[Anna] Sarah an toiseach, dh’èirich thusa ann an Uibhist a Tuath. Dè seòrsa saoghail a bh’ agad ’s tu ag èirigh suas?
[Sarah] Uill, chaidh mi fhèin agus mo bhràthair agus mo dhithis pheathraichean a thogail ann an Solas ann an Uibhist a Tuath air croit. Àm uabhasach toilichte a bha ann, agus fhathast a’ dol dhachaigh airson làithean-saora cuideachd a-nis leis an teaghlach agam fhèin agus mar, coltach ri duine sam bith aig an àm sin bha thu an-sàs ann an obair na croite, cuideachadh m’ athair le caoraich ’s crodh ’s a’ toirt dhachaigh mòine.
[Anna] Ciamar a bha sin a’ còrdadh riut a bhith anns a’ mhòine?
[Sarah] Bha e glè mhath. Bha e a’ còrdadh rium aig amannan, na bòtannan a chur orm agus a bhith a-muigh agus a bhith salach ach b’ fheàrr leamsa a bhith a-staigh, feumaidh mi aideachadh còmhla ri mo mhàthair agus a’ bèicearachd agus a’ dèanamh rudan mar sin am broinn an taighe.
[Anna] ’S nuair nach robh thu a’ dèanamh na rudan a bha sin, dè bhios tu a’ leughadh?
[Sarah] A’ leughadh rud sam bith, cha robh leabhraichean, cha chreid mi, cha robh iad cho pailt ’s a tha iad an-diugh. Nuair a choimheadas mise air na tha de leabhraichean am broinn an taighe againne fhèin, leabhraichean chloinne, mar eisimpleir, cha robh leabhraichean cho pailt. Tha cuimhne a’m, bhiodh m’ àthair a’ faighinn an Reader’s Digest agus a bhith a’ leughadh sin. Bha earrann bheag ann, Lives Like That, stòiridhean beaga goirid, èibhinn agus a bhith a’ leughadh sin. ’S an uair sin bha leabhar leathair a’ tighinn, chan eil fhios a’m, an ann aon uair sa bhliadhna no ’s dòcha nas trice na sin agus bha stòiridhean na b’ fhaide an sin. So nuair a bha mi a’ fàs nas sine, bhithinn a’ leughadh sin. Ach anns an sgoil, bha bhan nan leabharlann a’ tighinn timcheall agus bha am bogsa leabhraichean a bha seo air fhàgail anns an sgoil airson mìos,’s cha chreid mi nach robh deich air fhichead leabhar anns a’ bhogsa agus rachainn tro na leabhraichean a bha sin, cha chreid mi air fad, bha mi a-riamh, bha ùidh agam ann a bhith a’ leughadh leabhraichean agus cha robh e gu diofar dè bh’ ann, leughainn rud sam bith. Agus tha mi gu ìre mar sin fhathast, leughaidh mi rud sam bith, measgachadh mòr, farsaing de leabhraichean.
[Anna] A thuilleadh air an Reader’s Digest ge-tà ’s bha sin ann an tòrr dhachaighean, nach robh? A thuilleadh air an sin, dè bha thu a’ leughadh?
[Sarah] Cha chreid mi nach e a’ chiad chuimhne a th’ agam a bhith a’ leughadh nan leabhraichean a ghlac m’ aire The Famous Five agus an uair sin lean sin air adhart gu leabhraichean Nancy Drew agus a bhith a’ ceannach an uair sin nan leabhraichean sin. Bha bileagan a’ tighinn a-steach dhan sgoil bho cluba leabhraichean agus ’s e annas mòr a bha sin cuideachd. Agus a’ cur air falbh a dh’iarraidh leabhar agus an uair sin nuair a thòisich mi air na leabhraichean Nancy Drew ’s cha chreid mi, ò bha tòrr mòr dhiubh sin ann ach bha ’s dòcha co-dhiù deich air fhichead no dà fhichead dhe na leabhraichean sin agam a bhithinn a’ leughadh, so ’s ann an uair sin ’s dòcha a thòisich m’ ùidh ann an leabhraichean far an robh rudan mar sin a’ tachairt agus lean sin air adhart.
