James Robertson

(born 1958 - ) - Angus

James Robertson

James Robertson was born in 1958 and grew up in Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire. A poet, editor, novelist and publisher, he is an active and prolific writer, enjoying stints at Hugh MacDiarmid’s cottage, Brownsbank, near Biggar, Lanarkshire, and as the first Writer-in-Residence at the Scottish Parliament.

He set up Kettillonia, a small pamphlet press in 1999, and is general editor of Itchy Coo, the successful Scots children’s book imprint at Black and White.

His novel Joseph Knight won the Saltire Society Book of the Year in 2003 and the Scottish Arts Council Book of the Year award.

James Robertson lives in Angus; his latest novel, The Testament of Gideon Mack, was published by Hamish Hamilton in June 2006. He has also translated Roald Dahl's classic novel The Fantastic Mr Fox as The Sleekit Mr Tod.

  • Cover scan of And The Land Lay Still
    And The Land Lay Still - Hardback
    It is the age of the bomb, the Cold War, Margaret Thatcher and North Sea Oil. As nationalism becomes a credible force in Scotland, a gay photographer, a feminist journalist, a war veteran and a guilt-ridden Conservative MP find their private lives entangled with the ideological conflicts of the times.
  • Cover scan of The Fanatic
    The Fanatic - Paperback
    Andrew Carlin is employed as a ghost on the nightly Tour of Old Edinburgh. He pretends to be the spirit of Major Weir, a religious extremist burnt at the stake in 1670. As he researches the character, Carlin is drawn into the past.
  • Cover scan of Joseph Knight
    Joseph Knight - Paperback
    Exiled to Jamaica in 1746, Sir John Wedderburn made a fortune, returning to Scotland with Joseph Knight, a black slave. Now, in 1802, Sir John is settling his estate, and wants to find his former slave. Can old wounds that once touched the heart of Scottish law ever heal?
  • Cover scan of Voyage Of Intent
    Voyage Of Intent: Sonnets And Essays From The Scottish Parliament - Paperback
    Here are 11 sonnets and three essays written by James Robertson. They create snapshots of the Scottish Parliament and the people working and living in and around it, and convey the historical relationship between Scottish literature, identity, politics and the Royal Mile as a literary location.

Bibliography

With Matthew Fitt

  • Cover scan of Katie's Ferm
    Katie's Ferm: A Hide & Seek Book For Wee Folk - Boards - James Robertson; Matthew Fitt; Karen Sutherland
    Katie visits her grandparents' farm and goes in search of the mischievous cat Tam, who keeps one step ahead of her all the way. Katie asks all the animals if they have seen Tam.
  • Cover scan of Katie's Moose
    Katie's Moose: A Keek-A-Boo Book For Wee Folk - Boards - James Robertson; Matthew Fitt; Karen Sutherland
    Babies and young children will love the simple story of Katie gathering up her animal friends in time for bed. Each page shows Katie looking for the Dug, the Pig, the Bear, the Craw, the Coo and of course the wee Moose.
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    A Moose in the Hoose: Animal 123: A Scots Counting Book - Paperback - Matthew Fitt
    This colourful counting book will keep young minds busy for hours, counting up the coos and dugs, bubblyjocks and the herd of rather glaikit yowes. In rhyming couplets, it will help children to develop their knowledge of numbers and of Scots.
  • Cover scan of The Sleekit Mr Tod
    The Sleekit Mr Tod - Paperback - Roald Dahl
    Following the bestselling 'The Eejits' ('The Twits') and 'Geordie's Mingin Medicine', here is another Roald Dahl story translated into Scots. Fantastic Mr Fox becomes Sleekit Mr Tod, and he'll require all his wily wits to escape Fermers Bodge, Bauchle and Beek.
  • The Smoky Smirr O Rain
    The Smoky Smirr O Rain: A Scots Anthology - Paperback - Matthew Fitt; James Robertson
    This anthology contains a vast selection of literature in Scots. Arranged thematically into topics such as love, home, death, jealousy, pride, ambition, freedom, work and play, it gives teachers and students immense scope both for comparative analysis and exploration of the main concerns of individual authors.
  • Tam O Shanter's Big Night Out
    Tam O Shanter's Big Night Oot: Wee Plays In Scots - Paperback - Matthew Fitt; James Robertson
    This collection of eight plays has been conceived and written by teachers and pupils from all over Scotland. Not only will this anthology give students access to modern Scots texts for speaking aloud, but it will also help to build confidence in writing in Scots.
  • Cover scan of A Wee Book O' Fairy Tales In Scots
    A Wee Book O Fairy Tales In Scots - Paperback - Matthew Fitt; James Robertson
    A collection of six classic tales reworked into Scots: 'The Three Wee Pigs', 'Peerie Wee Rid Hood', 'Cinderella', 'Beauty and the Beast', 'Rumpelstiltskin' and 'The Three Bears'.
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