Leabhar nan Gaidheal Òga – Highland launch of The Book of the Young Gael
The launch of a new book written by Gaelic medium pupils and illustrated by young people from throughout the Highlands took place in Inverness Town House this morning (Friday 6 June).
During the launch some of the young authors performed readings of their work whilst other saw their artwork displayed as part of a virtual exhibition.
This is the first book to be published in Gaelic by young people in the Highlands and is the result of an ambitious project developed and organised by a partnership of the Gaelic Books Council, The Highland Council’s Gaelic Development Officer and the Cultural Coordinator in Schools for Skye & Lochalsh. The project has attracted funding from The Highland Council, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Leader+ and GASD.
Central to the success of the project has been the collaboration with leading Gaelic writers who have visited Highland schools and delivered workshops to inspire young people to produce new work. Well-known writers Angus Peter Campbell, Morag Stewart, Iain Finlay MacLeod, Lisa Storey, Catriona Lexy Campbell and Rody Gorman worked in primary and secondary schools with Gaelic medium pupils, from Acharacle to Alness, and Dingwall to Dunvegan.
From the large body of new work which was written, the best was chosen for the book and edited by the Project Coordinator. The written pieces were then illustrated by pupils, enabling non-Gaelic speaking pupils to become involved in the project. This has been important in emphasizing that everyone can play a role in supporting the Gaelic language and heritage.
John Storey from the Gaelic Books Council said: "Strong support from local authorities and an increased level of funding is vital so that we can encourage and develop the Gaelic writers of the future.
"We now need to establish a framework so that Leabhar nan Gaidheal Oga is not just a one-off, so that Gaelic writers can regularly engage with young people in schools and encourage new writing.
"Perhaps the positive outcomes from Leabhar nan Gaidheal Oga, and the clear demand for Gaelic authors within schools may inspire local authorities, Bòrd na Gàidhlig and the Gaelic Books Council to do more.
"Gaelic literature needs to be set at the heart of our young people's educational developmemt."
Councillor Hamish Fraser, Chairman of The Highland Council’s Gaelic Committee said: “The Leabhar nan Gaidheal Oga publication is a perfect example of how the work of young people in Gaelic education can be published in an attractive and accessible format. Not only are the writings available in a colourful and attractive traditional book but they are also available on CD which will make it a valuable resource for teachers to use through the medium of ICT, such as smartboards.
“Developments such as this form part of the targets of the Gaelic Language Plan, which was recently approved by Bòrd na Gàidhlig. I am delighted that the young people in Gaelic education had an opportunity to participate and that the artwork compliments the range of creative writing. It is very apparent that young people are at the centre of this publication.”
Angus Peter Campbell, author and Gaelic Medium parent, and one of the writers involved in the project said: "This was a delightful project to work on, alongside young Gaels with talent and passion for writing. It strikes me that literature ought to have the same stature as music in all our Highland schools. As far as I am aware, all schools get a weekly visit from music tutors, and if we are equally serious about nurturing Gaelic writing, then the same investment must be made with visits from professional writers. I am absolutely sure our young people would appreciate it and would benefit greatly from that kind of regular literary tuition and support. We cannot continue to treat our language and its literature as a poor cousin to our music and culture."
There is a strong demand for Gaelic literature to have a far higher profile within Gaelic education, according to a survey conducted as part of the project. Leabhar nan Gàidheal Òga Project Co-ordinator Johan Byrne, surveyed schools and all those responding said that they would very much like to see further interaction with Gaelic authors and development of similar Gaelic literature projects, incorporating author visits to schools. 50% of schools surveyed would like to have a Gaelic author visit once per term while 20% said twice yearly visits would be beneficial. 20 % of schools wanted a block of visits from authors in one term, while 10% of schools said a yearly visit from Gaelic authors would be satisfactory.
Leabhar nan Gàidheal Òga will now be made available through schools and libraries throughout Highland and the Gaelic Books Council.