Search results for ""Luath Press Ltd""

Through the poet’s ‘small and continuing dialogues’, Transitory explores the ongoing state of change that we all inhabit. These intimate, elegant poems expose the impact of ourselves on the world, and the world on ourselves, touching on issues of identity, belonging and otherness with honesty and tenderness.From the Saltire Award shortlisted author of Language of My Choosing.

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‘There is an old Scottish saying: Some are born cool, some achieve coolness, and some have coolness thrust upon them. At least I think it’s Scottish. It doesn’t matter.’ What do Kenny Dalglish and Robert Louis Stevenson have in common? Or Annie Lennox and Mary Barbour? Or Joseph Knight and Sean Connery? They are but a few examples of the Scots that have shaped the cool nation we see today. In this whacky toon-fest of character sketches, Greg Moodie presents 42 key figures in Scotland’s rich and varied history. Spanning the living and the dead, the portraits range from potentially paranoid politicians and health-and-safety-loving Formula One drivers to Jacobite heroines and promiscuous poets. Basically, you get the best of the best. Accompanying each brief biography – peppered with quirky anecdotes, hilarious quips and mostly accurate facts – is a psychedelic portrait that blends past and present. Ever seen Muriel Sparks sport a studded choker or James Clerk Maxwell boast two sleeves of tattoos? You will now. For once including those cool Scottish women so often ignored in history books, Moodie presents his collection ‘in an order deliberately designed to jolt your little minds out of their preconceived ideas of time’. You’ll leap between modern day musicians and 18th century science writers at the turn of each delightfully glossy page. Lavishly illustrated throughout, Moodie celebrates Scotland’s achievements, revels in its victories and occasionally blends fact and fiction.

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If you could see the truth of the world, do you think it would change you? Angela Brown has discovered some old notebooks belonging to Sir David Brewster, the famous 19th century Scottish inventor of the kaleidoscope. She has used them to create a wondrous new scientific instrument, revealing some fundamental truths about the interconnectedness of the universe. But now others want it too, and Angela finds herself part of an epic story that starts in the Isle of Skye and finishes in the moons around Jupiter at the start of an exciting new chapter in humanity's history.

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Fifty-nine new poems from award-winning writer Angus Peter Campbell. These poignant and beautifully crafted poems were originally created while in residence in a thatched house in his native South Uist. They move across time and space like a radio dial between global stations, sometimes catching the indigenous, sometimes the marvellous and comic. Poems that celebrate the places and voices located somewhere between Luxembourg and Lyons.

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Following his first book, Another Bloody Saturday: A Journey to the Heart and Soul of Football, Mat Guy continues his exploration of the ‘beautiful game’ in Minnows United; an ode to the unsung heroes of football matches taking place out of the limelight, all over the world. From little known teams within the UK, to teams representing countries that, to most of the world, don’t even exist, Mat Guy travels to remote parts of the globe to experience football not only on the fringes of the pitch, but on the fringes of the world. On his travels, he watches matches in Iceland, interviews members of the Tibetan Women’s Football team, explores the impact of football in war-torn Palestine and explores the unsung heroes in the football clubs present throughout the length of the UK. What he finds is countries transcending the game itself and instead building communities, lifelines and friendship with football at the centre.

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The Wey Forrit is a political work written in Scots which examines the current British political climate, with a particular focus on how the inner workings of Westminster affect Scotland and her people. Arguing from a communitarian perspective, Stuart McHardy meticulously pulls apart the long-standing political ideas and traditions which many citizens of the United Kingdom have automatically accepted as correct or justified. He challenges his readers to re-think the consensus. Focusing on some of today's most highly discussed and potentially divisive topics - such as Brexit and Scottish Independence - McHardy lambasts the 'peelie-wallie politicians and lickspittle journalists' who protect the needs of the rich and sneer at those outside the realms of money and power. His views on the sovereignty of the Scottish Nation are also put forward, considering both the past and future implications of the way in which Britain came into being and the way in which it has been run for the three centuries since the Act of Union.

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Walter Stephen provides an uninhibited look at the misery and toil of World War I through a collection of twelve stories. Providing a Scottish perspective, he takes a look at reports from home and abroad with scepticism, delving deeper to unveil the unencumbered truth. Recalling Siegfried Sassoon’s words, Stephen reveals the failures of those in command as the Great War became known as A Dirty Swindle. The varied accounts chronicle the progress of troops from recruitment to training to the frontline, as well as revealing a side of Field Marshal Haig never seen before.

