Book Week Scotland 2021
This Book Week Scotland, I led a creative writing workshop at Blackness Library in Dundee with members of the public. We focused on the theme of childhood and participants worked very hard during the event to remember occasions from their own lives that would inspire fiction. We enjoyed Book Week Scotland cakes, and some participants were brave enough to share their writing aloud. Thanks so much to everyone who attended and to Dundee Libraries for facilitating the event.
North East Scotland College
In November, I led an online writing workshop for North East Scotland College. We focused on Alan Sillitoe’s short story, On Saturday Afternoon. Participants used themes from this story to explore how to write their own. Thanks so much to Jill Reid, Information Services Manager at North East Scotland College, for inviting me to lead this event.
I’ll be reading from my writing in Scots at the Scots Language Awards this year at the Gardyne Theatre in Dundee, tickets for this event can be bought here. I’m also very grateful to have been nominated Scots Writer o the Year 2021, if you would like to take the time to vote for any of the awardees you can find out more about them and VOTE HERE
Scotland After the Virus
I’m very grateful to have my short story Blue Reflectin included in this wonderful collection of stories, poems and essays in response to the COVID pandemic, edited by Gerry Hassan and Simon Barrow and published by Luath Press. You can find more information on the book, and purchase your copy here .
Scots Hoose
My writing was recently commissioned by Scots Hoose, an online language and literature resource for Scots language. You can read my short story ‘An Alien Feeling’ on the website as part of their secondary school education resources. Many thanks to Matthew Fitt for his encouragement, and the amazing support he is giving to new writing in Scots. Follow the link below to read the story: http://scotsinschools.co.uk/litsecondary.html
Cove Park, Scottish Emerging Writer Residency
I am delighted to have been awarded one of Cove Park’s Scottish Emerging Writer Residencies for 2019. I’m looking forward to spending time writing in the artists residency centre overlooking Loch Long and The Firth of Clyde. Many thanks to Cove Park for the wonderful opportunity. For more information on their residencies visit: Cove Park
Thelma and Louise, Bitch on Soundcloud
You can now listen to an audio version of my personal story, Thelma and Louise, Bitch here. The Scottish Book Trust have asked writers involved in this public writing campaign to record their own stories, so there are plenty of bedtime tales of rebellion to listen to on their website. Thank you for putting it all together Scottish Book Trust, and for such an inspiring campaign!
Perfectly Real, and Imagined
To celebrate International Women’s Day this year, I wrote a blog for Creative Dundee exploring the creative process. You can read the blog here, as well as many other interesting blogs and features on all things creative in Dundee. Thanks for inviting me to write this piece Creative Dundee!
#AneYinWan
I was recently commissioned by Scottish Book Trust to write a blog to help celebrate Scots language for International Mother Language Day. For a limited time you can read the Scots language blogs on the Scottish Book Trust website.
Dostoyevsky Wannabe Dundee
This summer my short story, ‘Gisilberht and Jorge Visit the Wellgate Centre, Dundee’ will be included in Dostoyevsky Wannabe Cities: Dundee, edited by James Barrowman of Amplify Dundee. It’s part of a series of books published by indie imprint Dostoyevsky Wannabe. I’m excited to be part of a project that embraces local culture, while challenging writers and readers to push boundaries and explore new ideas about the places they live.
Being Human Festival – photos and fun
In November I ran a workshop in Central Library’s Local History Department, organised by Erin Farley and Dundee University as part of Dundee’s Being Human Festival. We had lots of fun exploring the theme of the outsider in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and I would like to thank all the participants for their enthusiasm and creative energy. Thanks also to Jennifer and Erin from Dundee Libraries for their awesome performance at the beginning of the workshop. And special thanks to Frankenstein’s Monster, for the cocktail and the chat!
