What is Itchy Coo?
Who are we?
Where can I get Itchy Coo books?
Does Itchy Coo visit schools?
What is the Scots Language?

What is Itchy Coo?

Itchy Coo is a best-selling, award-winning new imprint which specialises in Scots Language books for children and young people.

Established in January 2002, Itchy Coo is a collaboration of writers, illustrators, actors, schools, a publisher and marketing and design teams. In a very short time, it has become the premier publisher of Scots Language teaching materials.

With Lottery funding from the Scottish Arts Council and from local education authorities, the imprint continues to develop its range of high-quality well-written Scots Language books. In addition to publishing, Itchy Coo also visits schools and libraries and provides in-service training for teachers within the framework of the 5-14 curriculum.

Itchy Coo publishes exciting new books in Scots. Parents and teachers can be sure that their children will find a lot not only to enjoy but to learn from an Itchy Coo book.

Scots words are fun and Itchy Coo offers new ways into learning a language that is an integral part of Scottish life. Itchy Coo's comprehensive and attractive range of new titles means that the Scots Language is now available for all.

Who are we?

Itchy Coo is a partnership between B&W Publishing and writers Matthew Fitt and James Robertson.

James is the General Editor of Itchy Coo; and Matthew is the project's National Schools and Communities Scots Language Development Officer.

Itchy Coo's funding comes from the National Lottery's Children and Young People's Award Scheme, administered by the Scottish Arts Council. Other contributors to the project are:

Ottakars Books
South Lanarkshire Council,
North Lanarkshire Council,
Dundee City Education,
Edinburgh City Education,
The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama

Where can I get Itchy Coo books?

Itchy Coo books are available from all good bookshops.

You can also buy them online from this website. If you buy online today, you can get 25% off the cost of your chosen title(s).

Does Itchy Coo visit schools?

Yes, Itchy Coo can come to your school or library. If you're having a book fair or reading festival, Itchy Coo can come along to that too.

If you would like more information about Itchy Coo visits, contact:

Matthew Fitt
Email: mjfitt@ntlworld.com
01899 221 467

What is the Scots Language?

Scots is a sister-language of English.

Originating in Denmark, it is related to the language of the Angles who invaded the north of England in the fifth century. The Angles used words like hoose, coo and stane.

In addition to the Angles, Scots is influenced by the culture of the Vikings whose language, Norse, contained words like greet, muckle and midden.

Scots was brought to Scotland in the twelfth century by the Northern English servants of Norman lords. At that time, it was called Inglis.

By the Middle Ages, it had been re-named Scots and had become the language of court and state. Writers like William Dunbar and Robert Henryson were the among the first national poets of the long noble tradition of Scots Literature, which includes Robert Burns, Robert Louis Stevenson and Hugh MacDiarmid.

In 1603, the accession of James VI of Scotland to the throne of England signalled the end of Scots' official status in favour of the southern language, English. The idea that Scots is somehow inferior to English dates from this historical event.

But at the beginning of the twenty-first century, with the number of Scots speakers estimated at some 1.6 million, there is renewed interest in this rich and expressive tongue from Parliament, the media, society in general and particularly within Scottish Education.

Scots Language and 5-14.

What does 5-14 say about Scots Language?
English Language 5-14 recommends that schools:

"enable pupils to be confident and creative in the language ... they bring to school."

"develop the notion of language diversity [which] far from diminishing the significance of English will enrich awareness of the need for a standard form of language enabling communication across linguistic and cultural boundaries."