The Drouth
Encyclopedia
The Drouth is an American-format quarterly periodical published in Glasgow
, Scotland
. It was founded in 2001 by Mitchell Miller and Johnny Rodger.
Although its title is Scots
(Eng: The Thirst) the magazine is published mostly in Scottish Standard English though features and fiction do regularly appear in languages such as French
, Italian
, Spanish
, Broad Scots and Scottish Gaelic
.
The Drouth is unusual for a Scottish literary magazine in that it only infrequently publishes poetry, arguing that as poetry covers a good portion of other magazines’ content, its efforts are better focused on other art-forms less well represented in Scotland's 'small mags'. The magazine works on a commissioning basis, and does not encourage unsolicited submissions. It has a particular focus on literature, film and politics but also covers visual art, music
, architecture
, photography
and comix, as well as giving generous space to creative fiction
.
The magazine sponsors a number of cultural events, mostly in Glasgow. Every issue also features a guest editor (usually someone of distinction in a given field) and guest cover artist.
. Nevertheless, it also publishes work by more establishment figures on the left and right of the political spectrum, and editorial board members such as Owen Dudley Edwards
retain links to the Scottish National Party
and Plaid Cymru
. The magazine is a frequent critic of the Scottish Labour Party
but maintains it follows no party alignment and is uncommitted on the issue of Scottish independence.
In general, the magazine has taken an aggressively non-institutional stance and has found common cause with magazines such as Variant, though it retains an independent approach on political issues and does not maintain formal links with major organisations and institutions. Its editorial board is nevertheless, drawn from a mainly institutional background across the two major Scottish cities and currently consists of;
Editorial board members primarily offer advice, but can also commission work, initiate ideas for issues and get involved in production. Several editorial board members were initially guest editors who joined the permanent staff.
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...
, 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 founded in 2001 by Mitchell Miller and Johnny Rodger.
Although its title is Scots
Scots language
Scots is the Germanic language variety spoken in Lowland Scotland and parts of Ulster . It is sometimes called Lowland Scots to distinguish it from Scottish Gaelic, the Celtic language variety spoken in most of the western Highlands and in the Hebrides.Since there are no universally accepted...
(Eng: The Thirst) the magazine is published mostly in Scottish Standard English though features and fiction do regularly appear in languages such as French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, Broad Scots and Scottish Gaelic
Scottish Gaelic language
Scottish Gaelic is a Celtic language native to Scotland. A member of the Goidelic branch of the Celtic languages, Scottish Gaelic, like Modern Irish and Manx, developed out of Middle Irish, and thus descends ultimately from Primitive Irish....
.
The Drouth is unusual for a Scottish literary magazine in that it only infrequently publishes poetry, arguing that as poetry covers a good portion of other magazines’ content, its efforts are better focused on other art-forms less well represented in Scotland's 'small mags'. The magazine works on a commissioning basis, and does not encourage unsolicited submissions. It has a particular focus on literature, film and politics but also covers visual art, music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
and comix, as well as giving generous space to creative fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
.
The magazine sponsors a number of cultural events, mostly in Glasgow. Every issue also features a guest editor (usually someone of distinction in a given field) and guest cover artist.
Editorial stance
The Drouth's editorial stance could be described as non-aligned left with occasional anarchistic and libertarian overtones as shown by its ties to radical online publications such as Pulse and Spinwatch, and with the author James KelmanJames Kelman
James Kelman is an influential writer of novels, short stories, plays and political essays. His novel A Disaffection was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for Fiction in 1989...
. Nevertheless, it also publishes work by more establishment figures on the left and right of the political spectrum, and editorial board members such as Owen Dudley Edwards
Owen Dudley Edwards
Owen Dudley Edwards was born in Dublin, Ireland in July 1938. He is the son of Professor Robert Dudley Edwards and brother to the Irish writer, Ruth Dudley Edwards....
retain links to the Scottish National Party
Scottish National Party
The Scottish National Party is a social-democratic political party in Scotland which campaigns for Scottish independence from the United Kingdom....
and Plaid Cymru
Plaid Cymru
' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...
. The magazine is a frequent critic of the Scottish Labour Party
Scottish Labour Party
The Scottish Labour Party is the section of the British Labour Party which operates in Scotland....
but maintains it follows no party alignment and is uncommitted on the issue of Scottish independence.
In general, the magazine has taken an aggressively non-institutional stance and has found common cause with magazines such as Variant, though it retains an independent approach on political issues and does not maintain formal links with major organisations and institutions. Its editorial board is nevertheless, drawn from a mainly institutional background across the two major Scottish cities and currently consists of;
- David Archibald, Lecturer, Dept of Film Theatre and Television The University of Glasgow (2006–present)
- Gerard Carruthers, Head of Dept of Scottish Literature, The University of Glasgow (2001–present)
- Steve Davismoon, Composer and lecturer at Napier UniversityNapier UniversityEdinburgh 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:...
