Podcasts about scottish literature

As we get ready for Burns Night on 25 January, we're delving into the Love Scotland archives to bring you three episodes that reveal the life and legacy of Robert Burns. - Jackie gathers two companions to discuss the “song that everybody sings”: Auld Lang Syne. With lyrics penned by Robert Burns in 1788, but origins dating back further, it is now a global anthem of friendship, celebration, yearning and nostalgia. Mairi Campbell, a Scottish musician whose version appeared in the Sex and the City film and has since created a show inspired by the song, is the first of Jackie's two guests. Also joining the conversation is Professor Gerard Carruthers, Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Francis Hutcheson Chair of Scottish Literature at the University of Glasgow.  To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. For more information on the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, click here. Explore the National Trust for Scotland's Robert Burns Collection online here. - A brand new series of Love Scotland will appear in your podcast feed later this spring.

As we get ready for Burns Night on 25 January, we're delving into the Love Scotland archives to bring you three episodes that reveal the life and legacy of Robert Burns. - We all know the songs and poems written by one of Scotland's most famous sons – but who were the people that most influenced his life and his writing? Host Jackie Bird is on a mission to find out. This week, she's joined by Christoper Waddell, learning manager at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, and Professor Gerard Carruthers, Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Francis Hutcheson Chair of Scottish Literature at the University of Glasgow. Together, they look at poets, family members, friends and educators who made their mark on the Bard. To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. For more information on the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, click here. Explore the National Trust for Scotland's Robert Burns Collection online here. Use of Green Grow The Rashes, O by Bill Adair, courtesy of University of Glasgow. - A brand new series of Love Scotland will appear in your podcast feed later this spring.

1 THE PEOPLE WHO SHAPED ROBERT BURNS We all know the songs and poems written by one of Scotland's most famous sons – but who were the people that most influenced his life and his writing? Host Jackie Bird is on a mission to find out. This week, she's joined by Christoper Waddell, learning manager at the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, and Professor Gerard Carruthers, Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and Francis Hutcheson Chair of Scottish Literature at the University of Glasgow. Together, they look at poets, family members, friends and educators who made their mark on the Bard.  To enjoy more episodes of Love Scotland, please follow or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.  For more information on the Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, click here. Explore the National Trust for Scotland's Robert Burns Collection online here. You might enjoy some of our past episodes on Robert Burns. Simply scroll back through the Love Scotland feed to hear instalments on Auld Lang Syne and Burns' death. Use of Green Grow The Rashes, O by Bill Adair, courtesy of University of Glasgow.

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is upon us and it does not disappoint. Too much to say about this one and, as always, we could have gone an hour longer and still not covered it all. An absolutely fantastic novel and one that certainly lives up to the hype and praise that surrounds it.Titles/authors mentioned: The Secret History by Donna Tartt O Caledonia by Elspeth Barker Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter by Mario Vargas Llosa The Old Devils by Kingsley Amis Ottessa Moshfegh Bryan WashingtonClick here to subscribe to our Substack and find us on the socials: @lostinredonda just about everywhere.Music: “The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys” by TrafficLogo design: Flynn Kidz Designs

We stand on the precipice, one episode away from THE PRIME! Before that, though, we discuss The Bachelors, a fantastic novel chock full of some of the strangest characters Spark has written, which is really saying something. Mediums, epileptics, blackmail, criminality, and much, much more abound in this one. And one of the funniest scenes yet involving a gentleman's club, a game of hide-and-seek, and drapes. As always: a really great time.Click here to subscribe to our Substack and find us on the socials: @lostinredonda just about everywhere.Music: “The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys” by TrafficLogo design: Flynn Kidz Designs

We're edging closer to THE PRIME, but today we chat about The Ballad of Peckham Rye. Spark's novels are incredibly fun, but this might be the wildest, featuring an incredible character name (Dougal Douglas), a lot of absenteeism, a textile factory, a Nun Tunnel, and dancing. Lots of dancing.Click here to subscribe to our Substack and find us on the socials: @lostinredonda just about everywhere.Music: “The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys” by TrafficLogo design: Flynn Kidz Designs

As another series of Love Scotland draws to a close, Jackie gathers two companions to discuss the “song that everybody sings”: Auld Lang Syne. With lyrics penned by Robert Burns in 1788, but origins dating back further, it is now a global anthem of friendship, celebration, yearning and nostalgia.  Mairi Campbell, a Scottish musician whose version of the song appeared in the Sex and the City film and who has since created a show inspired by Auld Lang Syne, is the first of Jackie's two guests. Also joining the conversation is Professor Gerard Carruthers, Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Francis Hutcheson Chair of Scottish Literature at the University of Glasgow.  With just a few weeks to go until people sing Auld Lang Syne on Hogmanay, Mairi and Gerard reveal their personal connections to the song and its words, how it came to international significance, and how it has evolved since its very early origins.  To find out more about Robert Burns Birthplace Museum, click here.

