Donald S Murray
Writer and poet Donald S Murray is an Honorary Fellow of the Association for Scottish Literature who has won the Society of Authors’ Paul Torday Memorial Prize (2012, for As the Women Lay Dreaming,) and the Callum Macdonald Memorial Award (2021), among many awards for his historical fiction, creative non-fiction and poems. His critically acclaimed books bring to life the culture and nature of the Scottish islands, and he appears regularly on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio Scotland and as a live performer.
In a Veil of Mist
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HISTORICAL FICTION BOOK OF THE MONTH, THE TIMES LONGLISTED FOR THE HIGHLAND BOOK PRIZE 2021 A poisoned breeze blows across the waves Operation Cauldron, 1952: Top-secret germ warfare experiments on monkeys and guinea pigs are taking place aboard a vessel moored off the Isle of Lewis. Local villagers Jessie and Duncan encounter strange sights on the deserted beach nearby and suspect the worst. And one government scientist wrestles with his own inner anguish over the testing, even if he believes extreme deterrent weapons are needed. When a noxious cloud of plague bacteria is released into the path of a passing trawler, disaster threatens. Will a deadly pandemic be inevitable? A haunting exploration of the costs and fallout of warmongering, Donald S Murray follows his prize-winning first novel with an equally moving exploration of another little-known incident in the Outer Hebridean island where he grew up.
REVIEWS OF In a Veil of Mist
“Where the book really scores is in Murray’s familiarity with … [the island] culture … a living community of varied characters with generations of history behind them, giving his story depth and solidity.” Herald
“A wonderfully evocative book … brought to the page … with consummate skill … We'd strongly recommend [it to] anyone looking for really strong and memorable fiction about Scotland … outstanding.” Undiscovered Scotland
"A well-written and well-crafted novel from an author at the height of his powers.” Eric Macintyre, Oban Times
“Human and relatable … beautifully depicting life in the Outer Hebrides. A gripping, intelligent and often humorous read.” Scottish Field
“Set in [Murray’s] native Lewis as firmly as the stones at Callanish … it is so credibly drawn that the book is almost a ticket to the island … it seems an even more impressive achievement than ever.” David Robinson, Books from Scotland
“Shows yet again how a good novel is capable of making you think and feel at the same time … a rich and sympathetic portrayal of island life in all its diversity … timely and compelling … a novel to savour.” Allan Massie, Scotsman
“Admirably atmospheric and engaging.” Scotsman
“A moving portrait of a place and its people … a quiet, sad but brilliant novel.” Antonia Senior, Times, Book of the Month in best historical fiction, March 2021. Read more
Stephen Moss
Stephen Moss is one of Britain’s leading nature writers, broadcasters and wildlife television producers, specialising in birds and British wildlife. A lifelong naturalist, he is passionate about communicating the wonders of the natural world to the widest possible audience. His TV credits include Springwatch and The Nature of Britain, the author of many books, and teaches MA students at Bath Spa University.
Skylarks with Rosie: A Somerset Spring
by Stephen Moss
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LONGLISTED: 2021 Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing
“It is a delight to share the company of such an upbeat wildlife guide.” Ben Hoare, BBC Countryfile
As spring arrives, Stephen Moss’s Somerset garden is awash with birdsong: chiffchaffs, wrens, robins and more. Overhead, buzzards soar, ravens tumble and the season gathers pace. But this equinox is unlike any other. As the nation goes into lockdown, Stephen records the wildlife around his home, with his fox-red Labrador, Rosie, by his side. When old routines fall away, and blue skies are no longer crisscrossed by contrails, they discover the bumblebees, butterflies and birdsong on their local patch. This evocative account underlines how a global crisis changed the way we relate to the natural world, giving us hope for the future. And it puts down a marker for a new normal: when, during that brief but unforgettable spring, nature gave us comfort, hope and joy.
Prizes and awards
LONGLISTED: 2021 Wainwright Prize for Nature Writing
REVIEWS OF Skylarks with Rosie: A Somerset Spring
“Touching and reminiscent … delightful … a must-read for all.” BBC Wildlife
“A great read.” John Miles, Birdwatching magazine
“Excellent … Exalting skylark song and orange-tip butterflies at a time of so much human suffering is a delicate balancing act … It is a delight to share the company of such an upbeat wildlife guide.” Ben Hoare, BBC Countryfile
“The uncoiling of a marvellous spring … a well-written and enjoyable book.” Mark Avery
“A beautiful memoir of life and wildlife from one of the UK’s finest nature writers.” Chris Packham
Mary Gunn
Mary Gunn is a doctor, mother and wife who has lived with cancer for 20 years. She has worked in Paediatric Oncology (childhood cancer), as a hospital doctor in poverty-stricken Malawi and as a rural GP in Britain. At the age of 44, Mary was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer and received full conventional treatment. After a remission of 13 years, she developed a major recurrence and opted for “gentle” treatment only. Six years later, she is still living with cancer.
