Very often the characters people respond to best have little parts of reality they can relate to.

Scotland consistently produces world-class writers.

Research material can turn up anywhere - in a dusty old letter in an archive, a journal or some old photographs you find in a charity shop.

History at its best is a gritty, dirty business.

An Aunt is a safe haven for a child. Someone who will keep your secrets and is always on your side.

Something I notice speaking to writers from south of Hadrians Wall is that the culture is different. At base, I think Scotland values its creative industries differently from England.

I'm a library user and I just don't hoard books. To me, they're for sharing.