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Two extraordinary women come back to full-bodied life. Flora McIvor has been rescued from the pages of Sir Walter Scott, who sent her to a nunnery. Her close friend, the real life Clementina Walkinshaw, was the love of Bonnie Prince Charlie, and mother of his only child. Both are caught up in a tangle of espionage and treachery following the defeat of the 1745 Jacobite Rising in Scotland.The novel ranges over Europe, and finally to America, showing the international reach of Scotland’s culture and politics. Flora struggles through political failure and personal tragedy towards creative fulfilment in the arts of theatre, and a late discovery of love. In this drama, which combines storytelling with opera, she defies Scott who wrote her out of ‘Waverley’ as a woman without a future.

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Compiled from personal letters, interviews with Tom’s wife Rene and recorded interviews, this book captures the remarkable and largely unknown efforts by Tom Atkinson to help Indonesia gain independence from the Dutch and to become established as a new country, while also allowing for a glimpse into his personal life, his thoughts and his feelings.

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Did Scotland’s rough wind become something more after the referendum, as so many hoped it would, or did it blow itself out? What power can pessimism have in a nation of newfound self-confidence? A generation ago, the socialist poet Hamish Henderson forecast that ‘mair nor a roch wind’ - more than a rough wind - would rush through the great glen of the world as empires and nations collapsed. In Roch Winds, three young radicals pick through the rubble left in the wake of the storm that propelled the Scottish National Party into a position of unprecedented political dominance in Scotland. This darkly humorous book dissects the rise of the SNP and the fall of Labour during the months leading up to 2014 Independence Referendum and beyond. Drawing on their involvement in the Yes campaign for independence and the Labour Party, the authors cast their eyes to Scotland’s future and to radical horizons. Fluent, funny and full of fighting talk, this book is for everyone who has ever wondered what lies behind the tartan curtain of Scotland’s new establishment.

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‘It’s a wonderful institution and the training is amazing.’ SAM HEUGHAN ‘I can honestly say, no word of a lie, that the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland changed my life.’ JACKIE KAY For 175 years, a Glasgow institution has been teaching the performing arts to students who have become some of the world’s most distinguished artists. This celebratory history raises the curtain on the inner life of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Peek into the bustling backstage world of Scotland’s national conservatoire, feast your eyes on never-before-seen archival material and bask in dazzling production photography that captures the creative effervescence of its students. Ncuti Gatwa, Richard Madden, Karen Cargill, Alan Cumming, Maggie Kinloch and many other alumni take to the spotlight to share what the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland has meant to them. Raising the Curtain reveals the past, illuminates the present and invites you to look to the future of this world-class performing arts institution.

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Honey Get the Door! is a book of illustrated thoughts and pictures of Honey the wee sausage dog who Janey Godley ventriloquises for her fans across social media on a regular basis. In this book Honey tells us what she really thinks about her life as a dachshund, with Janey’s own thoughts, along with cute photographs and hilarious illustrations, interspersed throughout. This edition contains strong language and is not suitable for children.

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A cold sweat had spread over Mary as she listened. What she was hearing was sounding ever more like a premonition: adultery was nearly as bad as murder.Shetland, 1773: a land of hand-to-mouth living and tight community ties overshadowed by the ever-watchful eye of the kirk, an institution ‘run by auld men, for auld men’. In this fictionalised retelling of historical events, young Waas lass Mary Johnsdaughter stands accused of having sinned in the eyes of the church after the Batchelor, a ship bursting with emigrants seeking new lives in North Carolina, is left stranded upon Shetland’s shores.Will she survive the humiliation? Will she become an outcast? Will one moment cost her everything?A tale of Shetland folk knit out of Shetlandic voices and real parish records, The Trials of Mary Johnsdaughter pits the bonds of friends and family against the grip of the kirk. Only one thing is clear: then as now, ‘Hit’s no aesy livin in a peerie place.’

