Description
Book SynopsisDeclaration on Freedom for Writers and Readers is an anthology of poetry and prose exploring freedom of expression. The year 2020 marks the 700th anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath in which the Scottish nobility appealed to the Pope to support the nation’s fight for freedom from ‘the rule of the English’. The need to hear and understand each other is as urgent now as it ever was.
This project was conceived and realised by Scottish PEN which, for nearly 100 years, has been campaigning for freedom of expression and the free exchange of ideas across borders.
Declarations includes many voices, featuring some of Scotland’s leading writers such as Karen Campbell, A C Clarke, Carl MacDougall, and James Robertson, as well as writers from overseas.
Trade Review'In these difficult times, PEN said the need to hear and understand each other is as vital as it ever was. PEN International has been campaigning for freedom of expression for almost 100 years.'
-- The National * The National *
'This rich anthology won’t merely be relevant to the 700th anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath, the poems and prose will remain relevant until humanity accepts the individual’s right to freedom. Sadly, thus, this book will remain relevant for many years to come.'
-- Liv Niven * Gitanjali and Beyond *
A brilliant collection. I particularly enjoyed the letters towards the end. An anthology that takes you deep into Scottish history, heritage, and culture, and then takes you across the world.
-- Anonymous * Goodreads *
It is a celebration of freedom of expression - an assertion of our fundamental right to speak and to write, to read and to listen, to call power to account in the face of injustice.
-- Anonymous * Goodreads *
Table of ContentsContents
Preface by T M Devine
Introduction
Mario Relich, Alasdair Gray on the Declaration of Arbroath: a personal view
Jim Aitken, Abbot Bernard’s vision
Donald Adamson, The wirth o freedom*
Alex Nye, The price of freedom
David McVey, From Bannockburn to Arbroath
Gerry Loose, Isle of Bute Declaration
Christiane Oetter, My forefathers tell me
G W Colkitto, You say Declaration of Arbroath
Christie Williamson, So long
Donald S Murray, A different declaration
Sylvia Anne Telfer, Declaration from the Castle of Perseverance
Mairi Murphy, In praise of argument
A C Clarke, Correspondences
Karen Campbell, Saorsa
Solomon Jessie, Show me
Colin Robinson, Resistant
Louise Eldridge, Unvanquished
Lawrence Schimel, The freedom to write
Chris Wright, They told me
Anne Murray, Images of freedom
Greg Chatterton, Bushveld suburbia
David Bleiman, The ugly truth
Mary McCabe, Maide-Crochaidh – Hanging stick
Rosemary Hector, Babel
Jock Stein, Tones of destiny*
Linda Lewin, The fig tree
Seth Crook, Declaration of naming rights
Elaine Webster, Freedom of speech
Finola Scott, The set o declaration
M T Taylor, Witness
Jenni Calder, A 20th-century tale
Charlie Gracie, Asylum accommodation survey, Glasgow
Miriam Vaswani, An old word for frost
Steve Harvey, A figure of speech
Gavin Baird, A meaningful declaration
James Robertson, Early days
Carl MacDougall, Even now
Helen Boden, A declaration of hush
Beth McDonough, My son asserts his unwritable need of hazes
Judyth Hill, Song for the dark times
Anne Connolly, Engraved
Richard (Spike) Munro, Thought police
Loretta Mulholland, The Thammasat massacre
Elspeth Brown, Declaration of Dunbar*
Kirsten MacQuarrie, No honest woman
Julian Colton, Selkirk fog
Ian Crockatt, Master class
David Manderson, Declaration: language, freedom, voice
Jane Archer, Letter to Behrouz Bouchani
Kirsty Logan, Letter to Stella Nyanzi
Chris McQueer, Letter to Galal El-Behairy
Ricky Monahan Brown, Letter to Lydia Cacho
Chitra Ramaswamy, Letter to Varavara Rao
James Robertson, Letter to Ahmet Altan
Zoe Wicomb, Letter to Shakthika Sathkumara
*Award winner
