The Guardian have been good enough to publish a few of my articles on their teacher’s blog, and you can read them (along with other fantastic pieces) here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/teacher-network/teacher-blog

Additionally, Litro Magazine have offered me a monthly column with the title Smells Like Teen Spirit: Teaching Teenagers Literature. I’ve written two articles on there, which contain a variety of topics. If you’re interested you can read them here: http://www.litro.co.uk/category/columns/smells-like-teen-spirit/

Finally, if you’re wondering what kind of creative output I’m managing through all this teaching, check out the website for my current project, which I’ve been lucky enough to receive from welcome funding for: http://themcgonalogues.wordpress.com/

Have a nice day.

The whole thing was organised and compered by the irrepressible Peggy Hughes from the UNESCO City of Literature organisation, and she really did work tirelessly in the build up to the event and on the day. I am immensely grateful for her support.

On a personal level, it was a nerve-racking gig to start with. Definitely the biggest audience I’ve read to; over 100 people were there, some to see me, others just hanging about. I had family coming through from both Glasgow and Fife. It was the first time my dad had seen me performing. There was even a delegation of teachers from my old school, Glenrothes High, there to cheer and heckle. Dotted around were various pals and writers from university, as well as some twitter chums. It was pretty cool to see so many friendly faces.

I managed to get through the reading without fainting or vomiting, which is always my first barometer of success. Afterwards, I made liberal use of my author’s pass to the yurt, with its free sandwiches, tea, noodles, whisky and wine. So much wine. And so many famous folk in there I didn’t know where to look sometimes. It was an absolute blast, and it’s only made me more determined to write more, write better, and get invited back to do something at the festival next year.

In the story, I was trying to focus on voice and subtlety – there’s an undercurrent to the relationship between the boy and his grandpa which I didn’t want to make too explicit. The story was worshopped with a couple of writers’ groups and edited many times, with the ending, I remember, being particularly tricky.

In September I got word that a new literary magazine was being established for student writers, and I sent the story to them. The magazine became Octavius, a highly attractive and forward-thinking publication. And now, nine months after I submitted the story and over a year since it was written, it’s been published and is available to buy.

I know of plenty other writers who are featured in the collection, including Kev Scott, Mark Fraser, Siobhan Staples, Katy Ewing, Allan Wilson and Craig Lamont. They’re all sparkling. 

Click the link below to watch the video; once I figure out how to embed it you’ll be able to watch it here instead.

Next Goal Wins

I was fortunate enough to have one of my stories showcased, called Next Goal Wins. My designated actor delivered the piece perfectly, injecting humour and drama. It was a strange but satisfying experience to watch such a skilled performer reading my own words; highly recommended.

Recordings of all the stories will be made available on the Outside Thoughts website over the coming months, but in the mean time here is a snazzy little montage of the evening, with tasters of each performance. My story starts at about the 3.00 minute mark.

The McCollection

This book is an anthology created by the good folks at McStorytellers. It contains work by writers with connections to Scotland, and my story, Francis Good’s Hung Himself is a short piece that has its roots in real life. Available in both hardcopy and kindle formats, this is a lovely wee collection showcasing many talented Scots such as Gavin Broom, Andrew McCallum Crawford and Alan Crossan. Worth a flick.

Duality 6

The latest in a long line of books produced by Alec Beattie for the Duality series, this anthology has the theme of ‘Home’ and contains short stories and illustrations from loads of talented folk. My story, Hunting for Bears, is inspired by Russia and a newspaper article I read about corpses. Cheerful. This book features the lovely writers Gill Hoffs and Jamie McIntyre, among others.

Tracks in the Sand

The annual anthology featuring work by members of the Federation of Writers (Scotland), this is a cracking wee collection. It is perfectly put together and is a very attractive book to hold and read. I have a weird little piece called Telesales Princess, about unrequited love in a call centre, and can vouch for the contributions by Patrick Holloway, Kirsten McAleese.

The books are available to buy from the respective websites, or you can get in touch with me directly at afjgillespie@yahoo.co.uk

LITERARY GEMS 

On Tuesday, Thomas Tosh in East Thornhill hosted an extremely successful salon evening.

 

This was the first of these very popular events which have returned for their winter season.

 

The capacity audience of literary enthusiasts was welcomed by Paul O’Keefe who introduced the three writers whose work was to be showcased throughout the evening.