[Anna] Agus ’s e leabhar chloinne a’ chiad leabhar a th’ agad dhuinn a-nochd.
[Sarah] ’S e.
[Anna] Dè leabhar a th’ ann ’s innis dhomh carson a thagh thu seo.
[Sarah] Uill, ’s e An Gruffalo a tha a’ chiad leabhar a thagh mise agus ’s ann airson adhbhar pearsanta. B’ e leabhar a tha seo a fhuair am balach beag agam nuair a rugadh e agus leugh sinn e cha mhòr a h-uile h-oidhche, cha mhòr airson bliadhna,chanainn agus ‘s e leabhar brèagha air a sgrìobhadh a th’ann. Tha rann ann, tha ruitheam ann. Agus, dhòmhsa mar mhàthair a bhith ga leughadh agus mar thidsear cuideachd, bha mi a’ faicinn nam buannachdan ann a bhith a’ toirt sealladh air an seòrsa leabhair a bha seo far an robh an ruitheam ann agus an rann ann agus bha e fhèin an uair sin a’ cluinntinn sin agus bha esan a’ toirt dhomh na facail a bha a’ nochdadh aig deireadh gach loidhne seach gun robh an rann a bha sin ann.
[Anna] Tha tòrr againn eòlach air feadhainn aig a bheil clann ach saoil a bheil feadhainn a-muigh an sin nach eil eòlach air a’ Gruffalo inns dhomh mu dheidhinn. Dè tha a’ tachairt anns an sgeulachd?
[Sarah] ’S e stòiridh a th’ ann mu luchag bheag a tha a’ gluasad tron choille. Agus tha i a’ tachairt ri diofar bheathaichean anns a’ choille. Agus tha na beathaichean a tha seo a’ feuchainn ri toirt a-steach dhan dachaigh aca fhèin airson gun ith iad i.
[Anna] ‘S e saoghal cunnartach a th’ ann dhan luchag bheag, nach e?
[Sarah] ’S e gu dearbh, ’s tha i a’ coinneachadh ris na diofar bheathaichean, ri sionnach, ri cailleach-oidhche, ri nathair. Ach tha ise a’ toirt beachd air a’ Ghruffalo a tha seo anns an sgeulachd agus chan eil na beathaichean ga creidsinn gu bheil an Gruffalo anns an stòiridh agus an uair sin tha sinn a’ coinneachadh ris a’ Ghruffalo anns an stòiridh agus tha e a’ togail ... tha an leabhar a’ gluasad air adhart gu far a bheil thu ag iarraidh coinneachadh ris a’ Ghruffalo a tha seo agus mu dheireadh tha an Gruffalo a’ nochdadh anns an stòiridh.
Chaidh am prògram seo, Leugh Mi, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2015.
[Anna] Sarah first, you grew up on North Uist. What sort of world did you have growing up?
[Sarah] Well, myself and my brother and my two sisters were brought up in Solas in North Uist on a croft. It was an awfully happy time, and I still go home for holidays now too with my own family and like anyone at that time you were involved in working the croft, helping my father with sheep and cattle and taking peat home.
[Anna] How did you enjoy being at the peats?
[Sarah] I enjoyed it very much. I enjoyed it at times, putting the boots on and being outside and getting dirty but I preferred being inside, I must admit, with my mother baking and doing things like that inside the house.
[Anna] And when you weren’t doing those things, what were you reading?
[Sarah] Reading anything, books weren’t, I don’t think, they weren’t as pleniful as they are today. When I look at the amount of books inside our own house, children’s books, for example, books weren’t so plentiful. I remember, my father would get the Reader’s Digest and reading that. There was a wee section in it, Lives Like That, wee short, funny stories and I would read that. And then a leather book would come, I don’t know, was it once a year or maybe more often than that and there was longer stories in that. So as I was getting older, I would read that. But in school, the library van came around and this box of books wasleft in school for a month, and I think there was thirty books in the box and I would go through those books, all the way through I believe, I was always, I had an interest in reading books and it didn’t matter what it was, I would read anything. And I am still quite like that today, I’ll read anything, a wide mix of books.
