Inspired by the Scottish Homecoming celebrations of 2009 which, amongst other things, marked the 250th anniversary of the birth of Rabbie Burns, Thi 20:09 presents the boisterous tale of “A bus fu we past generations that huv shaped oor nation”. It is Dundonian poet Mark Thompson’s second poetry collection, following on from Bardfaethi Building Site Read More
The Soap Opera is an ever popular genre of TV drama but to find a soap opera in print is rare. This might explain the popularity of Alexander McCall Smith’s Scotland Street series. The latest edition in the series, Sunshine on Scotland Street, with its titular allusions to the song and subsequent musical Sunshine on Read More
Overburdened by its fame and its status as a classic in the horror canon, The Shining (1980) could only ever be a disappointment see outside its initial release. It is an unfortunate fact that horror, unlike other genres, simply cannot bear the brunt of repetition. Its iconic scenes – “redrum”, “All work and no play Read More
Kofi Anyidoho’s The Place We Call Home and Other Poems is a musical composition in three movements; a lyrical dance to a throbbing drumbeat and a painfully truthful examination of history, ancestry and regret. It provides a patriotic cultural insight into Africa yet does not shirk from, nor seek to glorify, reality and hurt. It Read More
Confucius said that “To love a thing means wanting it to live.” This fearless collection of poetry by Julian Stannard provides a living, breathing body of uncompromising work that grows off the page and flowers into the large and small places of life, touching and resonating as it branches outwards, and then out some more. Read More
Sally El Hosaini’s My Brother the Devil takes a thought provoking look at life for Arab families living in inner city London. Hosaini’s first feature film as writer and director was a labour of love as the film took six years to come to fruition. She began writing the script and envisioned shooting much of Read More
Men and Women Alone is the first of Argentinian poet Tamara Kamenszain’s collections to be translated into English. It marks yet another accomplishment in the diverse life of this poet. Her career ranges from the study of philosophy, working as a journalist, to the collection of numerous poetry prizes. Originally from Argentina, Kamenzain has published Read More
Q. What if this book doesn’t work? A. It will work Q. Is it guaranteed to work A. No This typically dysfunctional Q & A forms the introduction to artist David Shrigley’s first attempt at spinning his whimsical sentences and absurd drawings into a structured narrative. How Are You Feeling: at the Inside of the Read More
In his day job, Richard Watt writes journalistic prose for a Scottish daily newspaper. In his poetry, by contrast, we encounter a creative, dynamic wordsmith. His pamphlet, The Golem, contains nineteen poems. Some, such as “Bachelor” and “The Old Country” deal with personal regret, while others take on a broader outlook, exploring man’s relationship with Read More
Lakshmi Persaud’s fifth novel, Daughters of Empire,is a novel about making a home away from home. It centres around the lives of Amira and her family, Trinidadian Hindus, as they migrate from Trinidad to London. Amira and her daughters flourish as they impact upon and embrace the new culture around them. By contrast, Amira’s older Read More