Cencrastus Explained

Cencrastus was a magazine devoted to Scottish and international literature, arts and affairs, founded after the Referendum of 1979 by students, mainly of Scottish literature at Edinburgh University, and with support from Cairns Craig, then a lecturer in the English Department, with the express intention of perpetuating the devolution debate.^{[1] [2]} It was published three times a year. Its founders were Christine Bold, John Burns, Bill Findlay, Sheila G. Hearn, Glen Murray and Raymond J. Ross.^[3] Editors included Glen Murray (1981–1982), Sheila G. Hearn (1982–1984), Geoff Parker (1984–1986) and Cairns Craig (1987). Raymond Ross was publisher and editor of the magazine for nearly 20 years (1987–2006). Latterly the magazine was published with the help of a grant from the Scottish Arts Council. It ceased publication in 2006.^[2]

Contributors included Christopher Harvie,^[4] Duncan Macmillan,^[5] Stephen Maxwell,^[6] Brian Holton,^[7] Craig Beveridge,^[8] Ronald Turnbull,^[9] Colin McArthur,^[10] Randall Stevenson,^[11] Glenda Norquay,^[12] Jim Gilchrist,^[13] Freddie Anderson^[14] and Fred Johnston^[15]

Cencrastus is one of the cultural and political magazines researched by the Scottish Magazines Network.^[16]

References

• Records deposited in National Library of Scotland GB233/Acc.11509, Acc.10396 and Acc.12644

Notes and References

1. Gunn, Linda and McCleery, Alistair (2009), Wasps in a Jam Jar: Scottish literary magazines and political culture 1979–99, in A. McNair, & J. Ryder (eds.), Further from the Frontiers: Crosscurrents in Irish and Scottish Studies, Centre for Irish and Scottish Studies, University of Aberdeen,
2. Book: David Finkelstein. Alistair McCleery. The Edinburgh History of the Book in Scotland: Professionalism and diversity 1880-2000. 14 February 2016. 2007. Edinburgh University Press. 978-0-7486-1829-3. 258.
3. Cencrastus No. 1, Autumn 1979, p. 1,
4. Harvie, Christopher (1982), Beyond Bairns' Play: A New Agenda for Scottish Politics, in Hearn, Sheila G. (ed.), Cencrastus No. 10, Autumn 1982, pp. 11–14,
5. Macmillan, Duncan (1979), The Tradition of Painting in Scotland, in Cencrastus No. 1, Autumn 1979, pp. 36–38,
6. Maxwell, Stephen (1989), Scotland International, in Ross, Raymond J. (ed), Cencrastus No. 35, Winter 1989, pp. 15–18,
7. Holton, Brian (1981), Men o the Moss Flow: extract from a novel by Shi Naian edited by Jiu Shengtan translated from the Chinese into Scots, in Murray, Glen (ed.), Cencrastus No. 7, Winter 1981-82, pp. 2–5,
8. Beveridge, Craig (1981), A Case of Hardened Political Arteries: Scottish Political Culture, in Murray, Glen (ed.), Cencrastus No. 5, Summer 1981, pp. 14–15,
9. Beveridge, Craig and Turnbull, Ronald (1982), Inferiorism, in Murray, Glen (ed.), Cencrastus No. 8, Spring 1982, pp. 4–5,
10. McArthur, Colin (1981), Breaking the Signs: 'Scotch Myths' as Cultural Struggle, in Murray, Glen (ed.), Cencrastus No. 7, Winter 1981–82, pp. 21–25,
11. Stevenson, Randall (1981), Scottish Theatre Company: First Days, First Nights, in Murray, Glen (ed.), Cencrastus No. 7, Winter 1981–82, pp. 10–13,
12. Anderson, Carol and Norquay, Glenda (1984), Superiorism, in Hearn, Sheila G. (ed.), Cencrastus No. 15, pp. 8–10,
13. Gilchrist, Jim, The School of Scottish Studies, in Hearn, Sheila G. (ed.), Cencrastus No. 12, Spring 1983, pp. 15–17,
14. [Freddie Anderson|Anderson, Freddie]
15. [Fred Johnston (writer)|Johnston, Fred]
16. Web site: Scottish Magazines Network. Scottish Magazines Network.