The Stone Stories has gone to Saraband

Added on 07 May 2016

It is done. The novel, all three volumes of it, has been sent to my publisher, Saraband, who has first refusal on publishing it. It is an odd anti-climax to stop editing and declare it as complete as I can make it. No doubt if Saraband wants to publish it then there will be editorial changes to make...

Each Mara is launched

Added on 23 April 2016

Our sailing boat, Each Mara, is afloat, after a winter on the hard standing at Lochinver harbour. It's an exciting moment, when she hits the water and we hope that all the sea-cocks are closed and the engine goes. All went well, and when the wind dropped away we got the sails on, then took her o...

Retreat cancelled

Added on 29 March 2016

Unfortunately the writing retreat week on Tanera Mor in the Summer Isles in early May has had to be cancelled. Hopefully we'll get another chance next year.

The Stone Stories

Added on 27 March 2016

For the past four years I've been writing a historical novel set in the Iron Age. It is inspired by the amazing journey of Pytheas of Massalia, an ancient Greek who was the first Mediterranean (as far as we know) to circumnavigate Britain. He wrote a book called On the Ocean, which is lost, but...

A chance to write for radio

Added on 08 February 2016

My current writing project (the vast historical novel, or is it a trilogy?) is nearing completion and I have vowed that next I will write work that is small, compact and preferably oral. I have lots of ideas for radio pieces, and it's a medium I'd love to explore, but I'm an inexperience...

Into the Forest is selling out

Added on 15 January 2016

If you don't yet have a copy of Into the Forest, the beautiful anthology of tree poems that Saraband Books helped me to create, you had better get one before it's too late. I have six left but the distributor has run out, which means that all the copies that exist are out there on sale somew...