Craigroyston Community High is one of ten Scottish schools to receive an author residency from Scottish Book Trust. Poet and writer Claire Askew will work with the local school to inspire a lifelong love of reading and writing.
The Live Literature School Residency Programme is funded by Walter Scott Giving Committee and delivered by Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives through reading and writing.
The residencies will run across the 2017-18 school year and finish by Easter 2018. Walter Scott Giving Committee is the sole funder of the Live Literature School Residency Programme and this is the second year they have financed it, following last year’s successful pilot of 6 residencies.
Nine other schools across Scotland, including Edinburgh’s Craigentinny Primary, will take part in the programme and will receive sessions carried out by an author from Scottish Book Trust’s author database. This catalogue includes almost 700 professional writers, poets, playwrights, illustrators, performance poets and storytellers.
Each school’s project will be showcased on Scottish Book Trust’s website, alongside suggested learning resources and helpful tips to make the most of the residency sessions.
Claire Askew is a poet and writer living in Edinburgh. In 2012 she won the inaugural International Salt Prize for Poetry. Her work has been twice shortlisted for an Edwin Morgan Poetry Award, in 2014 and 2016, and This changes things was shortlisted for the 2016 Saltire Society First Book of the Year Award.
Claire said: “I can’t wait to start work with the brilliant pupils and staff at Craigroyston High School. I hope they’re also excited to get their teeth into some weird and wonderful reading, writing, game-playing, poem-making activities!”
Colm Linnane, Lifelong Learning Development Officer, said: “We are so excited to welcome Claire to Craigroyston, her residency is going to enable young people at the school to develop their own ideas and write their way forward!”
Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “Bringing authors into the classroom makes books and storytelling come alive for pupils, and inspires their own writing and creativity.
“These residencies are a wonderful opportunity for the school community to work closely with a talented author over a period of time and create activities that can have lasting impact for the pupils. We are looking forward to seeing the work they produce and hearing about the experiences they have during the residencies.”
The full list of schools receiving fully-funded author residencies:
- Ayr Academy, in South Ayrshire, will work with Claire McFall.
- Caskieberran Primary School, in Fife, will work with John Fardell.
- Craigentinny Primary School, in Edinburgh, will work with Janis Mackay.
- Craigroyston Community High School, in Edinburgh, will work with Claire Askew.
- Drumchapel High School, in Glasgow, will work with Cathy Forde.
- Glenbrae Children’s Centre, in Inverclyde, will work with Ruth Kirkpatrick.
- Kilpatrick School, in West Dunbartonshire, will work with Ailie Finlay.
- Knightsridge Primary School, in West Lothian, will work with Christina Banach.
- Langlees Primary School, in Falkirk, will work with Alan Bissett.
- Our Lady’s Primary School, in Stirling, will work with Nick Hesketh.
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