For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to writer, and regular guest over the years, Louise Welsh to talk about her latest Rilke novel The Cut Up , which is published with Canongate Books . Louise begins with a brief introduction to the central character of Rilke, before talking about the first novel in which he featured, Louise's celebrated 2002 debut The Cutting Room, a book which has had a notable influence on a new generation of writers. The two then discuss The

📸 credit - Ruari Barber-Fleming For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to composer and sound designer Oğuz Kaplangı to talk about his new album RESIST .   Oğuz talks about the inspirations behind the project, the themes of resistance, solidarity, and human connection, the narrative which runs through the album, and his future plans for RESIST , which are very exciting. The two also discuss the importance of collaboration and how he worked with a number of other ar

Dawn Taylor - pic credit Andrew Perry For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali caught up once again with Dawn Taylor, the Artistic Director & CEO at MANIPULATE Arts , to learn all about this year's MANIPULATE Festival  which runs from 4th - 10th February. Now in its 19th year the festival promises something for everyone, and Dawn gives us an overview of the programme, a bit of history, the significance in supporting non-text based theatre, film and other forms of performanc

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to Professor of History and Theory of Psychology at the University of Edinburgh (and former magician) Peter Lamont to talk about his latest book Radical Thinking: How To See The Bigger Picture , which is published by Swift Press . It's a continuation of a conversation the two had at last year's Aye Write Book Festival when an hour was nowhere hear enough time to discuss this fascinating and thought-provoking book, and the ide

It doesn't feel like the year has actually got going until Celtic Connections  begins. This year it's on between the 15th Jan and the 1st Feb, and it once again has a varied, vibrant, and eclectic line-up to suit most musical tastes. The festival is a joyous celebration of live music which is as precious and important as ever. To get involved further you can become a Celtic Rover  which supports Celtic Connections and its Education and Outreach Programmes. With so much going

For the first Scots Whay Hae! podcast of 2026, Ali spoke to writer and musician Peter May to talk about his new album Towards The Light , but so much more. Peter admits that despite his fame as a writer of crime fiction (31 novels to date), music was always his first love and he goes on to talk about his early years playing in bands, running away to London to make their fame and fortune, and just what the musical landscape was like at the time. He then talks about the new al