Iain Banks starts The Crow Road with “it was the day my grandmother exploded” and J.M. Barrie’s opener to Peter Pan is “all children, except one, grow up.” It seems Scottish authors have a knack for drawing their readers in from the very first line.
The dictionary definition of a story is ‘an account of imaginary or real people and events told for entertainment,’ but we all know it’s so much more than that. Stories are intrinsically linked to emotions. They make us feel something, recall our own adventures and often stay with us long after the last page or the closing credits.
2022 is Scotland’s Year of Stories – a celebration of stories inspired by, written, or created in Scotland and we’ll be adding to the festivities with an event in May to showcase the young authors we’ve had the privilege of working with to date.
Stories are a vital part of Scotland’s culture and each community has a different tale to tell. SPA has worked with over 3,000 students in the last five years and every story they’ve written has been captured in print as a record of their creativity and potential. One of our first publications, The Leithers Guide to Leith, is now in its third print run. You (and generations to come), can find a copy at the National Library of Scotland but it’s also available in our online shop and well worth the £7 investment.
Though stories can be shared in many different forms, we’re focused on the written word, encouraging confidence in young people to use this powerful communication tool to share their experiences, thoughts and imaginations. Their stories continually challenge and inspire us. They’ve made us laugh and sometimes cry but we know the world is richer because they’ve been recorded. In the words of Margaret Atwood “in the end, we’ll all become stories…” How will yours be remembered?
We are delighted to be taking part in #YS2022 with Year of Stories Community Stories Fund support from @EventScotNews @HeritageFundUK @MuseumsGalScot More soon!
Photo: Pupils from Portobello High School in 2020 at the book launch for their publication – We Are Portobello