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My Thoughts As An Expat Back In Scotland This Week.
When the date for the Scottish Independence referendum was announced last year, I knew I had to be back in Scotland for the vote. I expected it to be an important constitutional moment. What I didn’t expect was to be moved to tears by the mood of confidence and optimism of the Scottish people.
Pete Reid
September 17, 2014
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Scottish Independence – Why Matthew Young is Voting YES
Preface by Pete Reid: Matthew is the owner of Song, By Toad Records and author of the Song, By Toad blog. He is also a good friend and I respect his opinion on most subjects, even music. Here, he writes a long, detailed, and sweary explanation of his voting intentions for Thursday.
Matthew Young
September 14, 2014
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Indelible Ink: Christopher Brookmyre’s ‘Quite Ugly One Morning’
We have said before in these columns that the early to mid-nineties in Scotland was one which was politically bleak, no matter what your persuasion was. The victory of the John Major led Conservatives in 1992’s UK election saw Labour victorious in Scotland, and with no power in the rest of the UK, the promised […]
Alistair Braidwood
August 18, 2014
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Indelible Ink: Matthew Fitt’s ‘But n Ben A-Go-Go’
In the last couple of years there was a lot of debate about which Scottish books and writers should be taught in Scottish schools as part of the set texts for the Higher English exam. If I had had a vote, Matthew Fitt’s ‘But n Ben A-Go-Go’ would’ve been in my top three choices for […]
Alistair Braidwood
July 10, 2014
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On How A German World Cup Win Could Lead To Scottish Independence
When I worked at the Scottish Parliament about 14 years ago, I had a fanciful conversation with a senior MSP about what effect a Scottish World Cup win would have on a vote for independence. My feeling was that if it happened on the eve of a referendum, the feel-good factor of such an, admittedly […]
Pete Reid
July 6, 2014
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Indelible Ink: Frank Kuppner’s ‘A Very Quiet Street’
The history of Polygon Books is one of the most interesting in Scottish publishing. From its beginnings as an arm of Edinburgh University Press it quickly became known as a home for experimental and challenging writing, something it still does better than most to this day. Frank Kuppner’s 1989 novel, ‘A Very Quiet Street’ is […]
Alistair Braidwood
June 9, 2014
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Indelible Ink: Andrew Greig’s ‘Fair Helen’
The historical novel often gets a bad press, especially in Scotland where Sir Walter Scott has cast a long, and unfairly prejudicial, shadow. As if to prove my point, this month’s novel, ‘Fair Helen’ by Andrew Greig, is inspired by the Border ballad, ‘Fair Helen of Kirkconnel Lea’, which was published by Scott in Volume […]
Alistair Braidwood
May 6, 2014
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Indelible Ink: Michel Faber’s ‘Under The Skin’
One of most eagerly anticipated film of recent years, at least round these parts, was Jonathan Glazer’s ‘Under The Skin’, much of which was shot on the streets of Glasgow, with an (almost) unrecognisable Scarlett Johansson in the lead role. You can read my review of the film over at Scots Whay Hae!, but news […]
Alistair Braidwood
April 9, 2014
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Indelible Ink: Margaret Elphinstone’s ‘Hy Brasil’
Could a small nation, with a history of being part of a larger whole, become independent with its own version of the pound and its own parliament, no army, but under the protection of NATO due to its strategic position? Could it not only survive, but thrive? It’s an intriguing question, and anyone interested in […]
Alistair Braidwood
March 6, 2014
