Bibliography of Scottish Literature in Translation
Introduction for authors and publishers
The need for BOSLIT became apparent in the early years of the Scottish Poetry Library (the 1980s) when it became clear that there was no way of finding out what was translated into other languages from Scottish literature.
At the same time a surge of interest in Scottish literature, both within Scotland and at Scottish Studies Centres in Europe, North America and Canada, made it imperative that proper bibliographies, catalogues and indexes were developed.
BOSLIT, which has been developed from the mid-1990s, offers authors and publishers improved information:
- Contemporary Scottish writers now have to hand an excellent record of world versions of their work, and they are invited to alert the project to any inadvertent gaps.
- Publishers in Scotland and overseas can identify what has appeared in translation and by whom, and on this basis make informed decisions on the negotiation and commissioning of new translations.
- Authors and publishers should also be aware that students of Scottish literature can use BOSLIT for projects and specialist studies, and that teachers can use it for all manner of linguistic studies as well as literary and socio-historical.
- BOSLIT transcends academic subject divisions just as it does national boundaries in making Scottish literature better known.
BOSLIT will be a key resource for future internationalism by, with and from Scottish writers and Scottish writing past, present and future.
