For the latest Scots Whay Hae! podcast - the second relating to this year's Paisley Book Festival - Ali spoke to writers Alan Bissett and Brian Conaghan, who will be at the festival alongside Graeme Armstrong as part of the Scottish Masculinities event - Sunday 28th April, 5-6pm.
Alan and Brian talk in detail about their latest books; Lads and Treacle Town respectively, and how they relate to the theme of masculinity. They also talk about the project where they have been involved with young people in Renfrewshire and Glasgow schools, the lessons they learned from their own experiences, the generational differences they have noticed, and the importance of conversation.
The three also discuss some of the novels which have helped shaped them, the work of Des Dillon, the impact of Graeme's novel The Young Team, and the importance of the culture which originates from towns on the national psyche. It's a cracking conversation which only scratches the surface of the subject, and which will hopefully whet appetites for Alan, Brian, and Graeme's event.
There's also a shameless plug for the festival event with writer Andrew O'Hagan where he will talk about his new novel Caledonian Road, and which Ali is chairing on Sunday 28th at 2.30pm.
Follow Paisley Book Festival on X (FKA Twitter), Facebook, Instagram.
If you aren’t yet a subscriber to the Scots Whay Hae! podcast you can do so, (or simply listen) at iTunes, on Podbean, with Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Or, if you want it right here, right now, you can listen on SoundCloud…
..or on YouTube…
Click here for our back catalogue of over 300 interviews with some of the most interesting names in and around Scottish culture.