Waverley Care Bucket Shake
Just to say a big thank you to everyone who came along to hear me and Chris Townsend at the Portobello Book Festival in Edinburgh on Saturday 5th October. The bucket shake after the event raised almost £100 for Waverley Care, Scotland’s leading charity supporting people living with HIV and Hepatitis C.
Caleb’s List Shortlisted for Saltire Society First Book of the Year Award
Winding up this year’s Wigtown Book Festival on Sunday 6th October 2013 was The Saltire Society Event where critic for The Herald Lesley McDowell, leading literary agent Jenny Brown and Professor of Publishing Studies at the University of Stirling Claire Squires led a wide ranging discussion about the health of Scotland’s literary talent pool. Who will follow the generation of Ali Smith and Ian Rankin? The panel also discussed a diverse range of issues around Scottish writing and publishing including why crime rather than romantic comedy is predominant in Scottish fiction, the decline of the literary review in newspapers and the impossibility of getting London based publishers interested in publishing books about the Scottish Independence Referendum.
During the event which was called In Search of Scotland’s New Generation of Writers the shortlist for the Saltire Society’s Scottish First Book of the Year was announced. There are five books on the shortlist including I’m delighted to say Caleb’s List.
Speaking during the event at the Wigtown Book Festival leading literary agent and founder Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival Jenny Brown described Caleb’s List as ‘…a remarkable piece of publishing by a small independent Scottish publisher.’
The Saltire Society’s Scottish First Book of the Year Shortlist in full:
The Necessary Death of Lewis Winter by Malcolm MacKay
As Far As I Can See by Eunice Buchanan
Nothing is Heavy by Vicky Jarrett
Caleb’s List by Kellan MacInnes
Air Cuan Dubh Drilseach by Tim Armstrong.
Previous winners of Scottish First Book of the Year Award include Jackie Kay, Michel Faber, Louise Welsh and Ali Smith.
Portobello Book Festival
Come along and join me and wilderness writer Chris Townsend at this year’s Portobello Book Festival.
Saturday 5th October
3-4.30pm
Portobello Old Parish Church Hall, Old Parish Church, Bellfield Street, Edinburgh, EH15 2BP
Edinburgh Book Fringe
Come along and hear me talking about Caleb’s List, the process of writing and the experience of becoming a first time published author at the Edinburgh Book Fringe part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
This Friday 23rd August at 1pm.
Free/Unticketed
Fringe Venue 154:
Word Power Bookshop
43-45 West Nicolson Street
Edinburgh
Scotland
EH8 9DB
http://www.word-power.co.uk/viewEvent.php?id=3053
https://www.edfringe.com/whats-on/events/edinburgh-book-fringe
Borders Walking Festival 2013
Book now to come along and hear me talk about Caleb the mountaineer at this year’s Borders Walking Festival.
Monday 2nd September
7.30-9pm
Vale Club, Innerleithen.
Tickets £2
Portobello Book Festival
Come along and join me and wilderness writer Chris Townsend at this year’s Portobello Book Festival.
Saturday 5th October.
Time and venue TBC.
http://portobellobookfestival.blogspot.co.uk/
TGO Magazine reviews Caleb’s List
The July issue of TGO The Great Outdoors magazine includes a review of Caleb’s List which it describes as “…a deep and triumphant authorial debut.”
Ten Years of Right to Roam
Read my opinion piece for Walk magazine on ten years of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.
Click here to read the article.
Mountains visible from Arthur’s Seat
There’s been a wee bit of chatter on the web about the mountains you can see from Arthur’s Seat. This blogger takes a high tech approach to spotting The Arthurs…
Click here to read to read his post.
Edinburgh International Book Festival 2013
I’m really pleased to be able to tell you I’ll be appearing at this year’s Edinburgh International Book Festival which runs from 10-26 August in Charlotte Square Gardens in Edinburgh.
My event is on Saturday 17th August at 11am.
I’ll be talking about writing Caleb’s List, speaking candidly about living with HIV for 25 years and what it was like climbing the Scottish mountains visible from Arthur’s Seat as well as saying a bit about the new book I’m currently working on.
Booking for the festival opens on 28th June. Events tend to sell out quickly so it’s best to book well in advance.
Click here to go to the Edinburgh International Book Festival website
