An ocean apart: literary sea change

Canada does not have a long, rich literary history. In fact, name three Canadian authors of any importance published before 1950. See? Canada's literary world doesn't have the Burns and Stevenson of Scotland, but they spend quite a bit more money from their Arts Council, the results of which can be seen in this year's Booker short list. Since Imrich dived into the Canadian ocean the world of bribery and Booker has changed dramatically ;-)

No-one is suggesting, of course, that subsidy per se creates dazzling fiction. It does, however, create the climate and conditions, the attitudes and the economic structure, in which fiction, poetry, writing for adults and children, cultural commentary, strong independent publishing houses, vibrant and committed bookshops can all flourish.

The Scotsman compares the literary worlds of the two nations and hopes Scotland can learn something from it all.