In the latest podcast we look at the life and work of Muriel Spark with our guest Dr Colin McIlroy who is the Muriel Spark Project Curator at the National Library of Scotland, and who was instrumental in their recent The International Style of Muriel Spark Exhibition.
This year is the centenary of the birth of Spark, and the exhibition was just part of
the
#MurielSpark100 celebrations which are ongoing throughout 2018. Colin tells us all about the exhibition, before he and Ali talk about the novels, Spark’s unconventional life, her other writing, and so much more.
If you are a newcomer to Muriel Spark, or think that she begins and ends with The Prime Of Miss Jean Brodie, this is the perfect podcast to persuade you to investigate further. Even if you are already a fan you’re bound to find something new to interest you.
If you want to keep up to date with all the events which are part of the Muriel Spark centenary celebrations then go to the Muriel Spark 100 website which has all the details you need, as well as how you can get involved. You can also keep in touch with them on Twitter and Facebook.
As mentioned on the podcast, all 22 of Muriel Spark’s novels are being published by Polygon Books, with new introductions by some of Scotland’s best-known writers, from Allan Massie (The Comforters) to Jackie Kay (The Finishing School). You can also find Alan Taylor’s Appointment In Arezzo which we also discuss.
If you are new round these parts there is quite a substantial back catalogue of podcasts for you to discover. If you aren’t yet a subscriber you can do so, (or simply listen) at iTunes or by RSS (but you’ll need to have an RSS reader to do so). You can also download the podcast by clicking on the relevant link to the right of this post, or, if you want it right here, right now, you can listen on SoundCloud…
..or on YouTube:
We’ll be back with you before you know it…
*The picture Ali is holding is part of Glasgow artist Colin Johnston’s series of Scottish writers meet Aladdin Sane, (also including Scott, Stevenson and Burns – below) and they can be bought exclusively from The Braemar Gallery.
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