[Anna] In addition to the Reader’s Digest though, which was in a lot of homes, wasn’t it? In addition to this, what were you reading?
[Sarah] I believe the first memory that I have of reading the books that gripped my attention, it was the Famous Five and then that led on to the Nancy Drew books and then buying those books. Leaflets came in to the school from a book club and that was a real novelty too. And sending away for a book and that’s then when I started on the Nancy Drew books and I believe, oh there was lots of them but I had maybe at least thirty or forty of those books that I would read, so it was from then on, maybe, that my interest began in books in which things like that happened and that continued.
[Anna]And a children’s book is the first book that you have for us tonight.
[Sarah] Yes.
[Anna] What book was it and tell me why you chose it.
[Sarah] Well, the Gruffalo is the first book that I chose and it’s for a personal reason. My son got this book when he was born and we read it almost every night, oh for almost a year I would say, and it is a nicely written book. There is rhyme, there is rhythm. And to me as a mother reading it and as a teacher too, I saw the benefits in looking at this type of book where there was the rhythm and the rhyme and he himself was then hearing that and he gave me the words that appeared at the end of each line as that rhyme was there.
[Anna] Many of us know it, some of us who have children, but I wonder if there are those out there who haven’t discovered the Gruffalo? Tell me about it. What happens in the story?
[Sarah] It’s a story about a wee mouse that moves through the forest. And she meets with different animals in the forest. And these animals try to take her into their own house so that they can eat her.
[Anna] It’s a dangerous world for a little mouse, isn’t it?
[Sarah] It certainly is, and she meets the different animals, with a fox, with an owl, with a snake. But she offers her opinion of this Gruffalo in the story and the animals don’t believe her that there’s this Gruffalo in the story and then we meet the Gruffalo in the story and it lifts ... ... the book moves on to where you want to meet with this Gruffalo and finally the Gruffalo appears in the story.
This programme, Leugh Mi, was first broadcast in 2015.
[Anna] Sarah an toiseach, dh’èirich thusa ann an Uibhist a Tuath. Dè seòrsa saoghail a bh’ agad ’s tu ag èirigh suas?
[Sarah] Uill, chaidh mi fhèin agus mo bhràthair agus mo dhithis pheathraichean a thogail ann an Solas ann an Uibhist a Tuath air croit. Àm uabhasach toilichte a bha ann, agus fhathast a’ dol dhachaigh airson làithean-saora cuideachd a-nis leis an teaghlach agam fhèin agus mar, coltach ri duine sam bith aig an àm sin bha thu an-sàs ann an obair na croite, cuideachadh m’ athair le caoraich ’s crodh ’s a’ toirt dhachaigh mòine.
[Anna] Ciamar a bha sin a’ còrdadh riut a bhith anns a’ mhòine?
[Sarah] Bha e glè mhath. Bha e a’ còrdadh rium aig amannan, na bòtannan a chur orm agus a bhith a-muigh agus a bhith salach ach b’ fheàrr leamsa a bhith a-staigh, feumaidh mi aideachadh còmhla ri mo mhàthair agus a’ bèicearachd agus a’ dèanamh rudan mar sin am broinn an taighe.
[Anna] ’S nuair nach robh thu a’ dèanamh na rudan a bha sin, dè bhios tu a’ leughadh?
