Scots version of Harry Potter to be published

June 2017 marks the 20th anniversary of the first publication of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.

Itchy Coo, celebrating 15 years in the book trade, will publish a Scots version of this classic text – Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stane – in October 2017.

Famously written in several Edinburgh cafes by J.K. Rowling, who has lived and worked in Scotland throughout her writing career, it’s fitting that after being translated into an astonishing 79 languages around the world, Itchy Coo’s Scots translation will be language number 80.

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‘Mr and Mrs Dursley, o nummer fower, Privet Loan, were prood tae say that they were gey normal, thank ye awfie muckle. They were the lest fowk ye wid jalouse wid be taigled up wi onythin unco or ferlie, because they jist widnae hae onythin tae dae wi joukery packery like yon.’

“It’s a book I’ve always wanted to translate,” says translator Matthew Fitt. An acknowledged expert in the field of Scots language education, Matthew has written numerous children’s books and translated a number of titles into Scots including Roald Dahl’s The Eejits and Chairlie and the Chocolate Works and David Walliams’ Mr Mingin and Billionaire Bairn. He is a co-founder of the award-winning Itchy Coo, the Scots language children’s imprint at Black & White Publishing. His forthcoming Scots translation of J.K. Rowling’s extraordinary adventure story will break new ground and earn a place in hearts of young Scots readers and Harry Potter fans alike.

Since 2002, Itchy Coo has been wowing young readers and challenging old attitudes with bold new translations of books by Roald Dahl, Julia Donaldson, David Walliams, Alexander McCall Smith, A.A. Milne and others – and done it all in the wonderful Scots language which has the power to engage, excite and entertain readers of all ages.

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