 The choice of David Stephen, naturalist,
author and broadcaster, proved to be very popular as the full house at
the SI lunch in the Sword Hotel, Causewayhead, Stirling on 4 April
1987 amply testified. The large gathering were treated to splendid
speeches from both the Oliver Winner, David Stephen, and SNP MEP Dr
Winifred M Ewing. The Scotsman news editor James Seaton kindly
provided a biographical note on David Stephen which was published in
the April 1987 Scots Independent.
Biographical Note by James Seaton
David Stephen grew up a love of language
and wildlife: that combination was to bring natural history into the
homes of thousands of Scots, and to produce one of the finest writers
of prose in Scotland today.
He was born in 1911 ( in Airdrie ) into a
working class background, and during the thirties worked as a poor law
officer in Airdrie. It was an experience that left him with a fierce
hatred for injustice.
He later bought a small farm near Airdrie
and began what was to become a full-time commitment to natural things.
He also started to write about his experiences. In 1947 he became
nature writer with the "Daily Record", then nine years later
moved to "The Scotsman" where he has remained ever since. In this
role he has popularised nature in a way that had never happened
before.
Among his many books and writings, the
greatest creations are the full-length novels; "Stringlug the
Fox", published in 1950 to wide popular acclaim;
"Six-Pointer Buck", the glorious tale of a roe deer; "Bodach
the Badger", and finally the magisterial "Alba the last
wolf", whose story is a metaphor for the death of Scotland's
independence.
Footnote : Sadly David Stephen died
in 1989 prior to the publication of his last book "Living with
Wildlife". The book was published to coincide with the 150th
anniversary of the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Animals. Other books
written by David Stephen included - "Watching Widlife",
"Scottish Wildlife", "The World Outside" and
"Nature's Way" ( with James Lockie ).
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