The Hitchhiker's Guide to Scottish Literature

Listen to Douglas Skelton, author of the acclaimed Rebecca Connolly thriller novels, introduce his latest book, A Rattle of Bones. Douglas is in conversation with The Daily Record's Jane Hamilton as they discuss Douglas' career in journalism, his interest in historical crimes, and what's next for the Rebecca Connolly series.

In this video, Ian Crofton gives an introduction to his book Fringed With Mud and Pearls: An English Island Odyssey, published on 6th May 2021. Find out more about this boko on the Birlinn website here: https://birlinn.co.uk/product/fringed-with-mud-pearls/

Climate change is the greatest challenge to humankind today. While the coronavirus sheds a light on the vulnerability of our interconnected world, the effects of global warming will be permanent, indeed catastrophic, without a massive shift in human behaviour. Writer, scholar and broadcaster Alastair McIntosh speaks exclusively to the Birlinn Limited Podcast about his new book Riders on the Storm: The Climate Crisis and the Survival of Being ahead of the re-scheduled COP26, which will take place in Glasgow in November 2021. Riders on the Storm is available to buy now from your local bookshop and also at https://birlinn.co.uk/product/riders-on-the-storm/.

Join award-winning writer and historian Alistair Moffat as he travels through the Highlands and Islands of Scotland in the steps of the extraordinary Holy Men who first brought the word of God to Scotland fourteen centuries ago. In this delightful podcast episode, Alistair Moffat details the lengths he went to in order to capture the 'spirit of place' experienced by the Holy Men, whether it was sleeping on the beach, journeying up the steepest road in Britain or even - possibly - coming face to face with an angel. In Search of Angels: Travels to the Edge of the World is available to buy now from https://birlinn.co.uk/product/in-search-of-angels/ and your local bookshop.

In this fascinating interview with fellow Birlinn author Bob Wylie, Ray Perman discusses his most recent book The Rise and Fall of the City of Money: A Financial History of Edinburgh. The Rise and Fall of the City of Money is available to buy now from https://birlinn.co.uk/product/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-city-of-money/ and your local bookshop.

In this exclusive launch-day episode of the Birlinn Limited Podcast, Bob Wylie is interviewed by fellow Birlinn author Ray Perman about Bob's latest book, Bandit Capitalism: Carillion and the Corruption of the British State. Bandit Capitalism is published on 10th Sept 2020 and is available to buy from https://birlinn.co.uk/product/bandit-capitalism/ and your local bookshop.

In this exclusive launch-day episode of the Birlinn Podcast, Stuart Cosgrove is interviewed by Heath Common about his latest book Cassius X: A Legend in the Making. Cassius X is published on 3rd September 2020 and is available to buy from https://birlinn.co.uk/product/cassius-x/ and from your local bookshop.

Join Birlinn authors and world-class whisky experts Blair Bowman and Nikki Welch as they discuss the new edition of The Pocket Guide to Whisky. Available in July 2020 from https://birlinn.co.uk/product/the-pocket-guide-to-whisky-2/ and your local bookshop.

To celebrate World Whisky Day 2020, here's the first chapter of Whisky Galore, Compton MacKenzie's classic tale of wartime rationing, shipwreck and intoxication in the Hebrides. Read by members of the Birlinn team from their homes while on lockdown in May 2020. You can find out more about the novel here: birlinn.co.uk/product/whisky-galore/ Sound effects credited to soundbible.com.

Here's an exclusive episode with Isla Dewar, reading from her new novel A Day Like Any Other. Published May 2020 and available to buy from www.birlinn.co.uk/product/a-day-like-any-other/ or your local bookshop.

A recording of a unique event at the National Library of Scotland in February 2020. The Lost Poets are: Ron Butlin, Andrew Greig, Liz Lochhead, Brian McCabe and James Hutcheson, along with his band The Great Deep.

In our first episode on location, Vikki Reilly and Kristian Kerr talk to a selection of crime writers at the Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival, held in Stirling in Septemeber 2018. Featuring (in order of appearance) Michael Malone, James Oswald (6:00), Charlie McGarry (16:25), Denzil Meyrick & Douglas Skelton (24:45), Graeme Macrae Burnet & Simone Buchholz (35:20), Kaite Welsh (46:08), and Karen Robinson of the Times and Sunday Times Crime Club (49:25). Our thanks to all the authors who took part, to Fiona Brownlee, and all who make Bloody Scotland a truly special event on Scotland's literary calendar.

In this episode Vikki Reilly and Kristian Kerr talk the smash hit novel of 2017-2018, Gail Honeyman's Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. They are joined by novelist Isla Dewar to talk about her new novel, It Takes One to Know One.

Alexander McCall Smith joins us at the Hay Literary Festival to talk about global sensation, the No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this summer. The conversation includes news of his forthcoming titles: the next Precious Ramotswe book, which sees her making a foray into politics; and an anthology of Scottish poetry.

