The Times (London) August 28 1997 BRITAIN Literature lovers may find that Cornishman's work is familiar, reports Simon de Bruxelles Plagiarism claim leaves Celtic poets lost for words By Simon de Bruxelles ALLEGATIONS that an award-winning Scottish writer had been "blatantly plagiarised" by a Cornish poet yesterday provoked a literary clash that stretched the length of the country. Derick Thomson, Emeritus Professor of Celtic at Glasgow University, is considering legal action over the "remarkable similarities" between his work and that of Alan Kent in an anthology titled Modern Cornish Poets. The similarities were drawn to Mr Thomson's attention after one of Mr Kent's poems was published in a national newspaper. Apart from minor changes to relocate the poems to Cornwall the work was virtually identical to one in his bilingual collection, Bramble of Hope, published in 1991. The title was also similar: Boscowen Street instead of On Glasgow's Streets. On Glasgow's Streets begins: When I hear/Glasgow waitresses/talking earnestly/about Perry Como/or Starsky and Hutch. Boscowen Street begins: When I hear/seasonal Truro waitresses/talking earnestly/about Neighbours/or Mel Gibson. Another poem from Bramble of Hope, called Memory, starts: On a good day/you would remember us:/the rabbit John brought home that year .. A poem, also called Memory, published under Mr Kent's name in Modern Cornish Poets, begins: On a good day/you would remember us/the mackerel Sean brought home that year. Mr Thomson, 76, said he was surprised by how closely the poems of Mr Kent, 30, resembled his: "You would expect a plagiarist to play about with things a bit more." Jamie Byng, of Mr Thomson's publisher Canongate Books, said: "The plagiarism is so amateurish it's almost laughable. It is absolutely blatant, he has just substituted Cornish place names for Scottish ones. There is no question he has stolen these poems and we are taking legal advice. "So far we have recognised three poems in Modern Cornish Poets but we are awaiting a copy of the book and Mr Kent's other work to establish whether there are more." Modern Cornish Poets, a collection of the work of Mr Kent, Bert Biscoe and Pol Hodge, was published in 1995, four years after Bramble of Hope. One Cornish reviewer hailed Mr Kent, a comprehensive school teacher from Truro, for "fresh-minded and glittering quality". He and his two fellow poets, who formed themselves into a movement called Modern Cornish Poets, have given public readings. They reject "cultural imperialism", support Cornish independence and, according to the foreword, reject mainstream English literature. Mr Biscoe and Mr Hodge said last night that they felt "deeply shocked and betrayed" by the allegations. In a statement Mr Biscoe said: "Plagiarism is completely unacceptable. It brings the integrity of the whole creative community into disrepute. In the event that the allegations against Mr Kent are proven, neither of us would wish to be associated with him." South West Arts, which helped to fund the anthology published under Mr Kent's imprint Lyonesse Press, said if the allegations were true all copies would be pulped and any money paid to Mr Kent returned. Mr Kent was unavailable for comment. Along the same lines On Glasgow Streets by Derick Thomson When I hear Glasgow waitresses talking earnestly about Perry Como or Starsky and Hutch, or singing a song by John Lennon, I remember that Wallace is out the window, and Alasdair Mace Colla at the mill of Gocam-go and my country, for lack of will has gone to hell. Boscowen Street by Alan Kent When I hear seasonal Truro waitresses talking earnestly about Neighbours or Mel Gibson or singing the number one, I remember that Flamank is just out of the window, and Joseph is at St Kaverne, yet my country, for lack of will has gone to hell. Copyright 1997 The Times Newspapers Limited.