In Episode 4 of Season 2 we dig into Muriel Spark's sophomore effort, Robinson. Gotta say: it's incredible and we couldn't be more excited to keep on keeping on with her work. This time around we trade London (mostly) for a lonely island in the Atlantic and a story that is funny, tense, clever, whimsical, and just an all-around masterclass in writerly control. None of which is surprising at this point, but absolutely riveting and delightful.Click here to subscribe to our Substack and do follow us on the socials, @lostinredonda across most apps (Twitter and Instagram for now; we're coming for you eventually #booktok).Music: “The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys” by TrafficLogo design: Flynn Kidz Designs

Sir walter Scott, Scotland, Edinburgh, Highlands, UK, Scottish literature. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

About my guest:* The Cultural Memory of Georgian Glasgow* Connect with Craig* Rate the showAbout my guest:Craig Lamont is a graduate of the Universities of Strathclyde and Glasgow, with a diverse background in Creative Writing, English Literature, and Scottish Literature. His AHRC-funded PhD, ‘Georgian Glasgow: the city remembered through literature, objects, and cultural memory theory' (2015), was an interdisciplinary body of work central to a collaboration between the University of Glasgow and Glasgow Life, involving the major exhibition How Glasgow Flourished: 1714-1837 at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in 2014. It won the 2016 Ross Roy Medal for the best PhD relating to Scottish Literature. His debut monograph, The Cultural Memory of Georgian Glasgow, was published in 2021 by Edinburgh University Press. Besides writing short fiction, Craig has also been commissioned as a historian by the National Trust for Scotland and Barclays Bank.Craig's postdoctoral work ranges from web development to bibliography in the realms of Allan Ramsay, bawrdy chapbooks, and Robert Burns, beginning in 2014 with the ‘Bawdry & Scottish Chapbooks' project (PI: Dr. Pauline Mackay). The following year Craig joined Prof. Murray Pittock's team in the Royal Society of Edinburgh funded project ‘Allan Ramsay and Edinburgh in the First Age of Enlightenment.' In this project, Craig co-authored an interactive map, ‘Edinburgh's Enlightenment 1680-1750' with the PI. In 2015-16 Craig worked as a Research Assistant at the Centre for Robert Burns Studies, compiling a new bibliography of Robert Burns editions from 1786 to 1802. This is part of the AHRC-funded project Editing Robert Burns for the 21st Century (PI: Prof. Gerard Carruthers), on which Craig worked as a research associate from 2017. From January 2018-August 2022, Craig became the lead research associate in another AHRC-funded project, The Collected Works of Allan Ramsay (PI: Prof. Murray Pittock). From 2017-2022, Craig served as the Secretary of the Association for Scottish Literature.As of 5 September 2022, Craig is Lecturer in Scottish Studies, based in Scottish Literature but working more widely in the Centre for Scottish and Celtic Studies. Get full access to Dispatches from the War Room at dispatchesfromthewarroom.substack.com/subscribe

This episode of Pod45 discusses our recent Gestures of Refusal cluster, co-edited by Sarah Bernstein and Yanbing Er. Contemporaries co-editor Francisco Robles sat down to chat about the cluster (as well as broader questions and themes it suggests) with Sarah and Yanbing, alongside Akwugo Emejulu, who contributed the essay "Ambivalence as Misfeeling, Ambivalence as Refusal" to the cluster, and Xine Yao, whose writing doesn't feature in the cluster but whose work and thought on (dis)affect, (un)feeling, and refusal articulates closely related concerns. Pod45 host and Contemporaries co-editor Michael Docherty also provides some information on how you can stay informed about Contemporaries and Post45 more generally in the event that Twitter, currently our primary means of circulating our clusters, disappears in a cloud of billionaire hubris. You can read Gestures of Refusal, and sign up for our newsletter, at post45.org now. Guests Dr. Yanbing Er (@eryanbing), Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of English Language and Literature, National University of Singapore Dr. Sarah Bernstein, Lecturer in Scottish Literature and Creative Writing, University of Strathclyde Dr. Akwugo Emejulu (@akwugoemejulu), Professor of Sociology, University of Warwick Dr. Xine Yao (@xineyaophd), Lecturer in American Literature to 1900, University College London Akwugo's Fugitive Feminism (Silver Press 2022) and Xine's Disaffected: The Cultural Politics of Unfeeling in Nineteenth-Century America (Duke UP 2021) are out now. Production This episode was produced by Michael Docherty and co-produced by Gunner Taylor, with logistical co-ordination by Francisco Robles and music by Michael Docherty.

