Books
Gogglebox’s Giles and Mary to discuss their book
Two of the stars from Channel 4’s Gogglebox are to speak at this weekend’s Boswell Book Festival. Giles Wood and Mary Killen have written a book about their lives, ironically entitled The Diary Of Two Nobodies, which they will discuss at the annual festival of biography, being held in Dumfries House near Cumnock, in Ayrshire.…
Read MoreBig names for this year’s Borders Book Festival
Top TV chefs The Hairy Bikers will ride into Melrose this summer. Si King and Dave Myers will open this year’s Baillie Gifford Borders Book Festival in the Scottish Borders, taking place from Thursday 14 to Sunday 17 June. Other highlights include explorer Sir Chris Bonington, King of Crime Ian Rankin, and bestselling author of…
Read MoreReview: The Willow Tea Rooms Recipe Book
Story The Willow Tea Rooms begins with the success story of Glaswegian Anne Mulhern MBE, the owner and founder of the eminent Glasgow institution. Having dreamt of owning her own business since ten years of age, Anne showed high levels of resilience that resulted in her hugely successful business. An inspiring tale, Anne also shares…
Read MoreEnjoy a dram good time at Boswell Book Festival
Whisky and book enthusiasts are set to come together to spend an afternoon sampling some of Scotland’s ‘long lost’ malts. Dram and novel lovers have been invited to spend an afternoon sampling the whiskies during three exclusive masterclasses held in collaboration with a high-profile book festival. The Lost Distillery Company, part of the award-winning boutique…
Read MoreBook review: The Book of Bere
What’s the story? Liz Ashworth shares the story of bere, an ancient type of barley native to Orkney. For over 4,000 years the grain was milled and grown on the islands; a staple of the Scottish diet. The Book of Bere sees Ashworth reclaim bere as a superfood in an age where the population is…
Read MoreRemembering the woman who changed hospice care
Care for the terminally ill is something that people take for granted, but an academic is to speak about the woman who shaped things to the way we know them to be today. Cicely Saunders will be the focus of Professor David Clark’s talk at the Boswell Book Festival in Ayrshire next month, the world’s…
Read MoreSix finalists are in the running for £25,000 prize
Six books have been revealed as being on the shortlist for the £25,000 Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction. The Walter Scott Prize, which celebrates its tenth anniversary next year, was founded by patrons the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch to honour the legacy and achievements of Sir Walter Scott, inventor of the historical novel.…
Read MoreCelebrating the contents of the Royal Collection
Biographies come in all shapes and forms, all of which will be celebrated in Ayrshire next month. Michael Hall, editor of The Burlington, a magazine dedicated to art, has written a biography of the Royal Collection. One of the most extensive art collections any where on the world, Michael’s book accompanied a BBC Series, entitled…
Read MoreSpanning the Gaps by Anne-Mary Paterson
What’s the story? Anyone who drives through the Highlands can’t fail to notice the many railway bridges as they pass by. This book by Anne-Mary Paterson celebrates these, with the many and varied structures in the area, and celebrates the fact that unlike the north-east of Scotland, the majority of these are nearly all still…
Read MoreScottish writers turn back time to their childhoods
What’s the story? Acclaimed best-selling romantic comedy novelist Jenny Colgan, from Prestwick, and award-winning TV writer/producer Steven Moffat, from Paisley, have turned back the clock to their childhoods. The pair, both committed Doctor Who fans, have written novelisations of TV episodes in the style of the classic Target books of the 1970s and 80s. They’ve…
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