Claire White selected as first ever Scots scriever from Shetland
White will produce original work in Shaetlan language during year-long residency
AWARD-WINNING singer-songwriter Claire White has been appointed Shetland’s first Shaetlan scriever, taking up a year-long residency with the National Library of Scotland.
In partnership with Creative Scotland, the residency aims to support the creation of original writing in Scots, as well as the promotion of the language with communities throughout Scotland.
This year, the library specifically sought applicants from Shetland to be the Shaetlan scriever.
The residency gives White the opportunity to explore the richness of the National Library’s Scots language collections, as well as the space and time to produce original work in Shaetlan.
White is a well-known songwriter and traditional fiddle player from Shetland, who has been writing award-winning songs, mostly in the Shaetlan language, since 2010.
She released the album Lasses Trust In Providence in December 2018, and since 2020 has produced and presented BBC Radio Shetland 60-minute winter programmes including a series about local language entitled Midder Tongue.
White said of the appointment: “A’m so very blyde ta hiv bön appointed da Shaetlan scriever d’year.
“Da National Library o Scotland’s resources’ll be a acht in researchin an writin sangs i’da newly offeeshil Shaetlan language.
“A’ll be sharin me creative practice an feenished wark as I geng alang an A’m luikin forwird ta spaekin wi aabody aboot da place o Shaetlan an Scots language i’wir lives.
“Wir midder tongue is dear ta mony fock an hit’s winderfil ta celebrate hit trowe dis residency.”
As the Shaetlan scriever, White will produce original written work in the local language, as well as contribute to raising the profile, understanding and appreciation of the Scots language in general.
The 12-month post is funded by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland. White will begin her residency in August 2026.
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White has delivered song and storytelling workshops in almost all Shetland schools over the past four years.
She has also been working with the Scots Language Centre on developing Scots song school learning resources for national use, as well as Scots song films to be accessed online.
National Library of Scotland engagement director Peggy Hughes said they were “delighted to continue such a deep working relationship with Shetland”, having landed there as part of its Outwith programme in April this year.
“And this way, we get to feel like we’ve never left,” she said.
“Ms White is a consummate professional in the Scots language and has worked tirelessly in Shaetlan’s promotion and preservation.
“As a storyteller and performer, we feel she will really elevate the outputs from this residency and we can’t wait to see what she comes up with.”
It comes just a day after it was announced that students enrolling at colleges across Scotland will for the first time be able to identify Shaetlan as their first language.
Dean of Research and Innovation at the University of the Highlands and Islands, Dr Beth Mouat, described the move as a “landmark moment” for the Shaetlan language.
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