-
Indelible Ink: Nina de la Mer’s ‘4a.m.’
In previous columns, mention has been made of the Chemical Generation of writers, whose members included Irvine Welsh, Alan Warner, Gordon Legge, Laura Hird and Paul Reekie among others. They were a group who appeared in the mid 90s and who were collectively thought of as writers who reflected the thoughts, hopes and dreams (and […]
Alistair Braidwood
October 1, 2012
-
Scotland on Tour with Vic Galloway – The Unwinding Hours in Metz
Vic has more on The Unwinding Hours this month who are currently blazing a trail through Europe. Tonight they’re in Switzerland, tomorrow they will be in Metz and they have just announced a last minute show in London on Friday. Full details of all Scottish gigs abroad on the Scotland on Tour page.
Vic Galloway
September 12, 2012
-
Indelible Ink: Ajay Close’s ‘Forspoken’
One of the best things about writing this column is that it has given me the excuse to revisit books from my past, and it’s always interesting to see how they’ve aged. In the late 90s I picked up a copy of Ajay Close’s ‘Forspoken’ for the simple reason that she was one of the […]
Alistair Braidwood
September 3, 2012
-
Scotland on Tour with Vic Galloway – Admiral Fallow in Zurich
Vic returns with his recommendation for the Scottish international gig of the month and it’s a cracker. Next Friday night Admiral Fallow will support Franz Ferdinand at the Winterthurer Musikfestwochen in Switzerland. Other Scottish bands on tour outside the UK right now include Django Django, Mogwai and Rod Stewart.
Vic Galloway
August 17, 2012
-
Indelible Ink: Andrew Raymond Drennan’s ‘The Immaculate Heart’
Recently there has been hot debate about the nature of the Booker Prize and if it has institutionalised class and national prejudice at its heart. I understand why writers view these things as important, but as James Kelman said in his speech following his win in 1994 for ‘How Late it Was, How Late’, he […]
Alistair Braidwood
August 6, 2012
-
Sporting Integrity
Integrity is defined in the dictionary as “the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.” There’s no dictionary definition for “sporting integrity,” though there’s been no end of talk about it recently in Scottish football. I thought I’d have a go at clarifying it for you in case you – like me – […]
Billy Williamson
July 10, 2012
-
Indelible Ink: Martin Millar’s ‘Lux the Poet’
As with love, defining what makes something cult is difficult, but you know it when you encounter it. In the late 1980s Scottish writing had been reinvigorated by Iain Banks, James Kelman and Alasdair Gray, amongst others, all of whom are great writers, but who are too high profile to be ‘cult’, and anyway, whether […]
Alistair Braidwood
July 3, 2012
-
Credit Where It’s Due: The Rangers Fiasco Awards
With the failure of Rangers FC plc’s Company Voluntary Arrangement and the liquidation of the club to follow, the Rangers debacle is finally coming to a resolution. Fittingly for a situation involving so much unpaid debt, there are few who emerge from the episode with much credit. But it’s the trophy end of the season, […]
Billy Williamson
June 14, 2012
-
Indelible Ink: Ewan Morrison’s ‘Swung’
I’d love to say such things are deliberate, but as Indelible Ink is planned five months in advance it is pure coincidence that I’m looking at a Ewan Morrison novel just as his latest book ‘Tales from the Mall’ is published to great acclaim (and you can read my review of that at Scots Whay […]
Alistair Braidwood
June 4, 2012