Host John Drummond chats with historian and author Jenny Eales, whose Random Scottish History website contains an accessible collection of pre 1900 Scottish Literature, History, Art and Folklore , including newspaper articles from the time of the Treaty of Union.  Some fascinating comparisons between the discourse of the day and present day debate.  Who would have thought that, in highlighting the democratic deficit inherent in the UK Union, today's Independence campaigners are using same the arguments as the 18th century Unionists! Jenny's website is  https://randomscottishhistory.com/ Her books are available on Amazon and she also has a Youtube channel  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1aQ3L_3eGNSbsHXFxMEpQQ Audio clips of Jenny's readings of the original Treaty of Union articles are also featured in Indylive.radio 's History Hour on Tuesdays at 11am 

In this new episode of the ScotsInUs Podcast from the American-Scottish Foundation we are shining a spotlight on Scottish literature and upcoming book festivals in Scotland. We are joined in conversation with Vikki Reilly from Publishing Scotland who shares with us news of the upcoming Scottish Books Long Weekend which takes place online June 10 - 13. We are joined by Caroline Knox and James Knox, Directors of the Boswell Book Festival, taking place this year as a fully online event from June 10 - 16 featuring a program of readings, discussions and workshops from guests including Bill Paterson, Andrew Marr, @Janey Godley, Rory Stewart and Chris Bryant MP. We're joined in converstion with award winning author Aminatta Forna who shares with us her influences, inspiration and insight into her new book The Window Seat. With music preview from the upcoming Armadale Castle, Gardens & Museum of the Isles, Skye Castle Piping and Harp Competition with music from Freya Thomsen and Pippa Reid-Foster. Music from La Club Royale and Amy Papiransky. Presented by Jamie McGeechan for the American-Scottish Foundation. The ScotsInUs Podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts, Anchor and Spotify, just search for 'ScotsInUs'.

On this episode we’re joined by two special guests well-acquainted with the life and work of Robert Burns in a special episode for Burns Night 2021. Professor Gerard Carruthers is Francis Hutcheson Chair of Scottish Literature at the University of Glasgow where he’s leading on a major project 'Editing Robert Burns for the 21st Century'. He’s General Editor of the new Oxford Collected Works of Robert Burns, Co-Director of the Centre for Robert Burns Studies and also secretary of the Robert Burns Ellisland Trust. In our conversation with Gerry he tells us more about Burns and Dumfries and how we can celebrate Ellisland and its treasures for now and for the future.   Gerda Stevenson is an award-winning writer, actor, director and singer-songwriter, who has worked in theatre, television, radio, film, and opera throughout Britain and abroad. Her poetry, drama and prose have been widely published, staged, and broadcast. We talk about her second poetry collection, QUINES: Poems in tribute to women of Scotland, which charts the contribution made to Scottish history and society by remarkable women, from Neolithic times to the 21st century, starring singers, politicians, fish-gutters, queens, dancers, marine engineers and many more. Also, as one of the foremost performers of Burns’, we discuss her relationship to his work, some favourites, and a few top performance tips for the brave souls gearing up for Burns Night 2021 style.

indyLive would like to thank Jenny of  Random Scottish History for allowing us to stream and podcast her work.  Here is an introduction to  'Random Scottish History : Pre-1900 Book Collection of Scottish Literature, History, Art & Folklore.' Website https://randomscottishhistory.com/ Twitter https://twitter.com/FlikeNoir You can become a Patron and support the Random Scottish History work  here : https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=941750  

This week, Professor Kirsteen McCue, Professor of Scottish Literature & Song Culture and Co-Director for the Centre for Robert Burns Studies at the University of Glasgow, joins Abby in the classroom to help with her lesson plan on Auld Lang Syne. Kristeen discusses who wrote Auld Lang Syne, its significance in Scottish and American culture, and what meaning we can take from the song as we prepare for 2021. Keep up with Abby after class on Twitter: @AbbyHornacek

Each episode is a snapshop, a moment, a sneak inside the minds of our graduates. Season one talks to our 2020 graduates about how things are going, or not going, for them. In episode one we meet English and Scottish Literature graduate, Rosie. Since recording this episode Rosie has got a full time job.Each month we meet five more graduates. Subscribe now and find out what everyone is up to and how they feel about this weird and unpredictable time.Multi Story Edinburgh has been created and produced by the Alumni Relations team at the University of Edinburgh. If you are interested in telling your story, please get in touch and let's talk.Music: Since When by Mise Darling.

"We want writers to see us publishing work that might not be published elsewhere..." Jules Danskin and Heather Parry are the managing director and editorial director of Extra Teeth, a literary magazine that publishes great new writing from Scotland. They sent us copies of their first two issues recently and I was really impressed not just by the quality but also the range of the writing, and as you’ll hear during our conversation, part of their motivation in making the magazine is to challenge and redefine what Scottish writing really is – there’s a clear ambition to look beyond what they call the highlands and islands and Edinburgh noir, and find something else.

