About Chapman

Chapman is Scotland's leading literary magazine, controversial, influential, outspoken and intelligent. Founded in 1970, it has become a dynamic force in Scottish culture, covering theatre, politics, language and the arts. Our highly-respected forum for poetry, fiction, criticism, review and debate is essential reading for anyone interested in contemporary Scotland.

The magazine has played a small, but significant role in shaping the Scotland we now enjoy. When the magazine was founded, there was almost no interest in Scottish writing in the UK, Europe and the world at large – and most conspicuously in Scotland. Nearly all our best writers (of whom there were many) were unknown names on their own native turf. Many languished without a publisher, or even magazine publication. It was thought heresy to teach Scottish literature in schools or universities (it had to be inferior, of course!). Being embattled and marginalised, the literary scene was torn with internecine feuds. Writers couldn’t live off their writing. There seemed no prospect of any decent literary infrastructure. Lacking a Parliament of any kind, there seemed no way to stem, for example, the strong tide flowing against our indigenous languages, Scots and Gaelic, which were generally derided as inherently inferior, even primitive, as languages per se (sometimes by writers themselves); both them thoroughly deserved to die out, and, with them, the cultures they underpinned. Chapman has helped to change that all that by being bold and interventionist. Now, partly thanks to what we have done, both writers and increasing numbers of the public at large keenly grasp the potential of these languages, and of Scottish culture in general, as a natural way of enriching their lives.

Chapman publishes the best in Scottish writing – new work by well-known Scottish writers in the context of lucid critical discussion. With our commitment to the future, we energetically promote new writers, new ideas and approaches. Several issues have been landmarks in their field, in Scots language, women's writing, cultural politics in Scotland, and we have published extensive features on important writers: Hugh MacDiarmid, Hamish Henderson, Ian Hamilton Finlay, Tom Scott, Naomi Mitchison, Edwin and Willa Muir and Alasdair Gray and others – making a big difference to the reputation and status of these writers. And, as an extension of all this, we began the Chapman New Writing Series, to provide publication in book form for those gifted contributors who richly deserved such support but, given the climate, were unlikely to get it elsewhere.

We also publish poetry and short fiction from new writers, as well as critical articles and items of general cultural interest. Our coverage includes theatre, music, the visual arts, language, amongst other topics. Most issues feature Scots and Gaelic as well as English. The focus is on Scotland, but Chapman has a long history of publishing international literature, both in English by non-Scots and in translation from other languages. The list of countries published over the years is too long to cite here, but it covers the entire globe. Each issue also contains an extensive reviews section.

Chapman will interest anyone researching Scottish and/or British literature. It has a natural outlet in universities and institutions of secondary education. With its emphasis on new creative writing, it is useful to anyone with a love of literature. So despite being grossly underfunded for virtually all its ‘career’, Chapman is intensely valuable, and is so much more than just a passive anthologiser of ‘good writing’. You can help our work by subscribing, or even ordering a single copy of the magazine, or one of our books. It helps us, the writers we publish, and gives the reader a great deal to enjoy.