Her book, Well, is a doctor’s journey through fear to freedom.
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Present times are indeed uncertain for us all, as global warming accelerates, and the world slowly emerges from a Covid-19 pandemic. In such times it is natural to feel fear for ourselves, for our loved ones, for our planet. So, how do we learn to live freely and respond to such challenges?
When Dr Mary Gunn was diagnosed with cancer, her first reaction was fear, and to fight the disease aggressively for the sake of not only herself but her young children and husband. But when it came back – and turned out to be incurable – she knew that she couldn’t live the rest of her life in fear. After many dark nights of the soul when terror kept her awake, Mary learned to embrace a new approach to life: to accept all the joy and sorrow, safety and danger, certainty and unpredictability… in essence, to live freely.
Dr Mary Gunn’s remarkable memoir offers mindfulness tools for resilience, and shows how we can all use acceptance, compassion and love to live courageously, magnificently. Backed up by many years of experience, her story will help you find personal stability within the surrounding instability and newly courageous ways of responding to evolving situations both personal and global.
REVIEWS OF Well (Revised edition)
“This book is valuable for anyone from cancer patient to healthcare professional or someone looking to escape fear and find meaning in life.” Rosie Morrison, Marie Curie hospice nurse
"Will give inspiration and encouragement to many.” Lama Yeshe Rinpoche Abbot of Samye Ling Tibetan Buddhist monastery, Eskdalemuir
“A very personal story … [Gunn] shares her transformation from fear to connection and joy and gives insight into how each of us can do so as well. Insightful and profound.” James R. Doty, M.D., Professor of Neurosurgery, Director, Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, Stanford University
“A poignant yet heart-warming account of a journey – at times over very challenging terrain – told with honesty, humour, and wisdom … Profound, selfless, and uplifting, this book … [is] not only a must-read for doctors and health care professionals, [but] for anyone who wants to live well.” Stewart Mercer, Professor of Primary Care Research, University of Glasgow
“An insightful, compassionate account of living WELL in the shadow of death; a book for everyone by an inspiring woman.” Professor Liz Grant, Director of the Global Health Academy, University of Edinburgh
“[Well] will surely be helpful to anybody with a serious illness or, indeed, anybody affected by chronic fear.” Richard Smith, British Medical Journal
Jill Hopper
Jill Hopper has a background in newspaper journalism and magazine editing. A member of writers’ collective 26 Characters, she lives in London with her husband and son. The Mahogany Pod is her first book.
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“A work of literature: beautifully written, meticulously structured and heart-rending.” Observer
What if you knew from the beginning how your relationship was going to end?
When Jill Hopper first met Arif, they were living in a shared house on the island of Osney in the River Thames. Surrounded by willow trees, birds and reflections, it was an idyllic home. But no sooner had they begun to fall in love than Arif was given the news that he had only a few months to live. Everyone told Jill to walk away, but she was already in too deep. Years later, Jill rediscovers Arif ’s parting gift – an African seedpod – and finally sets out to trace the elusive patterns that shaped their relationship. The Mahogany Pod is a tender and vital account of what it means to live, and love, fully.
REVIEWS OF The Mahogany Pod
‘What I love about this affecting and beautifully written memoir is how it examines the long tail of grief, and how bereavement can last a lifetime, even when in the eyes of the world, you have “moved on”.’ The Bookseller, Editor’s Choice
“Seeds from which love bloomed … holding them now, she feels them glow with promise.” Helen Brown, Daily Mail
"Touching and unexpectedly timely…an uplifting story of embracing love no matter how dark the circumstances." Dan Townend, Daily Express
“Gorgeous … her narrative packs a world of feeling within it, rendering a poignant look at how love can unfold even amid immense loss.” Publishers Weekly, starred review
“A work of literature: beautifully written, meticulously structured and heart-rending.” Kate Kellaway, Observer
“Affecting and beautifully written.” – The Bookseller, Editor’s Choice
"A searingly beautiful memoir of love and loss, grief and joy. Jill captures the seeds of the ending contained within every beginning and the beginnings contained within each end." – Wyl Menmuir, Booker Prize-nominated author of The Many
“The Mahogany Pod is a beautiful exploration of love, loss and the grieving process. It is a compassionate, heartbreaking, and uplifting description of love. Spellbinding.” – Catherine Simpson, author of When I Had a Little Sister
“A deeply moving and compelling read … a powerful tribute to human resilience.” – Frances Hedges, Deputy Editor Harper’s Bazaar
“A rich and tender book… a testament to the power and beauty of love.” – Horatio Clare
J.A. Mensah
J.A. Mensah is a writer of prose and theatre and a Lecturer in English and Creative Writing at the University of York. Castles from Cobwebs, her first novel, won the inaugural NorthBound Book Award (for a full length work of literary fiction or non-fiction by writers based in the North of England) in 2019. It was longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize 2021 and nominated for the 35th annual Chambéry Festival du Premier Roman (2022).
