Articles and Essays

Each month we ask authors, publishers and academics to write for BooksfromScotland.com. Some write opinion pieces; some write history. Some authors write about their experiences and influences, others review a range of books in a particular subject area. These diverse views are collected in our Articles & Essays pages.

• Following the launch of Volumes 3 and 4 of The Edinburgh History of the Book in Scotland, one of the editors of the series, David Finkelstein, takes a look at the international approaches to creating National History of the Book in the 21st Century.
• We take a look at the work of Scottish Language Dictionaries, researching and preserving written and spoken Scots, and preparing the Scottish National Dictionary.
• Out of the quarrel with ourselves... - Roderick Watson explains the history and research behind his two-volume history of the Literature of Scotland.
• Cottage Industry - Dr Corey Andrews, of Youngstown State University in Ohio, looks at the history and debate over the future of the Robert Burns birthplace museum in Alloway.
• A Christmas Carol - Historian Jan-Andrew Henderson recounts a tale of how Charles Dickens was inspired by an Edinburgh graveyard to write A Christmas Carol, after mis-reading the gravestone of Ebeneezer Lennox Scroggie.
• History of Scottish Publishing - Professor David Finkelstein has written a history of publishing in Scotland.

• Following in the Highwayman's Footsteps - Author Nicola Morgan was enchanted by Alfred Noyes' The Highwayman, so much so that she was inspired to write The Highwayman's Footsteps.
• The Curse of Harry Potter - Children's fantasy author Gill Arbuthnott bemoans the laziness of journalists when discussing fantasy novels, lumping them all under the Harry Potter / JK Rowling banner. Gill picks out some of her favourite fantasy novels for children, and celebrates their diversity.
• Fraser Ross Associates - Lindsey Fraser tells us about her Literary Consultancy for children's books, Fraser Ross Associates.

• Maggie Craig's Damn' Rebel Bitches was first published on 11th September 1997 - the date of the Scottish devolution referendum. She writes exclusively for BooksfromScotland.com on researching the book in her feature Nothing Ails Me But The Wanting of You.
• Gillian Hughes introduces her new biography of James Hogg, describing the resurgence in research on the 'Ettrick Shepherd'.
• Douglas MacGowan explains the continuing interest in the Madeleine Smith Affair, a 150-year-old murder case in Glasgow that still remains tantalisingly 'not proven'.
• Scottish Travel Writers The Scots are famous for their diasporic heritage, so it's no wonder that there are many great Scottish travel writers. We look at some of the best, from Martin Martin and James Boswell to Peter Kerr and William Dalrymple.

• Donna Moore and Tony Black have written a comprehensive overview of the Scottish crime fiction scene.
• Pulp Pusher - Tony Black introduces us to Scotland's newest crime eZine, Pulp Pusher.
• 2006 EIBF Report - Crime writer Lin Anderson writes exclusively for BooksfromScotland.com on her experience as an author appearing at the 2006 Edinburgh International Book Festival, sharing the secrets of the author's yurt...

• Is Scotland Afraid of Romance? - After Eilieen Ramsay's article last month, author Maggie Craig shows us a very different side to romantic and commercial fiction publishing in Scotland. In her essay she introduces us to the concept of the 'rave rejection', and asks why successful, commercial fiction is often overlooked in favour of more 'literary' efforts.
• Oh, Power of Scotland - Romantic novelist Eileen Ramsay discusses the enduring appeal of Scotland for romantic novelists, reviewing the wide range of Scottish authors who have written romantic fiction, and asking why so many novelists turn to Scotland for their romantic ideals, even at the expense of historical accuracy.

• Dr Corey E. Andrews explores the poetry of the Scottish diaspora to the West Indies in his essay Traces of Scotland in the West Indies.
• Scottish Life and Society: The Compendium of Scottish Ethnology is a 14-volume set cataloguing the domestic, industrial, educational and other spheres of Scottish life written and edited by experts in their field. Once complete, it will be the most comprehensive record of Scottish life.
• Saltire Society Awards - Saltire Society judge and BooksfromScotland.com director Marion Sinclair introduces us to the judging process behind the 2006 Saltire Society Awards for Literature.
• Tartan Week 2006 runs from the end of March until Friday 7th April. Novelist Martin MacIntyre reports exclusively for BooksfromScotland.com on his Tartan Week experiences.
• Storytelling in Scotland - An introduction to the new Scottish Storytelling Centre, which has recently moved to custom-built premises on Edinburgh's Royal Mile. The new centre, based on the site of the original Netherbooth Arts Centre, includes a 100-seat auditorium and two permanent exhibitions.

• What are the Seven Wonders of Scotland? If you have been following The Scotsman's 'Seven Wonders of Scotland' series, you should check out our favourite books for each of the nominated wonders, from Neolithic Orkney to the Scottish Sense of Humour.
• Good Reading for All - Mary Rhind looks at the provision of books for adults with literacy difficulties.

• Ùr-Sgeul are one of the leading publishers of contemporary Gaelic fiction. Now they have broken new ground, producing DVD readings based on three of their best-selling Gaelic novels. Read more in our feature on the Ùr-Sgeul DVDs.
• Professor David Finkelstein's short History of Gaelic Publishing.