Articles by Charlie

I will be tutoring at the newly reformed Stirling Writers’ Group for the next couple of weeks, starting on Tuesday, 18 October. The group, still organised by Robert Ritchie, will be meeting in its new home: the Burgh Coffee House in the city centre from 7pm.

It is through Stirling Writers’ Group that I developed confidence in my writing. This was mainly under the tutorship of Magi Gibson and, latterly, Chris Powici. Many people of note have passed through the group. I hope that this new start is a sign that the energy that made it the best group in the country (in many people’s view) is now reinfected.

Come along. Be part of Stirling Witers’ Group.

Come East to WEST for a great night of music and spoken word. The Scottish Writers’ Centre is bringing together six poets: Charlie Gracie; Finola Scott; Mary Thomson; Derek Parkes; Lesley Traynor and Frances Corr for a great evening of poetry and music at WEST Brewery in Glasgow Green.

The evening will compered by the incomparable Donal McLaughlin, award winning short story writer and translator.

Musician Will McArthur will be there, and the whole evening will be free to all. If you come East to WEST you’ll have a blast.

I am delighted to be taking part in such an excellent event with such a range of talented musical and writerly artists. The writer, Ruby McCann, Chair of the Scottish Writers’ Centre has put a huge effort into getting this excellent evening going.

For ages, I’ve wanted to go to a an event run by Ian Maxtone of The Write Angle. Last week, I did, and it was brilliant. Heroes, in Cafe Roxy in Falkirk, was the latest of their spoken word and music nights. It was a pleasure to read alongside other wonderful writers.

The Write Angle has the ablity to connect writers across Forth Valley. Due to this, there was a huge range of people there. Many of the folks who read are used to sharing their work out loud, while others were speaking for the first time. There was music, and there were laughs, and there was a warm fuzzy feeling in the room. Ian’s compering, in additon to his behind the scenes organising, was funny, encouraging, uplifting and downright groovy.There was even a raffle. How many places can you hear wonderful writing, and excellent music and win some Mr Sheen?

The Write Angle gave the readers a wonderful attentive and appreciative audience. Most importantly, everyone had a good time with great music and brililant writing. Thanks Ian.

And so it inevitably shifts to the bevvied core of our wee nation. Scotia Extremis is hiiting the drink. As ever, it is the far ends of things, this time from Islay to Buckie .

Uisga Beatha by Fran Baillie is a sumptuous honouring of Laphroaig, the sharp and joyous malt from Islay. She totally gets it: I think she might enjoy a wee dram herself, you know. ‘Pass owre a tummlerfuhl o the cauld, wild west, / mahltit barley, slow-distilt, pure poetrie;’. Pure poetry right enough.

In some kind of contrast (and I say this as a boy whose youthful drug of choice was the sweet cherry wine of the Monks), Buckfast is given its place in the Scotia Extremis project by Claudia Daventry with her funny and punchy Commotion Lotion. From disco to fist fights, Caludia rocks this one. This is not a relationship going well; her, the burd and the Buckie. ‘Ma skank’s a steamin jakey, / she doons a few then skelps me’. Luvvy jubbly.

Scotia Extremis has been on the go for several  months now. Andy Jackson and Brian Johnstone have galvanised a load of writers around our nation’s essential nature, its soul. The starting point was McDiarmid’s assertion that “I’ll ha’e nae hauf-way hoose, but aye be whaur / Extremes meet …” Great stuff already and more to come, bevvied or not.