Des Dillon

(born June 1960 -) - Coatbridge

Des Dillon grew up in Coatbridge, Lanarkshire. He read English at Strathclyde University and started his working life as a teacher. He now writes for television, stage and radio, as well as his own collections of poems, short stories and novels.

His first book, Sniz, a collection of poetry, was published in 1994, and has since had eight novels and a poetry collection published. Dillon has also taught creative writing at the Arvon Foundation and was Writer in Residence in Castlemilk, between 1998 and 2000. Des Dillon is also a writer on BBC Scotland's weekly soap opera River City.

His novel Me And Ma Gal was shortlisted for the Saltire Society Scottish First Book of the Year Award in 1995. The book was voted the winner of a World Book Day survey to find the book that revealed the most about contemporary Scotland. It was broadcast as a drama on BBC Radio 4 in 2004.

Des Dillon has won the Scottish Arts Council Writer’s Bursary twice, in 1997 and 2000. His latest novel, An Experiment in Compassion, was published by Luath Press in 2011.

Dillon lives in the village of Garlieston in Galloway and describes the feeling of heading to the beach with his dogs everyday as being "like fabric softener for the brain, a place where he can truly unwind".

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The Blue Hen
Des Dillon - Paperback - Sandstone
The closing down of the steelworks meant the end of being in work - but John and his pal don't intend it to be the end. 'Keep hens! That's the answer'.
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The Blue Hen: A Play
Des Dillon - Paperback - Sandstone
The closing down of the steelworks meant the end of being in work - but John and his pal don't intend it to be the end. 'Keep hens! That's the answer'. Originally published as a novella, this has now been scripted as a play.
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An Experiment In Compassion
Des Dillon - Paperback - Luath
This title shifts between Stevie's life as an alcoholic and his sober life where he forges a relationship with his girlfriend and estranged son. Encompassing a myriad of characters, this book provides an emotional and intense insight into the world of alcoholism whilst exploring the themes of revenge and forgiveness.
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The Glasgow Dragon
Des Dillon - Paperback - Luath
When Christie Devlin goes into business with a triad to take control of the Glasgow drug market, little does he know that the downfall and the destruction of his family is being plotted. As Devlin struggles with his own demons, the real fight is just beginning.
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Me And Ma Gal
Des Dillon - Paperback - Luath
This novel tells of the friendship between two Scottish ten-year-old boys, one of whom is called Gal. Des Dillon is an award-winning screenwriter and novelist.
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Monks
Des Dillon - Paperback - Luath
This hilarious novel is about a team of construction workers heading off to Italy from their native Scotland to work on a monastery. Things don't go smoothly and the past explodes into the present, with startling consequences.
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My Epileptic Lurcher
Des Dillon - Paperback - Luath
Manny Riley is a recovering alcoholic and struggling scriptwriter with a serious anger management problem. Lately, though, things have started to change for the better. A happy marriage, a move away from Glasgow to an idyllic seaside village and the adoption of Bailey, a lurcher with epilepsy.
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My Epileptic Lurcher
Des Dillon - Hardback - Luath
Manny Riley is a recovering alcoholic and struggling scriptwriter with a serious anger management problem. Lately, though, things have started to change for the better. A happy marriage, a move away from Glasgow to an idyllic seaside village and the adoption of Bailey, a lurcher with epilepsy.
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Picking Brambles And Other Poems
Des Dillon - Paperback - Luath
A selection of poems written by Des Dillon, featuring his quick-fire verbal delivery.
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Scunnered: A Slice Of Life In 17 Syllables
Des Dillon - Paperback - Luath
A collection of thoughts and ideas in Haiku on subjects including science, ecology, nature, family, Scotland, the arts, politics, psychology, philosophy, spirituality and love.
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Six Black Candles
Des Dillon - Paperback - Luath
Caroline's husband abandons her for Stacie Gracie, his assistant at the meat counter, and incurs more wrath than he anticipated. Caroline, her five sisters, mother and granny, all with a penchant for witchery, invoke the lethal spell of the six black candles.
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They Scream When You Kill Them
Des Dillon - Paperback - Luath
Welcome to Des Dillon's world - a world where murderous poultry and evolutionary elephants make their mark. Featuring modern, unique, and often gritty stories, Dillon takes the reader on a journey into a world where - amongst other bizarre happenings - the cast of Othello find themselves in the Big Brother house.