For the latest podcast Ali caught up with writer and performer Alan Bissett, who was one of our earliest podcast guests back in 2011. That was the year of his last novel Pack Men (the SWH! review of which you can still read here) and the two catch up to talk about his first book of published prose since, the novella Lazy Susan. They discuss the character of Susie ‘Q’ Martin, the return to writing fiction, the novella as a format, the book’s inventive structure, the relationsh

It is widely accepted that the arts and culture have never been as important in people’s lives as they are at the moment. Whether it’s the constant comfort of a favourite album, binge-watching TV series old and new, joining others online to watch pre-recorded festivals or live performances streamed from artists’ homes, or simply losing yourself in books, the need for escape to other worlds and mental spaces has never been as profound. The return of Alan Bissett to writing pro

For our Best Books of 2019 podcast Ali was once again joined by Publishing Scotland’s Vikki Reilly to have a chat about their year in books. As well as discussing in detail their personal favourites they look at the writers who have left their mark, awards and award winners, festivals old and new, the healthy state of Scottish poetry, the continuing prosperity of crime fiction, what’s happening in the publishing world, the prevailing trends and themes of 2019, what to look fo