SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 1010 Title : Review of "Hieroglyphics and other stories" (Anne Donovan) Author(s): Liz Niven Copyright holder(s): Liz Niven Text "Hieroglyphics and other stories" by Anne Donovan Pub. Canongate £6.99 pp165 Furst printit in 2001, Hieroglyphics is noo reprintit in 2004. This, Anne Donovan’s furst collection o short stories was gey weil receivit, praised for its wunnerfu observations oan wimmen’s lives. Wimmen o aw ages feature in the buik, an thir stories are telt in a fine rynge o vices fae Staunart Scottish English throu tae West o Scotlan dialect. Wi’oot heavy-haundedness, the author maks her pynts aboot the leid an its difficulties in contemporary Scotlan. In ‘Hieroglyphics’, a wee lassie struggles at the scuil tae scrieve in English Linkin written English wi the wey a Glasgow lassie wid pronounce wurds, produces hilarious situations wi unnerlying serious pynts bein made. ‘M-A-R-Y. That’s ma name. Merry.’ Shiftin fae weans’ vyces tae auld wimmens’ wi a wheen age groups in atween, thir is ayeweys an authenticite aboot the emotions displayit, the situations depictit. Aw the stories are rootit in real lives, in hooses and scuils an cafes. Whyles we’re delichtit tae hae a reprint o this fine buik, A’m shair hunners o fowk across the kintra are luikin forrit tae readin this author’s neist buik. Wull she stert tae scrieve mair in a male vyce, as she partially did in her novel ‘Buddha Da’? Wull she continue tae scrieve in Scots gien the International interest in her work? As wee Mary’s teacher said, in Hieroglyphics, ‘what point is there in writing something which is utterly unintelligible?’ to which she replies, ‘if you were an Egyptian you could read hieroglyphics, sur.’ A’m shair this wee smatterin o dialogue luiks familiar tae maist Lallans readers. A relevant topic fir debate. Scots leid proponents: If you were a Scot you could read Scots: An if no, why no? Discuss. This work is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. The SCOTS Project and the University of Glasgow do not necessarily endorse, support or recommend the views expressed in this document. Information about document and author: Text Text audience Adults (18+): General public: Informed lay people: Audience size: 100+ Text details Method of composition: Wordprocessed Word count: 308 Text medium Magazine (e-zine): Text publication details Published: Publisher: Lallans Magazine Part of larger text: Contained in: Lallans Magazine Text setting Leisure/entertainment: Text type Review: Author Author details Author id: 19 Forenames: Liz Surname: Niven Gender: Female Decade of birth: 1950 Educational attainment: University Age left school: 17 Occupation: Writer Place of birth: Glasgow Region of birth: Glasgow Birthplace CSD dialect area: Gsw Country of birth: Scotland Place of residence: Dumfries Region of residence: E & Mid Dumfries Residence CSD dialect area: Dmf Country of residence: Scotland Father's occupation: Gardener Father's place of birth: Glasgow Father's region of birth: Glasgow Father's birthplace CSD dialect area: Gsw Father's country of birth: Scotland Mother's occupation: Seamstress Mother's place of birth: Glasgow Mother's region of birth: Glasgow Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area: Gsw Mother's country of birth: Scotland Languages: Language: English Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Work / home Language: French Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: With French people / films Language: Scots Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Work / home