The Roman statesman Boethius wrote The Consolation of Philosophy around the year 524 when he was incarcerated. It advises that fame and wealth are transitory and explores the nature of happiness and belief. Former Bishop of Edinburgh Richard Holloway has been wrestling with the way we understand belief. He joins Professor Seth Lerer and New Generation Thinker Kylie Murray in a discussion chaired by Matthew Sweet. Richard Holloway's new book is called Stories We Tell Ourselves: Making Meaning in a Meaningless Universe. Dr Kylie Murray, Fellow in English and Scottish Literature at Cambridge who has identified a Boethius manuscript as Scotland's oldest non-biblical book. Her own book The Making of the Scottish Dream-Vision is out shortly. Seth Lerer is Distinguished Professor and as Dean of Arts and Humanities at UC, Sand Diego and his books include Shakespeare's Lyric Stage, Inventing English A Portable History of the Language, Childrens' Literature A Reader's History from Aesop to Harry Potter and Boethius and Dialogue. You can find more conversations about religious belief from guests including Mona Siddiqui, Karen Armstrong, Richard Dawkins, Rabbi Sachs in this playlist https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03mwxlp And a Free Thinking playlist on Philosophy includes discussions about St Augustine, Nietzsche, Camus, Isiah Berlin, Bryan Magee, Mary Midgely and Iris Murdoch https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0000r9b Producer: Robyn Read

For the latest SWH! podcast Ali caught up with Scott Hames who lectures in Scottish Literature at the University of Stirling. The reason was to talk about Scott's fascinating book 'The Literary Politics of Scottish Devolution', and look in some detail at the themes and ideas he addresses. The book's subtitle is 'Voice, Class, Nation' and Scott sets out the relationship between the three. It's a fascinating conversation about Scotland's recent social, political, and cultural history. You can get your own copy of 'The Literary Politics of Scottish Devolution' from Edinburgh University Press.

On the 25 January each year millions of people across the world will attend Burns Suppers to honour Scotland's National Bard. Quite simply, no other literary figure is commemorated in the way that Burns is worldwide. In this episode of the Tae The Bard podcast series we look at ways in which Burns Night Celebrations have evolved since the early nineteenth century, all the time retaining Burn's poetry and song at their heart. Our guests today offer different perspectives on both performing and organising the Burns Supper. Catherine Wilson is an Edinburgh-based poet and writer, known for her reflections on the everyday, blended with a sense of humour and solemn questions about the big things in life. Jack Finlay is the associate producer of the Big Burns Supper, an 11-day festival in Dumfries with an eclectic mix of music, comedy and performance. Professor Gerard Carruthers, Francis Hutcheson Chair of Scottish Literature at University of Glasgow, has performed at Burns suppers around

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.

Professor Gerard Carruthers:  from working class roots in Clydebank to the Francis Hutcheson Chair of Scottish Literature at Glasgow University.  Professor Gerard Carruthers is considered one of the leading scholars on the works of Robert Burns. His work ranges widely across Scottish literature, including - among others - Walter Scott, Muriel Spark and Thomas Muir. Jim spoke to him about his journey from his early days in Clydebank with some significant milestones along the way. It's a fascinating and entertaining journey.  Podcast not to be missed.  Links Pat's Guide To Glasgow West End Professor Gerard Carruthers Music by Jim Byrne

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)

In the latest podcast Ali talks to writer David F. Ross about his novels "The Last Days Of Disco" and "The Rise and Fall Of The Miraculous Vespas", and the forthcoming "The Man Who Loved Islands". Their chat also covers his life as a writer, the importance of people and places being represented in culture, the central importance of music in his work, and touring Germany. It was great fun to record and we hope that comes over in the podcast. Stay til the end for some exclusive-ish music as well.

In the latest podcast Ali talks to writer David F. Ross about his novels "The Last Days Of Disco" and "The Rise and Fall Of The Miraculous Vespas", and the forthcoming "The Man Who Loved Islands". Their chat also covers his life as a writer, the importance of people and places being represented in culture, the central importance of music in his work, and touring Germany. It was great fun to record and we hope that comes over in the podcast. Stay til the end for some exclusive-ish music as well.

In the latest podcast, Ali talks to writers Graham Lironi and Graeme Macrae Burnet about their latest novels (Oh Marina Girl and His Bloody Project respectively), both of which have been published on Saraband Books crime imprint, Contraband. They discuss crime fiction and subverting readers’ expectations, genre fiction and the problem with labels, the importance of editing, unreliable narration, the health or otherwise of the Scottish writing community, and what’s really important in the life of a writer. The hour or so just flew by, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did recording it. We’re calling it "a must listen for anyone interested in writing and books”, and we wouldn’t lie about something like that.

In the latest podcast Ali talks to writer and journalist Kirstin Innes. The primary reason is to talk about her debut novel ‘Fishnet’, but, as inevitably happens, talk turns to other matters including the repercussions of the closing of The Arches, the future of the arts in Scotland, and the importance of spoken word events. It was 40-odd minutes which just flew by, and we hope you find it as enjoyable to listen to as it was to record.

In the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast, Ali talks to broadcaster, journalist and TV executive Stuart Cosgrove about his terrific new book Detroit 67: The Year That Changed Soul. As Stuart explains, it's so much more than a book on music, and what follows is a fascinating chat about how Detroit in 1967 influenced and reflected America and the times.