[Sarah] A’ leughadh rud sam bith, cha robh leabhraichean, cha chreid mi, cha robh iad cho pailt ’s a tha iad an-diugh. Nuair a choimheadas mise air na tha de leabhraichean am broinn an taighe againne fhèin, leabhraichean chloinne, mar eisimpleir, cha robh leabhraichean cho pailt. Tha cuimhne a’m, bhiodh m’ àthair a’ faighinn an Reader’s Digest agus a bhith a’ leughadh sin. Bha earrann bheag ann, Lives Like That, stòiridhean beaga goirid, èibhinn agus a bhith a’ leughadh sin. ’S an uair sin bha leabhar leathair a’ tighinn, chan eil fhios a’m, an ann aon uair sa bhliadhna no ’s dòcha nas trice na sin agus bha stòiridhean na b’ fhaide an sin. So nuair a bha mi a’ fàs nas sine, bhithinn a’ leughadh sin. Ach anns an sgoil, bha bhan nan leabharlann a’ tighinn timcheall agus bha am bogsa leabhraichean a bha seo air fhàgail anns an sgoil airson mìos,’s cha chreid mi nach robh deich air fhichead leabhar anns a’ bhogsa agus rachainn tro na leabhraichean a bha sin, cha chreid mi air fad, bha mi a-riamh, bha ùidh agam ann a bhith a’ leughadh leabhraichean agus cha robh e gu diofar dè bh’ ann, leughainn rud sam bith. Agus tha mi gu ìre mar sin fhathast, leughaidh mi rud sam bith, measgachadh mòr, farsaing de leabhraichean.
[Anna] A thuilleadh air an Reader’s Digest ge-tà ’s bha sin ann an tòrr dhachaighean, nach robh? A thuilleadh air an sin, dè bha thu a’ leughadh?
[Sarah] Cha chreid mi nach e a’ chiad chuimhne a th’ agam a bhith a’ leughadh nan leabhraichean a ghlac m’ aire The Famous Five agus an uair sin lean sin air adhart gu leabhraichean Nancy Drew agus a bhith a’ ceannach an uair sin nan leabhraichean sin. Bha bileagan a’ tighinn a-steach dhan sgoil bho cluba leabhraichean agus ’s e annas mòr a bha sin cuideachd. Agus a’ cur air falbh a dh’iarraidh leabhar agus an uair sin nuair a thòisich mi air na leabhraichean Nancy Drew ’s cha chreid mi, ò bha tòrr mòr dhiubh sin ann ach bha ’s dòcha co-dhiù deich air fhichead no dà fhichead dhe na leabhraichean sin agam a bhithinn a’ leughadh, so ’s ann an uair sin ’s dòcha a thòisich m’ ùidh ann an leabhraichean far an robh rudan mar sin a’ tachairt agus lean sin air adhart.
[Anna] Agus ’s e leabhar chloinne a’ chiad leabhar a th’ agad dhuinn a-nochd.
[Sarah] ’S e.
[Anna] Dè leabhar a th’ ann ’s innis dhomh carson a thagh thu seo.
[Sarah] Uill, ’s e An Gruffalo a tha a’ chiad leabhar a thagh mise agus ’s ann airson adhbhar pearsanta. B’ e leabhar a tha seo a fhuair am balach beag agam nuair a rugadh e agus leugh sinn e cha mhòr a h-uile h-oidhche, cha mhòr airson bliadhna,chanainn agus ‘s e leabhar brèagha air a sgrìobhadh a th’ann. Tha rann ann, tha ruitheam ann. Agus, dhòmhsa mar mhàthair a bhith ga leughadh agus mar thidsear cuideachd, bha mi a’ faicinn nam buannachdan ann a bhith a’ toirt sealladh air an seòrsa leabhair a bha seo far an robh an ruitheam ann agus an rann ann agus bha e fhèin an uair sin a’ cluinntinn sin agus bha esan a’ toirt dhomh na facail a bha a’ nochdadh aig deireadh gach loidhne seach gun robh an rann a bha sin ann.
[Anna] Tha tòrr againn eòlach air feadhainn aig a bheil clann ach saoil a bheil feadhainn a-muigh an sin nach eil eòlach air a’ Gruffalo inns dhomh mu dheidhinn. Dè tha a’ tachairt anns an sgeulachd?
[Sarah] ’S e stòiridh a th’ ann mu luchag bheag a tha a’ gluasad tron choille. Agus tha i a’ tachairt ri diofar bheathaichean anns a’ choille. Agus tha na beathaichean a tha seo a’ feuchainn ri toirt a-steach dhan dachaigh aca fhèin airson gun ith iad i.
[Anna] ‘S e saoghal cunnartach a th’ ann dhan luchag bheag, nach e?
