Brownsbank Writing Fellowship funding shortfall

The Fellowship, at Brownsbank Cottage in Candymill, near Biggar, was the final home of Scotland's greatest 20th-century poet Hugh MacDiarmid.

Biggar Museum Trust's Brownsbank committee secretary Andrew McCallum was devastated to hear about the end of a grant which helps to fund a writer-in-residence post currently occupied by Carl MacDougall.

"We were very disappointed to find out that the funding had been withdrawn," Andrew said.

"There was a bit of anger from us that the decision had been taken on financial grounds and without any impact assessment being done.

"So we are launching a campaign to try to reverse this decision.

"A protest letter signed by our list of supporters will be sent to South Lanarkshire Council."

However, it looks unlikely that the council will be able to source the funds.

A council spokeswoman told the Gazette: "In the difficult financial climate, the council has had to assign 17.5 million in budget cuts for this year and difficult decisions have had to be made."

The Fellowship, which is also backed by a matching 10,500 grant from the Scottish Arts Council, sees MacDougall develop his own creative work, promote Brownsbank, Biggar, Hugh MacDiarmid and Scottish literature.

He also works locally in South Lanarkshire with writers' groups, schools (both teachers and children), libraries and community organisations including festivals.

For more information, pick up a copy of this week's Carluke and Lanark Gazette which is in the shops now, priced just 48p.