Congratulations to Dr Michael Dempster who has been nominated in Scots Speaker o the Year in the Scots Language Awards 2019. Vote now!

We asked Dr Michael Dempster the following questions.

Tell us about yourself

A’m a first language Scots spikker. A’v a backgrun in baith the airts an in science, an A’m gey taen bi hou oor unnerstaunnin o baith is raivelt up that close wi hou we uise language an storytellin. As a neuroscientist A’v a fascination bi hou we mak an tak-in soons an mak meanin fae them; as a airtist bi juist hou strangly we can connect wi guid, suithfae, Scots in music, comics an drama; an in lairnin fowk aboot Scots an editin their warks hou common wir experience o an relationship wi wir language is.

A’m the saicont an current Creative Scotland Scots Scriever hostit bi the National Library of Scotland an the Director o the Scots Language Centre, whaur in baith roles A tak sic pleasure in lairnin fowk aboot Scots, helpin them wi their ain language, an supportin them in accessin the astoonin scrievit an recordit resoorces we, as a language community, hae tae wir haun.

Why are you involved in Scots language?

Scots comes tae me saicont ainly tae breathin, in fact hit’s the wey A first stertit tae shape that verra breith, suin as A cuid. Sae, aw ma days A wis aye gaun ‘ae hae Scots in ma mooth.

A wis fortunate tae grow up in a faimily an community whaur Scots spikkin wis juist whit ye did. Mind you, hit didnae hae onie nemm ayont mibbie ‘slang’. Scots wis there in wir sangs, oor stories, oor rhymes. Hit wis in oor blethers, oor fechts, oor freinships an oor wirds o luv. But, wi the serious heid on, no at the scuil an no at the college an no at yer wirk.

A bade awa fae hame as A got aulder, sae A’d nae raison fir tae drap or chynge ma Scots thereaboots. Spikkin English wis juist as necessary as spikkin Spanish wuid hae been haed A bade in Mexico. Sae A wis gien the foregrun an backgrun o seein ma ain hame tung fir whit it wis, a language. An as A lairnt ma linguistics an neuroscience o language A became sairly aware thit the wey A spoke wisnae representit at aw. In snookin aboot tae fin oot hou no, A, aw o a sudden, as a adult, lairnt the name fir ma language. Scots.

Comin back tae Scotland a dizzen or sae year syne, A’d the mibbie dotie thocht thit shairin this knawlegde in ma lecturin, an screen writin, an singin, an reseirch wuid be walcome an taen on hertily. But A wis met wi nae sma resistance tea the sel-evident situation.

Sae raither nor gettin aw petti lipt aboot it A taen on wirk tae lairn fowk mair aboot their language an fir tae heeze hit up in aw airts an pairts o life. A trauchle at first, but A wis that gled tae fin that monie fowk pushin the same wey, hit’s noo a pleasure fir tae len ma shooder tae push that e’er lichtenin weicht.

Any particular career highlights?

A’v been gey lucky eneuch fir tae wirk wi some rerr fowk airtistically in theatre, film, comics, an sang ower the years.

A’m particularly prood tae hae din the libretti fir twa full lenth operas, but especially sae tae hae wirked wi the professionals o the Scots Opera Project as language advisor, lairnin them aboot Scots an aw the wee ins an oots thit ye need tae ken tae authentically perform hit. Haein ma wirds performit ower a hale programme o BBC Classics Unwrapped an gettin tae blether aboot Scots in heicht airt there wis a jo.

Specifically on spikkin, aw the scuils, chairites, community groups, colleges an unis thit A’v haed the pleasure o daein days an events wi. Tae hae fowk interestit in Scots then gaen forrit wi a spairk an smeddum an makkin their ain Scots wirks is, fir me, whit hit’s aw aboot.

Hit’s been magic fir tae able tae set up an run Scots Language Cafés bringing thegither a wheen o spikkers tae explore their leid. An fir tae run a Govan Scots language week wi the support o The Govan Stanes heritage centre, Sunny Govan Radio an wi aw the youth projects wis juist braw.

Giein ma lectures on Scots language in comics aw ower an aside some o the warld’s best creators haes been a enormous privileged.

A native o the internet a wheen o ma wirk is in wee communities o fowk fae the warld ower, engagin in a bit o cyberscots.

A muckle pairt o ma year haes been ta be trustit tae cairry oot the role o Scots Scriever an wirkin wi aw sorts o fowk in that capacity. O late wirkin wi the braw dementia community programme haes been smashin.

Hit wis a jo tae gie Scots Language Maisterclesses an hae ither events at the Edinburgh International Book Festival. A year whaur Scots is mair tae the fore nor afore.

An hit’s been a pleasure fir tae appear on a wheen o rerr platforms sic as Billy Kay’s radio programmes, monie papers an telly news programmes, podcasts, vlogs an blogs, an fir tae be able tae gie the warld’s first TED talk in Scots at TEDxInverness.

What are your plans for the future?

A’v stull a year left in post as the Scots Scriever, A’v set forret a wheen o Scots in the nation’s scrievit record fir tae heichlicht, especially luikin at wummen in wir literature. A’m daein a series o creative wirks based on the narrative fiction films in the national collection tae be feenished in the residency. Fae there, mibbie back intae a bit o serious film makkin again.

A dae hae a nummer o manuscripts on Scots there aw waitin tae get a bit o sunlicht, A’ll be blether mair aboot thae topics on ma vlogs. Alang wi ma twa jos, sangs an comics.

Alangst ithers at the Scots Language Centre an ayont, A’ll be wirkin haurd on mair lairnin resources an A’ll keep pluggin awa editin, mentorin an heezin up the Scots wirk o ither fowk. A’ll haud forret stravaigin alang at a fair skelp, an A’m aye gled tae add mair talks an wirkshops tae ma diary!

Read more about Dr Michael Dempster

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If you wish to attend the Scots Language Awards, tickets are available to buy via: https://www.ticketsglasgow.com/Pages/EventDetail.aspx?EventId=8fd8b867-811e-4bfc-a2c0-aab900efc42b For box office call 0141 353 8000. Performing on Friday 27th September include Iona Fyfe Trio, Susi Briggs, Steve Byrne and more to be announced.

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