Writer, Filmmaker, Mother, Grandmother
This week, I read an article in the Herald which quoted Scottish publisher Adrian Searle (of Freight) as saying that "Scottish fiction can be really boring". Like many others my first reaction was to be a wee bit miffed at the headline. The quote apparently attacks the fiction that I, and many other excellent Scottish authors, passionately support. A few… Continue reading Scottish fiction isn’t boring, it’s bold and beautiful.
I'm really fortunate that in my work for purpleTV I get to tell stories in a visual format, building narratives using testimony, archive and various other creative mediums. In the course of this work I've met some amazing people and this week was no different. I was fortunate enough to spend some time with Irvine… Continue reading Spotting the (Irvine) Welsh man in Chicago.
I was really privileged to be invited, (as a VIP guest no less) along with my colleague Stefanie Smith, to the Raith Rovers Football Club annual Hall of Fame event at the Adam Smith Theatre in Kirkcaldy on Monday night. The invite came from Ally Gourlay, a remarkable man who never fails to amaze me. Ally… Continue reading The true meaning of life…
The swallows are making ready to leave. Birds from all over the island are gathering in gulps (I'm on Rathlin), their polished backs glistening as they line up on telephone wires, preening and prancing as they wait for the word that will send them on down to South Africa for the winter. Occasionally they appear back up… Continue reading Rathlin Island swallows and #JimBaxter
A month or so ago my publisher sent me a link to a new initiative from the organisers of the Bloody Scotland crime writing festival in Stirling. Called "Crime in the Spotlight" it is designed to give emerging authors an opportunity to shine by reading from their books at one of the main festival events. The… Continue reading Bloody Scotland debut!
I'm excited to announce that I will be making a wee appearance at Bloody Scotland; Scotland's International Crime Writing festival. It's a fabulous gathering of incredible writers from all over the globe and I'm really chuffed to be there as part of the Crime in the Spotlight programme. I'll be opening the Dear Mean Place session at 11.45am on Sunday the 13th… Continue reading My Bloody Scotland debut!
Okay, so the headline is misleading but perhaps you'll forgive me in my excitement. It was indeed my Edinburgh International Book Festival debut as an author. That's true, completely and utterly. Here's the proof... The Birds That Never Flew was at the festival, on sale in the official book store. And I was there, alongside… Continue reading My Edinburgh International Book Festival debut…
This morning, the Independent posted an article featuring the results of a poll to nominate the first "annual power list" of the fifty most influential women in British sport. It's an impressive list, featuring women who have worked hard to increase recognition of women in sport, such as the fabulous Anna Kessel, athletes such as the… Continue reading Top 50 influential Women in Sport (SCOTLAND)
Whilst I am a character in this story, it's not entirely my story to share. Consequently, I'll keep the most intimate details out of the written narrative. The story? My beautiful, strong and determined daughter Siobhán gave birth to her gorgeous son, Ruairí Daniel Connolly at 18:19pm on the 7th of July. I was with Siobhán and… Continue reading I witnessed a miracle.
Sadly, my maternal grandparents died before I was born. I never had the opportunity to meet them or to feel their presence. I look at photographs of people I have never met and softly touch their faces, wondering how we would have connected, what our memories would have been had they ever existed. My paternal… Continue reading Our digital lives, post life. How do we want to remember?
Margot McCuaig 