Scottish Review of Books
Encyclopedia
The Scottish Review of Books is a quarterly literary magazine
published in Scotland
. . It was established in October 2004 with the support of the Scottish Arts Council
. In 2009 it became a limited company with a board of directors, Scottish Review of Books Limited. It is now managed from the Scottish Review of Books offices in Edinburgh. It has published articles by many distinguished contributors and commentators. The Review has been highly successful since its launch and now has a circulation of around 90,000 copies per year.
The magazine is inserted free of charge in The Herald
newspaper and is also available by subscription in print or online and in schools, museums, libraries and bookshops across Scotland. The tie-in with The Herald has been of considerable benefit in improving its reach; Carla Sassi of the University of Verona
comments that "the Scottish Review of Books... probably reaches a larger reading public than any specialised literary journal or magazine did in the past."
According to the editor, Alan Taylor, "our aim ... is to get people talking about issues surrounding Scottish literature and to challenge people’s perceptions about particular subjects. At a time when Edinburgh has been recognised by UNESCO as the first World City of Literature
and when Scotland’s writers are receiving both critical and popular acclaim, a magazine such as this is a timely and much needed addition to the literature landscape in Scotland." It was established to provide a smaller-scale Scottish equivalent of the London Review of Books
, on which it is closely modelled in name and appearance. Unlike the LRB, which covers world literature, the SRB deals only with Scottish books.
The impetus for its establishment came from a Review of Scottish Publishing issued by the Scottish Arts Council in 2004. The review, carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers
and Napier University
on behalf of the SAC, recommended the creation of a new magazine to promote Scottish books as part of a wider effort to boost Scottish book publishing. The recommendation was swiftly implemented by the SAC in conjunction with The Herald. The launch of the Scottish Review of Books was underwritten by two publishers, Derek Rodger of Argyll Publishing, and Hugh Andrew of Birlinn and Polygon
with the aid of grants from the SAC. Alan Taylor, the Associate and Literary Editor of the Sunday Herald and former Deputy Editor of The Scotsman
, was appointed as editor.
The Glasgow
design consultancy Freight carried out a major redesign of the Scottish Review of Books in 2010. It also switched to being published in the Saturday edition of The Herald, rather than on Sundays as previously.
Literary magazine
A literary magazine is a periodical devoted to literature in a broad sense. Literary magazines usually publish short stories, poetry and essays along with literary criticism, book reviews, biographical profiles of authors, interviews and letters...
published in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. . It was established in October 2004 with the support of the Scottish Arts Council
Scottish Arts Council
The Scottish Arts Council is a Scottish public body that distributes funding from the Scottish Government, and is the leading national organisation for the funding, development and promotion of the arts in Scotland...
. In 2009 it became a limited company with a board of directors, Scottish Review of Books Limited. It is now managed from the Scottish Review of Books offices in Edinburgh. It has published articles by many distinguished contributors and commentators. The Review has been highly successful since its launch and now has a circulation of around 90,000 copies per year.
The magazine is inserted free of charge in The Herald
The Herald (Glasgow)
The Herald is a broadsheet newspaper published Monday to Saturday in Glasgow, and available throughout Scotland. As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 47,226, giving it a lead over Scotland's other 'quality' national daily, The Scotsman, published in Edinburgh.The 1889 to 1906 editions...
newspaper and is also available by subscription in print or online and in schools, museums, libraries and bookshops across Scotland. The tie-in with The Herald has been of considerable benefit in improving its reach; Carla Sassi of the University of Verona
University of Verona
The University of Verona is a university located in Verona, Italy. It was founded in 1982 and is organized in 8+2 Faculties.-History:In Verona, at the beginning of the 1950s, a group of Catholic intellectuals established the "Ludovico Antonio Muratori" Free High School of Historical Science...
comments that "the Scottish Review of Books... probably reaches a larger reading public than any specialised literary journal or magazine did in the past."
According to the editor, Alan Taylor, "our aim ... is to get people talking about issues surrounding Scottish literature and to challenge people’s perceptions about particular subjects. At a time when Edinburgh has been recognised by UNESCO as the first World City of Literature
City of Literature
UNESCO's City of Literature program is part of its Creative Cities Network which was launched in 2004. The Network was born out of UNESCO's Global Alliance for Cultural Diversity initiative which was created in 2002...
and when Scotland’s writers are receiving both critical and popular acclaim, a magazine such as this is a timely and much needed addition to the literature landscape in Scotland." It was established to provide a smaller-scale Scottish equivalent of the London Review of Books
London Review of Books
The London Review of Books is a fortnightly British magazine of literary and intellectual essays.-History:The LRB was founded in 1979, during the year-long lock-out at The Times, by publisher A...
, on which it is closely modelled in name and appearance. Unlike the LRB, which covers world literature, the SRB deals only with Scottish books.
The impetus for its establishment came from a Review of Scottish Publishing issued by the Scottish Arts Council in 2004. The review, carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers
PricewaterhouseCoopers is a global professional services firm headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the world's largest professional services firm measured by revenues and one of the "Big Four" accountancy firms....
and Napier University
Napier University
Edinburgh Napier is one of the largest higher education institutions in Scotland with over 17,000 students, including nearly 5,000 international students, from more than 100 nations worldwide.-History:...
on behalf of the SAC, recommended the creation of a new magazine to promote Scottish books as part of a wider effort to boost Scottish book publishing. The recommendation was swiftly implemented by the SAC in conjunction with The Herald. The launch of the Scottish Review of Books was underwritten by two publishers, Derek Rodger of Argyll Publishing, and Hugh Andrew of Birlinn and Polygon
Birlinn Limited
Birlinn Limited is an independent publishing house based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Established in 1992 by Managing Director Hugh Andrew, Birlinn Limited is composed of a number of imprints, including, among others:...
with the aid of grants from the SAC. Alan Taylor, the Associate and Literary Editor of the Sunday Herald and former Deputy Editor of The Scotsman
The Scotsman
The Scotsman is a British newspaper, published in Edinburgh.As of August 2011 it had an audited circulation of 38,423, down from about 100,000 in the 1980s....
, was appointed as editor.
The Glasgow
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
design consultancy Freight carried out a major redesign of the Scottish Review of Books in 2010. It also switched to being published in the Saturday edition of The Herald, rather than on Sundays as previously.