Last Year's Speakers
Bernard MacLaverty
(born September 14, 1942 in Belfast) has published five collections of short stories, (the latest is 'Matters of Life & Death' ) and four novels. He has written versions of his fiction for other media - radio plays, television plays, screenplays and recently a libretto. He is a member of Aosdana in Ireland.
Rab Wilson
was born in the Ayrshire village of New Cumnock on 1st September 1960. He attended school at New Cumnock and Cumnock. On leaving secondary he completed an engineering apprenticeship with the National Coal Board and worked at the Barony Colliery, Auchinleck for eight years. Following the Miner's Strike of 1984, and the subsequent closure of the Pits, he left the mining industry and trained as a Staff Nurse with the NHS at Crichton Royal Hospital, Dumfries.
He then worked as a nurse at Ailsa Hospital, Ayr, latterly in the Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit, until leaving in late 2007 to take up a writing sabbatical. He lives near the village of New Cumnock, Ayrshire, with his wife Margaret and daughter Rachel.
Rab has been writing poetry for most of his adult life and in recent years has begun to be recognised by the Scottish literary establishment as an emerging new talent. His major work to date is his 'owersettin', in Scots, of the famous medieval Persian work 'The Ruba'iyat of Omar Khayyam'. The late Prof. Philip Hobsbaum (ex chair of English Literature, Glasgow University) has described this work as 'an astonishing feat!' It has also garnered praise from luminaries such as Edwin Morgan, Prof. Douglas Gifford and Prof. Wille Maley. This work was published in book form by 'Luath Press' of Edinburgh, and was launched at the Wigtown International Bookfair in May 2004. Wigtown Booktown Company, as part of their promotions for the bookfair, had a version of Rab's 'Omar Khayyam' made which is currently the biggest poetry book in the world, measuring 10ft X 4ft!!. His work has appeared regularly in some of the leading Scots poetry magazines (Lallans, The Dark Horse, Chapman) and newspapers (The Herald's 'poem of the day' column, Independent on Sunday, Scotland On Sunday). Extracts from his 'owersettins' of the Roman poet Horace's First Book of Satires, have been published by Scotlands leading cultural publication 'Chapman' Magazine.
In 2003 he edited and produced a book of the late Sanquhar poet Tom Johnston's collected works, which was very well received locally. Following on from the publication of this book Rab has initiated and run an annual poetry writing competition in local schools, 'The Tom Johnston Poetry Prize' - and has also given poetry workshop classes to pupils. In 2005 he collaborated in Upper Nithsdale with a local charity, Building Healthy Communities, to produce a book of schoolchildren's poetry entitled 'Poems tae Keep', encouraging local schollchildren to 'embrace the muse' and try their hand at writing poetry. Rab was one of the recipients of the McCash Poetry Prize in 2003 and 2004, Scotlands premier poetry competition, run annually by the Herald newspaper and Glasgow University.
In October 2005 he delivered the annual 'William Soutar Lecture' at A.K. Bell library in Perth, as part of Perth and Kinross's 'The Word's Out Festival'. He was compere at the Scots language Society's first ever 'Sangschaw' event, held at Melrose in October 2005.
He is an active supporter and advocate of Scots language, he sits on the committee of the Scots Language centre at AK Bell Library in Perth, and regularly attends the Cross Party Group on Scots at the Holyrood parliament.
In 2005 he was chosen as part of the Scottish Poetry Library's Poetry Link Scheme, being paired up with the MSP and Justice Minister Cathy Jamieson, and wrote three new poems, one of which was published in the Herald, the others being posted on the SPL's web-site.
His first major collection of poetry, 'Accent o the mind', was launched in Spring 2006, again published by Luath Press of Edinburgh, at Scotland's leading poetry festival StAnza, held at St Andrews, in March 2006. This book was very well received and was described in Scotland On Sunday as containing 'poetry to rival the best published in Scotland, or written by a Scot, in the past 30 years'.
