Writing, reading, life and everything
Edinburgh is a remarkable city, laying claim to a number of world firsts and records of one sort or another. It claims to be the first city in the world to have had its own fire service and has more listed buildings than any other. It was the birthplace of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, a product…
Today (November 13) is the 168th anniversary of author Robert Louis Stevenson’s birth so I was intrigued to find this unusual reference to him on a recent visit to Stirling. The owner of this car might not be paying tribute to a much-loved author, he or she might simply have a name with the same…
This week’s questions in the #SYW challenge. Name two books that have influenced you and share how. I’m sure I have been influenced in some way by every book I’ve read, even if it is only to decide that a certain style, topic, setting or author is not to my taste. It’s therefore difficult to…
I was reminded unexpectedly of John Buchan’s The Thirty-Nine Steps on recent a visit to Glasgow. Credited by some as the forerunner of the modern thriller, The Thirty-Nine Steps is probably Buchan’s most well-known work and since its first publication in 1915, film and theatre adaptations have expanded its reach considerably. In the light of its reputation, I perhaps shouldn’t have…