Scots Whay Hae!

The latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast is the second of our Edinburgh Fringe Festival Previews, where Ali talks to a few of the artists who will be appearing at the festival this year. First of all, I spoke to writer and performer Kara Wilson about her one-woman show Helen Bradley: Painter and Storyteller . “This is the sixth painter play that Kara Wilson has written, where she portrays the artist at...

The latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast is the first of our Edinburgh Fringe Festival Previews, where Ali talks to a few of the artists who will be appearing at the festival this year. First of all, Ed Gamester talks about Mythos Ragnarök, where you can “join Loki, Thor and the Norse Gods in this five-star groundbreaking blend of mythological storytelling and high-octane wrestling.” Then Sadiq Ali take...

For the first of our Bloody Scotland podcasts - Scotland’s International Crime Writing Festival - Ali spoke to the five shortlisted authors for this year’s Scottish Crime Debut of the Year. They include May Rinaldi - Liar Thief , Zoë Rankin - The Vanishing Place , Linda Duncan McLaughlin - Original Sins , Frances Crawford - A Bad, Bad Place , and Kirsty Lockwood - We Know What You Did . They each...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to returning guest, music journalist and writer Graeme Thomson to talk about his new book In Another World: The Four Seasons Of Talk Talk which is out now, published with New Modern . Graeme explains why he wanted to write about Talk Talk, the structure of the book, why he focuses on four featured albums, and what they mean to him, and the challenge...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast we spoke to John Crosbie , the son of one of Ali’s favourite writers, Agnes Owens whose centenary is being marked in a number of ways, including a handsome set of new editions of her work . Four are available now (see below) with another three coming later in the year - all published on the Polygon Books imprint of Birlinn . John starts by talking about Agnes...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to writer Colin Burnett to talk about his new novel Family Man , which is also The Third Book of Aldo , and it’s published with Tippermuir Books . Colin talks about all things Aldo, including the first two books A Working Class State of Mind and Who’s Aldo? , before telling us where the man finds himself at the beginning of this book, and gives an o...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to writer Martin MacIntyre to talk about his novel A Summer Like No Other which is published by Luath Press . Martin begins with a reading before he gives an overview to the novel, which is a translation from the original Gaelic version, Samhradh ‘78. The two then discuss the central characters, the key role the Gaelic language plays in terms of cha...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali caught up with previous guest, writer Andrew Meehan to talk about his new novel Hey Man , which is published with Muswell Press. Andrew gives the first of two readings before he gives an overview of the book, why he is drawn to the theme of friendship in all its forms, gives a brief outline of his central characters Ian and Tommy, and explains the novel’s...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to Zoe Alba Farrugia, who is the Head of Programme for this year’s Solas Festival , which is at Errol Park, 19th–21st June . Zoe gives some background and history to the festival, stressing that it is so much more than a music festival. She then talks about the different strands , which include Wellbeing & Spirituality , Literature, Poetry &...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to Professor Murray Pittock to talk about his latest book The Shortest History of Scotland , which is published with Old Street Publishing Ltd. “From Columba to The Corries, the Picts to Paisley, Doggerland to Devolution – here is the unmissable story of Scotland.” Murray tells us how he came to write this book, the challenges in deciding what to in...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali caught up with writer Chris Brookmyre to talk about Quite Ugly One Evening , the latest Jack Parlabane mystery which is published 30 years after his celebrated debut Quite Ugly One Morning , a novel which introduced us to both the writer and his notable creation. Chris talks about his fondness for Parlabane, why he keeps returning to him, and how Jack has...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to musician and composer Kenny Inglis . Kenny was a recent artist of the week on the Scots Whay Hae! Show (which is on CamGlen Radio every Sunday between 7-9pm, and available to catch up with after that ) but we thought he had so much more to say, and that this was the place to say it. Kenny spoke about his unusual road into making music, working in...