Posts Tagged ‘books’
Marking 450 years since Mary Queen of Scots’ departure
A number of events are being held to mark the 450th anniversary of Mary Queen of Scots’ flight from Scotland and arrival in England. After Mary lost the Battle of Langside in Glasgow on 13 May 1568 and fled south, she took rest and refreshments at Sanquhar before going on further south, finally spending her…
Read MoreBook review – The Ghost of Helen Addison
What’s the story? Leo Moran isn’t your average private detective. His most pressing day-to-day activities usually involve deciding what vintage of wine to pair with the finest organic steak, but at times he has more unsettling concerns: visions of violent crimes. After the ritualistic murder of a young woman in Argyll Leo decides to help…
Read MoreGogglebox’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 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 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 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…
Read MoreThe British Army put in focus at new lecture series
A series of 10 lectures covering The British Army in Northern Europe, 1704-1944, are to take place in Edinburgh. Iain Gale will present the lecture series, under the collective title Blenheim to Berlin. The talks will run over 10 months, one per month, starting this June, taking place in the evening, in a private room…
Read MoreAppointment in Arezzo: A Friendship with Muriel Spark
What’s the Story? Alan Taylor, who has been a journalist for over 30years in Scotland, struck up a close friendship with Muriel Spark the world renowned writer after a 1990 interview in Arezzo, Italy. The book discusses Spark’s successes over her inspiring career and also addresses many of the controversies which Sparks often shied…
Read More