Creative Scotland's Scots Scriever, based at the National Library of Scotland,  is a post created as part of their Scots language policy launched on 3 June 2015.

The current Scots Scriever, Dr Michael Dempster, was appointed in July 2018.  A neuroscientist, libretist, comics writer, screenwriter and broadcaster, Michael's productions have been performed throughout Scotland and he can be heard speaking about Scots and language nationally and internationally.  The post is funded by Creative Scotland at £15,000 per annum and will last for two years.

The first Scots Scriever, Hamish McDonald, was appointed on 13 August, 2015. As a poet and fiction writer, in both Scots and English, Hamish is a founder member of the Dogstar Theatre Company and previously held a Robert Burns Writing Fellowship.

That Scots language policy finally begins to address the anomalous lack of recognition which the Scots language has suffered in relation to other languages supported by Creative Scotland and its earlier incarnation the Scottish Arts Council.

The policy seeks to ensure that from now on Scots will be promoted through websites and press releases as well as accepting funding applications through the language. A proportion of Creative Scotland funding will now be earmarked specifically for funding Scots language work.

Links

Creative Scotland's 'An Introduction to Scotland's Languages'.

Creative Scotland's 'Scots Language Policy'.