Alasdair Gray, the feted author of Lanark, recognised as one of the greatest novels of the past half century, as well as an artist of renown, duly obliged.

Calling his chapter in Unstated: Writers on Scottish Independence "Settlers and Colonists", Gray pointed his pen at English arts administrators in Scotland, including Vicky Featherstone, the first artistic director of the National Theatre of Scotland, and Andrew Dixon, the first director of Creative Scotland, both of whom have recently announced their resignations.