My guest on this episode is renowned author, screenwriter and playwright Alan Bissett. If you don't know him from his excellent prose and theatre work then you may know him from how active he was for the Yes campaign during the 2014 Scottish Referendum.But to me, he's a novelist first and foremost. He'd probably disagree with that, yet that's how I got into his writing so I guess that'll always be my perception of him.When I began studying Scottish Literature in first year of university, I was motivated (in no small part by some weird sense of cultural nationalism) to spend the time away from the course texts  and to absorb other Scottish writers. Trainspotting is a book we're all familiar with, and naturally that happened to be the only Scottish novel that I'd read going into uni and the relatively older age of 24. That book then turned up as a course text in my first year because, well... why wouldn't it?Re-reading it, and realising I had access to a huge library and a vast reservoir of Scots literary knowledge, I spent my time in between essays, exams and course texts pulling as many different books as I could from between the stacks of the Glasgow Uni library. I devoured Kelman, Crichton Smith, MacCaig, Gray, Spark and then moved onto more contemporary authors like Bissett, Louise Welsh and Robertson among others. Boyracers was one of the first contemporary novels I read.I went on to read Pack Men, as it was his most recent at the time, and then Death of a Ladies Man. Welsh was important to me because it demonstrated that people could write in Scots and "get away with it"; Kelman was vital to my literary development because it was the first novel I read in Glaswegian, and it contained characters the likes of which I'd met in my own scheme when growing up; but Bissett was more relevant, largely in part because I found it easier to identify with teenagers from Falkirk than I could with twenty-something heroin addicts in Leith or a blind guy in Glasgow. As I look back on that period of voracious reading, I now know it was because the community he depicts in Boyracers, and later again in Pack Men, is so similar to ones I know.This podcast is a very cerebral chat. I hope you don't find it too dense. Highlights include:Creativity always seemed natural, he kept coming back to that when he was youngCame to realise writing was a career when he was doing a PHd Being shortlisted for the Macallan Prize is when he realised writing was a thingComing from a TV household with no creative familyYou only start to realise the themes of your writing when people start to talk to you aboutScottish writing and the themes of identity of community, and how those mainly seem to come from writers who are not from the landed gentryHow Alan finds this to be more powerful and valuable than writing about rich people having drawing room affairsThe object of growing up is like to get out of your community and how that leads to a sense of guilt when you doHow current writers that he's been working with seem to reflect the difference in community now than in the generation before – Boyracers was filled with hope, but it's hope that the current generation of teenagers don't feelThere's a generation of young theatre makers like Steph Smith, Catrion Evans, Kiron Hurly, Gary McNair, Rob Drummond and Nick Green who are doing politically explicit workThe radical spirit that theatre had in the 70s with John McGrath etc feels like it's coming backYet it's harder for Scottish novelists to be political because of the global competitionIt's very difficult for political novels to get throughHow Late It Was, How Late was prophetic about the struggle people face with the DWP now, despite it being written in the mid 90sPeople want to escape reality instead of experience or read about what people actually feel say and doAmerican cultural colonisation is greater than ever despite the narratives of big media franchises like Game of Thrones or Marvel films not being culturally specificOur obsessions with these universal cultures mean that local cultures – their stories, dialects, art – are slowly being erased and neglectedBut that's not to say we should protect our cultures by allowing them to remain untouched, rather there should be cultural spaces where local culture still exist – we must preserve minority cultureIt's difficult to know what our default cultural tastes would be when entertainment is controlled by media conglomeratesThe artist's that feel that they have some kind of social responsibility at least signals that they are willing to make a stand that's bigger than just them as an individualWe get caught up in the rights of the individual above all else and it's not surprise because that's capitalism but we have to perverse the work that we doMoving to writing plays is as much about the economic reality of writing novels and how difficult it is to pay bills as a full time writer when it takes a long time to write a book Many novelists are stimulated into over production because of the fear of having their livelihood taken away from them, Alan can't work like thatThere's also an energy in Scottish theatre that wasn't quite there in Scottish literatureTheatre is more immediate but a novel is more powerful because of the mental experience is deeperYet a play can react quicker to current events whereas a novel takes timeThe full scale demolition of masculinity in Death of a Ladies ManThe alpha male pursuit to anoint great works of literatureAnd how that pursuit can be destructive, and the way that has affected the mental health of many great writes, such as James JoyceHowever ambition is required to power you through being creativeYet a lot of female writers have a completely different mindset, which often makes them better writersThe Caledonian Antisyzergy and the dual identity of Scots which is reflected in referendum resultThe referendum was Scotland finding out what it is was – Scotland doesn't know what it is or what it would spring towards whilst it's still part of the unionAlan finds that interviews aren't fun anymore because they talk about politics…So we make it fun by talking about MarvelAnd the seemingly infinite expansion of franchisesWe have a shared love for blockbuster moves despite them being more disposable than everAlan's favourite film is Jaws and compared to current CGI films, it feels so handmadeThe shift in the 70s in blockbuster films which shook everything up in terms of how big budget films are made, and how that shift would not happen now because of CGIWe agree Marvel Studios are good at retaining artists' singular vision in a big budget blockbuster settingDisney used to feel like a benign company that used to make kids films every year, and now they seem to run HollywoodThere are, however, more nourishing forms of entertainmentWHY ARE ADULTS WATCHING KIDS FILMS?! And whey to complain about them when they're not FOR adults?Society aims to keep us in a state of permanent adolescence Some Scottish Literature chat – James Robertson is a genius, he's so far ahead of every other Scottish author. Also, Louise Welsh, Kirsty Logan, John Niven, Sophie Sexton, William Letford, Richie McCafferty, Laura Marney, Rodge Glass, Zoe Strachan are all people to watchAlso James Hogg – Confessions of a Justified Sinner is ESSENTIAL literatureLots of show notes here. Apologies for the length of the post. I hope you enjoy the episode!Featured MusicIntro: Voodoo Puppets – Electric Chair Blues (used under CC licence, you can check it out here).Suede - The Next LifePink Floyd - Comfortably NumbMartyn Bennett - MoveAll music can be purchased on iTunes and the digital retailer of your choice. Or in a record store. You know they still exist, right? I make no claim to the copyright of these tracks.LinksGo buy any of Alan's books from a book store. A bricks and mortar one. That'd be well good.You can see his website here to see what he's upto in the theatre world. His twitter and facebook are also pretty cool.Thank you!My thanks are eternal to you and everyone else who has listened to the podcast and helped me get it to where it is. If you could take a second to rate and review this podcast on iTunes I'd love you forever and ever.Questions? Feedback?You can do either by dropping a comment in the comment box below.Or you can hit the contact link to show me some love by using the cool email form.Social MediaI'm on a few social media sites, so it'd be pretty handy if you could show me some love over there.Check out the Facebook page.Or you can get me on Twitter.Oh and seriously, rating and reviewing this podcast on iTunes would be amazing. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ali was in Edinburgh for some Festival shenanigans but took time out to talk to SWH! favourite Doug Johnstone to talk about his new novel 'The Jump'. A difficult novel to discuss in terms of plot, the chat concentrates on the themes in the novel, family dramas, domestic noir, the best use of research and the importance of being honest. As a sort of bonus extra, Doug also gives his advice to all those who want to write, which alone makes this a must listen.