He has also written a new play, commissioned by Dumfries and Galloway Arts Association and the Scottish Arts Council, this is a contemporary re-working/imagining of Robert Burns 'The Jolly Beggars'
Rab has appeared on the fringe at Edinburgh Festival and has been a featured poet at the 'Robert Burns International Festival' in Ayr. He also appears regularly at the Wigtown Literary Festival, one of Scotland's premier literary events, and in 2004 was the first 'Laureate of the Festival'. He has featured as a speaker at the Scots Language Society's Annual Conference. He is 'kenspeckle' figure on the Ayrshire 'Robert Burns' scene and is well known as an after dinner speaker, reciter and singer of the Bard's works.
He is an innovative user of new technology and has completed a video film of a new sonnet sequence that he has written, entitled 'Cormilligan' - written in Sonnet Redouble form and recording an episode of the Lowland Victorian diaspora as seen through the eyes of an actual Dumfriesshire family and based on true historical events. He has completed a CD Rom of poems and images relating to the passing of Scotland's deep mining industry, entitled 'Poems n' Pits', creating an important social and cultural document of part of Scotland's industrial heritage which has all but disappeared during the last ten years.
In 2007 he was made 'Poet Partner' for Paisley University Craigie Campus, Ayr - a joint venture set up by the University and the Scottish Poetry Library. This post runs until Spring, 2008. Part of this venture entails the making of an hour long film documentary about coal-mining in South West Scotland, with the award winning film maker Tony Grace, that will see Rab compose a new set of poems to accompany the film.
His play, 'Beggars' (see above) was runner-up in the McLellan Award 2007
On 5th November 2007 he took up post as 'Robert Burns Writing Fellow - in Reading Scots', a new post created by Dumfries and Galloway Arts Association and the Scottish Arts Council.
He has just completed a new collection of poetry, titled 'Life Sentence', that will be published by Luath Press in late 2008.
He has also recently compiled an edited a new anthology of contemporary Dumfries and Galloway poets, titled 'Chuckies fir the Cairn', that is entirely in Scots and Gaelic, and will also be published by Luath Press on Saint Andrews day, 2008.
Julia Donaldson, Children's Author
Born in North London, Julia Donaldson now lives and works in Glasgow. Her writing career started when she was a penniless student in Paris, and went busking with her husband to make ends meet. Her songs, often made up in the language of the country she was visiting, led to a career as a songwriter for children's TV
In 1993, one of her songs was made into a picture book, A Squash and a Squeeze. Since then she has written over 100 books and plays, including the rhyming story The Gruffalo, which won three major British book awards. Illustrated by Axel Scheffer, it remains the UK's best-selling picture book and has been translated worldwide (including into Scots Gaelic).
Julia has also written a phonic reading scheme, Songbirds, as part of the Oxford Reading Tree. Her books for older children include The Giants and the Joneses and Princess Mirror-Belle, and next year will see the publication of a novel for teenagers, Running on the Cracks.
Julia regularly performs at book festivals and theatres, and for three years was the writer-in-residence at Easterhouse, Glasgow. Her latest book is Stick Man, and her website address is www.juliadonaldson.co.uk
David McVey
is originally from Kirkintilloch and still lives nearby. Until recently he was a lecturer at the former University of Paisley. He has published around 80 short stories in outlets that include the annual British Council New Writing volume, Chapman and Cencrastus as well as the latest New Writing Scotland. He has also published hundreds of articles, covering topics as diverse as acne, the outdoors, pie stalls at football grounds and local history. He enjoys hill-walking, cycling, poking around historic sites, going to football matches and he was there when Scotland beat France at Hampden.
Betty McKay
I live in Dalry and work 16 hours a week as an administrator at a day centre for adults with learning disabilities. The rest of my time is spent writing. I have had over 200 short stories published in mainstream women's magazines, as well as a number of articles. I don't do poetry! I have also written scripts for a couple of children's picture books which I'm trying to find homes for. In 2008 I won first prize in the general short story competition at the SAW Conference in Erskine. This story, The First Day of the Holidays, is currently being considered by BBC radio. When I'm not writing I'm usually reading. I like going to the cinema and the theatre, and I'm a closet Archers fan - but please don't tell anyone that! I'm also actively involved in my local church.
