Blithe Yule (Scottish fiction evening/last one before Christmas)

So the final even in 2024 will be about Scotland. Same format as before - find a book from Scotland (or a poem or a short story) and turn up and talk about it. As usual there is no set book - this is more a show and tell thing.

Some suggestions off the top of my head (not using ChatGPT this month!)

1. Iain Banks and Iain M. Banks - author of the Sci Fi Culture novels and of numerous mainstream literary novels like The Bridge or The Crow Road.

2. James Hogg - Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner, the classic 19th century psychological novel written by the famous "Ettrick Shepherd".

3. AL Kennedy - writer of everything from Booker prize nominated novels to Dr Who spin offs to books about bullfighting.

4. Alasdair Gray - Lanark, Poor Things and much besides.

5. Muriel Spark The Prime of Ms Jean Brodie

6. David Keenan - Airdrie's answer to Roberto Bolano and Krautrock enthusiast.

7. James Kelman - Drumchapel's leading Beckett enthusiast.

8. Sorley MacLean - Gaelic poet once nominated for the Nobel Prize

9. Edwin Morgan - poet and former Anniesland resident.

10. Ali Smith....and about 5 million people I haven't mentioned ranging from Iain Rankin to Elspeth Barker's O Caledonia to Norman McCaig to Lewis Grassic Gibbon to George Friel's oddly forgotten "Glasgow Trilogy".

Please though, no poverty porn! That doesn't mean no poverty, just no wallowing in it.....

Here's another list fae the Guardian:

What's your favourite Scottish novel – and is it on the BBC's list? | Fiction | The Guardian

and another not very good one from The Scottish book trust Favourite Scottish novels - Scottish Book Trust