News Roundup: Landmark Scottish LGBT Anthology, New Author Chrissie McDill, Fingersmith gets a Korean Makeover, UK Authors on Tour, & More!

With only two days to go before Scotland decides on its independence, you may well be wondering what will happen to UK LesFic should the vote go with the yes camp (alternatively, you may be wondering what the hell I’m talking about, in which case, turn on your telly!) The answer – from my POV at least, as Tig’s on holiday and we’ve not discussed it – is absolutely nothing. We like our Scottish authors, they’re funny and supportive of the site, and I think we’ll let them stick around. Plus, I’m far too lazy to go and edit the author listing. Whatever happens to the UK, best of luck to us all, eh?

~ ~ ~

As if to prove a point, we’re sticking with Scotland for our first three news items this week…

Keren McGill at Freight Books has been in touch about their new Scottish LGBT anthology, Out There, an important landmark in Scottish literature and LGBT writing worldwide.

In the year that Scotland votes on independence from the rest of the UK, Freight Books brings a new and definitive anthology of prose writing and poetry from Scotland’s leading and emerging LGBT writers. It will be edited by Zoë Strachan and includes a stellar list of contributors; Ali Smith, Louise Welsh, Kerry Hudson, Jackie Kay, Ronald Frame, Toni Davidson, Val McDermid, Damian Barr and UK poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy to name but a few.

Following Glasgow’s ‘Gay Games’ and the now famous Glasgow Kiss, this is the first anthology of its kind in over twelve years. Out There is the perfect barometer of just how far Scottish LGBT writing has come in that time. The writing is diverse, sometimes hilarious, sometimes polemical, often surprising and deeply moving, but always suffused with energy, wit and empathy.

‘It will pose key questions, not just about LGBT writing in Scotland today, but also about the social and sexual landscape of our nation as a whole.’ LGBT History Month

The anthology is available to purchase now, and you can see photographs from a preview event at Glasgow’s Pride House at this link.

~ ~ ~

The newest author to our listings is Chrissie McDill, who describes herself as “an ageing writer for the more mature lesbian”. She has lived in London and Surrey, where she beat the feminist drum to become one of the first women branch managers of a national building society in the early 80’s. She left in 1988 to start her own women’s taxi business, which has provided her with a wealth of ideas for her stories. Since retiring and moving back to her native Scotland, she has published No Way to Live, a psychological thriller about a woman haunted by her past and terrified of her future. Chrissie lives with her partner and two bonkers but loveable Cairn terriers in South Lanarkshire and can be contacted on Facebook. For more information on Chrissie, pay her website a visit, and look out for her new novel in the next couple of months.

~ ~ ~

To round up our north of the border news, H.P. Munro is the latest author to be profiled over at Planet of the Books. These short, snappy interviews are good fun, and this one is no exception:

Where do you write? And what do you need around you? 

To begin with I wrote while travelling for work, so it was on planes and train and in airports and hotels. Now I tend to write at home in whatever room takes my fancy or where the comfy seats are. I recently got some friendly abuse from some fellow writers from posting photos of me writing at the poolside while on holiday in Thailand, which was easily the nicest place I’ve even written.

To read the full interview, head here.

~ ~ ~

Congratulations this week to Mari Hannah who has made the longlist for the CWA Dagger in the Library award. The award honours an author’s whole body of work, rather than a single title, and the longlist was voted for by readers and librarians. The shortlist will be announced on November 3rd, with the winner revealed in a ceremony at the end of that month. To see all the authors on the longlist, hit the link.

~ ~ ~

Andrea Bramhall has been chatting to the good ladies at the Cocktail Hour podcast for one of their Conversation at the Bar features. You can download or listen to the interview at this link. Sadly, said link contains no photographic evidence of Cheri’s amazing bed head.

~ ~ ~

With a few UK authors currently embarking on country-wide tours, it was getting a little complicated to keep up with the wheres and whens. To try to remedy this, I’ve just updated the Events page with links to the listings of all forthcoming UK appearances by Nicola Griffith, Catherine Hall (we’ll have more for you from Catherine on Friday!), and Sarah Waters. Sarah has recently added a Manchester date to her listings, which is good news for everyone in that area who’s not working a bloody night shift that night (12th October.) Tickets for lucky, not at work northerners can be purchased here.

Meanwhile, the incomparable AfterEllen website has revealed that a big screen version of Fingersmith is on the way, only this version will transplant the story to Korea. Casting for Agashi (English title still to be decided) will take place this month, with production getting under way early next year. Click here to read the full piece.

~ ~ ~

Finally, if you’re between books and wondering what to read next, the Lesbian Reading Room has a new review of L.T. Smith‘s latest release Still Life: 

The writing is sharp and witty. Very British humour and language so you Americans need to be prepared. L.T.’s style is down to earth, direct and realistic. When Brits are full of angst you really know it. The writing flows and the story weaves around us, playing on all the stupid mind games we all go through with often hilarious results. Of course that’s easy to say as a reader, much harder when it is your heart on the line.

Still need more? Okay, then, you can read the full write-up at this link.

~ ~ ~

Right, I’m off to bulk-buy Haggis, Irn Bru and shortbread before they become rare foreign delicacies.

GOOD LUCK Scotland whatever you decide 🙂

A rare sighting of the Haggis in the wild.