Matthew Fitt (born 1968) is a

Scots Scots usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: * Scots language, a language of the West Germanic language family native to Scotland * Scots people, a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland * Scoti, a Latin na ...

poet and novelist. He was writer-in-residence at Greater Pollok in Glasgow, then National Scots Language Development Officer. He has translated several literary works into Scots.

Early life

Fitt was born in 1968 in Dundee, Scotland. His mother was a journalist, working for publications such as Mandy. His great-grandfather William Beharrie was a novelist who wrote in Scots. In his final year of school, his teachers showed him the works of

Robert Burns Robert Burns (25 January 175921 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who ha ...

and

Hugh MacDiarmid Christopher Murray Grieve (11 August 1892 – 9 September 1978), best known by his pen name Hugh MacDiarmid (), was a Scottish poet, journalist, essayist and political figure. He is considered one of the principal forces behind the Scottish Ren ...

. After he graduated from university, he became a teacher but continued to write.

Literary career

He was writer-in-residence at Greater Pollok in Glasgow, later National Scots Language Development Officer. In 2002, together with James Robertson and Susan Rennie, he co-founded

Itchy Coo Itchy may refer to: Entertainment Characters * A fictional animated mouse in ''The Itchy & Scratchy Show'', the show-within-a-show on ''The Simpsons'' * Attichitcuk, Chewbacca's father in 1978's ''The Star Wars Holiday Special'', nicknamed "Itchy ...

, a publishing imprint and educational project to reintroduce schoolchildren to the Scots tongue. His best known work and debut novel is ''

But'n'Ben A-Go-Go ''But n Ben A-Go-Go'' is a science fiction work by Scots writer Matthew Fitt, notable for being entirely in the Scots language. The novel was first published in 2000. According to the author, as many of the different varieties of Scots as possi ...

'', a

cyberpunk Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian Futurism, futuristic setting that tends to focus on a "combination of low-life, lowlife and high tech", featuring futuristic technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial in ...

novel in Lowland Scots. Earlier works included ''The Hoose O Haivers'', a loose retelling of the ''Metamorphoses'' of

Ovid Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the ...

in Scots and ''The Smoky Smirr O Rain'', a Scots anthology. He wrote the lyrics to ''Icker in a Thrave'', the 2007 Scots entry for the

Liet-Lavlut Liet International ( fy, Liet Ynternasjonaal), formerly Liet-Lávlut, is a song contest for musicians who speak any of Europe's regional or minority languages that was held the first time in Friesland in 2002. The goal of the festival is to boost in ...

song contest for minority languages in Europe. The tune was written by Simon Thoumire, and the song was performed by

Mairi Campbell Mairi Campbell (born 1965) is a Scottish folk singer and musician. Campbell's songs and music have a rooted and powerful quality that range from the everyday to the universal, both in sound and subject matter. Campbell has been much praised for ...

(singing), Kevin Mackenzie (guitar), Clare McLaughlin (fiddle), and Simon Thoumire (concertina). Fitt has translated several

Asterix ''Asterix'' or ''The Adventures of Asterix'' (french: Astérix or , "Asterix the Gaul") is a '' bande dessinée'' comic book series about a village of indomitable Gaulish warriors who adventure around the world and fight the Roman Repub ...

books into Scots. The first was '' Asterix and the Picts'' (''Asterix and the Pechts''), published in 2013. He has also translated several

Roald Dahl Roald Dahl (13 September 1916 – 23 November 1990) was a British novelist, short-story writer, poet, screenwriter, and wartime fighter ace of Norwegian descent. His books have sold more than 250 million copies worldwide. Dahl has b ...

novels, including '' The Twits'' (''The Eejits''), '' George's Marvellous Medicine'' (''Geordie’s Mingin Medicine'') and '' Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' (''Chairlie and the Chocolate Works''), and, in 2018,

J. K. Rowling Joanne Rowling ( "rolling"; born 31 July 1965), also known by her pen name J. K. Rowling, is a British author and philanthropist. She wrote ''Harry Potter'', a seven-volume children's fantasy series published from 1997 to 2007. The ser ...

's '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stane''. In May 2020, he was awarded the

Scottish Book Trust Scottish Book Trust is a national charity based in Edinburgh, Scotland promoting literature, reading and writing in Scotland. Scottish Book Trust works with and for a range of audiences, including babies and parents (through the Bookbug program ...

's outstanding contribution to children's books award. In December 2021, he became the cofounder and editor of Scots-language magazine Eemis Stane.

Bibliography

* ''Pure Radge'' (1996). Kirkcaldy, Akros Publications. * ''Sairheid City'' (1999). Angus, Kettillonia Press. * ''Gaberlunzie Joe (Itchy Coo Series)'' (2002). Edinburgh, Black and White Publishing. * ''But'n'Ben A-Go-Go'' (2005). Dundee, Luath Press. * (with James Robertson) ''The Smoky Smirr O Rain: A Scots Anthology (Itchy Coo Series)''. Edinburgh, Black and White Publishing. (2003) * (with James Robertson and Bob Dewar) ''King O the Midden: Manky Mingin Rhymes in Scots (Itchy Coo Series)''. Edinburgh, Black and White Publishing. (2003) * (with James Robertson and Susan Rennie ''The Hoose O Haivers (Itchy Coo Series)''. Edinburgh, Black and White Publishing. (2002) * ''Time Tram Dundee ''. Dundee City Council by Waverley Books. (2006)

References

External links

* * University of Dunde
explains the Itchy Coo project
* Text and commentary o

which was listed in ''Best Scottish Poems, 2004''
Itchy Coo
– Braw Books for Bairns o Aw Ages

– music tae "Icker in a Thrave" * 1968 births 20th-century Scottish novelists 20th-century Scottish poets 21st-century Scottish novelists 21st-century Scottish poets Cyberpunk writers Lallans poets Living people People from Dundee Poets from Dundee Scots-language poets Scottish science fiction writers {{Scotland-writer-stub