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Stanley Baxter delighted over 20 million viewers at a time with his television specials. His pantos became legendary. His divas and dames were so good they were beyond description. Baxter was a most brilliant cowboy Coward, a smouldering Dietrich. He found immense laughs as Formby and Liberace. And his sex-starved Tarzan swung in a way Hollywood could never have imagined. But who is the real Stanley Baxter? The comedy actor’s talents are matched only by his past reluctance to colour in the detail of his own character. Now, the man behind the mischievous grin, the twinkling eyes and the once- Brylcreemed coiffure is revealed. In a tale of triumphs and tragedies, of giant laughs and great falls from grace, we discover that while the enigmatic entertainer could play host to hundreds of different voices, the role he found most difficult to play was that of Stanley Baxter.

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Growing up during The Troubles, I was determined that I was not going to be forced into Irish unity by terrorist violence or the threat of it. At the time, there was no space to think about a different future. But since then, we have had peace, however imperfect it may be, and we now have the opportunity to freely decide our fate.Why will everyone living on the island of Ireland benefit from Irish unity?How will the referendum be won?Do we need to start preparing now?What will happen when Ireland is reunified?Disillusioned with the state of pro-union politics in Britain and Northern Ireland, scarred by what he and many others see as a detrimental vote for Brexit and determined to heal the wounds inflicted by partition, Ben Collins sets out a multitude of political, social and economic benefits of removing the border on the island of Ireland, once and for all.Written from the viewpoint of an East Belfast-born former UUP campaigner, Irish Unity: Time to Prepare addresses the concerns of unionists in Northern Ireland and sceptics in the Republic and urges everyone on the island of Ireland to escape the crumbling United Kingdom so that we can build a peaceful and prosperous future together, for ourselves and our children.

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Built for the new age, the house stood boldly upright on the edge of the ocean withstanding the harsh blasts of a cruel century, nurturing and protecting the family within, watchful of hearts swollen or broken, dreams delivered and dashed. It had absorbed the tears and echoed the laughter. A sweeping saga of one family through a momentous century. Different people, divergent lives and distinctive stories. Bound together by the place they called home. But one of them is missing, lost to the world. An unknown grandchild, born to a son who went to war and never came back. As the years pass, through wars and emigration, social transformation and generational change, the search continues. And the questions remain the same: Who is he? Where is he? Will he ever come home?

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This is a brilliant and creative rendition of The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse by Charlie Mackesy translated into Gaelic by Johan Nic a’ Ghobhainn.Discover the very special book that has captured the hearts of millions of readers all over the world.A book of hope for uncertain times.Enter the world of Charlie's four unlikely friends, discover their story and their most important life lessons.The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse has been shared millions of times online - perhaps you've seen them? They've also been recreated by children in schools and hung on hospital walls. They sometimes even appear on lamp posts and on cafe and bookshop windows. Perhaps you saw the boy and mole on the Comic Relief T-shirt, Love Wins?Here, you will find them together in this book of Charlie's most-loved drawings, adventuring into the Wild and exploring the thoughts and feelings that unite us all.

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Guruji said: ‘Sing not the song that others have sung. Sing only what you yourself have realised in your own heart.’ What I’ve realised in my own heart is that its song is for many, that it sings for whom it meets on its way. It does not remain at home, but is a wandering minstrel heart. This book is the engaging and colourful memoir of celebrated Scottish storyteller David Campbell. It is an exploration of the nature of love in its many guises, and of David’s lifelong love of story. Join David as he tells his story from childhood in wartime Fraserburgh to a holiday job with a dramatic and life-changing conclusion, through a pivotal role as a bbc radio producer at the time of the Scottish renaissance of writing, drama and folk traditions, and finally to his international career as an acclaimed storyteller, mentored by celebrated tinker-traveller Duncan Williamson. The roots of things in my life have always been the love of words, stories, poetry and people, and the joy of bringing them together; it is there that I find the deepest meaning and the sweetest music.

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Since lockdown began, people have woken up to Janey Godley’s comedy by the hundreds of thousands… [She] has provided much-needed relief throughout the coronavirus pandemic with her gallus Glesga interpretations which have been shared around the country with much glee. – Daily Record ‘Ye’ve been TELT. Everybuddy’s gonnae die if yeez aw keep gaun aboot an meetin each other an gaun hame wi a virus oan ye. So Ah’ve telt ye wance an Ah’m no gonnae tell ye again. This is the official line. If Ah see any o you oot there, Ah’m gonnae take a run an pit ma toe up the crack o yer arse. SO QUIT IT! Stey in the hoose, wash yer hands an keep yer family safe.’