I'm waiting for culture to turn dark and deep again. The culture I came from was counter culture and it was angry and introspective. It has been utterly been pushed into invisibility by the rise of "be happy" culture. The ideology of positivity. We've been recycling this forced positivity for a decade now.It's like too much health food or some advert for happiness stuck on a loop. We're thoroughly sick of it and we can see through it to the structures of repression behind it. We're tired of the lie that we can all be everything we want to be if we just stay positive and believe in ourselves.The repetitiousness of that inane self promoting grin, the fake smile of competitive consumerism and artificial camaraderie:"Yay-culture".I predict we're going to go dark and angry soon.We have to.We're not adverts for god sake.- Ewan MorrisonEwan Morrison is a man of many talents: an author, a journalist, a screenwriter and a director. He has written a short story collection and a number of critically acclaimed novels, contributed extensively to The Guardian and been involved in writing and direction for film and TV for a number of years. Recently his first novel Swung was turned into a movie of the same name.I encountered the writing of Ewan Morrison in 2012 when I heard about his novel Tales from the Mall. At the time I was knee deep in studying for a Scottish Literature degree. I always meant to get the book but I never did. The following year I took a module on Contemporary Scottish Literature and Tales from the Mall was on the reading list. I devoured it almost instantly. I was captivated by its unconventional style, its raw subversion of capitalism, how it questioned the very concept of identity in a consumer driven world, and the way it weaved fiction and non-fiction together as it explored what a mall is and represents on every conceivable level.The following summer I consumed his entire oeuvre.I spent so many years studying historical Scottish literature and when we did read something more up to date it was hardly contemporary - the newest thing on the reading list was Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh. It was refreshing to finally observe the Scottish literary landscape as it is now, and Ewan's work is vital to that landscape. Ewan's work deals with many things that we now take for granted, and poses questions that I feel are very important in the current age - what is identity, community, individuality and the very meaning of our relationships to each other in the current, transitory digital age . We're being sold individuality as the ultimate expression of human existence,  being told that there is an ideal person we should strive to be which is unlike any other. Yet when we step back we all look, sound and act the same.So far I've mainly spoken to people who are involved in punk rock - the troubadours who sing their songs outside of the mainstream, who choose to do things their own way. The parallel between a musician outside of the mainstream and a writer outside of the mainstream is clear: unless you are in the mainstream you will find it extremely difficult to make a living from doing what you're doing. The internet, with its infinite everything, its boundless choice, is forcing us to "like" the same things. In our strive to be individual, to create culture, we're reposting and retweeting all of the same content as everyone else. Our voice just blends in to the binary din.If this podcast stays outside of the mainstream, then that's where I'm happy to be.My chat with Ewan was broad, interesting and one of the most challenging, thought provoking discussions I've ever had. I really hope you think so too. It's long but it's worth every second.Highlights include:Where Ewan's creativity began and how it's rooted very firmly in communityNirvana, Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain - how sometimes creativity and the darkness beneath it can lead one to their demiseBeing in a community of artists in the Glasgow School of Art and how he spun off into TVMaking an hour of crazy arts TV every week for STV, including getting to interview Sonic Youth and Ivor CutlerMissing the days of artists banding together and operating outside of the mainstreamHow those that do band together in the millennial age don't have much to sayBut also how his generation's biggest political achievement is ironic slogans on T-shirts.Contemporary apathy happening as an accident by way of being too positive about everything all the timeExtensive discussion about Tales from the Mall and Close Your EyesThe way the search for individuality has paradoxically lead to the homognoisation of culture and how individuality is the engine that drives his workFacebook, twitter, the internet, consumerism, streaming, Amazon and endless choice causing the destruction of the arts industryHow we love to see our heroes fall and are often encouraged to gloat in the failure of others as it is chronicled a minute at a time by the internetAnd a massive rant from myself on why the punk community is not a community in the way we would like it to be.It's taken me a little while to get a writer on this podcast. Well, it's taken a while to get anyone other than a musician on this podcast, so I'm extremely grateful to be able to expand the scope of this show. This podcast has always been about creativity and passion from creative people from all walks of life. In time I hope to talk to as many people in as many different fields as possible. It'd be great if you came along for the ride.We all experience and create art in different ways. I've come to realise that the themes musicians, artists and writers discuss in their work come from a very dark place. How we come to that creativity, the journey into and through it, is where the inspiration lies. Where the good stuff.It's the fuel that powers this podcast.Featured MusicIntro: Voodoo Puppets – Electric Chair Blues (used under CC licence, you can check it out here).Grouper - ClearingRussian Circles - Harper LewisSwans - The Seer ReturnsAll music can be purchased on the links above. I make no claim to the copyright of these tracks.Links Go buy any of Ewan's books from a book store. A bricks and mortar one. That'd be well good.You can see his website here and his column in The Guardian here.Thank you!My thanks are eternal to you and everyone else who has listened to the podcast and helped me get it to where it is. It's now on the goddamn front page. How cool is that? If you could take a second to rate and review this podcast on iTunes I'd love you forever and ever.Questions? Feedback?You can do either by dropping a comment in the comment box below.Or you can hit the contact link to show me some love by using the cool email form.Social MediaI'm on a few social media sites, so it'd be pretty handy if you could show me some love over there.Check out the Facebook page.Or you can get me on Twitter.Oh and seriously, rating and reviewing this podcast on iTunes would be amazing. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast, Ian and Ali are joined by Stuart and Karn David. It's a timely chat as we discuss Stuart's recent book In The All-Night Cafe about the early days of Belle and Sebastian, as well as Looper's handsome 5 CD box-set, These Things, which has just been released. However, as usual we stray from topics to talk about such diverse things as the art of letter writing, musical influences and the problems that face the introverted artist. It’s 40 mins well spent in excellent company.

