A four-part series about the relationship that Scotland’s writers have with Scotland itself. Presented by Kirsty Wark. Episode 4 – Language and Class.

Kirsty demonstrates that the very language used by Scotland’s writers is highly political. Poet Hugh MacDairmid’s experiments in Scots sparked off a literary renaissance, and the political party he helped to found became the present day SNP, the party which currently governs the country. Scotland’s two Booker Prize winning novelists, James Kelman and Douglas Stuart, both put language and class at the heart of their work.

Given that the current best sellers list for Scottish authors includes Ali Smith, Jackie Kay, Val McDermid, Jenni Fagan, AL Kennedy, Louise Welsh, Maggie O’Farrell and Denise Mina, we ask if Scotland is having a renaissance of women’s writing.

Producer: Brian McCluskey
A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4 Show less