Andrew Meehan - 📸 credit Concept & Graft 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 three-part structure. The two then

Zoe Alba Farrugia 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 & Spoken Word, Children & Families, and much more. The two then discuss the

Professor Murray Pittock - 📸 credit University of Glasgow 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 include and why (and fit

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, the 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 changed over the years. He also considers how he himself has changed as a write

A version of this article first appeared in PRODUCT magazine In my early teens, with music an increasingly integral part of life, a friend’s dad would periodically sit us down and sermonise as to who and what was worthy of our devotion, and what we should avoid. There was no room for opinion or debate – this was the gospel according to Jim Jackson. Examples included his decree that Bob Dylan had only ever written one bad song (although he never disclosed which one – we would

Scottish Opera's revival of The Marriage of Figaro works as the perfect gateway opera for those who are unsure if it's an art form for them. The storyline will be recognisable from books, film and TV in terms of style and structure - literally a comedy of errors, as individuals are manipulated, lies are told, identities are mistaken, and just when it looks like it's all going wrong, it resolves before the final curtain falls, with hopefully lessons learned. Set from dawn till