Scottish Literature is filled with imaginary places. Today Stuart Kelly explores Alasdair Gray's Unthank, the nightmarish setting for 1981's Lanark.

For the latest podcast Ian and Ali headed east to talk to The Corries’ Ronnie Browne about his recently published autobiography. What unfolds is one of the most entertaining podcasts yet as Ronnie talks about his young life in Edinburgh, his career as an artist, the strength he gained from his family life, and, of course, his time as one of Scotland’s most iconic musicians. But, as Ronnie makes clear, this is his life story, not The Corries, and the resulting interview is moving, funny and informative. We hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we did recording it.

For the latest podcast, Ali talks to writer Andrew Raymond Drennan about his new novel, ‘The Limits Of The World’. They talk about the reason for setting the book in North Korea, the influences on Andrew’s writing, the role of art in society as well as its importance on an individual level, and why, in the end, perhaps all you need is love and courage. Both men are in their element as they get to talk about things which mean a lot to them, and we hope you enjoy listening to it as much as they clearly did recording it.

In the latest podcast, Ali talks to historian Dr Stephen Mullen about the inspiration behind his work, his seminal book It Wisnae Us: The Truth About Glasow and Slavery, the importance of last year’s Empire Café, and his plans for future research. We’ve been trying to get Stephen on for some time, and we hope you’ll agree it was worth the wait.

The latest podcast is one of two halves. In the first, Ali talks to writer Zoe Strachan, who is wearing her editor’s hat as she talks about all things ‘Out There’, the anthology of LGBT writing which was published late last year, and which Scots Whay Hae! reviewed on the 18/01/15. Zoe goes into the influences and inspirations behind the book’s conception, and talks about the process of bringing so many writers together. The second half is made up of some terrific readings from ‘Out There’, which were recorded at the launch of LGBT history month at the Tron Theatre. Put the two together, and you have a podcast which informs as well as entertains, which is what we ideally aim for in these recordings.

