Heard this on the radio this morning.

Alexander McCall Smith sends wee Precious roond warld – in Scots

IMAGINE Arthur Conan Doyle writing a story about the young Sherlock Holmes and insisting that it appears in print in Scots for a year before it is translated into English or any other language.

That's effectively what is going to happen this month with the publication of Alexander McCall Smith's Precious and the Puggies (Precious and the Monkeys), which tells the story of his world-famous detective Mma Ramotswe's first case – when she was an eight-year-old growing up in Botswana.

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/scotland/Alexander-McCall-Smith-sends-wee.6053738.jp

"McCall Smith, who is not a native Scots speaker, wrote the story in English and gave it to Robertson to translate, along with exclusive rights for a year."

Why didn't he learn to write in Scots first? What a poseur!

I don't see it like that, JAJ.
James Roberston approached AMS, not the other way around.
The other authors he has translated for Itchycoo wrote in English too (Roald Dahl etc), and I for one don't mind having Scots translations published as opposed to orginals only. All grist to the mill.
Ditto Beatrix Potter in Gaelic, for example.
If AMS had had to learn Scots first, he would have needed lots of coaching, proof-reading, correction etc, which more or less boils down to translation anyway (especially as the planned translation will most certainly be in close collaboration with him) . He will no doubt learn a fair bit more Scots from the collaboration process.
Anything that gets people reading Scots and Gaelic is a good thing.

Absolutely, Pict. I think this is fantastic. Well done (again!) Itchy Coo!

"I for one don't mind having Scots translations published as opposed to orginals only"

and

"Anything that gets people reading Scots and Gaelic is a good thing."

I don't disagree with that but if he's an English(In terms of language) writer, then surely the original should be made available before the translation. Or, at least, the two works could be published simultaneously?

As most singers here will confirm(I'm sure), a lot of meaning can get lost in translation or just doesn't have the same effect.
Admittedly, it's usually the other way around..ie from an indigenous or foreign language into English.

However, the same principles will surely still apply? i.e. the overall result would benefit from the author having both written and *thought* in Scots.

Maybe he believes in the Scots language and feels that a well read author like himself can help the cause. He can't be doing it for the money...

I agree with Simon re motives for Scots-only initial issue, and also think that this case is not the standard one regarding translation policy and practice.

This is actually a case where the translation idea precedes the writing of the story, and that is likely to influence the way the story is handled, even if unconsciously (hardly likely with AMS), as well as the way the translation is handled (living, willing, cooperative original author) - it's a kind of special collaboration. I look forward to it with interest.

If he learns enough Scots to be able to develop it and think in it later, and then produce further work in Scots, so much the better, BUT he will then clearly open himself to the opposite criticism, including 'poseur'. ;-)

I doubt that it will be a success. Very few people, including the Scots, will bother reading it because it will be too much trouble. They'll just wait a year for the English version to come out.

I've come to this conclusion because I cannot imagine a Geordie reading a novel written in the Geordie dialect, even though they speak the dialect all the time. They are just not used to reading it.

Only a foreigner (with Scottish ancestry) would come up with that romantic idea!

I love reading Scots - it feels right.

Well, I've been giving Itchycoo books to all and sundry as presents, and they are extremely popular, pounced upon with glee by adults and chidren alike, most of whom are Scots. Ditto with Doric material. If it's interesting and attractive in its own right, there will be a market for it. Not comparable with the English market, but a market.
If AMS can give it a bit of publicity and glamour, however temporary , then so much the better.

It's all too beautiful.............

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJzcF0v1eOE

It does bother me a bit that Itchy Coo use the Englified Oor Wullie "oo" instead of "ou" in words like "nou", but overall I support them.

St George,
Quite right -- people aren't used to it, and the only cure for that is to do it more often. Every now and then my emails to my family drift into Scots in order to get them gradually more accustomed to it.

The main goal of getting McCall Smith on board is to get a bit of publicity to what is available, and to give people motivation to get used to reading in Scots. Smith doesn't need the publicity, and as you say, it's not a great money-spinner from his point of view.

I'd say all in all it's a Good Thing.

Niall

Interested in this - does this mean in Scots the following

E S Scots (but how it should be spelt)
now - noo - nou
cow - coo - cou
dove - doo - dou

Never knew that masel - very interesting.

Great stuff on the radio and no bad fae Andra Marr!!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b00qzvdf