CREATIVE Scotland has opened applications for its Dr Gavin Wallace Fellowship.

The Fellowship aims to "encourage organisations to connect with and support writers’ development."

It is aimed at "mid-career and established writers" to create new work over the course of a year.

The Fellowship was established in memory of Dr Gavin Wallace, the former head of literature at the Scottish Arts Council and Creative Scotland.

The inaugural Fellow, Kirsty Logan, undertook her fellowship in 2014 at the Association for Scottish Literary Studies (ASLS) at the University of Glasgow.

Moniack Mhor hosted Jen Hadfield in 2015 where she used the idea of 'flotsam and jetsam' to explore themes of place and identity.

In 2016, National Library of Scotland hosted Angus Peter Campbell where he was invited to look at the ways in which the Library’s collections reflect Scotland's past and present.

In 2017, Morna Young was hosted by Aberdeen City Council.

Organisations applying to host the Fellowship have been asked to suggest a theme, and the successful host organisation will then subsequently recruit a writing Fellow.

An award of £25,000 is divided into a £20,000 stipend for the successful writer, and £5,000 for the host organisation.

Mairi Kidd, interim Head of Literature at Creative Scotland said: "In previous years organisations have worked with writers to explore collections, locations, landscapes and language, in poetry, prose and drama and in English, Gaelic and Scots.

"We look forward enormously to an equally successful Fellowship 2018, benefiting both the successful host organisation, their chosen writer and Scottish literature more widely.”

www.creativescotland.com

A NEW report is setting out proposals for the future management of the capital’s West Princes Street Gardens following a public consultation exercise.

West Princes Street Gardens Project – Update will be discussed by councillors on the City of Edinburgh Council’s transport and environment committee on Thursday.

It will recommend the gardens remain under the management and operation of the council, rather than an arms-length external organisation, as had previously been proposed.

The gardens were at the centre of controversy this summer when large black boards were placed on their railings to stop people in Princes Street watching the Summer Sessions concerts.

www.edinburgh.gov.uk/meetings

ITEMS from the private collections of works by the Walton family, a talented 19th century Scottish family, have been gathered together at an exhibition at the Glasgow gallery of the fine art auctioneers, Lyon & Turnbull.

Jackson Walton, a Manchester agent and a painter and photographer had 12 children and five of them worked in artistic fields in Glasgow.

They included Edward Arthur [EA] Walton, the Glasgow Boy and painter of landscapes and portraits, his brother George Henry Walton,

a noted Scottish architect and designer of furniture and stained glass.

He was responsible for the design of Miss Cranston’s Tea Rooms in Buchanan Street.

James McNaught, of Lyon & Turnbull said: “Many of these items have never been seen before and clearly demonstrates that Glasgow was at the forefront of design and art in the late 19th century, confirming the City as the Second City of the Empire.”

www.lyonandturnbull.com