Scots Whay Hae!

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to returning guest, writer Tom Brogan to talk all about his latest book Dalglish: The Fifty Matches That Made the Player which is published by Pitch Publishing.

This was a real treat for Ali as Kenny Dalglish is his first, and arguably greatest, hero, and the two talked about what the player, and the man, means to them both (and they are remarkably similar stories).

Tom then sets out the structure of the book, the inspiration behind wanting to write it, the research involved, and why the timing of publication was perfect.

Ali then picks 10 matches/chapters to discuss to try and give an overview of the book, the stories told, and give part of the picture of the man himself from schools and amateur days, through his time at Celtic, the move to Liverpool, European success, playing for Scotland, becoming a player/manager, and beyond.

It's always a pleasure to have Tom on the podcast and this became an hour of celebration of, and adoration for, a player who is conceivably the best footballer to come out of Scotland, but whose story is about much more than simply the game.

For full details, including all the ways to listen, head over to scotswhayhae.com

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to writer, broadcaster and campaigner Darren McGarvey (also known as rapper Loki) to talk about his book and live show, Trauma Industrial Complex, and the album Not Funded By Creative Scotland, which are three central strands of the same multi-media project, and the two discuss just how they work together, but also stand alone.

Darren talks about the challenges of taking the show to the Fringe, but why it was important to do so, before talking about the differences, and similitude, in writing the book, album, and for a live performance, and the responses to each.

The two then discuss each strand in detail - how the album was recorded, the research behind the book, the difference between committing words to the page, and saying them on stage, and where his love of language comes from.

Darren explains what the Trauma Industrial Complex is, talks about the contradiction at the heart of the book, the difference between sharing and oversharing, the freedom that his music brings, and why. He also reflects on the changes in Scotland's hip-hop community over the years, and what being nominated for Best Hip Hop artist for this year's Scottish Alternative Music Awards means.

It was a privilege and a pleasure to be able to sit down with Darren and talk about not only his current work, but also to reflect on his varied and rightly celebrated past, and to consider the future. SWH! consider him one of Scotland's most thoughtful, reflective, and necessary, cultural figures, and we hope you enjoy listening to this podcast as much as we did recording it.

For full details, including all the ways to listen, head to scotswhayhae.com

For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast Ali spoke to to choreographer and dancer Himadri Madan to hear all about The Gaze – you, me, us, and them a new interactive installation with live performances which premieres at The Tramway in Glasgow on November 22nd before it goes to The Studio, Capital Theatre in Edinburgh on 28th February in the new year.

Himadri expands on the brief description above, before breaking down the title, talking about the themes and ideas explored, the inspirations behind it, its academic origins, and just what audiences can expect.

The two then talk about how The Gaze relates to Himadari's previous work, the importance of collaboration, and her continued work as part of Theiya Arts, before she tells her own engaging story about how she game to dance and choreography.

Himadri Madan is among the most exciting voices in theatre today, and it was fascinating to learn about the ideas behind The Gaze – you, me, us, and them, and the practicalities and challenges in bringing such a personal piece to the stage.

For full details, including all the ways to listen, head to scotswhayhae.com

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 A Tomb With A View and Steeple Chasing, before discussing the structure, the quotes in the epigraph, the importance of people as much as place (carefully considering who to include and why), his thoughts on recounting personal stories in this latest volume, and so much more.

The two also mull over why it is that ancient times and places continue to cast a spell over modern life, and if that interest fluctuates depending on the state of the nation, and the world at large, before Peter expands on his working process, how he overcomes any initial suspicion, and then connects with those he meets.

We have recorded a number of podcasts with Peter over the years, but, as with Upon A White Horse, we feel this the best yet, and it was fascinating, and thought-provoking, to hear this writer reflect not only on his latest book, but his writing more widely. If you know the work of Peter Ross then you'll want to listen to this one. If you don't, what a perfect place to get aquatinted.

For full details, including all the ways to listen, head to scotswhayhae.com

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 the difficulties in hitting that balance between cosy and gritty crime.

