Robert Davidson, Managing Editor of Northwords, Scotland's Highland-based Magazine of Contemporary Arts, is to depart the magazine after production and initial distribution of the July issue.
 
Committee Chairperson Jim Paterson says, 'The decision was made in January and our joint funders, The Scottish Arts Council, HI~Arts and The Highland Council, were informed immediately, as were the editorial and production teams.
 
'The date of departure, of course, is dependent on continued funding and it may be that the coming, March, issue, will be the last.  A recent meeting with the SAC and Hi-Arts suggests that continued financial support will be conditional on a radical realignment of the magazine's ethos and methods.  Possibly there will be a return to the field of 'new writing'.
 
'If the next issue is to be the last it is going to be quite something
to go out on with contributions from Ian Crockatt, Ruth Thomas, Lyell Cresswell, Anthony Pilley, Judith MacLachlan, and many more.  Editorial and production standards continue to rise until the end.  We have been asked not to make a replacement appointment in the mean time.'