Her plays have focused on human rights narratives and the testimonies of survivors. Her work has appeared in several collections, including Test Signal, an anthology of the best contemporary northern writing, published by Bloomsbury in 2021.
Read J.A. Mensah’s interview with New Writing North here.
Castles from Cobwebs
by J.A. Mensah
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LONGLISTED: Desmond Elliott Prize 2021
Winner of the NORTHBOUND BOOK AWARD
‘I absolutely love this book.’ – Yvonne Battle-Felton
I’d always known that I was Brown. Black was different though; it came announced. Black came with expectations, of rhythm and other things that might trip me up.
Imani is a foundling. Rescued as a baby and raised by nuns on a remote Northumbrian island, she grows up with an ever increasing feeling of displacement. Full of questions, Imani turns to her shadow, Amarie, and her friend, Harold. When Harold can’t find the answers, she puts it down to what the nuns call her “greater purpose”.
At nineteen, Imani answers a phone call that will change her life: she is called to Accra after the sudden death of her biological mother.
Past, present, faith and reality are spun together in this enthralling debut. Following her transition from innocence to understanding, Imani’s experience illuminates the stories we all tell to make ourselves whole.
Prizes and awards
Winner: NorthBound Book Award 2019
REVIEWS OF Castles from Cobwebs
“Mensah doesn’t shy away from tough subjects … a well-crafted debut … an extraordinary literary talent and … a thoroughly recommended read.” Emma Yates-Badley, Northern Soul
“[An] extraordinary debut … changes with every reading, like the sea, deep and light, or the flicker of spidersilk … a book to be cherished and shared.” Vahni Capildeo
“Mensah’s prose is gorgeous and lyrical, conjuring crystalline images … Strong women abound … Mensah’s storytelling skills make for an atmospheric, poignant, and bold novel that explores uncharted territory.” Foreword Reviews
'Lyrical and magical … a powerful and very readable novel.' Louise Maskill
‘A compelling exploration of memory, race, mothers and the fractured self, Mensah questions the frameworks through which we understand the world and interrogates how to put disparate parts of our identities together to become the most true version of ourselves.' – Jessica Andrews, author of Saltwater, winner of the Portico Prize 2020
‘[I was] gripped by Castles from Cobwebs from the first page – with its arresting opening, lyricism, and unconventional narration. There are moments of real beauty and clarity in the prose, especially around race, a subject handled skilfully and thoughtful by the author. There is something real, powerful, and unique in this debut.’ Chitra Ramaswamy
‘From start to finish, I was spellbound by the characters (especially Imani), the narrative voice, and the vivid imagery. Mensah intricately weaves complex characters, vivid descriptions, universal topics of love, loss, identity, religion, with themes like the search for a place to belong, into a well spun tapestry, a mind-spinning tale, a heart-pounding novel – and I'm hooked. I absolutely love this book.’ – Yvonne Battle-Felton, author of Remembered, longlisted for the Women’s Prize 2019
Donald S Murray
Writer and poet Donald S Murray is an Honorary Fellow of the Association for Scottish Literature who has won the Society of Authors’ Paul Torday Memorial Prize (2012, for As the Women Lay Dreaming,) and the Callum Macdonald Memorial Award (2021), among many awards for his historical fiction, creative non-fiction and poems. His critically acclaimed books bring to life the culture and nature of the Scottish islands, and he appears regularly on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio Scotland and as a live performer.
The Man Who Talks To Birds
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Donald S Murray is widely commended for his empathy and ability to convey emotion with restraint and poignancy. In this short collection of poems written during lockdown at his Shetland home, Murray explores the changing realities of the island and how he, in turn, has been changed.
On his daily walks through the village, Murray finds himself noting shifts in the wind and weather, the imperceptible widening of the sea, and the way time has slowed – recognising, too, the patterns of flight and migration around Shetland.
With beautiful imagery and lyricism, The Man Who Talks to Birds taps into a deep connection with nature, and its ability to ground us – something many of us have rediscovered during our troubled recent times.
