Launch of First Gaelic Novel in RNIB Talking Book Service

The RNIB in Scotland launched the Talking Book version of a contemporary Gaelic novel, Shrapnel, by Norman Campbell at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in Edinburgh on Friday 17th August to highlight the dearth of books available to the blind and partially sighted. While the rest of us have access to a vast range of books in a huge range of formats, print, audio, podcasts etc, only 5% of that range is accessible to the blind and partially sighted. As the 70th anniversary of the Talking Book Service approaches, the RNIB want that to change and have embarked upon a major campaign to enlist support among publishers in the UK.

Shrapnel is the first Gaelic novel to be transcribed for use by the blind, a fact underlined by John Legg, Director of RNIB, Scotland. First published by Ùr-Sgeul and supported by the Gaelic Books Council, the book is a comic and often dark story of the seamy side of life in Edinburgh.

The author, Norman Campbell (Tormod Caimbeul), gave a spirited rendition of some extracts from the book which had the audience laughing. Those who couldn’t understand Gaelic were left to guess at what was being said when a few non-Gaelic words stood out - ‘lasagne’, ‘spaghetti’ - the book is set in places such as pubs, cafés and Italian restaurants around the capital. The author, from Ness on the Isle of Lewis, reads his own novel on the Talking Book version for the RNIB: a nice touch which will no doubt appeal to Gaelic listeners.

For more information on the campaign, see the RNIB website.