''Cencrastus'' was a magazine devoted to Scottish and international

literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to ...

arts The arts are a very wide range of human practices of creative expression, storytelling and cultural participation. They encompass multiple diverse and plural modes of thinking, doing and being, in an extremely broad range of media. Both ...

and affairs, founded after the Referendum of 1979 by students, mainly of

Scottish literature Scottish literature is literature written in Scotland or by Scottish writers. It includes works in English, Scottish Gaelic, Scots, Brythonic, French, Latin, Norn or other languages written within the modern boundaries of Scotland. The earli ...

Edinburgh University The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted ...

, and with support from

Cairns Craig Robert Cairns Craig (born 16 February 1949) is a Scottish literary scholar, specialising in Scottish and modernist literature. He has been Glucksman Professor of Irish and Scottish Studies at the University of Aberdeen since 2005. Before that, ...

, then a lecturer in the English Department, with the express intention of perpetuating the devolution debate. 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. 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 The Scottish Arts Council ( gd, Comhairle Ealain na h-Alba, sco, Scots Airts Cooncil) was a Scottish public body responsible for the funding, development and promotion of the arts in Scotland. The Council primarily distributed funding from th ...

. It ceased publication in 2006. Contributors included

Christopher Harvie Professor Christopher Harvie (born 21 September 1944, Motherwell) is a Scottish historian and a Scottish National Party (SNP) politician. He was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Mid Scotland and Fife from 2007 to 2011. Before his e ...

, Duncan Macmillan, Stephen Maxwell, Brian Holton, Craig Beveridge, Ronald Turnbull, Colin McArthur, Randall Stevenson, Glenda Norquay, Jim Gilchrist, Freddie Anderson and Fred Johnston ''Cencrastus'' is one of the cultural and political magazines researched by the Scottish Magazines Network.

References

* Records deposited in National Library of Scotland GB233/Acc.11509, Acc.10396 and Acc.12644 1979 establishments in Scotland 2006 disestablishments in Scotland Triannual magazines published in the United Kingdom Defunct political magazines published in the United Kingdom Defunct magazines published in Scotland Magazines established in 1979 Magazines disestablished in 2006 Politics of Scotland Political magazines published in Scotland {{Europe-poli-mag-stub