co-founders and editors of the magazine,” said co-founder Thomas Clark.
“We were talking about how there’s this massive upsurge in interest and enthusiasm for Scots which is brilliant.
Novelist Matthew Fit co-founded Eemis Stane
“Over the last few years there’s been a real renaissance interest in Scots but there’s not really been enough platforms and outlets for that enthusiasm and creativity.
“There are loads of people really interested in it but there are not many places they can publish their writing if they’re interested in writing it so we thought we can do something about that.”
Thomas is no stranger to Scots, having translated Diary of a Wimpy Kid and A Series of Unfortunate Events into the leid (called Diary o a Wimpy Wean and A Series o Scunnersome Events).
Me an some o the best fowk ah ken are daein a new Scots language magazine, @EemisStane. But we need YOUR help!
— Thomas Clark (@ClashCityClarky) December 22, 2021
We're efter submissions for Issue #1. Sae if ye’ve a scrap o Scots rattlin aroond yer heid or yer hard drive whaur it can dae naebody ony guid, get it sent in, pronto! https://t.co/UJBIdFYPbl
He was also one of the translators, along with fellow magazine editor Ashley Douglas, who made Mozilla Firefox the first browser to support a Scots language option.
Litigator Eilidh Douglas, poet Sarah Clark, and scholar Paul Malgrati round off the team of editors who will be running the magazine.
Writer Ashley Douglas is among the editors at the magazine
Thomas encouraged anyone, no matter their experience to submit their own Scots work.
He said: “This magazine is really about giving people the confidence to express themselves in their own language first and foremost.
“The Scots language is one of the most precious resources we have as a country, and I don’t mean that figuratively, I mean literally.
“There was a study a few years ago that showed Burns alone is worth millions of pounds to the Scottish economy in terms of tourism and heritage.
READ MORE: This major web browser is first to be available in Scots language
“We talk about oil and water and all the other great natural resources Scotland has but we don’t talk about our language so much and that’s a shame because our language is at risk just like any of those other things.
“Language can die the same way that oil can run out or water can be polluted, so we have to look after this precious resource going forward. This magazine we hope is going to be about encouraging people to find new things to do with Scots.
“We’ve got a tradition, that’s great but we can’t live off that tradition forever. That tradition has to change and adapt and grow.”
Those interesting in submitting in time for the first issue should visit eemisstane.com/?page_id=39 and submit by the end of January.
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