Books
The Whisky Muse II leaves the reader with a warm glow
Whisky is, quite probably, Scotland’s greatest contribution to the world in terms of food and drink. The power of whisky is a curious thing, as it can make one person weep, and another one sing. Robin Laing, who is a songwriter, poet and performer takes the reader on a lyrical tour of the history and…
Read MoreWin the chance to be published with the 2022 Kelpies Prize
This year’s Kelpies Prizes have opened, giving hopeful Scottish authors and illustrators of children’s books the chance to kickstart a career. The Kelpies Prize for Writing was launched in 2004, seeking to find the best new Scottish writing for children. The winner will receive a prize package including a mentorship with an experienced editorial and…
Read MoreBook chronicles Dundee’s changing fortunes
For years, whenever we as Scots thought of Dundee, collectively the old cliche of jute, jam and comics were the obvious answers. But, with the passage of time, and in particular the arrival of the V&A on the banks of the Tay, that image has been completely eroded and modernised, as Dundee’s economy has diversified…
Read MoreA meticulous account of the battle for equality
Struggle and Suffrage in Glasgow comes with the subtitle of ‘women’s lives and the fight for equality’, and that’s exactly what this book is. It chronicles events that took place as the women of Glasgow battled for the right to vote: marching on the streets, daring escapes from under the noses of police officers, and…
Read MoreTickets still available for Royal Scots Club Literary Lunches
Scots crime writers Ian Rankin, Lin Anderson and Lesley Kelly are the special guests of the Royal Scots Club, at their new series of themed Literary Lunches. The first event is themed Scottish Crime, and will take place later this month, on Thursday 23 and Friday 24 September. Ian Rankin is best known as the…
Read MoreWigtown Book Festival launches £25,000 fundraiser
Wigtown Book Festival has launched a £25,000 Book It and Spread the Word fundraising appeal to help secure the future of the literary event. The initiative has been announced as Scotland’s National Book Town prepares to welcome audiences back after last year’s entirely digital event. This year’s festival will be one of the biggest of…
Read MoreSwapping Glasgow to Skye in the formative years
One of the most fascinating aspects of reading autobiographical books about Scotland is learning the life experiences of others in their formative years. Whether you’ve grown up in pleasant suburbia, on a country estate, or even a council house, people from all walks of life have different stories to tell. Raymond Moore’s Skye Stories –…
Read MoreA crime thriller in a turbulent period of history
Scottish crime fiction is a wonderfully rich and diverse area, as authors all over the land create their own characters and scenarios, with murders to solve. Unlike many others, Douglas Watt has taken a slight twist on the genre, by turning back the clock, as investigative advocate John MacKenzie cracks crimes in the 17th century…
Read MoreA moving novel with a forgotten Scottish shame
In 1950s Scotland, thousands of children were removed from their families for a ‘better life’ in the rural idyll of the Scottish Highlands as ‘boarded-out’ children. In Mick, by Willie Orr, he has crafted the moving story of Mick Crossan, removed by social services from his widowed mother and slum home in the Gorbals and…
Read MoreFinding what it means to be Scottish post-Brexit
What does it mean to be Scottish? According to the film Trainspotting (and I’ll paraphrase by removing the expletives)… It’s not great being Scottish. We’re the lowest of the low! The scum of the Earth! The most wretched, miserable, servile, pathetic trash, that was released into civilisation! For others, it means having an enduring sense…
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