Scots Whay Hae!

For our latest roundup of 2022 we look at the year in music, with Ali joined once again by musician, podcaster, radio presenter, and righteous supporter of Scottish music, Fiona Liddell. They each pick 10 tracks to discuss which have left their mark in the last 12 months. 

For the last in our Best Books of 2022 podcasts, Ali caught up with poet, writer, singer/songwriter, and previous podcast guest, Marcas Mac an Tuairneir, to learn about his Gaelic books of the year and other aspects of Gaelic writing over the last 12 months.

This is the second of our Best Books of 2022 podcasts. For both, Ali is once again joined by Publishing Scotland's Vikki Reilly, and in this podcast the two talk crime fiction, poetry, memoirs and other non-fiction, publishing, and what we can look forward to in 2023. And you can catch up with our Best Books of 2022 - Part I podcast over at scotswhayhae.com . Always a SWH! highlight of the year, w...

As is traditional, the first of our Best of 2022 podcasts are all about books, and there were so many books and book-related  things to talk about that we have split the podcast into two parts. For both, Ali is once again joined by Publishing Scotland's Vikki Reilly, and in this podcast the two talk fiction, some of the themes and trends of the year, the notable debuts, the return of some wee...

The latest SWH! podcast is our contribution to Scottish Podcast Collaboration Week which will run from the 5th - 11th December. This podcast works as a preview as to what to expect, as Ali speaks to 4 of the podcasts involved - Dawn from 'Scottish Murders' (and the driving force behind the collaboration), Nicky & Greg from The Culture Swally, Suzanne from Adventures in Scotland, and Satsu from...

For the latest SWH! podcast Ali spoke to returning guest, the poet, performer and playwright Leyla Josephine, to talk about her new poetry collection In Public / In Private which is published by Burning Eye Books. Leyla kindly reads some of her work, and talks about becoming a published poet, the ideas and themes that are behind the poems, the line between the public and the private, getting that...

For the latest SWH! podcast Ali spoke to musician Douglas MacIntyre, filmmaker Grant McPhee, and journalist Neil Cooper to learn all about their new book 'Hungry Beat - The Scottish Independent Pop Underground Movement (1977-1984)'.  It's seems a shame to have the three on the same podcast as each deserves an individual interview to themselves (and that may come to pass in the future.) Dougla...

For the latest SWH! podcast Ali caught up with musician Debbie Armour to talk all things Burd Ellen, and their new album 'A Tarot of the Green Wood', which is out on the 31st October on Debbie's own label, Mavis Recordings. Debbie talks about the history of Burd Ellen, working with Gayle Brogan, how the new album came about, the inspiration of tarot cards, blending the traditional with the contemp...

For the latest podcast Ali spoke to writer and poet Dilys Rose to talk about her latest short story collection, the excellent 'Sea Fret' (published by Scotland Street Press). Dilys is one of Scotland's finest writers and it was such a pleasure to be able to talk about her work, the short story as a form, the stories behind the stories, teaching writing, the drama found in the everyday, the differe...

For the latest SWH! podcast Ali spoke to Lyth Arts Centre's Marketing Director Calvin Wilson & author Gail Anthea Brown to learn all about The Northern Stories Festival, which is on between 7th - 16th October across Caithness. The two talk about the themes and ideas behind the festival, the extensive programme, the different strands, just a few of the highlights, and a whole lot more. They als...

For the latest podcast Ali headed to Glasgow's Hidden Gardens (behind the Tramway) on a beautiful morning to meet up with singer, photographer, filmmaker, and author Marianne Dissard, to talk about her life and work, and how she came to Glasgow. They discuss her recent exhibition of photography 'On A Good Day You Can See France', the extensive and varied musical side of her career, collaborating w...

For the latest SWH! podcast Ali spoke to writer N.E. Solomons about her debut thriller 'The Bone Road', which is published by Polygon Books. The two talk about why she wanted to write this book, how it changed into something very different from that initial conception, the challenges in writing in this specific genre, setting events in the Balkans, the creation of the two central characters and ho...

For the latest SWH! podcast Ali spoke to hip-hop artist, DJ, music producer, and journalist, Sanjeev Mann (also know as Supermann on da Beat) about all those parts of his life and more. Sanjeev talks about starting to make music during lockdown, collaborating with other artists, his experiences of working in the Scottish music industry and the hip-hop community, and the musicians he admires. He al...