, Edinburgh (2003–present) - Owen Dudley Edwards, Reader in History, The University of Edinburgh (2001–present)
- Dorian Grieve, Editor and Researcher in Linguistics, University of Glasgow (2004–present)
- Simon Kovesi, Head of English and Modern Languages, Oxford Brookes UniversityOxford Brookes UniversityOxford Brookes University is a new university in Oxford, England. It was named to honour the school's founding principal, John Brookes. It has been ranked as the best new university by the Sunday Times University Guide 10 years in a row...
(2009–present) - Emily Munro, Head of Learning, Glasgow Film TheatreGlasgow Film TheatreThe Glasgow Film Theatre or GFT is an independent cinema in Rose Street, , Glasgow. GFT is a registered charity...
(2008–present) - Ruaridh Nicoll, Journalist and novellist (2004–present)
- Miriam Ross, Researcher in film and related studies (also web editor) (2010)
- Elke Weissmann, Lecturer, Liverpool Edgehill University
Editorial board members primarily offer advice, but can also commission work, initiate ideas for issues and get involved in production. Several editorial board members were initially guest editors who joined the permanent staff.
Guest editors
Since issue 6, a guest editor has been invited to contribute editorial essays and advice. There has been no guest editor for issues 9, 25 and 33, and the lineup has included pseudonymous and spoof entries. The full list is as follows;- Issue 6:'Fact' Frank KuppnerFrank Kuppner-Life:He has been Writer in Residence at various institutions, currently at University of Glasgow, and Strathclyde University.-Awards:* 2008 Creative Scotland Award* 1995 McVitie’s Writer of the Year Award, for Something Very Like Murder...
, novelist. - Issue 7: 'Complexity' Edwin MorganEdwin MorganEdwin George Morgan was a Scottish poet and translator who was associated with the Scottish Renaissance. He is widely recognised as one of the foremost Scottish poets of the 20th century. In 1999, Morgan was made the first Glasgow Poet Laureate...
, poet. - Issue 8: 'Panegyric' Jenni CalderJenni CalderJenni Calder is a Scottish literary historian, and arts establishment figure. She was formerly married to Angus Calder, and is the daughter of David Daiches. She also once ran the Edinburgh Book Festival.-Some works:...
, writer. - Issue 10: 'Word'
- Issue 11: 'Monument' Miles Glendinning, architectural critic.
- Issue 12: 'Bigotry' Gowan Calder, actress.
- Issue 13: 'Intelligence' Christopher Harvie, writer and academic.
- Issue 14: 'Land' Ruaridh Nicoll, journalist and novelist.
- Issue 15: 'Consensus and Revision', Sarah Dunnigan, expert on ballads.
- Issue 16: 'Didactic', Muhammad Idrees Ahmad, media analyst.
- Issue 17: 'Form', Elke Weissmann, cultural critic and researcher in television studies.
- Issue 18: 'Class', Willy Maley, writer and academic.
- Issue 19: 'Dialect', Carol Baranuik, expert on Ullans (Ulster Scots).
- Issue 20: 'Image', John Calcutt, Lecturer at Glasgow School of art.
- Issue 21: 'Document',Jonathan Murray, expert on Scottish cinema and history.
- Issue 22: 'Utopia' Sheila Dickson, academic and translator.
- Issue 23: 'Deviant' Mark CousinsMark CousinsMark Cousins may refer to:* Mark Cousins , Northern Irish writer on film* Mark Cousins , goalkeeper* Mark Cousins , British intellectual...
, critic and filmmaker. - Issue 24: 'Skin', Craig Richardson, artist and academic.
- Issue 26: 'Collect', Rosemary Goring, Arts Editor, The Herald.
- Issue 27: 'Pure', Emily Munro, writer and film programmer.
- Issue 28: 'Establishment', 'Molly Maguire', poet.
- Issue 29: 'Union', Ian S. Wood, historian.
- Issue 30: 'Public', Ashley Shelby Benites, author.
- Issue 31: 'Rhetoric', John Knox, Reformer.
- Issue 32: 'Moral', Jen Birks, media analyst.
- Issue 34: 'Lost', Rhona Brown, writer and academic
- Issue 35: 'Process', Simon Kovesi, critic and academic.
Guest artists
Since issue 14, guest artists from fine art, illustration, photography and even film, have been invited to provide covers to each issue -- Issue 14: 'Land', David ShrigleyDavid Shrigley-Life and career:Shrigley was born in Macclesfield on 17 September 1968, the younger of two children born to Rita and Joseph Shrigley. Shrigley grew up in Oadby, Leicestershire, England...
, installation. - Issue 15: 'Consensus and Revision', Margaret TaitMargaret TaitMargaret Caroline Tait was a Scottish film maker and poet.-Life:Tait was born and raised in Kirkwall on Orkney, an island off the coast of Scotland.Tait died in Kirkwall in 1999.-Training and career:...
, experimental film. - Issue 16: 'Didactic', Andreas Kaiser, installation.
