Tickets 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…

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Finding 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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Mental health – from both sides of the table

Finding True North is an important book highlighting a topic that should be more widely discussed – mental health in adults. Author Linda Gask, who trained in medicine in Edinburgh, spent her career working as a consultant psychiatrist while also battling with her own mental health struggles. Gask’s wisdom and experience result in an insightful…

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Coming to terms with a family past of slavery

Blood Legacy: Reckoning With A Family’s Story Of Slavery is a highly reflective book about how, by coming to terms with one’s past, we can advocate for a better future. Author Alex Renton explains how, rather than disinterested bystanders, the Scots were enthusiastic participants who were up to their oxters in slavery. Through tracking his…

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In Search of Sir Walter Scott in new TV documentary

To mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of Sir Walter Scott, author Damian Barr goes in search of the legacy and lasting influence of one of Scotland’s great historical figures, novelists and poets. His travels for a new BBC Scotland show range from the huge Scott monument on Prince’s Street Edinburgh, to Smailholm Tower…

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The Royal Scots Club announces its Literary Lunches

Leading Scottish writers are to be the guests of the Royal Scots Club, who have announced their new series of themed Literary Lunches. The first event Scottish Crime featuring three novelists, including Ian Rankin, the creator of Rebus, who lives in Edinburgh. Also attending is Lin Anderson, the novelist and screenwriter best known for her…

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We look to the south in the September 2021 Scottish Field

The September 2021 edition of Scottish Field is now available – and we’re celebrating the south of the country. Editor Richard Bath takes us on a tour around the new South West Coastal 300 driving route, and reveals some impressive gems which you may never have heard of or noticed before. We also celebrate one…

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Book festival to welcome audiences back to Wigtown

Wigtown Book Festival is to welcome audiences and authors back to Scotland’s National Book Town this autumn, following last year’s digital-only event.  Taking as its theme, Hello Stranger, the 2021 festival (22 September to 4 October) will be two days longer than in previous years, with more than 140 events for adults and young people,…

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The relaxing power of going fishing

Award-winning novelist and journalist David Profumo’s latest book centres around the restorative power of being at one with nature, particularly while fishing. Those with a passion for fishing often talk of its therapeutic qualities, all-too-often triggering an eye-roll from those less enamoured of the pastime. Profumo, however, convinces even the most hesitant reader to acquaint…

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A gripping read that will keep youngsters happy

As a boy, I always loved the stories of Robert Louis Stevenson, Enid Blyton and Arthur Ransome, when young people became involved in the adult world. Somehow or other, the youngsters involved would manage to save the day, and stop the smugglers, the thieves, or whatever villainous plots the ne’er-do-wells had in mind. There’s an…

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