The third of our collaborations with the Edinburgh International Book Festival is the Scottish Spoken Word Showcase Podcast - a companion to the live event of the same name. For it we interviewed six spoken word performers who tell us all about who they are, what they do, why they do it, and give us just a taste of their work. As well as those core conversations we also talk to the Director of the...

The latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast is the second of our collaborations with the Edinburgh International Book Festival. It is the Shaping Scotland's Stories: New Voices podcast, a companion to the live event of the same name. There are interviews with eight representatives from a variety of publishers who tell us all about who they are, what they do, the challenges and rewards of working with new l...

The latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast is the first of three collaborations with the Edinburgh International Book Festival for this year's Festival. Ahead of their own event - 'Celebrating Inclusion' (Thu 25 Aug 19:00 - 20:15) - Ali spoke to writers Ever Dundas and Julie Farrell to learn more about the event, and the 'Inklusion Guide', which they have created to help event organisers better understand...

The latest SWH! podcast is all about PITCH - Scotland's Conference of Hip Hop & Underground Culture - and Ali speaks to organisers Richy Muirhead and Alana Hepburn as well as MC Salum who will be performing on the day. Richy and Alana talk about how PITCH came together, who will be appearing, and give details about just what the full programme offers, and Salum looks forward to the day and wha...

For the latest SWH! podcast Ali spoke to writer D.D. Johnston to talk all about his novel 'Disnaeland', which he describes as "..a really happy story about the end of the world". D.D. talks about the inspirations behind it, how long he's been working on it, the timely nature of its publication, the influences on it, and dystopian fiction more generally. The two also discuss the themes and ideas in...

For the latest SWH! podcast Ali spoke to musicians Lou Mclean and MIRI about their commissions from, and collaborations with, POWA (Protection Of Women In The Arts) - the singles 'Good Girls' and 'Morality' respectively. The two talk about their lives in music, working with POWA and the support (practical and otherwise) which they offer, the joys of collaboration, the importance of sharing stories...

For the latest SWH! podcast Ali headed through to Edinburgh to visit the legendary Pianodrome, and talk to directors Tim Vincent-Smith & Matthew Wright in their new home of the Old Royal High on Calton Hill. It's a stunning venue which is the perfect space and place for Pianodrome, and Tim and Matt tell us of its history and how it works, the practicalities of building it, the ethos behind wha...

For the latest podcast Ali spoke to playwright, fantasy writer, and poet Chris Tait, and playwright, director, and producer Lisa Nicoll, about the audio drama podcast 'A Toon Built Apo Shenanigans', and a whole lot more. The three discuss Chris's life and work as a writer, the central themes of inclusivity and awareness, looking at perceived disability with positivity, the collaborative nature of...

The latest SWH! podcast is all about the forthcoming Village Storytelling Festival (5 – 10 July), with Ali talking to Creative Producer Emma Collins, as well as participants and performers Raymond Wilson, Daiva Ivanuskaite, and Shona Cowie. Returning for the first time since 2017, The Village Storytelling Festival will explore Connection and Transformation – Storytelling in a Precarious World and...

For the latest SWH! podcast Ali spoke to writer Denzil Meyrick to talk about the publication of 'The Death of Remembrance', the 10th in the DCI Daley series of crime novels, as well as the one-off thriller 'Terms of Restitution', and the very different 'Tales of Kinloch' novellas. Denzil gives us background to DCI Daley and how this series began and has progressed, the importance of the location o...

For the latest SWH! podcast Ali caught up with award-winning poet, writer, and singer/songwriter Marcas Mac an Tuairneir to talk about his latest collection of poetry 'Polaris' (Leamington Books). We've been hoping to have Marcas as a guest on the podcast for a long time, so it was great to be able to speak to him about his life and work. Marcas talked not only about the themes and ideas behind 'P...

For the latest SWH! podcast, Ali speaks to writer and journalist Nick Holdstock to talk about his latest novel 'Quarantine' (published by Swift Press), which is set ten years after a deadly pandemic has swept the globe, in a world which is still learning to adapt. The two discuss the style and structure of 'Quarantine', writing distinct narrative voices, the initial response to the novel, the impo...