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! Podcast Ali spoke once again to Ann Campbell who is the Festival Director of the Dunoon Film Festival which this year runs between 8th - 10th May, and has the themes of ‘Film, Food & Fun’. Ann talks about those themes and how the programme relates to them before the two go through just some of the highlights of this year’s festival, which include The Orkney Dive...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to writer Frances Crawford to talk all about her debut novel A Bad, Bad Place , which is published on the Bantam imprint of Penguin Books . Frances gives a brief description of the book (avoiding spoilers), before talking about why this was the story for her first novel, and the long and winding road to publication. The two then discuss the two cent...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke once again to Jess Orr, the Associate Programmer for the Paisley Book Festival, to learn all about this year's programme - and what a programme it is! Jess explains this year's theme 'Everyday Heroes, Everlasting Icons' as well as breaking down the various strands of the festival which include Reclaiming History's Heroines and Wh...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast, Ali spoke to writer and broadcaster Billy Kay to hear about his memoir Born In Kyle: A Love Letter tae an Ayrshire Childhood , but the conversation turns to so much more. Billy talks about his lifelong passion for Scots language and culture, and explains that the roots of this are to be found in that Ayrshire childhood, which he sets out in detail. The two t...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to writer Luca Serra to talk all about his new novel This Is Home , which is published with Leamington Books . This Is Home is Luca’s debut novel in English, and he talked about the experiences, people and places which inspired it before the two discuss the four central characters and their roles - and that of a sauce-encrusted, sink-bound, pot! Muc...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali caught up with writer and filmmaker Grant McPhee to talk about his latest book Caledonia Screaming: Year Zero Vol 1 - Scottish Punk 1976 - 1977 which is published with Into Books . Grant has been a previous guest when he talked about the books Hungry Beat: The Scottish Independent Pop Underground Movement (1977-1984) and Postcards from Scotland: Scottish...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali headed to Stirling to talk to writer Donald S. Murray about his new novel The Loch Of The Bees , which is published with Saraband Books . The two met at the lauded venue the Tolbooth as Donald is a member of the Metagama Ensemble who are behind Metagama: An Atlantic Odyssey , a piece of theatre which mixes music, song, and spoken word, and which was playi...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali caught up with returning guest (one of our first, no less) writer Doug Johnstone to look back over 20 years as a published author in the run up to his 20th novel coming out in August of this year, as well as the new versions of his first two novels, all three to be published with Orenda Books. They went through the novels to date in order, from 2006's...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to musician, and journalist, Callum Baird to talk all about his band Elgin & The Marbles, and the debut album The Sun Never Sets , which is out now with Last Night From Glasgow. Callum explained the reasons behind the name Elgin & The Marbles, the striking album cover, and how both link to the overall concept. The two then discuss the themes...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to writer and journalist Penny Kiley about her new book Atypical Girl: Punk Rock, Liverpool, and Trying to be Normal which is published by Polygon Books. Penny talks about why now for this book, her formative years in Liverpool, being in the right place and the right time, the local music scene in the late-'70s and into the 1980s, the importance...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to writer Alison Irvine to talk about her fascinating and insightful new book about Glasgow's famous Barrowland Ballroom. To give its full title, the book is called Barrowland: The Inside Story of Glasgow’s Beloved Ballroom and it's published by Luath Press. Alison explains that the book's origins are in a previous publication, and the i...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to screenwriter, playwright, actor, and now novelist, Linda Duncan McLaughlin to talk about her debut novel Original Sins , which is published by Into Books . There was so much to talk to Linda about, but the conversation begins with her describing Original Sins, a novel not easily categorised, and the two then manage to discuss the novel without gi...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to Lesley Davidson, who is the co-director of the Beacon Arts Centre , to talk about the inaugural Beacon Book Festival which runs from Friday 20th - Sunday 22nd February. Lesley tells us why now is the right time for the Beacon Arts Centre to host a book festival, and what the challenges were in programming, before talking about that programme - wh...