R.M. Murray
R.M. Murray is Head of Visual Art & Literature at An Lanntair arts centre in Stornoway, on the Isle of Lewis. Having grown up on Lewis, he studied in Aberdeen and then at the Glasgow School of Art – where he was in a punk band with Peter Capaldi and Craig Ferguson – before returning to Stornoway. He is the author of Bleak.
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SCOTLAND’S NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS: Best First Book of the Year 2021 R.M. Murray has a story. Quite a few of them. Of seasickness, hangovers, the wrong kind of weather. Of the joy of woe, and disappointments fairy-lit with hope. From fishing in the endless rain on the Isle of Lewis to performing in a band with Peter Capaldi and Craig Ferguson at Glasgow School of Art. A stargazer, looking through the wrong end of the telescope. This is a memoir… of sorts. A join-the-dots journey through a life. A series of vignettes and minor personal fables, sardonic and self-deprecating. If it were a wine it would be very dry with an insolent nose and a desperate finish. Complex but approachable. And affordable.
Prizes and awards
SCOTLAND'S NATIONAL BOOK AWARDS: First Book of the Year
REVIEWS OF Bleak
“Unlike any memoir I have read before. and I mean that entirely as a compliment.” Dundee Courier
“Candid, relatable and astoundingly funny.” Nicole Gemine, Dundee University Review of the Arts
“An unfiltered and unapologetic tale … Roddy Murray has done it all.” The Scots Magazine
“An award-winning book which is one of the best you will read in this or any other bleak midwinter.” West Highland Free Press
“Threaded with glints of laughter … fresh and appealing, full of a rich tongue-in-cheek humour, an absurd view of the world.” Stornoway Gazette
"A heartwarming trip through the ruins of youthful delusion, much of which I don’t remember." Peter Capaldi
"The moors, a hamster perishing from hypothermia, the drinking habits of Glaswegian punks, the fascination with boxing, a sheep in a house, the outdoorsy tramping....the subjects are indeed bleak. But the writing is animated, curious, precise and horribly candid. Not bleak. Nor are the many incidental digressions and the constant wryness. Invigorating as a gallon of Lanliq with an Eldorado chaser." Jonathan Meades
“Here we have the trampings of a slight Chaplinesque figure whose fickle fate seldom tires of tripping him up.” Finlay MacLeod
Chris Dolan
Award-winning novelist, scriptwriter, playwright and lecturer Chris Dolan was born in Glasgow, where he lives and works today. A former International Consultant for UNESCO, he has had a lifelong fascination with Spain. His numerous writing awards include the McKitterick Prize for his first novel, Ascension Day, the Macallan/Scotland on Sunday Short Story Prize, the Robert Louis Stevenson Memorial Award and a shortlisting for a Saltire Society literary award.
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How would any of us feel if we could meet our teenage selves, a ghost on the road?
Everything Passes, Everything Remains is a confluence of journeys, made by Chris Dolan, his friends, and writers before him. It’s a bit about cycling, a bit about walking, and a bit about buses. It’s a kind of travelogue, over time, and through some lesser-known parts of Spain.
It’s an obsession with Spain’s writers and its history, from the Inquisition to the Civil War to the questions it faces as a country today. What makes a nation, or a family for that matter, or a group of friends? In many ways it’s as much about Dolan’s native Scotland as Spain.
But mostly, it’s about the highs and lows of growing up and growing older – how the past plays merry hell with the present. About friendship, loss, music, memory, and the demons that follow us as we try to make sense of our history and our place in the world.
REVIEWS OF Everything Passes, Everything Remains
“Wonderfully life-affirming … features close observation of landscape … reflections on friendship and memory, history, politics and the messy, painful, joyful business of being human.” Jamie Jauncey
‘You can be gallus enough to busk across Spain but your demons and weaknesses still come with you … Chris Dolan celebrates the power of cycling to link his friendships, music and the Iberian ways of life.’ Alan Brown
‘Brilliantly relatable, a personal journey shared candidly.’ Mark Beaumont
‘Proof of the healing power of friendship … thoughtful, hopeful and beautifully written.’ Colin Blane
‘A treat from start to finish … To those who love life, read this book.’ David Hayman
‘... a rich, evocative ramble through Spain, history and memory. It’s a constant delight.’ Graeme Macrae Burnet
‘Magical. A story for our times and what it is to be alive now.’ Elaine C Smith
Steve Leach
Steve Leach grew up in Stockport and has lived in a number of towns and cities, mainly in the North of England, whilst pursuing a career in education. In all the places he’s lived and worked, football has provided a common thread. He’s spent many a windswept Saturday afternoon on terraces from Barrow to Birmingham, Liverpool to Leyton.
