Inspiration Journal
As a reader, I’m constantly reading new novels and non-fiction, and as a writer, I love to attend author events and talks. But as a magazine journalist - schooled in the art of the visual - I’m also attracted to atmospheric images and inspirations, so …
Here’s my round-up of book reviews, author talks, literary events, visits to bookish places of interest and yes - a dash of visual and sensory inspiration, too.
Sixty minutes with … Graeme Macrae Burnet, author of BENBECULA (Birlinn, £12)
In the second of my series of Author Interviews, I spoke to Graeme Macrae Burnet, author of BENBECULA, about his inspirations for the novel, his writing process and how he blends historical research with the art of fiction.
Sixty minutes with … Rebecca Perry, author of MAY WE FEED THE KING (Granta, £14.99) Winner of The Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize 2026!
In the run-up to The Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize 2026 prize giving, I spoke to Rebecca Perry, author of MAY WE FEED THE KING, about her inspirations for the novel, her writing process and where she likes to write.
Book review: John of John by Douglas Stuart (Picador, £20)
JOHN OF JOHN by Douglas Stuart is the tender, heartbreaking and yet also life-affirming tale of young Cal, who, having completed art school, returns to his childhood home on the island of Harris. He is gradually drawn back into the tight-knit Presbyterian community, with its undercurrent of secret relationships, past and present, all set against the windswept, wild backdrop of a remote Scottish island.