It’s time for the best of 2014 podcast, and it is a whopper, coming in around 1hr 40mins long. With that in mind we’ve split into three more manageable sections with the usual SWH! guitar sting to signal a break. The reason for this length? Well, Ian, Chris and Ali hadn’t been together for a while, and had a lot of films, music and books to talk about. Add in the yearly Falkirk missive from Ronnie Young to kick things off, and what you end up with is a fairly comprehensive round up of the best things from 2014.

Scots Whay Hae! made the trip to Summerhall in Edinburgh to talk to writer, poet, playwright and polymath, Ron Butlin about his life and work. The result is just under an hour of informative and entertaining chat that is a must listen for anyone interested in writing. Of course, we would say that, but it doesn’t make it any less true. If you have never listened to a Scots Whay Hae! podcast before then we suggest this is the perfect place to start.

Back in the early summer Ali went to talk to Alasdair Gray about his love of reading and the importance of being carefully taught from an early age. The conversation formed the basis of an article for the NLS magazine, Discovery, and you can read the longer version at Scots Whay Hae! now. Ian couldn't be there to record, so apologies if the sound is a little erratic.

My guest is Ryan Shirey, Director of the Writing Center and Assistant Teaching Professor in the Writing Program at Wake Forest University as well as a scholar of Scottish literature. He has written and presented on a number of topics related to Scottish literature, most recently contributing a chapter on John Buchan’s use of dialect Scots in his poetry for the edited collection: /John Buchan and the Idea of Modernity/. He has another chapter forthcoming for the Association for Scottish Literary Studies companion to the work of Scottish novelist Lewis Grassic Gibbon. He offers his thoughts on the upcoming referendum for Scottish independence that will take place on Thursday, September 18th. The Scottish Referendum Bill was passed by the Scottish Parliament in November 2013, following an agreement between the Scottish and the United Kingdom governments. Voters can answer only Yes or No to the question “Should Scotland be an independent country?” The independence proposal requires a simple majority to pass, and all residents in Scotland over the age of 16 can vote. During our conversation, Dr. Shirey discusses the complex history of the relationship between Scotland and England. He particularly illustrates the interesting perspective that Scottish literature provides for examining the possibility of Scottish independence, with a particular focus on how Scottish writers represent issues of nationalism and of Scottish political and cultural identity in their fiction and poetry.

In the latest podcast, Ian and Ali are joined by journalist Peter Ross to talk abut his life as a writer, and the publication of his collection of articles Daunderlust: Dispatches From Unreported Scotland.

SWH-2 #17: Glasgow Women's Library

The latest podcast is one we've been promising for some time... Billy Letford

The Bottle Imp by Robert Louis Stevenson is read by Louise Welsh

The latest podcast is a bit of cross promotion as it is a Robert Louis Stevenson special which has Ali talking to Louise Welsh and Ronnie Young about the great man...

Thrawn Janet by Robert Louis Stevenson is read by Alan Bissett

The Tale of Tod Lapraik by Robert Louis Stevenson is read by James Robertson

The latest Podcast saw the editors of three of Scotland's finest literary magazines climb the Scots Whay Hae! stairs...

Yesterday, for episode 21 of the Scottish Independence Podcast I spoke with Scottish writer Alan Bissett.Alan is the author of numerous books and plays but made an entrance onto the political scene, and in particular the debate surrounding the Independence Referendum, with the publication of his poem Vote Britain, which almost immediately went viral.Since then he has been speaking at many campaign events as well as writing for websites such as Bella Caledonia and National Collective.In our conversation we mulled over why Alan supports Indy, how Vote Britain was written and the reaction to it and about the difficulties that expressing things in a way that might be considered too Scottish might bring for a writer or artist. This neatly led us on to the manufactured hullaballoo regarding Alasdair Gray's comments on the lack of Scots leading Scottish cultural institution and some ideas on James Kelman too.Furthermore, we talked about Alan entering into some debates on the subject of feminism and how this can be tricky territory for those born with a y chromosome.Finally, we talked about what Alan has coming up at the Edinburgh festival in the summer.Hope you enjoy…LINKShttp://alanbissett.com/http://michaelgreenwell.wordpress.comhttps://twitter.com/mgreenwellhttps://twitter.com/alanbissett

This is the fourth lecture of my Scottish Literature course, covering James Hogg and Sir Walter Scott. Stories discussed include Hogg's "The Cameronian Preacher's Tale" and Scott's "The Two Drovers." Find links to full texts of these stories on the Scot Lit 101 website.

This is the third lecture of my Scottish Literature course, covering Robert Burns and religion, the success and aftermath of the Kilmarnock edition, and Burns in Edinburgh. Poems discussed include Holy Willie's Prayer, Tam O' Shanter, and others.

This is the first lecture of my Scottish Literature course, covering the 1707 Treat of Union, Allan Ramsay, and Robert Fergusson.

This is the fifth lecture of my Scottish Literature course, covering Sir Walter Scott and his contemporaries. Stories discussed include Scott's "Wandering Willie's Tale" and Thomas Gillespie's "Fair Maid of Cellardykes." Find links to full texts of these stories on the Scot Lit 101 website.