For the latest SWH! podcast Ali caught up with Scott Hames, who lectures in Scottish Literature at the University of Stirling. The reason was to talk about Scott’s fascinating book The Literary Politics of Scottish Devolution, and look in some detail at the themes and ideas he addresses. The book’s subtitle is ‘Voice, Class, Nation’ and Scott sets out the relationship between the three. As much a historical text as it is political and critical, Scott details the events, peopl

Today (20/2/20) sees the start of the inaugural Paisley Book Festival, which runs until Saturday 29th Feb. With the theme of ‘Radical Voices and Rebel Stories’, the programme is carefully curated to offer a wide range of events, with something for everyone. Taking place in various venues across town, and riding the cultural wave created by Paisley’s bid for UK City of Culture, this seems the perfect time and place for such a festival – one which looks to celebrate voices and

“January, sick and tired you’ve been hanging on me”, as Pilot sang back in 1974 – a genius lyric which just about says it all. But never fear as, appropriately, it’s music which is going to chase away the new year funk and January blues. This year we are spoiled with 432 Presents‘ excellent First Footing Showcases, and, from the 16th Jan – 2nd Feb, Celtic Connections, one of the world’s great music festivals, gets underway with another line-up which mixes and matches the loca