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As we begin to venture outside of lockdown, photographers of all skill levels will be eager to capture the world around them. In Decisive Moments, Andy Hall combines his photographic and teaching experience by putting together a thirty year retrospective collection of stunning images, each of which has a key learning feature for photographers to reflect on. Throughout, Hall will teach and inspire photographers of all abilities from beginners to experienced practitioners and will help them to identify photographic opportunities and make successful images consistently. The advice is applicable to users of all types of cameras from professional DSLRs to smartphones. This is a must-have book not only for photographers who want to achieve their full potential but for people who simply enjoy the visual world around them.

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In 1939, Scottish artist and sculptor J.D. Fergusson was commissioned to write a fully illustrated book on modern Scottish painting. The Second World War made this difficult and the first edition of Modern Scottish Painting was published in 1943 without illustrations. This new edition – edited, introduced and annotated by Alexander Moffat and Alan Riach – finally brings Fergusson’s project to fruition, illustrating the argument with colour reproductions of Fergusson’s own work. Moffat and Riach frame Fergusson’s important art manifesto for the 21st-century reader, illuminating his views on modern art as he explores questions of technique, education, form and what it means for a painting to be truly modern. Fergusson relates these aspects of modern painting to Scottishness, showing what they mean for Scottish identity, nationalism, independence and the legacy that puritanical Calvinism has left on Scottish art – a particular concern for Fergusson given his recurring subject matter of the female nude.

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Scotland’s Democracy Trail goes from Edinburgh Castle, Greyfriars, down the High Street, across North Bridge to Calton Hill, and then on down to the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood. Apart from its historic significance, the route encompasses Edinburgh’s most dramatic scenery and townscape.The Trail follows the emergence of democratic thought and action in Scotland from the sixteenth century, linking pivotal events to locations on the way. It is a story of ups and downs, triumphs and tragedies, borne along by a stubborn persistent advance. Although the roots of democracy run deep in Scotland, here we concentrate on the footprint of democracy in our capital city.

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In 50 wide-ranging tales of adventure and misadventure, Ralph Storer takes his usual quirky look at the peculiar pursuit of messing about on mountains. Walking, climbing, mountain biking, caving… he’s tried it all but admits to expertise only in the lost art of festering. With room also for contemplation and argument, his 50 Shades will amuse, inspire and inform.Follow in his footsteps as he roves from the Lake District to the Alps, from Snowdonia to Scandinavia, from the Scottish Highlands to the deserts and canyons of America. Warm to his intrepid exploits of derring-do and not-so-derring-do as he gets snowbound in a tent, gets stuck on ice falls and in caves, and falls off mountain bikes and sand dunes.Culled from not-yet-a-lifetime of eclectic escapades both at home and abroad, his highly entertaining experiences will resonate with anyone whose aspirations outstrip their ability.

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As Others See Us is based on a new photographic exhibition from Tricia Malley and Ross Gillespie, who together form the renowned partnership broad daylight. It forms part of Homecoming 2009, celebrating the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns' birth. The exhibition consists of 20 portraits of prominent and influential Scots, including Eddi Reader, Edwin Morgan, Peter Howson and Janice Galloway. The portraits capture a unique insight into the sitter, enhanced by the accompanying text, as each was asked to contribute their favourite poem from Robert Burns, and to explain why it is special to them and what they think it means to Scots today.

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Caledonian Dreaming examines the state of contemporary Scotland, the independence referendum, and its wider consequences. In this short, accessible book, Hassan challenges the myths that define modern Scotland and its place in the United Kingdom. He forensically examines the shortcomings of Scottish society – from the ‘missing Scotland’ of voters disconnected from public life to the collusion of Labour and SNP on most issues bar independence. He argues that Scotland has the potential to become a modern, progressive, democratic country – aided by the creative energies and passions unleashed by the independence question.

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Place one guga [almost fully grown gannet chick] and one stone in a pan of water and boil. Once you can pierce the stone with a fork, the guga is ready for eating…Meet Calum.In 1930, the last remaining St Kildans evacuated their isolated outpost 100 miles off the west coast of Scotland. Calum returns a few years later, alone and troubled, the sole guardian of the islanders’ abandoned homes. Haunted by the memories that linger there, he begins to re-live the experiences of residents long past.Acrobats, airmen, cormorants, cragsmen and angels leap, climb, shimmer and swoop through the pages of The Guga Stone.With subtle humour, Donald S. Murray mixes mythology, fiction and history to recreate St Kilda’s tales and legends for our time.

