News & Media

Here you'll find the latest information on what's happening in the world of the Scottish Book Trust and much more, divided into five main sections:

• Scottish Book Trust headlines
• Media contact and press releases
• Scottish Book Trust national press coverage
• Book news and reviews from the UK press
• Noticeboard - external events and opportunities

Scottish Book Trust latest headlines

Scottish Book Trust Video and Audio Podcasts now available
You can subscribe to our video and audio podcasts now at scottishbooktrust.com/podcasts. Current features include a brand new Michael Rosen video and Neil Gaiman audio interview.
Click here to go to our Podcasts Page   

Andrew O'Hagan joins 42 Writers for Liberty
Scottish Book Trust patron Andrew O'Hagan has joined 41 other writers in support of Liberty's Charge or Release campaign, opposing the Government’s current proposals to extend pre-charge detention in terrorism cases from 28 to 42 days. Each writer has written a creative response to the question "What do you think of the proposed extension to 42 days?"
Click here to go to the 42 Writers for Liberty website

Arts & Business Award Winner!
Scottish Book Trust has won the Cultural Branding Award for the Jura Malt Whisky Writer Retreat at this year's Arts & Business Scotland Awards.

Scottish Book Trust CEO Marc Lambert said: “We are delighted to have won this award! At Scottish Book Trust we work hard at establishing productive, long-term relationships with the leading businesses who want to work with us in achieving our common aims of investing in the lives of the people of Scotland. The recognition of excellence that the Arts & Business Awards nominations represent is a vital means of significantly signalling our joint achievements in this field”.

We are also nominated for a UK Arts & Business Award, the winners of which will be announced on Monday 24 November. Fingers crossed!

Read Alexander McCall Smith's new novel online
Scottish Book Trust Patron and best-selling author Alexander McCall Smith has teamed up with The Telegraph website, who are publishing his new novel Corduroy Mansions in daily instalments online. Having already had success with his 44 Scotland Street stories in The Scotsman, McCall Smith is gladly returning to the serial novel format, and this time is keen for readers to influence the direction of the unfolding story. The completed novel will be published in hardback by Edinburgh publishers Polygon in July 2009.
Start reading Corduroy Mansions now  

Creative Writing Masterclass - The Complete Set
We've just published the fifth and final part of keith Gray's video podcast series, taking you from concept to redraft. Watch all five parts here. Now that the series is complete, we're also challenging you (if you're aged 12-16) to test your own writing skills. Enter our short story competition here.

On the Money
On Tuesday 27th of May, pupils from St Philomena’s Primary School delighted delegates, including John Swinney MSP, at the launch of the FISAB (Financial Services Advisory Board) annual report with their performance of No Change, one of the stories from On the Money. Read more about On The Money

Building bridges into China
The Scottish Book Trust reading book Beginning with Books proved an instrumental element of a recent trip to Jining by Scottish Government official Jim Smith. The early years reading book is printed in 14 languages, Mandarin being one of them. Read more and see pictures of the book in use here

Media Contact/Press releases

For all media enquiries, please contact Olivier Joly, Press & PR Officer on 0131 524 0168 or olivier.joly@scottishbooktrust.com

Press Releases

28 July 08 - Recipient of First Jura Malt Whisky New Writer Retreat Announced
24 April 08 - Royal Mail Awards shortlist announcement
14 April 08 - Jura Writers Retreat launch
30 Jan 08 - Scottish Book Trust re-launch
30 Jan 08 - Scottish Book Trust 2008 programme
30 Jan 08 - Scottish Book Trust Children's Festival

High resolution image downloads

Marc Lambert, Chief Executive, Scottish Book Trust
Scottish Book Trust official logo (colour)

Book news and Reviews

Our news and reviews page incorporates the latest stories from Guardian Books, BBC, The Scotsman, The Independent and The Times Literary Supplement. Click here to read more

Noticeboard

News for Writers
Find out about recent calls for submissions, writer-in-residence posts and other relevant news for writers in Scotland here.

Vacancies:

Events:

FOREST PUBLICATIONS are launching Stolen Stories, a new anthology

Never, ever trust a writer. One minute you’re pouring your heart out over Bacardi Breezers, the tale of you and him, or you and her, the tears, the anguish, the pain. Next thing you know it’s all over the papers, the hilarious and best-selling tale of some twit who resembles you in every way except they have black hair and better music taste. But this is what writers do. They steal, they take, they lie. We feel there is no shame in this, quite the opposite. In order to celebrate this fact we have complied an anthology of the finest stolen stories, a collection of 16 tales from both established and eager, new thieves, all of whom have been forced to confess the source of their thefts.

Featuring: Craig Bayne, Louis E. Bourgeois, Lindsay Bower, Ron Butlin, Regi Claire, Rusty Harris, Nick Holdstock, Alison Key, Alison Miller, Nicole Reid, Sarah Salway, Lauren Simpson, Jo Swingler, Lucille Valentine, Dinh Vong and Angus Woodward
www.theforest.org.uk/submit/stolen-stories/

Readings, Parties and Particulars:

Wednesday, November 19th at 8pm
The Golden Hour @ The Forest, 3 Bristo Place, Edinburgh - www.theforest.org.uk
A literary cabaret and boot kicking celebration of Forest Publication's latest release!
Featuring: Jo Swingler and Lindsay Bower

With live music from Chandra (perfectly crafted songs for the guitar and voice) and The Zorras (kicking their brand of "poetry-music fusion weirdness with megaphones and a wicked loop pedal)

Tuesday November 25th at 6.30pm
Word Power, 43-45 West Nicolson Street, Edinburgh - www.word-power.co.uk
Featuring: Craig Bayne, Alison Miller and Jo Swingler

Wednesday November 26th at  8pm
Mono, 103 King Street, Glasgow - http://www.myspace.com/monoglasgow
Featuring:  Craig Bayne , Alison Miller + others from the anthology!

Music from: Billy Liar - acoustic-punk, The Sea is Salt - dreamy folk songs with a dark twist and Withered Hand - honest, intense, eccentric, bittersweet and very wry anti-folk.

Thursday November 27th at 6.30 pm
Waterstones, 153-157 Sauchiehall St, Glasgow
Featuring: Alison Miller, Nick Holdstock + others from the collection and a little live music from Billy Liar!

Thursday November 27th at 7.30pm
Vital Synz
Sloans in Argyle Street, Glasgow
Featured Poet: Ron Butlin. Tickets (for non-subscribers) on the door will be £8 and £5.
www.vitalsynz.co.uk

Tuesday December 2nd at 6.30pm
Blackwells, 53-59 South Bridge, Edinburgh
Featuring: Lindsay Bower + More to be confirmed!