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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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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
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Indelible Ink: Kirsty Gunn’s ‘The Big Music’
I first came across the term ‘The Big Music’ with reference to The Waterboys in the early 1980s. It was the name of a track on their 1984 album, ‘A Pagan Place’ and I think it was Mike Scott, in an interview from that time, who explained this was what the band aimed to make; […]
Alistair Braidwood
February 4, 2014
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Writing Competition, 1st Place – ‘Promenade’ by James Carson
‘Promenade’ is a wonderful journey through Glasgow, and by extension, Scotland, moving from the past to the present, a voyage of discovery as our guide sees the city as if with new eyes, wondering at the sites he sees and the people he meets. Same as it ever was, yet always changing.
Alistair Braidwood
January 7, 2014
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Writing Competition, 2nd Place – ‘Homesickness’ by Katriona Kerr
Emotion, both positive and negative, drives ‘Homesickness’. It’s a fantastic depiction of the love/hate relationship which many of our entrants expressed, but none did it with such fervour and poetry as Katriona managed.
Alistair Braidwood
January 7, 2014
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Writing Competition, 3rd Place – ‘Snowglobes’ by Max Scratchman
Max’s ‘Snowglobes’ is a wonderful summary of a nation, outlining how the landscape and the people unite to provoke the strongest of emotions, and taking a fresh look at Scotland’s ‘stereotypes’, embracing them instead of rejecting them.
Alistair Braidwood
January 7, 2014