The Ringwood Publishing Podcast

On this week's episode, interns Efa Walker, Isaac Hattam and Katie McGowan chat with J. S. Apsley, the winner of Ringwood's Short Story Competition 2024 about his submission Immersion, the tale of a lonely woman's unnatural obsession with Dali's masterpiece Christ of St. John of the Cross. 

John gives us some fascinating insights on writing Glasgow Noir and his experience of delving into the dark underbelly of this gothic city, which has been a rich site of inspiration for his work. We also hear about John's process for creating short fiction specifically, and his experience in transitioning from non-fiction writing to this exciting new genre, and get some great advice for anyone aspiring to write or publish their own short fiction.

Make sure to head to Ringwood's website after listening, where you can find the winning title, as well as the fabulous stories of our runners up! 

To kick off Season 5, interns Emma Martin and Isaac Hattam chat with Ringwood's submissions manager, Livia Nicholson, for an inside look at the publishing submissions process.

Ever wondered what happens after you send off your manuscript to query to publishers? Livia shares what Ringwood looks for, common mistakes authors make, and how the submissions team helps shape a book's journey from pitch to publication.

Whether you're an aspiring author, an industry professional, or simply curious about the behind-the-scenes workings of publishing, this episode offers valuable insights into this crucial stage of the process. Tune in for an engaging conversation filled with practical advice and insider knowledge!

In this special Christmas episode, we’ve invited Ringwood author Charlie Laidlaw to discuss his novel 'Everyday Magic' which is a retelling of 'A Christmas Carol' by Charles Dickens. We talk about Charlie's writing process, his inspiration for 'Everyday Magic', the importance of the past, present, and future, and more!

In 'Everyday Magic', Carole Gunn leads an unfulfilled life and knows it.  She’s married to someone who may, or may not, be in New York on business and, to make things worse, the family’s deaf cat has just been run over by an electric car.

But in spite of her mundane life, Carole has decided to do something different. She’s decided to revisit places that hold special significance for her.  She wants to better understand herself, and whether the person she is now is simply an older version of the person she once was. 

Instead, she’s taken on an unlikely journey to confront her past, present and future.

Everyday Magic is an uplifting book filled with humour and poignancy and reminds us that, while our pasts make us who we are, we can always change the course of our futures.

Order Everyday Magic here.

In this episode, we’ve invited Ringwood author Rob McInroy to discuss the release of his newest novel, Burials and Other Stories, a short story collection rooted in Scotland and, in particular, Perthshire, detailing its physical beauty, its history, its people. We talk about Rob's writing process, the inspiration behind some of these short stories, similarities and differences between writing short stories and novels, and more!

Ranging from 1832 to the present day, these twenty intertwined stories offer a study of community and kinship, the need to belong and the pain of disconnection. Burials and Other Stories is, at turns, uproariously funny and devastatingly moving, revealing the complexities of lives spent negotiating with the ghosts of the past, the present and the future.

The collection contains a number of award-winning short stories; Burials won the ChipLit Festival Short Story Competition in 2018 and was described by judge Rachel Seiffert as ‘dark and well-crafted’. Joss’n’Jules Forever won the Bedford International Writing Prize in 2019, and Man Walks Into a Bar won The Highlands and Islands Short Story Association (HISSAC) flash fiction competition in 2017, and was described by award winning author Clio Gray as ‘a hugely impressive piece of work. Rarely will you read a piece of flash fiction that gets so much into such a short space.’

The stories within Burials and Other Stories have been meticulously researched and crafted, providing a detailed insight into life in a rural community, while maintaining strong historical accuracy. Many of the stories feature accurate usage of the Scots language, lending them a unique authenticity. 

 While many of the stories are works of historical fiction, they contain themes that resonate strongly with contemporary audiences. Rob McInroy sympathetically explores death, and the grief felt by those left behind. He perceptibly explores issues surrounding mental health and its effects, both on those suffering and on the people around them. The stories also tactfully explore queerness, featuring wonderfully crafted LGBTQ+ characters and explore themes that resonate with modern readers. 

Rob McInroy: 

Rob McInroy is an award-winning writer of novels and short stories, all of which are firmly rooted in his native Perthshire area spanning from the 1930s to the 2010s. His Bob Kelty series has been long listed by the Crime Writers Association, and in 2018 he was a winner of the Bradford Literature Festival Northern Noir Crime Novel competition with Cuddies Strip, which was highly recommended by Val McDermid for its strong contemporary resonances. 

Ringwood published Cuddies Strip in 2020. He has followed this success with Barossa Street (2022) and Moot which was published in 2024. 

Rob McInroy is a highly accomplished writer of short fiction, and has won multiple short story competitions, including the Bedford International Writing Competition with Joss’n’Jules Forever, and many more that feature in this short story collection, Burials and Other Stories.

Order Burials and Other Stories here.

In this episode, we’ve invited Ringwood author Maureen Cullen to discuss the release of her debut novel, Kitten Heels, a book about poverty, mental health, and the role of women in 1960s Scotland. We talk about Maureen's writing process, the similarities and differences between writing short stories and novels, caregiving roles, and more!

