Books
Another bloody good festival of crimewriting
Scotland’s annual festival of crime writing has enjoyed another successful year – without a drop of blood being spilt. Bloody Scotland is the nation’s International Crime Writing Festival, providing a showcase for the best crime writing from Scotland and the world, unique in that it was set up by a group of Scottish crime writers…
Read MoreLearn the truth about dinosaurs from an expert
A leading dinosaur expert is set to startle and surprise with some startling truths about the creatures that ruled the world for 150 million years during a talk at the Wigtown Book Festival. Dinosaur hunter Steve Brusatte, a University of Edinburgh palaeontologist, will discuss his bestseller The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurson Sunday, 30…
Read MoreCaptain Corelli writer brings his own mandolin
The writer of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin was in Scotland over the weekend as a guest of the Wigtown Book Festival. Louis de Bernieres, famed for writing the novel which was later adapted for the big screen and starring Nicolas Gage, not only spoke but played and sang at this year’s festival in Dumfries and Galloway.…
Read MoreIgnite Fellowship to fire-up writing careers
A new fellowship programme is being launched to offer tailored, practical and financial support to help writers find time and space to fire up their careers. Scottish Book Trust, the national charity transforming lives through reading and writing, has today launched the Ignite Fellowship, recognising the achievements of professional writers. The Ignite Fellowship has been…
Read MoreBook festival hears that death should be celebrated
Scots should be celebrating death and those who give their bodies to medical science, according to a leading crime writer. Professor Dame Sue Black was speaking this weekend at a packed event at the Wigtown Book Festival the forensic anthropologist discussed a range of subjects – from her Scottish upbringing through to the gratitude we…
Read MoreGlasgow is a huge influence on Chris Brookmyre
The Bloody Scotland crime writing festival is taking place in Stirling this weekend. One of the guests this year is the acclaimed Christopher Brookmyre. He tells Scottish Field about his life and influences. As a writer, I’ve always thought Barrhead was a great place to grow up because you got a sense of all of…
Read MoreCrime writers will be murder on the football pitch
Crime writers from all over the country are coming together for the Bloody Scotland festival this weekend – and it will be murder! Bloody Scotland is Scotland’s International Crime Writing Festival, providing a showcase for the best crime writing from Scotland and the world, unique in that it was set up by a group of…
Read MoreNo papering over the cracks at book festival
Interior decoration with wallpaper is nothing new – but to hang it on the outside of a building is definitely unique. Artist Astrid Jaekel has wallpapered the outside of around a dozen shops and other buildings in the centre of Wigtown ahead the town’s 20th annual book festival. Each design tells a story about a…
Read MoreBook review – Hometown Tales: Highlands & Hebrides
From a series pairing new voices and celebrated writers, this book weaves together two tales of the Highlands and the Hebrides in a celebration of regional diversity. Songwriter Colin MacIntyre’s The Boy in the Bubble is a funny memoir about growing up on Mull, while emerging writer Ellen MacAskill’s A9 is a piece of short…
Read MoreBook review – We Fought for Ardnish by Angus MacDonald
The sequel to Ardnish Was Home, this latest work from Angus MacDonald is an intense and bittersweet love story set during the Second World War. Donald Angus is an undercover agent parachuted into the Italian Alps, where he falls for Françoise, a French-Canadian agent. The troubles that face the couple behind enemy lines portray a…
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