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Life is there for the taking. We can choose to take it, or leave it to float by as it will. If we have the confidence, we can reach out and grab it.According to John Cairney, life is divided into four sections: birth, adolescence, maturity and old age. Writing from the final quarter, he looks over each section of his life and draws wisdom from the places he has been and people he has met.With tales of love and courage interspersed with dry Glaswegian humour, this book is a guide to a full living grounded in a simple philosophy spiced by anecdotes related by someone whose life has been well lived. The Importance of Being will make you laugh and ponder the complexities of life, at the same time.This is an unashamed celebration of the too-often ignored moment when breath is drawn in to give life and let out again to allow us to enjoy living. Everything else, no matter how wonderful, uplifting or rewarding, is decoration and extra to this breath-taking fact – that as long as we’re breathing we’re alive.

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In his time his revolutionary ideas appealed to women and he was surrounded by more than a generation of clever and forceful women. One who could say that ‘life is not really a gladiators’ show; it is rather a vast mothers’ meeting!’ could not fail to attract followers. WALTER STEPHENPatrick Geddes – Sociologist, Town Planner, Biologist, Peace Warrior. It is well known that this extraordinary Scot shaped the cityscape of Edinburgh, but for the first time Walter Stephen turns the lens onto the strong, wilful women who influenced the revolutionary man – and who were in turn influenced by him.From his wife and mother in Scotland, to a nun in India and a Marchioness in Ireland, this insightful volume shows the wide range of women across the globe whose lives intertwined with Geddes’s, whether professionally or personally.Delving deeper into Geddes’s personal life than ever before, Walter Stephen and his fellow Modern Geddesians go beyond the surface of the Scotsman’s acclaimed works to reveal the female characters that shaped him throughout his life. Contributors include: Veronica Burbridge, Siân Reynolds, Anne-Michelle Slater, Kenny Munro, Swami Narasimhananda, Sofia Leonard, Kenneth MacLean, Robert Morris and Kate Henderson.A well-researched and thoughtfully written book. SCOTTISH REVIEW OF BOOKS on The Evolution of Evolution[The book] makes the reader realise in what esteem Geddes should be held, not just in Scotland, but across the globe. LALLANS MAGAZINE on A Vigorous Institution

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‘The history of parliament in the UK has a consistent theme: the refusal to accept any binding contract with the people. This unacceptable status quo goes for Holyrood as much as for Westminster. The time has come for people to challenge the power of the ruling class.We want to see the Scottish Parliament become an institution that it has so far failed to be: an institution committed to the sovereignty of the people. We want the people of Scotland to lead the rest of the UK by example, and ensure that the actions of a government are bound by shared political and ethical values.And we propose the first step: a modest proposal, for the agreement of the people.Are you with us?’ANGUS REID and MARY DAVIS

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So stands Scotland where it did? Not on your nelly.The professional classes in Scotland may be busy with Commissions, vows, deals, submissions and General Election planning but the wider Yes Movement is busy with huge spontaneous meetings involving hundreds, even thousands of people – gatherings like birds flocking before winter or starlings swooping to throw shapes into darkening skies. Because they can.Wee White Blossom is a post-indyref, poppadom-sized version of Blossom for folk who’ve already sampled the full bhuna. It updates Blossom with a new chapter on Scotland’s Year of Living Dangerously. Lesley Riddoch shares her thoughts on the Smith Commission, the departure of Gordon Brown, the return of Alex Salmond and the latest developments in land reform and local control. She considers the future of the SNP, the Radical Independence Campaign, Common Weal, Women for Independence and Scottish Labour in the aftermath of the referendum. This is a plain-speaking, incisive call to restore equality and control to local communities and let Scotland flourish.Wee White Blossom is the ideal companion volume to Blossom, whether you want an update on the first edition or an appetiser before delving into the pages of the original.

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This book considers various aspects of the Referendum, with a particular focus on Scottish cultural institutions, such as the National Theatre and the National Portrait Gallery. Scott also pays close attention to Scotland’s past, frequently referencing literary figures and devoting a chapter to Scottish Literature to persuasively convince the reader of the benefits of independence. Following the success of A Nation Again, Scott discusses the idea of Independence once again but this time, in light of more recent political developments with the forthcoming Referendum little over a year away.