Maureen Cullen is a retired social worker living in Argyll & Bute. After thirty years’ commitment to social work, she turned to writing poetry and short fiction, completing a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing from Lancaster University in 2015 and achieving a distinction. Maureen has had poetry published in multiple magazines and online webzines, and had a poetry conversation written with Patricia M Osborne, Sherry and Sparkly, published by the Hedgehog Press in 2021. She has been shortlisted in numerous short story competitions, including the V.S. Pritchett Prize, the Fish Prize, and the Bristol Prize. She also won the Labello Prize for short fiction in 2014, and the Ringwood Short Story competition in 2022.

Order Kitten Heels here.

For the third episode of Season 4, we've invited fellow intern Skye Galloway to discuss her time working for Ringwood as a book cover designer. She talks about her role and responsibilities during the course of her internship, the skills she's learned, her favorite aspects of the job, and advice she has for aspiring book cover designers.

Check out the Ringwood Publishing website here for more information about our work and to support our authors.  

In this special AI-generated episode, Saved from the Fire author Mark Gallacher used AI to create a podcast which talks about his book. Host Madeline Wahl provides the introduction and ending, but the actual conversation of the book is generated by AI. For a human podcast episode, you can listen to S2 E8: Sci-Fi and Short Stories with Mark Gallacher here.

Who told it better: Humans...or AI?

Mark Gallacher is a Scottish writer who lives in Denmark. Runner-up Wigtown Poetry Prize 2021 and shortlisted for the Fish International Short Story Competition. His stories have published in many literary magazines and anthologies in the UK and USA, such as New Writing Scotland, Chapman and DreamForge Magazine.

Order Saved from the Fire here.

In this episode, we’ve invited Ringwood author Kirsten MacQuarrie to discuss the release of her debut novel, Remember the Rowan, a book inspired by the true story of Kathleen Raine and Gavin Maxwell’s ‘some-requited’ love. We talk about Kirsten's process in researching Kathleen's life and work, balancing the truth from memoirs versus the creative, the important women who have been written out of history, and more! 

Kirsten MacQuarrie is a Scottish artist and writer, whose writing has been published by New Writing Scotland, the Scottish Poetry Library, Gutter Magazine, Scottish PEN, Glasgow Women’s Library, the Federation of Writers Scotland, Edinburgh Literary Salon, and others.

Kirsten has been shortlisted for a Vogue Magazine Young Talent Award, selected as an Editor’s Choice for the John Byrne Award, and twice winner of the Glasgow Women’s Library Poetry Prize. Her story ‘The Wordsworth Women’ won second prize in the Federation of Writers Scotland Vernal Equinox 2020. She has also served twice as a Non-Fiction judge for Scotland's National Book Awards. 

Order Remember the Rowan here.

On Thursday 21st November 2024 at 6:45 pm, Kirsten will be at East Kilbride Library to highlight why she believes Scotland Book Week readers should remember the name Kathleen Raine. The event is free and open to all: please telephone the library team on 01355 220046 to reserve your spot!

On Saturday 23rd November 2024, join author Kirsten MacQuarrie for a special event chaired by Ruth Boreham at the Edinburgh Central Library at 3 pm. The event is free and all are welcome. Get tickets to the event here.

Remember the Rowan has been longlisted in The People's Book Prize 2024-2025! Make sure you vote for this beautiful story now. 

For the final episode of Season 3, we've invited fellow interns Rachel Harley and Jiyuan Li to discuss their time working for Ringwood as they finish their duties and bid us farewell soon. They speak to their roles and responsibilities during the course of their internship, the skills they've learned, their favorite aspects of the job, and their plans for the future. Thank you Rachel and Jiyuan for your hard work and dedication to independent publishing and its authors, and we wish you all the best for the future!

Season 4 will return in fall, so keep an eye out on our socials and website for future news about new episodes.

Check out the Ringwood Publishing website here for more information about our work and to support our authors.  

Ringwood author Tom Wood joins us this week to chat about his latest novel, The World's End Murders: The Inside Story, which details the nearly four-decade-long struggle that detectives and scientists endured to deliver justice for victims Helen Scott and Christine Eadie, who were tragically murdered in October 1977 in Edinburgh. Tom talks to us about his involvement, his thoughts on Scottish law at the time of the trials of the perpetrator, true crime as a genre, and much more.

Tom Wood was one of Scotland’s most senior and experienced police officers, an authority on serious and violent crime and the policing of major events. Latterly he was Deputy Chief Constable and Director of Operations of Lothian and Borders Police. He is a graduate of Edinburgh University and the FBI Academy at Quantico, Virginia. Tom currently lives in Edinburgh.

Since leaving the police, Tom has worked in Alcohol and Drug Strategy, Adult and Child Protection and carried out Independent Serious Case and Homicide Reviews.
He is now a regular columnist with The Scotsman and writes extensively on crime and justice matters.

His book, Ruxton: The First Modern Murder, was shortlisted for the 2021 Scottish National Book Awards.

Order The World's End Murders here!

Be sure to also grab a copy of Ruxton: The First Modern Murder here if you haven't yet. If you liked this episode, mark your calendars for July 19th, when podcast network Audio 99 will release a historical true crime podcast series based on Tom's work, titled "Beyond Recognition: The Ruxton Murders"!

The World's End Murders: The Inside Story will launch on Sunday, June 23rd at 2pm at Hillhead Library in Glasgow. This event is free and all are welcome. If you can't make it in person, we will be streaming it from the Ringwood Publishing Facebook page. We hope to see you there!