Jeff Zycinski
is Head of Radio for BBC Scotland. He was appointed to this post in January 2005.
In 2006 he relocated the H.Q. of Scotland to Inverness.
Jeff commissions and schedules programmes for BBC Radio Scotland and is responsible for the production teams working for BBC Network Radio based in Scotland.
His portfolio also includes BBC Radio Orkney and BBC Radio Shetland.
Jeff joined the BBC in 1992 working as Senior Producer in Selkirk.
A year later he moved to the BBC in Inverness to launch the Tom Morton morning programme.
Jeff was promoted to Editor, Topical in 1998 and returned to Glasgow.
He launched both the lunchtime Lesley Riddoch programme (which won the Sony Silver Award in 2001 and again in 2002) and the Gary Robertson mid-morning programme in Autumn 2000.
In the 2006 Sony Awards, Jeff was nominated as Station Programmer of the Year.
Other awards as Editor include a Sony Silver for Asking For You (2003) and Sony Bronze awards for Old Firm Day (2002) and Life Stories (2005).
The SoundTown project was launched by Jeff in 2003 and involved a year-long partnership with Doon Academy in Dalmellington where a radio studio was built in the school.
The SoundTown project continued in Grangemouth, Elgin and Kelso.
Throughout 2007, Jeff has been supporting the Highland 2007 year of culture. Special music and speech programmes have been launched and Jeff has been personally involved in providing radio skills workshops to secondary school pupils.
Jeff was born in Easterhouse, Glasgow in 1963, the seventh son of a Polish sailor who settled in Scotland after the Second World War.
He was educated at the Central College of Commerce in Glasgow, Glasgow College of Technology and University College, Cardiff.
Jeff takes up many invitations to speak to community and student groups throughout Scotland. His online blog provides a daily account of his working life - available on the BBC Radio Scotland website
Alison Anderson
I worked in the cosmetics industry for 16 years before starting my career at My Weekly as a member of the Fiction Department. I then became the Beauty Editor and travelled the country shooting readers make-overs. I have been in my latest post as Editor of My Weekly Special, which comes out every two months, for a year. I live in Dundee, overlooking the river, with my 14 year old daughter, Alex, cross collie Jenny and eccentric cat Lottie.
Alex Gray
was briefly a folk singer as a student in Glasgow. Her first job was a visiting officer for the DSS in Govan. She then spent a decade teaching English. Family and career kept her fully occupied, but in the background lay the long held desire to be a writer.
The chance to fulfil her ambition arrived when illness forced her to quit teaching. She joined a local writer's workshop and is still an enthusiastic participant. Eventually she decided to tackle a crime novel. "I wrote a crime novel because I liked to read them", she said. "I've always loved the element of mystery and I'm very interested in people and their motivation - why do people do these terrible things?
"I have come to the conclusion that there really are people out there who are simply evil". She takes her research for her books very seriously and has her own network of contacts in the legal professions to help ensure authenticity. "Strathclyde Police were tremendous and I had help too from one of the country's top forensic scientists".
Findlay Rankin
My interest in photography began when I was about 14 and my parents bought a Kodak box camera that took 620 roll film. I remember having a lot of fun and failures with that camera.
For my 21st birthday, I was given my first "serious" camera, a Zenit 35mm SLR.
The fun I had with that camera was immeasurable and within a few years was awarded a Licentiateship of the Royal Photographic Society.
Over the years, I have been involved in many different types of photography, including Social, Commercial, Wedding and Press. For 3 years I was the Sergeant in charge of the Photographic section of Strathclyde Police Crime Scene Management, a Department with an interesting diversity of roles and a demanding need for accuracy and high standards.
On the social side, I'm a registered Photographic judge with the Scottish Photographic Federation (SPF), The Glasgow and District Photographic Union (GDPU) and the Ayrshire Interclub Alliance.
Now retired from the Police, I'm still involved the Social and Wedding Photography and currently sell Travel and Social images through six Agencies from Barcelona, Madrid, Paris, New York, London to California. From the feedback I get, my images have appeared in publications in Britain, USA, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Hungary, Romania, Russia, Switzerland, South America and South Africa.