Scots Whay Hae!

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast we welcome back writer Peter Ross to talk to Ali about his latest book Upon A White Horse: Journeys in Ancient Britain and Ireland - published by Headline - and which is the last in the 'fox trilogy' (and to find out what that refers to, you'll have to listen in). Peter gives an overview of the book, and how it fits alongside previous publications...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to crime writer Marion Todd to learn all about Dead Man's Shoes , the latest in the DI Clare Mackay series of thrillers. Marion talks about the challenges and advantages in writing a long-running series ( Dead Man's Shoes is the ninth entry) before giving a spoiler-free breakdown of the novel, explains what comes first - plot or people - and...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali caught up with Donald Smith, the director and founder of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, to hear all about this year's programme, which features over 120 events and which will take place in Edinburgh and all across Scotland from 22nd October - 1st November. Donald breaks down the title Lights Of The North and how that relates to the...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to writer Foday Mannah to hear all about his award-winning debut novel The Search for Othella Savage , which is published by Quercus Books, and which was shortlisted for this year's Bloody Scotland Debut Prize. Foday gives a brief synopsis of the novel, speaks about the real-life incident which inspired him to write it, and why it was important...

For the latest podcast Ali spoke to Scottish-Norwegian filmmaker Iain Forbes to hear all about his award-winning, and Oscar-qualified, short film After Dark . Iain talks about his Scottish roots, gives a brief summary of the film, the critical reception, how and where it was shot, the casting of his two leads, and the personal nature of the story. The two also discuss the themes which underpin eve...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to returning guest Graeme Macrae Burnet about his latest book Benbecula , which is the new entry in Polygon Books' Darkland Tales series of novellas which have quickly become essential reading. Graeme tells us how he came to write his Darkland Tale, why it was this story, the brutal true crime which is at its heart (and it is true, no matter wha...

The latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast is our latest collaboration with Bloody Scotland - Scotland's International Crime Writing Festival - where Ali spoke to the five shortlisted authors for this year's McIlvanney Prize which is awarded for the best Scottish crime book of the year. They include Tariq Ashkanani ( The Midnight King ), Liam McIlvanney ( The Good Father ), Callum McSorley ( Paper...

For the latest, and last, of this year's Scots Whay Hae! Fringe Preview podcasts Ali spoke to musician and storyteller Kirsty Law about her show Scotland Unsung , which is going to be at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on the Royal Mile from the 20th-24th August. Kirsty talks about the structure of the show, why she picked the songs she has, the happy accident of having an Edinburgh focus, th...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to writer and musician Andy Bollen about his latest book Definitely Maybe: The Birth, Death and Resurrection of Oasis , a timely publication - out now with Polygon Books. Although this book is ostensibly about the band, it's actually part-memoir concerning Andy's life in and around music, as well as an overview of British, and particularly S...

The latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast is the third of our Edinburgh Fringe Festival Previews, where Ali talks to a few of the artists who will be appearing at the Fringe this year. First of all actor, writer and theatre maker James Clements' tells us all about The Burns Project where we are promised "An immersive theatrical Burns experience like no other.". Without any spoilers, James t...

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 Fringe this year. First of all writer/director Aoife Parr and composer and sound designer Tom Baines talked about their show Anatomy of Pain which is "An unflinching look at the NHS through the eyes of a young person’s struggle with a...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! Podcast Ali spoke to music journalist, critic (and tour guide) Fiona Shepherd to talk about Glasgow's Greatest Hits: Tales From The City Of Music which is published by Polygon Books. Fiona co-authored the book with Alison Stroak and Jonathan Trew with whom she also founded Glasgow Music City Tours. Fiona talks about Glasgow's reputation and status as a City o...

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 David Goodman - A Reluctant Spy , Natalie Jayne Clark - The Malt Whisky Murders , Foday Mannah - The Search for Othella Savage , Claire Wilson - Five By Five , and Richard Strachan - The Un...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali caught up with writer and academic Liam McIlvanney to talk about his superb new novel The Good Father , which is published with Zaffre (and which is rightly longlisted for this year's Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Prize). It's a novel which is difficult to discuss without offering spoilers, but they just about manage it. After giving a brief descript...

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. The three shows discussed this time around are all part of the Made In Scotland Showcase, which has come to be a reliable mark of quality. First of all, Christine Thynne and Robbie Synge talk about These Mechanisms , &qu...

For the latest podcast Ali spoke to writer Andrew Meehan to hear all about his latest novel Best Friends , which is published by Muswell Press. Andrew gave a brief synopsis before talking about where the initial idea came from, creating relatable and believable central characters in June Wylie and Ray Draper, the importance of coming to care for them and their relationship, why he wanted to avoid...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman who write together as Ambrose Parry to hear all about The Death of Shame - the fifth novel in the Raven and Fisher series - and much more. They talk about how they initially came to collaborate, something which brought together two distinct parts of their life; namely Chris's crime writing and Marisa's...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to Natalie Jayne Clark to hear all about her debut novel, The Malt Whisky Murders which is published on the Polygon imprint of Birlinn. Natalie gives a reading from the book, before talking about the initial idea behind the novel, pitching that idea at Bloody Scotland, getting published, developing the central characters, creating a supporting cast,...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to poet Gordon Meade to hear all about this new collection of selected poems Beyond The Ninth Wave , which is published with the Into Poetry imprint of Into Books. Gordon gives a career overview, going back to his early interactions with poetry, his first experience of being published, and the extraordinary story which lead to his writing seriously...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to comic book artist and writer Emily Brooks Millar to hear all about her new illustrated book Birddad. which is being funded through a Kickstarter campaign. The first comic book artist to appear on the SWH! podcast (we think!), Emily talks about how she came to work in the medium, the importance of the support and encouragement from those around he...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to writer and poet Michael Pedersen, in the splendid surroundings of Glasgow's Mitchell Library, to talk about his debut novel Muckle Flugga , which is published with Faber & Faber. Michael describes the place and people of Muckle Flugga before talking about why this is the story he has told for his debut, explaining that the time was just r...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to filmmaker Ciaran Lyons to hear all about his debut feature Tummy Monster , which is playing across UK cinemas in May. Ciaran talks about the audience reaction to the recent screening at the Glasgow Film Theatre, before describing the film, detailing why this story became his debut, the practicalities faced, expanding on the themes and ideas which...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali caught up with writer Callum McSorley to talk about his new novel Paperboy , which is the sequel to his McIlvanney Prize winning debut Squeaky Clean , both published with Pushkin Vertigo. Callum explains the premise of Squeaky Clean to give listeners an idea of his original vision, before explaining the ways Paperboy builds on that celebrated novel and hi...

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to double bassist and returning guest Roberto Cassani to hear all about the album Pictish Spaghetti which he has made with guitarist Graeme Stephen, and which is out now on Brooklyn label 577 Records. Roberto talks about collaborating with Graeme and how that came about, the dynamic of the double bass and guitar, their recording process, the joys of...

For the latest podcast Ali spoke to writer and musician Carrie Marshall to talk about her latest book Small Town Joy, which is published by 404 Ink. A widely-published writer, including the critically-acclaimed memoir Carrie Kills A Man, Carrie is also a musician with indie rock band Unquiet Mind, and Small Town Joy is an inquiry into the ways LGBTQ+ artists have shaped Scotland’s musical soundtra...