Introducing new 'living authors'

A new crop of Ulster-Scots writers have been encouraged into print due to the Ulster-Scots Language Society's new 'Living Writers' book collection.

  The books, which were launched last month and have been financially supported by The Ulster-Scots Agency, aim to encourage new writers into Ulster-Scots literature.

  One of the books 'Hameworks fae Ballyboley - Tha Cless o 2004' - perhaps features the most recent writers as it contains articles and poems from people who attended an Ulster-Scots language and literature appreciation course last year held in Carrowdore, Co. Down.

  Course tutor Dr Philip Robinson explained:  "Even though we had some very good native speakers in the class, they were inexperienced at writing in Ulster-Scots and for many of the students this was the first time for them to write in Ulster-Scots.

Pictured above right: Members of Ballyboley Language Class, near Carrowdore, Co Antrim with Dr. Clifford Smyth, Ulster-Scots Language Society and Michael McCullough, Ulster-Scots Agency.

  "With the 'Living Writers' collection blazing the trail, we put it to the class if they would like to try their hand at writing and they all positively responded to the challenge to produce some really interesting pieces.

  "There was nothing judgmental in selecting the works and all the original spelling has been retained as the real achievement was for these students to break down the barrier of writing in Ulster-Scots for the first time."

  Dr Robinson congratulated all the writers whose work had been featured and said he hoped that they would continue in the coming years.

  He also mentioned that the Arts Council for Northern Ireland was seeking to develop the Ulster-Scots literary community and it was considering making an award for a future resident 'Writer in the Community', whose job it would be to actively encourage local community writers.

  The 'Ulster-Scot' hopes to carry a piece of work from all the writers featured in 'Hameworks' over the coming months. 

  Below we carry poems from John Wright and Jack Thompson, from Greyabbey.

A'm no sae bad

There's naethin whatair the metter wae me
A'm as weel as A cud be
A hae the pains in baith ma kneews
An whan A taak it's wae a wheeze
Ma hairt-bait an ma bluid is waik
But A'm awfy weel fur tha shape A'm in

Er lan ma teeth wull aa faa oot
An whut A ait A darnae think aboot
A'm ivverywecht an canny get thin
But A'm awfy weel fur tha shape A'm in

Airch supports A hae fur ma feet
Or A wudnae be fit tae waak on tha street
A niver get sleep nicht efter nicht
An in tha moarnin A'm aye a sicht
Ma memorie gaun, ma heid in a spin
A'm hear aye leevin on asperin
But A'm awfy weel fur tha shape A'm in

Tha moral o this yairn we noo unfoul
Fur me an yersel is growein oul
It's better tae say 'A'm gran' wae a grin
Than tae let ithers know whut shape we'r in
Oul age is growden A've heerd it sayed
But whiles A wunner as A gan tae ma bed
Ma lugs in a draa'r ma teeth in a cup
Ma een on a shelf tae A get up

Er sleep shuts ma een, A say tae ma sel
Is there ocht else that A shud lea' on tha shelf

Whun a wus a wean ma slippers wus rid
A cud kick ma heels richt iver ma heid
Whun A grew oul ma slipplers was bue
But A cud dance yit tha hale nicht throo
Noo A'm aul ma slippers is bleck
A waak tae tha corner an pech ma wye bek
Tha raison A know ma young days is spent
Ma get up and go haes got up and went

But A'm no that fashed whun A think wae a grin
O aa tha airts ma get up hase bin
A rise in tha moarnin an dust off ma wits
Pick up tha paper an read the obits
If ma name isnae there, A know A'm no deid
Sae A'll hae a guid breakfast an gan bek tae bed.

John Wright.

Nicht Tek

At sevin a'clock on a Monday
Ye'll fin me in Carradore
A'm daein nicht tek at tha schuil-hoose
Tae larn wha ma fore-faithers wur

The' cum here roon tha saxteen hunners
An lannit thaimsels on oor shore
The' brocht aa thaing Scotch, fae tha kilt tae the broth
An brocht this wee lann tae tha fore.

Noo tha Heid-Yin a boadie caa'd Robysin
He's gat letters efter his name
A'm telt he cums fae roon Antrim
But he noo cass Greba his hame.

The'r a dizzen or mair in tha classroom
The' com  fae aa iver tha place
The' aa like thair tay, tha crack an tha plays
The're a credit tae the Ulster-Scotch race.

The'r an auld han caa'd Wull Cromie
He's Ulster-Scotch fae heid tae fit-bane
He yince gat a X-ray, aa tha Dochhur wud say,
The'r tartan bluid, rennin roon yer veins.

Noo the'r a boy caa'd Jim fae Scotlann
He's something tae dae wi larning weans
In his ain native tongue, shair it's boond tae be fun
Whan he pits it iver tae oor wee yiuns.

The're ither yins thar A jist nod tae
Fur A cannae mynn quht the'r caa'd
Shair the'r that aisy-ganin, it'll no cuase a ruction
Gif a cannae mynn thair names.

Noo we shud be prood o oor Ulster-Scotch historie
Luk quhat the' daen fur Americae
The' gat tae tha tap wae tha sweet at thair backs
Ach shair that's the Ulster-Scotch way.

Quahat mair can A say aboot us
We'r a breed aa o oor ain
We left oor mairk in historie
An tha future noo wull be oor ain.

Jack Thompson.