Letter: Real culture

On 19 April some newspapers carried reports of the publication of a list of the world’s 100 most influential people.

Many of the names on the list wouldn’t even make my personal list of the world’s 100 most notable mediocrities, though there are some evident exceptions.

The same afternoon, I had the privilege and pleasure of attending the National Galleries of Scotland to hear the top ten entries in the 12-14 and 15-18 age groups in respect of the “Inspired? Get writing!” competition.

The standard of the pieces produced by these 20 young people was genuinely astonishing.

Themes of love, happiness, pain, climate change, illness and war – to name just a few – were delivered with insight, maturity, humour and pathos.

Above all, each of these young people showed us their gift of creating magic with words. The celebrity-obsessed elements of the British media would do well to attend this event in future years.

Maybe then some of the truly trivial stories concerning celebrities would disappear from our newspapers, radio and television – a forlorn hope, I fear, and I won’t be holding my breath.

Meanwhile, the National Galleries of Scotland, along with its partner organisations and sponsors, should be warmly commended for nurturing talented writers of all ages via this splendid competition.

Gerry Campbell

Northlea

Doune