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Maybe it had just been a matter of time: had we had more time, what we would or could have achieved, together. Had we actually met that first time round, how different things might have been. The world we would have painted. Had we really loved each other, we would never have separated. It was a long hot summer… A chance encounter on a ferry leads to a lifetime of regret for misplaced opportunities. Beautifully written and vividly evoked, The Girl on the Ferryboat is a mirage of recollections looking back to the haze of one final prelapsarian summer on the Isle of Mull.

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When future generations ask who saved Rangers and revitalised the club thereafter, the fans of today can say with some confidence: ‘We were the people.’The saga of Rangers is a tragic one. It is the story of the fall of Scotland’s most prestigious football clubs. A tale of hate and accusations. One which blurred truth with speculation and turned a trial into a witch-hunt.Yet it is also a tale of loyalty in the face of unprecedented adversity. In Follow We Will: The Fall and Rise of Rangers we hear the story of the fans. Within these essays and interviews is the uplifting tale of how they rallied to protect the club they loved and how now, against all odds, they are helping to put it back together.

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A special hardback edition of David Purdie's controversial adaptation of Scott's classic historical novel.Ivanhoe follows Wilfred of Ivanhoe, part of one of the few Saxon families at a time when English nobility was dominated by the Normans, who is out of favour with his father for his allegiance to the Norman king, Richard the Lionheart. The gripping storyline beautifully captures the 12th century tensions between Saxons and Normans, Nobility and Commonality and Jews and Gentiles, with a whole host of well-known characters from Robin Hood to Friar Tuck.

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From Thomas Hamilton to contemporary artists Tom Normand traces the 200 year history of the Royal Scottish Academy. Featuring both men and women, short summaries precede each reproduction and orient the reader to particular points of interest within each art work. The artist’s history is related side by side with that of the Academy and, as such, they complement descriptions of the paintings. The book chronologically captures different periods as they influenced the style of what was produced in the Academy. Looking forward Normand states that ‘the Academy, in its history, has been a vital part of that international role, freely exhibiting the newest and the best of modern art and respecting the multi-dimensional approaches of contemporary art’. It is this vitality in the Scottish art scene that will sustain its visual culture in the future and place it on the international stage.

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John Barrington was a shepherd to over 750 Blackface ewes who graze 2,000 acres of some of Britain’s most beautiful hills overlooking the deep dark water of Loch Katrine. The yearly round of lambing, dipping, shearing and the sales is marvelously interwoven into the story of the glen, of Rob Roy in whose house John lived, of curling when the ice is thick enough, and of sheep dog trials in the summer. Whether up on the hills or along the glen, John knows the haunts of the local wildlife: the wily hill fox, the grunting badger, the herds of red deer, and the shrews, voles and insects which scurry underfoot. He sets his seasonal clock by the passage of birds on the loch, and jealously guards over the golden eagle’s eyrie in the hills. Paul Armstrong’s sensitive illustrations are the perfect accompaniment to the evocative text.

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The 50th anniversary of the last trams in Glasgow is 2012. The last regular tram in Glasgow ran on 1 September, 1962. However on the 2, 3 and 4 of September, a very special tram service was operated between Auchenshuggle and Anderson Cross, for which souvenir tickets were sold. The Last Tram tae Auchenshuggle is the hilarious patter and build up to the end of the Glasgow trams, featuring Glasgow's famous clippie, Big Aggie MacDonald.

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Filled with lively anecdotes, poems and mythological stories, Barrington sets out to map the evolution and bond between man and dog; how dogs developed from the wild into the beloved companions as we know them today.

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Duncan Williamson came from a large Scottish Traveller family. Born in a tent by Loch Fyne in 1928, with his Grandmother as the midwife, Williamson grew up surrounded by storytellers, ballad singers and musicians. He attended Furnace Public School, although the Travellers were often subject to prejudice in the local area. He left home at 13 working at everything from farm work to coaching boxing. He eloped and married his cousin Jeannie Townsley with whom he had seven children. Following her death he met and later married Linda Headlee who instigated the publication of his stories and encouraged him to take his reputed repertoire of three thousand tales from the tent to the world. David Campbell's desire to broadcast one of Duncan's stories on BBC Radio Scotland brought about their eventful meeting. Williamson died in 2007 aged 79. This first volume of A Traveller in Two Worlds follows Duncan Williamson's life until 1971. His story will be continued in Volume Two.

