NEWS
RELEASE
Issued: Tuesday 12th December, 2000 Use: Immediate
A
Little Borderless Village/Baile Beag Gun Chrìochan
An exciting
new book of creative writing from all over the Highlands has just been published
by The Highland Council. Edited by international award winning writer, Kevin
MacNeil, the book is called ‘A
Little Borderless Village/Baile Beag Gun Chrìochan’. MacNeil has
included a wide selection of English and Gaelic poetry, song, drama, fiction and
reminiscences in the anthology.
A great deal of the writing in this collection came about during workshops which were conducted by Kevin MacNeil while touring libraries in his capacity as The Highland Council's Iain Crichton Smith Writing Fellow. What thrills him is that the new literary voices emerging in the Highlands belong to people of extremely diverse backgrounds and ages. He also likes to think that the late, great Iain Crichton Smith - to whom we have dedicated this book - would have approved. (Iain Crichton Smith's widow, Donalda, is quoted on the cover sleeve).
The anthology is themed around a notional village and is attractively illustrated by Highland Council graphic designer Karen Sutherland.
MacNeil said
"I have always been aware of the Highlands as being like one large,
wide-ranging but unified, community and I have always thought of writers and
readers as forming a parallel community. Given the manner in which modern
technology such as e-mail renders distance meaningless, I thought it appropriate
to describe the Highland community - open to all cultures and influences - as
being borderless, just like the creative mind."
The book is structured around the idea of community, including chapters devoted to drama ('The Town Hall') and the writing of school pupils ('The School').
MacNeil
added: "I hope this book marks the
start of a successful literary career for many of the writers, young and old,
who feature in it. I'm sure that this anthology - which transports the reader
from ceilidh songs to outer space, from historical Raasay to inner dream-worlds
- will make a great Christmas present!&quoot;
Councillor
Allan Beaton said "We are very proud
of the work achieved by our Fellowship Officer, Library Staff, the funding
agencies, and indeed all the contributors from all parts of the Highland Council
area as they are the people who have really make this publication the exciting
product that it is ".
Chairman of
The Highland Council's Cultural and Leisure Services Committee Councillor Bill
Smith said at the book launch " It is
important that such abilities and skills are recognised and encouraged.
I would like to thank the sponsors of
‘A Little Borderless Village’ for making it possible to produce this
wonderful book".
Funding came from:
· The Highland Council
· The Scottish Arts Council
· Ross and Cromarty Enterprise
· Skye & Lochalsh Enterprise
· Comunn na Gaidhlig
· An Comunn Gaidhealach
· Scottish Library and Information Council
A Little Borderless Village/Baile Beag Gun Chrìochan is edited by Kevin MacNeil and published by The Highland Council. It is available from all Highland libraries and Waterstone's book sellers in Inverness, priced £7-99 or e-mail libraries@highland.gov.uk for further information.
