Guarantee us freedom of speech' writers tell Creative Scotland

Free speech campaigners are demanding more support for writers and literary festivals amid a review of the Scottish Government's arts agency.

The Scottish PEN group, part of an international network championing freedom of expression, has warned Scotland's worldwide reputation has been jeopardised by Creative Scotland and the government.

It has suggested that a culture where it is "considered acceptable" for the freedom of expression of artists to be curtailed has been fostered in Scotland in recent years.

It has also raised concerns about the cancellation of one of Scotland's leading book festivals after a funding snub and the shutdown of an "open fund" for artists in the wake of a government spending squeeze.

Scottish PEN warned last year of a growing "atmosphere" in the Scottish literary world which was leading to writers and events being singled out for boycotts.

The group has previously spoken out about the "online smearing and harassment" of poet and performer Jenny Lindsay. More recently, a member of staff at Creative Scotland was reportedly disciplined for urging a shop not to stock her new book.

Scottish PEN has accused Creative Scotland of being more interested in "big ticket projects" and "big-money returns" from events than supporting events like Aye Write, Glasgow's annual book festival, which was called off this year after a funding bid was rejected.

There was further controversy in August when Creative Scotland announced it was closing its "open fund" for artists due to a lack of clarity over more than £10 million of its government funding.

Chris Brookmyre, Louise Welsh and James Robertson were among the leading Scottish writers to criticise the closure of the fund, which prompted a demand from Jenny Niven, director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, for "total rethink" of arts funding in Scotland.

In a new statement, Scottish PEN said: "Our trustees have been concerned about the state of funding for literature and the arts for some time, whether upon learning of the threats to Aye Write and the CCA in Glasgow, hearing senior members of Creative Scotland focus on big-ticket projects and the possibility of big-money returns with little or no mention of the importance of literature, or knowing of the struggles our members experience in undertaking their work.

"Our concerns have come to a head with a series of reports regarding the operation and culture of Creative Scotland and the recent closure of its open fund, notwithstanding the ensuing u-turn and announcement of a wholescale review of Creative Scotland."

When the government announced the review of Creative Scotland's "remit and functions" last month it promised that it would seek views from individuals and organisations from all parts of Scotland's cultural sector.

The Scottish PEN statement adds: "We must insist that these views include those of all readers and writers in Scotland, and that it ensures that neither the government nor any public funding body in Scotland can again be seen as fostering a culture in which is is considered acceptable for the freedom of expression of Scotland's artists to be curtailed."

Speaking at Holyrood, culture secretary Angus Robertson said the “issues” which had been raised about Creative Scotland and its decision-making would be explored as part of the review.

However he added: “It is important we have an arm’s-length arts funding organisation. It is not for the culture secretary to micromanage its artistic decisions.”