Shetland.org

Literature

From the Viking sagas onwards, Shetland and its history have figured in writing and there is a strong oral tradition too, with storytelling an art that is still practised.

Scores of Shetland authors have written in both English and Shetland dialect. However, others have passed this way too. Sir Walter Scott used Shetland as the inspiration for The Pirate and Hugh McDiarmid lived on the island of Whalsay for several years, writing some of his best work there. Crime may not be the most obvious Shetland theme, but Ian Rankin’s Inspector Rebus followed up a case in our islands in Black and Blue and Ann Cleeves' quartet of novels, Raven Black, White Nights, Red Bones, Blue Lightning, is also set in Shetland.

The range of writing on the Shetland bookshelf spans almost every genre. It includes poetry of many forms, works of fiction - such as the novels by John Graham - and writing about history, food, travel and much else. There is work translated from German into Shetlandic and poetry written in English but illuminated by flashes of Shetland, Urdu, Punjabi, and Hindi. In January 2009, Shetland-based poet Jen Hadfield won the T S Eliot Prize for her remarkable collection, Nigh-No-Place.

The number of Shetland publications gracing the shelves of local bookshops is remarkable. For an even more comprehensive picture, the Shetland Library is a good starting point. As in other branches of the arts, Shetland’s society and environment offers fertile territory for authors. In recent years, an annual book festival, featuring writers such as Will Self, Iain Banks and Louis de Bernières, has invigorated local literary life. If you're interested in basing yourself here as an author, we'd be very pleased to put you in touch with people who can provide further advice.