The two then discuss some of the series' characters (including Clare Mackay herself) and Marion's imaginative way of creating them, before moving onto the importance of place, and the setting of St Andrews in particular.

Marion then sets out what attracted her to writing in the crime genre, the importance of book festivals, talks about the next novel and how far she works ahead, before revealing news which will be exciting to Marion's many fans.

This is a discussion which will appeal to readers, but also to writers old and new as Marion offers real insight into how and why she writes, and it was such a pleasure to be able to talk in depth about all things Clare Mackay, and much more.

For full details, including all the ways to listen, go to scotswhayhae.com

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 international aspect of the festival, before going through the themes and strands for this year and explaining the nationwide scope in terms of people and place.

This, the festival's 36th year, is also Donald's last (at least as director) and he looks back not only to previous festivals but also how he came to be involved, as well as the inspirational individuals and moments which fired his passion for storytelling, and for sharing that passion with others.

The two then discuss the communal nature of storytelling and how that fundamentally leads to greater empathy, understanding and generosity.

It was such a pleasure to be able to talk at length with Donald, not only about this year's festival, but also about his life and work to date, and we hope you find it as fascinating and inspiring as we do.

Full details, including all the ways to listen, are over at scotswhayhae.com

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 to set events in both Scotland and Sierra Leone. He also explains the quote from Mongo Beti which is the novel's epigraph.

The two then talk about the themes of the novel (which include power, corruption & lies - but also friendship and family), some of the central characters, and the challenges in writing about politics and religion.

They also discussed the changing face of the crime genre and attitudes towards it, the importance of crime writing festivals such as Bloody Scotland, literary awards, and creative writing courses, before Foday offers some advice to prospective writers, and book recommendations to anyone looking for a new read.

It's always a pleasure to talk to Foday (you can still listen to our podcast with all of the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize shortlisted authors) and The Search For Othella Savage is not only a gripping and exciting (and thought-provoking) thriller, it offers a representation of a community rarely, if ever, portrayed in Scottish literature. For readers and writers alike, this is a must-listen episode.

Full details, including all the ways to listen, are over at scotswhayhae.com

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 events, including the battle between the desire to help others versus the fear of possible consequences, and how audiences might react to the central relationship.

After Dark is a thought-provoking film which packs more into its 10 minute running time than many features manage, and it was fascinating to be able to talk it over with Iain.

Hopefully it will be available for everyone to view soon, but for now enjoy this chat with the writer/director which is bound to whet your appetite.

Full details, including all the ways to listen are over at scotswhayhae.com

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 what regular readers of Graeme's might believe!), the research undertaken, creating a sense of place, understanding your central characters, the importance of visiting the island of Benbecula and the scene of the crimes, and the challenges of writing to a specific format.

The two also discuss the gothic tradition, unexpected reactions, how historical fiction speaks to the present day, and how Benbecula links to His Bloody Project, Graeme's Booker shortlisted 2016 novel.

One of the most interesting and insightful writers around, it's always a pleasure to have Graeme as a guest on the podcast, and this latest episode shows just why that is. If you are at all interested in the world of books, then this is the podcast for you...

For full details, including all the ways to listen, head over to scotswhayhae.com

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 (Paperboy), Denise Mina (The Good Liar) and Sir Ian Rankin (Midnight In Blue).

All the writers give a brief synopsis of their shortlisted novels before explaining a bit more about why they chose to write them, the levels of research involved, how they feel Scottish crime writing has changed over their time as writers (and readers), and so much more.

They also talk about the role crime book festivals, and Bloody Scotland in particular, have had in shaping those changes, encouraging a greater variety of styles, genres, and writers, to be part of the conversation.

The McIlvanney Prize is one of the most significant literary prizes around, and a great guide as to the best crime fiction on offer, so it was such a pleasure, and a privilege, to be able to talk to these great authors. This is a podcast which will be of interest to readers, writers, and book lovers of all kinds, but especially if crime is your thing.

Bloody Scotland is on between 12th - 14th September. Tickets are on sale now.

Full details, including all the ways to listen, can be found over at scotswhayhae.com