 

Hugh McMillan from Penpont launched the readings with a fine selection of poems with a delightful blend of humour, pathos and deep sincerity.

 

The audience showed their warm appreciation by their enthusiastic applause.

 

Equally well received was the lively reading by author Alan Gillespie of his humorous story woven around the Hero Ninja Turtles.

 

Alan’s interpretation of the various characters’ voices gave the audience great amusement and the writer’s performance was warmly received.

 

The third writer to perform was JoAnne who had lived in Penpont for more than 10 years.

 

Her poetry readings were beautiful and expressive. Some of JoAnne’s verses were deeply moving; others were in a lighter vein but always evocative and greatly appreciated by the attentive audience.

 

After an interval for refreshments and for the opportunity to purchase a selection of books by all three writers, and to have them signed, the audience settled down to enjoy the second half of the evening’s performance.

 

This followed the pattern of the opening readings, although in a different sequence.

 

JoAnne gave a performance of some sensitive and emotional poems, followed by a delightful and amusing story written and read by Alan.

 

Hugh rounded off this feast of literary gems with a selection of humorous poems which the audience greatly enjoyed.

 

To have the Thomas Tosh Salon Evenings on course for the new season is a pleasing prospect.

 

The welcoming ambience of this venue lends itself to such occasions. This is reflected in the appreciation shown by the audience to Paul O’Keefe, David Cripps and all their staff who organise these enjoyable events.

With the absence of writing, I’ve been delighted to be able to read at a couple of exciting spoken word events recently. I’ve managed to overcome my initial terror of reading in public and now feel pretty exhilarated during and after a reading. Although I still require a couple of glasses of something to calm the nerves beforehand.

Firstly, I read at the brilliant monthly event Words Per Minute in the Arches, Glasgow. The afternoon was charmingly compered by Kirstin Innes and Helen Sedgwick, and the line-up was varied and fantastically entertaining. Well worth the £5 entry fee. My own reading, of a story about unrequited love in a call centre, seemed to be well-received, so I was chuffed with how it went. You can read a review of November’s Words Per Minute by someone who was in the audience, the distinguished Raymond Soltysek.

Here I am, wearing a headset. I’m a fan of props.

A couple of days later, I was on the train heading into deepest darkest Dumfries. My friend JoAnne McKay, a sickeningly brilliant poet, was launching her new collection, Grave with Lights. JoAnne handcrafts all the pamphlets herself and they boast gorgeous artwork and typography. I was to read at a literary salon in a place called Thornhill. The venue, Thomas Tosh, is a quirky mish-mash of cafe, bookshop and gallery – well worth a visit. On the bill with us is Hugh McMillan, an experienced and accomplished poet who really impresses me. He even gives me a free book. So now we’re pals.

JoAnne and Hugh are both terrific performers of their work, and read out poetry which is tender, hilarious, subtle and smart. I read out two stories, and although the buzz from the crowd is very different from the Glasgwegian hoardes that I am used to, they seem to go down quite well. You can read more about the evening on JoAnne’s blog. And here’s a picture of me, looking a bit startled:

Last month the new editors organised and hosted a fantastic reading party as part of Glasgow University’s induction day for new students. There was a cracking turn-out and a great time was had by all. I read out a micro-fiction, Wrath of a Gull, and it seemed to go down well. People laughed when they were supposed to and nobody threw anything, so it must be considered a success. Here I am being, apparently, hilarious to the audience:

The story itself is a concise little piece about argumentative sea-birds, and you can read it right here in this handsome pdf.

The issue as a whole is a really impressive collection, with beautiful artwork provided by Tim Sandys. The standout piece for me is JoAnne McKay‘s poetry about Dr Who – funny, witty stuff conveyed in a strong voice.

I was approached by my friend Iain Paton about producing a Japanese-themed anthology and, to cut a long story short, it has now been released by the excellent Cargo Publishing. I helped to edit the book and it also contains a new short story which I wrote especially, called When I Was a Ninja Turtle. 

On Friday 30th September we attended a reception at the Japanese Consul General’s official residence in Edinburgh to celebrate the completion of the book. It was a fantastic day, and it is obvious how appreciative Mr Tarahara was of the gesture that this book embodies.

An initial print run of 100 books is available now, but the second print run will feature an exciting new foreword and should be ready in time for the Waterstone’s launch at the beginning of November. If you can’t wait until then, go to the Cargo website and try to snaffle a copy of the limited edition, before they sell out.