- Issue 17: 'Form', Toby Paterson,painting.
- Issue 18: 'Class', Ken CurrieKen CurrieKen Currie is a Scottish painter, one of the most influential living artists in Scotland. His paintings are displayed in public and museum collections worldwide....
, painting. - Issue 19: 'Dialect', Mark Neville, photography/performance.
- Issue 20: 'Image', Alasdair GrayAlasdair GrayAlasdair Gray is a Scottish writer and artist. His most acclaimed work is his first novel Lanark, published in 1981 and written over a period of almost 30 years...
, illustration. - Issue 21: 'Document', Aaron Valdez, experimental film.
- Issue 22: 'Utopia', Stephan Klenner Otto, illustration.
- Issue 23: 'Deviant', Louise Galea, photography.
- Issue 24: 'Skin', Craig Richardson, installation.
- Issue 25: 'Epic/Lyric', Euan Sutherland, illustration,
- Issue 26: 'Collect', Andrew Lee, photography.
- Issue 27: 'Pure', John KayJohn KayJohn Kay may refer to:*John Kay , English inventor of textile machinery, notably the flying shuttle*John Kay , English developer of textile machinery, notably the spinning frame *John Kay , Scottish caricaturist*Sir John Kay...
, illustration. - Issue 28: 'Establishment', Stuart Murray, illustration.
- Issue 29: 'Union', Steve Ovett Effect, performance/illustration.
- Issue 30: 'Public', Bill Breckinridge, photography.
- Issue 31: 'Rhetoric', Alexandra Demenkova, documentary photography.
- Issue 32: 'Moral', Stephen Healy, photography.
- Issue 33: 'Solution', Chris Dooks, photography.
- Issue 34: 'Lost', Ian McCulloch, painting.
- Issue 35: 'Process', Roddy Buchanan, photography.
Books and related media
The Drouth has recently published two books based partly on essays and features that first appeared in its pages; in 2009 it published Fickle Man: Robert Burns in the 21st Century (Sandstone Press) and in 2010, Tartan Pimps: Gordon Brown, Margaret Thatcher & the New Scotland (Argyll Publishing).Notable contributors
- Angus CalderAngus CalderAngus Lindsay Ritchie Calder was a Scottish academic, writer, historian, educator and literary editor with a background in English literature, politics and cultural studies.-Education:...
- Gowan Calder
- Jenni Calder
- Eddie CampbellEddie CampbellEddie Campbell is a Scottish comics artist and cartoonist who now lives in Australia. Probably best known as the illustrator and publisher of From Hell , Campbell is also the creator of the semi-autobiographical Alec stories collected in Alec: The Years Have Pants, and Bacchus , a wry adventure...
- Noam ChomskyNoam ChomskyAvram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and activist. He is an Institute Professor and Professor in the Department of Linguistics & Philosophy at MIT, where he has worked for over 50 years. Chomsky has been described as the "father of modern linguistics" and...
- Jem CohenJem CohenJem Alan Cohen is an award-winning New York City-based filmmaker known for his observational portraits of urban landscapes, blending of media formats and collaborations with music artists. He is the recipient of the Independent Spirit Award and many first place awards for feature filmmaking...
- Ken CurrieKen CurrieKen Currie is a Scottish painter, one of the most influential living artists in Scotland. His paintings are displayed in public and museum collections worldwide....
- Stephen Davismoon
- Owen Dudley EdwardsOwen Dudley EdwardsOwen Dudley Edwards was born in Dublin, Ireland in July 1938. He is the son of Professor Robert Dudley Edwards and brother to the Irish writer, Ruth Dudley Edwards....
- Roberto Fabbricciani
- John Gray
- Dorian Grieve
- Murray Grigor
- Sileas na Keppoch
- Simon Kovesi
- Frank Kuppner
- Carl MacDougall
- Donald MacLeod
- Edwin MorganEdwin MorganEdwin George Morgan was a Scottish poet and translator who was associated with the Scottish Renaissance. He is widely recognised as one of the foremost Scottish poets of the 20th century. In 1999, Morgan was made the first Glasgow Poet Laureate...
- Jonny Murray
- Ruaridh Nicoll
- Andrew O'HaganAndrew O'HaganAndrew O'Hagan, FRSL is a Scottish novelist and non-fiction author. He is also an Editor at Large of Esquire and is currently a creative writing fellow at King's College London. He was selected by for inclusion in their 2003 list of the top 20 young British novelists. His novels appear...
- Paul O’Keeffe
- Juana Ponce de Leon
- Jake Mahaffy
- George MonbiotGeorge MonbiotGeorge Joshua Richard Monbiot is an English writer, known for his environmental and political activism. He lives in Machynlleth, Wales, writes a weekly column for The Guardian, and is the author of a number of books, including Captive State: The Corporate Takeover of Britain and Bring on the...
- Ashley Shelby
- David Stenhouse
- Sherien Sultan