Books
Robert Burns Minecraft project gets awards nod
A PROJECT to promote Robert Burns within the Minecraft computer game is in the running for an award. The Robert Burns Ellisland Trust and the University of Glasgow have been shortlisted in the innovation of the year category at the Scottish Knowledge Exchange Awards. The project is up against The Prebiotic Company and Glasgow Caledonian…
Read MoreWalter Scott Prize longlist unveiled
THE longlist for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction has been published Twelve novels are in the running for the £25,000 prize, which celebrates books published in the UK, Ireland, and the Commonwealth. James Robertson won last year’s prize with News of the Dead. Katie Grant, chair of the judges, said: “This year’s submissions…
Read MoreBook Review: ‘Snow Widows’
Snow Widows Katherine MacInnes William Collins Books [review rating=”3″ align = “left”] THIS meta-biography written in present tense gives the before lesser heard voices of women a chance to have their own outlet. Former journalist and prizewinning biographer Katherine MacInnes has long been researching the female perspective on polar exploration’s golden age and has travelled…
Read MoreBook review: ‘Wee Unicorn’
Wee Unicorn Meg McLaren Hachette THE unicorn has never gone out of fashion and its magical presence has long been rendered in children’s books in all manner of ways. However, in Wee Unicorn, Inverness-based writer and illustrator Meg McLaren transform’s the fabled creature from a being with mystical powers to a lonely protagonist who yearns…
Read MoreBook review: ‘Nala’s World’
Nala’s World Dean Nicholson Hachette Children’s Group NEARLY everyone with internet access has likely heard the adorable story of how Dunbar-born Dean Nicholson discovered and adopted the adorably bedraggled kitten on his world cycle route from Montenegro to Bosnia. Adults interested in Dean and Nala’s story can follow them on their various social media channels…
Read MoreBook Review: ‘Annie’s Boy’
Annie’s Boy Gary Todd New Holland Publishers [review rating=”4″ align = “left”] A WELL-KNOWN name in the boxing world, Gary Todd lets the reader get up close and personal, not dodging any blows in his new memoir, Annie’s Boy. Telling the story of his earlier days, over a span of 15 years, he focuses on…
Read MoreScotland’s lighthouses star in new book
AN ARTIST and author has spent the past five years drawing illustrations of more than 350 lighthouses surrounding Britain and Ireland. Roger O’Reilly will release a book early next year, and is already selling prints online. All Scotland’s lights are included in the project, including famous sites such as Bell Rock and Eilean Mór. His…
Read MoreBook review: ‘Confessions of a Highland Art Dealer’
Confessions of a Highland Art Dealer Tony Davidson Woodwose Books SPRINKLED with anecdotes of a life in the north, art dealer Tony Davidson paints a portrait of his colourful existence with local artists. He gives the reader an equal sense of times past and a true love for the creative community that he hosted at…
Read MoreGlasgow’s Bookface ‘Sip & Swap’ welcomes Alan Parks
WRITER Alan Parks, the winner of last year’s McIlvanney Prize at the Bloody Scotland book festival, will be the guest at this month’s Bookface “Sip & Swap” in Glasgow. Parks will speak to journalist Maggie Barry about May God Forgive, his fifth novel to star Harry McCoy. Bookface’s events give guests the chance to hear…
Read MoreSir Walter Scott’s ‘Rob Roy’ manuscript to go on show
AUTHOR Sir Walter Scott’s manuscript for his novel Rob Roy will go on display at the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh from March. The manuscript, which hasn’t been on show to the public for at least a century, is written in Scott’s own hand. The copy of Rob Roy was bought a year ago…
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