[Sarah] ’S e gu dearbh, ’s tha i a’ coinneachadh ris na diofar bheathaichean, ri sionnach, ri cailleach-oidhche, ri nathair. Ach tha ise a’ toirt beachd air a’ Ghruffalo a tha seo anns an sgeulachd agus chan eil na beathaichean ga creidsinn gu bheil an Gruffalo anns an stòiridh agus an uair sin tha sinn a’ coinneachadh ris a’ Ghruffalo anns an stòiridh agus tha e a’ togail ... tha an leabhar a’ gluasad air adhart gu far a bheil thu ag iarraidh coinneachadh ris a’ Ghruffalo a tha seo agus mu dheireadh tha an Gruffalo a’ nochdadh anns an stòiridh.
Chaidh am prògram seo, Leugh Mi, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2015.
[Anna] Sarah first, you grew up on North Uist. What sort of world did you have growing up?
[Sarah] Well, myself and my brother and my two sisters were brought up in Solas in North Uist on a croft. It was an awfully happy time, and I still go home for holidays now too with my own family and like anyone at that time you were involved in working the croft, helping my father with sheep and cattle and taking peat home.
[Anna] How did you enjoy being at the peats?
[Sarah] I enjoyed it very much. I enjoyed it at times, putting the boots on and being outside and getting dirty but I preferred being inside, I must admit, with my mother baking and doing things like that inside the house.
[Anna] And when you weren’t doing those things, what were you reading?
[Sarah] Reading anything, books weren’t, I don’t think, they weren’t as pleniful as they are today. When I look at the amount of books inside our own house, children’s books, for example, books weren’t so plentiful. I remember, my father would get the Reader’s Digest and reading that. There was a wee section in it, Lives Like That, wee short, funny stories and I would read that. And then a leather book would come, I don’t know, was it once a year or maybe more often than that and there was longer stories in that. So as I was getting older, I would read that. But in school, the library van came around and this box of books wasleft in school for a month, and I think there was thirty books in the box and I would go through those books, all the way through I believe, I was always, I had an interest in reading books and it didn’t matter what it was, I would read anything. And I am still quite like that today, I’ll read anything, a wide mix of books.
[Anna] In addition to the Reader’s Digest though, which was in a lot of homes, wasn’t it? In addition to this, what were you reading?
[Sarah] I believe the first memory that I have of reading the books that gripped my attention, it was the Famous Five and then that led on to the Nancy Drew books and then buying those books. Leaflets came in to the school from a book club and that was a real novelty too. And sending away for a book and that’s then when I started on the Nancy Drew books and I believe, oh there was lots of them but I had maybe at least thirty or forty of those books that I would read, so it was from then on, maybe, that my interest began in books in which things like that happened and that continued.
[Anna]And a children’s book is the first book that you have for us tonight.
[Sarah] Yes.
[Anna] What book was it and tell me why you chose it.
[Sarah] Well, the Gruffalo is the first book that I chose and it’s for a personal reason. My son got this book when he was born and we read it almost every night, oh for almost a year I would say, and it is a nicely written book. There is rhyme, there is rhythm. And to me as a mother reading it and as a teacher too, I saw the benefits in looking at this type of book where there was the rhythm and the rhyme and he himself was then hearing that and he gave me the words that appeared at the end of each line as that rhyme was there.
[Anna] Many of us know it, some of us who have children, but I wonder if there are those out there who haven’t discovered the Gruffalo? Tell me about it. What happens in the story?
[Sarah] It’s a story about a wee mouse that moves through the forest. And she meets with different animals in the forest. And these animals try to take her into their own house so that they can eat her.
[Anna] It’s a dangerous world for a little mouse, isn’t it?
[Sarah] It certainly is, and she meets the different animals, with a fox, with an owl, with a snake. But she offers her opinion of this Gruffalo in the story and the animals don’t believe her that there’s this Gruffalo in the story and then we meet the Gruffalo in the story and it lifts ... ... the book moves on to where you want to meet with this Gruffalo and finally the Gruffalo appears in the story.
This programme, Leugh Mi, was first broadcast in 2015.