Scottish Book Trust Parliament Reception
As part of Scottish Book Trust’s Parliament Reception, Spotlight on Writing which highlights the charity’s work, I recently had the honour to read from my writing in Scots at the Scottish Parliament. It was wonderful to hear from MSP Joan McAlpine, SBT’s Marc Lambert and Caitrin Armstrong, poet Michael Pedersen, novelist Catherine Simpson, and the incredibly brave young writers from What’s Your Story, Scottish Book Trust’s writing programme for teens. Thank you Scottish Book Trust, for nurturing a generation of writers and readers in Scotland.
Thelma and Louise, Bitch included in Rebel
I was commissioned by the Scottish Book Trust to write a story in Scots for this years public writing campaign. Thelma and Louise, Bitch is included in the print copy of the book, Rebel and you can now order free copies of Rebel to give away
The book has been created as a gift for Scotland for Book Week Scotland and will be distributed across the country during Book Week Scotland, which takes place from Monday 19 – Sunday 25 November 2018.
Courier Feature
Thanks so much to Caroline Lindsay at DC Thomson’s Courier Weekend Magazine who did a feature on my short story The Way I Breathed which is included in Pin Drop’s Anthology, A Short Affair edited by Simon Oldfield. You can read the Courier feature here and you can find out more about A Short Affair here
Thanks also to photographer Kris Miller, and Jonathan Stewart and staff at the Speedwell Bar (Mennie’s) Dundee.
City Of Culture: The Scots Whay Hae! Podcast Visits Dundee…
Scots Whay Hae podcast’s Ali Braidwood visited Dundee and invited me to talk about creative and cultural happenings in our city, alongside co-founding director of Creative Dundee Gillian Easson, and AMC’s ‘The Terror’ actor Gordon Morris. You can listen to the podcast here: Scots Whay Hae in Dundee
Monocle 24 – Robert Bound discusses A Short Affair with Simon Oldfield, Ben Okri & Jessy Jetpacks
A Short Affair launched on the 11th of July and is available from all good book stores, it includes my short story, The Way I Breathed, alongside stories from A.L Kennedy, Will Self, Ben Okri. You can listen to a podcast about the book here: A Short Affair on Monocle 24
A Short Affair
My story, The Way I Breathed set in the Perth Road Pubs of Dundee will be part of, A Short Affair – a new collection of stories from Pin Drop, published by Scribner, 12th July 2018.
‘A dazzling anthology uniting the written word with the visual’ STEPHEN FRY
‘A Short Affair is a vibrant anthology that combines the best of original short fiction with remarkable work by contemporary artists from the Royal Academy Schools.
In this visually stunning collection from Pin Drop, the renowned short fiction and arts studio, Simon Oldfield brings together eighteen original short stories by giants of the form, alongside exciting new voices from the prestigious annual Pin Drop Short Story Award. With a foreword by Tim Marlow, Artistic Director of the Royal Academy of Arts, each story is accompanied by a unique artwork.’
A Short Affair details Simon and Schuster
Scottish Book Trust, Rebel
The Scottish Book Trust recently commissioned me to write a story about what the word ‘Rebel’ means to me, in the hope that this story might inspire other people to write and share their own. Why not try writing your own Rebel story for this project? (Write for Rebel) Your piece can be a story, a poem, a letter – whatever you like. And you can click on this link to hear my Rebel story: Thelma and Louise, Bitch
Frankenstein’s Legacy: Who Are You Calling Monster?
In 1818, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein created a monster. Now, to celebrate the novel’s 200-year anniversary, three writers from Scottish Book Trust’s New Writers Awards programme have been commissioned to create new stories and poems inspired by this landmark work. Join us for a discussion of Frankenstein and to hear Anna Stewart, Robert McGinty and Molly Vogel read from their own takes on The Modern Prometheus as we look at the role of science and technology in creating and controlling human life, consider the wonder, diversity and potential of life and – in the case of Victor Frankenstein – the potential consequences when the act of creation goes awry!
Presented by Scottish Book Trust
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