Twenty Football Towns
by Steve Leach
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Meat-and-potato pies, quirky club mascots, standing room paddocks and hyperlocal sponsors… at every local club, there is much more about ‘going to the match’ than the match itself.
In our world of global superstar footballers, it’s easy to forget the grassroots of a sport where loyalty to a hometown club is often rock solid – and counts for everything. Even as local communities come under threat, football fandom still pulls us together. But why is this? What is the special magic that connects towns and teams?
For many of us, the local club offers it all: passion, hope, heartache, drama. And a sense of belonging. The town where we grew up and all the places we’ve lived are the bedrock of our lives, and memories of seeing the local team play are inextricably intertwined with our sense of place and identity.
Steve Leach spends a year visiting the twenty towns and clubs that are special to him. He celebrates the distinctiveness of these places, the fascinating differences between Lincoln and Leyton, Barrow and Birmingham, Macclesfield and Morecambe – towns and teams that may not be glamorous, but they are unique and, more importantly, they are home.
REVIEWS OF Twenty Football Towns
“A fabulous book … quirky and witty … as addictive as football itself.” Michael Crick
"A knowledgeable, funny companion, spelling out how footballing places encourage shared identities and experiences." Cumbria Life, Book of the Month.
Roy Dennis
Roy Dennis MBE is one of the UK’s most prominent field naturalists. His approach to wildlife and conservation stems from years of experience working in the field, from climbing trees to ring osprey chicks to handling lynx kittens in Norway – and wanting to smuggle them back to Scotland. He has unparalleled expertise as a field naturalist, having worked in conservation, rare species tracking and reintroductions and directed projects for the RSPB and other organisations. He has made documentaries and been a presenter on Autumnwatch and Springwatch. His Wildlife Foundation of 25 years’ standing is internationally recognised for its work in conservation and wildlife protection.
He is the author of Cottongrass Summer (2020) and Mistletoe Winter (2021).
Cottongrass Summer
by Roy Dennis
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A collection of vibrant essays to inform, stimulate and inspire every nature lover.
Through unparalleled expertise as a field naturalist, Roy Dennis is able to write about the natural world in a way that considers both the problems and the progress in ecology and conservation. Beginning with cottongrass, whose snow-white blooms blow gently in the wind across the wetter moors and bogs, this is a year-round trove of insight and knowledge for anyone who cares about the natural world – from birdsong and biodiversity to sphagnum and species reintroduction.
Written by one of our most prominent advocates for rewilding, the essays have a clear message: “Never give up on trying to conserve and restore wildlife and the wild places you cherish. It’s essential to try and to succeed. And remember, it’s never ‘if’, but ‘when’ – and with climate chaos closing in, the time is now.”
REVIEWS OF Cottongrass Summer
‘Essential reading for those with an interest in restoring our landscapes to some of their former glory.’ Paul Cheney
“A pleasure to read … concise yet never terse … This book should become a classic.” John Law, Scottish Birds
“Fine and very enjoyable … packed with a wisdom that only comes from lifelong experience.” Stephen Moss, Round-up of best nature books of 2020
“I can’t think of a more important book that’s been written about British wildlife in the past 20 years … Roy Dennis [is] the UK’s pre-eminent conservationist of the past half century … he writes with such conviction, clarity, insight, depth and purpose. He understands better than anyone how times have changed … In just a sentence or two, he cuts to the quick … If you read any book about the environment this year, read this.” James Fair, naturalist, in Countryfile’s Best Nature Books of 2020
“Reminds me strongly of Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac, which is a classic of the ecological literature, and I can think of no better comparison to give you an idea of its content and of this book’s quality and worth … It is a book of ideas; ideas about how the future should be, but rooted in the present and with knowledge of the past.” Mark Avery
“The wonderful, insightful and eclectic musings from a lifetime watching wildlife, by one of Britain’s greatest conservationists.” Mike Dilger
"Roy is not just a brilliant conservationist but a superb naturalist too … These beautiful essays are also positive and pragmatic about the future … absolutely joyous." Chris Packham
"This is a cracking book full of beautifully descriptive prose and thought-provoking sentiments by a man who, more than anyone else, has been there, done that and got the ‘T’-shirt." Iolo Williams
"In an exhilarating roundelay of profoundly questioning essays, Roy Dennis has revealed a lifetime in nature conservation, while also delivering a sparkling vision for an ecologically sustainable Highlands, the country and the planet. This little book is a testament to a rare and redeeming curiosity; we must all learn from the deep wisdom of experience." Sir John Lister-Kaye OBE