In this episode Vikki Reilly and Kristian Kerr of Polygon Books talk Ron Butlin's newly reissued 1987 novel, 'The Sound of My Voice'. The author himself joins to to tell us about its composition, about writing poetry to order, writing for children, and the many types of Scottish rain. The poems Ron reads are from his collection 'The Magicians of Scotland' (Polygon) available in print and eBook with audio formats.

In this episode VIkki Relly and Kristian Kerr explore Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe. With 2018 seeing the continuing publication of a complete set of the novels Muriel Spark, they speak with Candia McWilliam about Spark's second novel, Robinson.

Vikki Reilly and Kristian Kerr of Birlinn Ltd discuss Muriel Spark's first novel, 'The Comforters', before talking to author Alan Taylor about his new book, 'Appointment in Arezzo: A Friendship with Muriel Spark'.

Join Vikki Reilly and Kristian Kerr for a discussion of Sick Heart River, John Buchan's final, haunting novel. They also talk to Robert J Harris, author of a new Richard Hannay novel, The Thirty One Kings, just published by Polygon.

This episode, Vikki Reilly and Kristian Kerr talk Scottish crime writing with a discussion of Ian Rankin's Black and Blue and a reading from the latest book in Denzil Meyrick's Argyll-set DCI Daley series, One Last Dram Before Midnight

In this episode of a regular podcast on Scottish Literature Vikki Reilly and Kristian Kerr of Birlinn Ltd talk Emma Tennant's Two Women of London, a 1989 retelling of Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. They talk Stevenson with Kevin MacNeil about his novel, A Method Actor's Guide to Jekyll and Hyde and his new RLS anthology, a selection planned by Jean Luis Borges and Adolfo Bioy Casares but hitherto unpublished.

In this episode of a regular podcast on Scottish Literature Vikki Reilly and Kristian Kerr of Birlinn Ltd talk James Hogg's 1824 masterpiece, The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner, and talk to author Sheila Szatkowski about her brand new Enlightenment Edinburgh: A Guide.

Episode 6 of The Hitchhikers Guide to Scottish Literature podcast sees Kristian Kerr and Vikki Reilly visit fantastical and magical worlds. We take a look at Naomi Mitchison's 'Travel Light', and speak to our very own Joan Lennon about her latest adventure story for young teens, 'Walking Mountain'.

In the latest episode of a new podcast dedicated to Scottish books, Vikki Reilly and Kristian Kerr of Birlinn Ltd talk about Iain Crichton Smith's classic novel, Consider the Lilies. We shed more light on the Highland clearances with an interview with the acclaimed historian, James Hunter, who has recently published the award-winning Set Adrift Upon the World. Kevin MacNeil reads Crichton Smith's poetry.

In this latest episode of a new podcast about Scottish books, Vikki Reilly and Kristian Kerr of Birlinn Ltd discuss Elizabeth Melville's Ane Godlie Dreame. We stay in 16th century Scotland with Shirley McKay, author of the Hew Cullen mysteries, a hugely enjoyable historical crime series.

In this episode of the Hitchhikers Guide to Scottish Literature, Kristian Kerr and Vikki Reilly of Birlinn Ltd discuss Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting. We chat to Neu Reekie, otherwise known as Kevin Williamson and Michael Pedersen, about shaking up the Edinburgh lit scene, and Michael performs poems from his debut Play With Me, and forthcoming collection Oyster. WARNING: CONTAINS SALTY LANGUAGE.

In the second episode of a new podcast about Scottish books, Vikki Reilly and Kristian Kerr of Birlinn Ltd discuss Nan Shepherd's The Living Mountain. We continue to celebrate the Cairngorms with Patrick Baker, author of The Cairngorms: A Secret History, and the marvellous Andrew Greig shares a couple of his mountain poems. Poems by permission of Andrew Greig from Getting Higher: The Complete Mountain Poetry (Polygon); ‘The Loch of the Green Corrie' recorded at The Queen's Hall, Edinburgh (2015); ‘Knoydart Revisited' from the forthcoming CD Clean By Rain (SoundMagic Productions), lyric Andrew Greig, music Brian Michie. Out March 2017 and for sale via Andrew-greig.weebly.com or Birnam CD Online Shop. Join in the conversation on Twitter: @BirlinnBooks And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/birlinnbooks/?fref=ts#

A regular podcast presented by Vikki Reilly and Kristian Kerr of Birlinn Ltd. Travelling the highways and byways of Scottish literature. In the first episode of a new podcast about Scottish books, Vikki Reilly and Kristian Kerr of Birlinn Ltd discuss Robert Burns' Kilmarnock Edition of Poems, 'Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect'. Helping them celebrate the work of Burns are historian, Christopher Whatley and poet William Letford. Join in the conversation on Twitter: (url for Birlinn Twitter page) And Facebook: (url for Birlinn Facebook page)