Scottish Book Trust the leading agency for the promotion of literature, reading and writing in Scotland, is pledging to invest £1.7 million in 2008/09 to encourage and inspire readers and writers in Scotland.
Julia Donaldson, together with The Gruffalo – the character that has made her famous - helped launch the new programme of literary events and projects along with a brand new identity and website, yesterday (Wednesday 30 January), at Forth View Primary School in Pilton, Edinburgh, This evening there was a second launch event in London at the Groucho Club.
The key elements of the 2008 Scottish Book Trust programme are:
~a new children’s festival which aims to inspire youngsters, including those in underprivileged areas, to read and write
~a virtual writer-in-residence – popular teenage author Keith Gray – commissioning exclusive stories for teenagers to read online. Video clips of Keith giving creative writing tips will also be available to download to those wishing to enter a creative writing competition: the literary alternative to Bebo and MySpace!
~a writers’ development programme encompassing awards and mentoring for unpublished and established writers, as well as the high-profile Jura Malt Whisky Writer’s Retreat, which offers writers the chance to live and write for a month on the inspiring Scottish island
~ongoing provision of resources and a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) programme for teachers and learning professionals. This includes providing copies of On The Money – a new book exploring issues of financial responsibility – to all schools in Scotland
Scottish Book Trust’s new identity and website, also unveiled for the first time yesterday, have been designed to pull together and identify the diverse projects undertaken by Scottish Book Trust and raise the trust’s awareness among writers, readers and the public.
