Posts Tagged ‘books’
The Snowman revealed as Scots’ favourite festive read
The Scottish Book Trust today revealed that children’s picture book The Snowman, by Raymond Briggs, has topped a national poll as Scotland’s most loved Christmas book. The news comes as the charity launches its first ever festive fundraising appeal to provide books and support to teen parents and their babies. Findings from the Centre for…
Read MoreCelebrating the Gaelic experience
A forgotten and marginalised culture, the Gaelic experience is exposed as it was, is and all it might be. Written in both English and Gaelic, Shore to Shore, is an anthology of Gaelic raps, secular poems and aphorisms artistically and vividly bringing the Gaelic world to life. Descendants of Gaels now reside in every corner…
Read MoreReintroducing the golden eagle to the south
‘The whole air is a thoroughfare for the eagle.’ I thought of these words of Euripides as I sat on the rocky shore, fringed by ancient oak woods, and watched a pair of golden eagles dance in the sky high above. I had been studying one of them as it sat silhouetted and motionless on…
Read MoreBlown away by beautiful glass sculptures
Ice and fire, light and shade, Elin Isaksson’s beautiful glass sculptures have been shaped by her travels and love of nature. From the icy depths of her native Sweden, with its rugged landscape hinting at the country’s volcanic past, it is perhaps not surprising that Elin would find herself drawn to creating stunning works of…
Read MoreA historical novel that’s so intense it feels real
Rosemary Goring’s powerful sequel to her critically acclaimed debut After Flodden is set in the tumultuous borderlands of Scotland and England. Dacre’s War is a story of personal and political vengeance at the heart of the power struggle. It has been a decade since the battle at Flodden and the unrest is rife in the…
Read MoreExploring the cultural history of the Highlands
Disturbed by tales of wild beasts, harsh geography and the bloody conflicts of warring clans, few travellers ventured to the Scottish Highlands until after the defeat of Bonnie Prince Charlie at the Battle of Culloden. The influence of the clans was curbed and the Highlands became celebrated by poets, writers and artists for their beauty…
Read MoreA party problem will make the wee ones smile
Mac and Bob and the Party Problem is a colourful and imaginative children’s book which is a fun read for little ones who appreciate the illustrations and medium-sized ones who love the tale. Even Mummy can relate to the plot, which sees Mac invited to a party only to realise that he has nothing to…
Read MoreFinding the greater truth in a fascinating book
Jellyfish is a sparkling and powerful collection of writing. Janice Galloway takes on David Lodge’s assertion – ‘Literature is mostly about having sex and not much about having children; life’s the other way round’ – and scent-marks her multi-layered fiction with what she believes to be the greater truth. Razor sharp tales of two of…
Read MoreLifting the lid on the very best of Tartan Noir
What is Tartan Noir? Which authors belong to this global crime fiction phenomenon? Which books should you read first, next, again, or not at all? Len Wanner investigates the genre’s four main sub-genres – the detective, the police, the serial killer, and the noir novel. Covering four decades of literary history, he provides close readings…
Read MoreGuest editor of Best Scottish Poems announced
The Scottish Poetry Library has announce that rising star Roseanne Watt is the guest editor of the SPL’s annual online anthology Best Scottish Poems 2019. Best Scottish Poems is an annual online anthology of the year’s best poems written by a Scottish poet or poet based in Scotland. Each year the anthology is edited by…
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