For the latest SWH! podcast Ali spoke to Young Adult author Ross Sayers about his latest novel Daisy on the Outer Line, as well as his previous work Mary’s the Name and Sonny and Me (all published by the YA publisher Cranachan). Ross is one of our favourite writers, and there are none better writing in the field of YA fiction today. It’s a fascinating conversation about finding the voice, language, getting “into character”, being defensive of those characters, the challenges

It’s hugely heartening that Young Adult fiction is alive and well and flourishing in Scotland, with recent examples, including Helen MacKinven’s Talk Of The Toun, Claire McFall’s Ferryman, Daniel Shand’s Crocodile, Moira McPartlin’s Star Of Hope and Ross Sayers’ Mary’s The Name, among the very best. The latest, published by champions of the genre, Cranachan, is Ross Sayers’ follow up to Mary’s The Name, Sonny And Me and the bottom line is it’s simply a fantastic read no matte

There are not many things better than a book which completely subverts expectations and takes you places unexpected. Few have done so with as much vigour and brio as Triona Scully’s novel Nailing Jess. Knowing nothing about it beforehand, I had guessed from the cover and the promise of “The Most Shocking Book You’ll Read This Year” that this was going to be crime fiction with more than a dash of slash. What I got was something far more interesting than that, and one of the mo

Kieron Smith, boy, Anne Donovan’s Buddha Da, Alan Bissett’s The Incredible Adam Spark, Des Dillon’s Me & Ma Gal, and Helen MacKinven’s Talk Of The Toun. To those we can add Ross Sayers’ debut Mary’s The Name. Mary is an orphan who lives with Granpa, two people whose lives are going along with the usual trials and tribulations until an unfortunate event occurs which will change both of them forever. Granpa works in the local bookies and both he and Mary are under threat when t