Autumn sees Sceptical Scot breaking new ground with our first fundraiser and our first venture into print. The two go together.
The printed pamphlet is (we hope) the first in a series of inquiring, investigative articles, originally published online, ‘asking questions, seeking answers’ in the spirit of Sceptical Scot.
Retailopolis features the work of established writers George Rosie and David Black. Top reads on Sceptical Scot website, their essays shine a light on the mismanagement of Edinburgh city centre development over more than 200 years.
Casting inquisitive eyes on the past and future of the now infamous Edinburgh St James district, together they make a gripping account of one troubled quarter and its evolution from eighteenth century slum a present day ‘retailopolis’ where vested interests too often overcame civic values.
In the same spirit, our Just Giving crowdfunder now aims to raise £1000 to enable us to commission original work from a new generation of talented and inquiring journalists.
It is a modest step into the world of fundraising for Sceptical Scot which launched five years ago in the spring of 2015 with no budget. Since then the co-editors and most of the contributors have willingly given their time free.
But in an age of misinformation we are acutely aware that we must also invest in the next generation of writers: we have never been in greater need of straight facts, clear information and words well used. This first crowdfunder will help us commission and pay for the time and skill of promising young writers with curiosity about the world we live in, and the one we are making for the future.
A spirit of inquiry
From the outset, we have welcomed contributions that focus on issues affecting Scotland regardless of its constitutional arrangements and that are truly international in scale. These might include the nature of modern democracy, the question of identity and national character, inequality and fairness, globalisation and de-industrialisation, the future of work, localism and cross-border collaboration, migration and ageing, the empowering role of the state, the role and future of media in a devolved country – and, not least, the impact of climate change and loss of biodiversity on the economics and politics of the world we, as humans, share with other species.
We are delighted to report that copies of Retailopolis are now available from the Library of Mistakes and Golden Hare books.
The Library of Mistakes (‘changing the world one mistake at a time’) is tucked away in a corner of Edinburgh’s New Town: 4 Wemyss Place Mews
Edinburgh EH3 6DN. Access is free to Readers. To make an appointment you can register HERE
Golden Hare Books, voted independent bookshop of the year at the British Book Awards 2019, is at 68 St Stephen Street, Stockbridge, Edinburgh EH3 5AQ. It is open from 10 am to 6pm seven days a week.
Alternatively contact Sceptical Scot editors HERE.
You can donate to the JustGiving crowdfunder HERE. We look forward to reporting a successful campaign and sharing the results with you.
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