Top author argues against academy
by Phil Miller, Herald Scotland
Published on 11 Mar 2010


AL Kennedy (left) was speaking at the Aye Write! literary festival in Glasgow

One of Scotland’s leading authors last night said she was not in favour of the plan to set up a special academy to honour the nation’s finest writers.

A report written for the Scottish Government, addressing the future of literature in Scotland, recently called for an academy to be established to give a prestigious new title and a sense of recognition to the country’s best writers.

However, speaking at the Aye Write! literary festival in Glasgow, AL Kennedy, the award-winning author of Day and Original Bliss, said she was not keen on the idea.
“It is not a club I would be interested in joining,” she said. “I don’t know what it would be for. Would it be like the Academie Francaise? Would we just give each other money? I am just not sure what it would do, apart from getting you a new lapel badge.”

Ms Kennedy read from her new novel, still in progress, and a short story at the festival, which has the Herald & Times Group as its media sponsor.

Later, the distinguished lawyer Michael Mansfield, QC talked about his growing fears for human rights and freedoms in the UK. He said that the Lockerbie trial had been one of the “worst cases of injustice anywhere” and cast doubt on the evidence in the case. He said he knew there was further evidence that has yet to be released.