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Civilisation is thirsty... it never stopped to think what would happen if the water ran out. ALEXANDER BELL Peak water is the point when the available water is not enough to meet the demands of the world's growing population. We might live on a watery world, but we are exhausting accessible supplies. Many parts of the world are already facing this crisis, and not only in the developing world. Some of the places experiencing 'peak water' are in the USA, Europe and the UK. Even the wettest lands will be engulfed in the global catastrophe that looms. This is the issue of our age.

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As Others See Us is based on a new photographic exhibition from Tricia Malley and Ross Gillespie, who together form the renowned partnership broad daylight. It forms part of Homecoming 2009, celebrating the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns' birth. The exhibition consists of 20 portraits of prominent and influential Scots, including Eddi Reader, Edwin Morgan, Peter Howson and Janice Galloway. The portraits capture a unique insight into the sitter, enhanced by the accompanying text, as each was asked to contribute their favourite poem from Robert Burns, and to explain why it is special to them and what they think it means to Scots today.

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A lifelong love of vintage clothes and bargain hunting sustained Lynne when she was made redundant. Borrowing, blagging and begging her way around the country, she found her feet again in the cowboy boots of yesteryear, and brought her discoveries back to share. From Aberdeen to Brighton, Victorian beading to 1980's neon, across 15 cities and all decades, Lynne reveals the things she loves about her favourite vintage haunts. Layering vintage chic, gorgeous photographs and a soupcon of fashion history, A Girl's Guide to Vintage is for both initiates and adepts at the alter of vintage.

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Whether dodging the men of the excise, fighting with government troops or simply indulging in a spot of the national sport of drinking whisky, Scots have long had a true love affair with their favourite amber nectar. In this book writer and storyteller Stuart McHardy, known to take a dram or ten himself, draws upon the wide range of tales associated with the world's finest tipple, to make you laugh, cry and wonder!

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Ian R Mitchell recognises his hometown is an often underloved place, but in Aberdeen: Beyond the Granite he sets out an overwhelming case as to why this sentiment is thoroughly undeserved. An Aberdonian born and bred, Mitchell has lived in Glasgow for almost four decades. Returning to his roots, he delves into Aberdeen's rich and often unseen history and culture from an exile's perspective, revealing a proudly unique city, home to the world's oldest surviving company, the UK's oldest newspaper, and perhaps Britain's oldest Italian restaurant!

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Not Just Moonshine: New and Selected Poems has been compiled to celebrate Tessa Ransford's seventieth birthday. This book chooses poems from each of the last four decades. This selection makes possible an overview of Tessa' development, styles and themes as a poet. It represents a substantial body of work, from one of Scotland's most consistently accomplished and engaging poets.

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This work features a vibrant selection of the best Scottish love poems, with each poet limited to one poem excepting Burns himself, that spans centuries and feelings of affection and desire. These poems explore many different kinds of love: sexual, passionate, romantic, parental. In 100 Favourite Scottish Love Poems traditional Scottish verse mixes with great literature as Bonny Barbara Allan and Jock o' Hazeldean rub shoulders with Byron and Hogg. Modern Scottish writing from some of the most inspiring poets of our time, MacCaig, MacDiarmid, Morgan and Carol Ann Duffy, contrasts with Gaelic poetry by Sorley MacLean, Derick Thomson and Meg Bateman. Poems of first love, yearning for love, love in absence and epernal love are not grouped thematically, as in so many other anthologies, but seamlessly so that contrasting poems can strike sparks off one another, across the page - often with wit and jollity - to demonstrate that we experience love in individual and inspiring ways.

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Encouraged by Burns Nights, ceilidhs and poetry slams, reading poetry aloud is a valued Scottish tradition enjoyed by young and old alike. This anthology includes old favourites like Burns and Matt McGinn and new classics from contemporary Scottish poetry. Covering a range of themes, this wonderful collection really does have something for everyone.

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Using a contemporary voice to address themes of reflection, love, loss, culture, heritage, family and society that are traditional to Scotland and to the Gaelic world, MacIntyre's collection is poignant, engaging, and destined to be a classic. Each Gaelic poem is accompanied by a full English translation and there are several original English poems. This is the first collection of poetry from the winner of The Saltire Society First Book Award 2003.

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