Neil M. Gunn
Neil M. Gunn (1891–1973) was a prominent internationally published Scottish novelist, writer of non-fiction and critic, and is widely regarded as a leading figure of the Scottish Renaissance—a cultural movement that sought to revive Scotland's national identity through literature and the arts.
Born in the tiny village of Dunbeath in Caithness, Gunn was deeply influenced by the landscape and Highland way of life, going on to develop these themes in books and essays that would be read all over the world.
​Gunn published his debut, The Grey Coast, in1926, followed by more than twenty novels, as well as short stories, essays and journalism. He was winner of the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, along with a host of international awards and honours and his work was widely adapted for stage, screen and radio broadcast.​
Beth McDonough
Beth McDonough studied Silversmithing at Glasgow School of Art, teaching Art in various sectors and completing an M.Litt. in Writing Study and Practice at the University of Dundee. She was Writer in Residence at Dundee Contemporary Arts, poetry and co-hosts Fife's Platform Poetry and Music sessions, and her work, which is widely anthologised and published, is strongly connected to place, particulalry the Tay where she swims.
Alan Riach
Alan Riach, Professor of Scottish Literature at the University of Glasgow, is a poet, critic, and has contributed widely to newspapers, debates, and public discussions, championing the role of the arts in shaping Scotland's sense of self. and one of the leading interpreters of Scotland’s cultural imagination.
Alan Taylor
Alan Taylor is a journalist, writer, broadcaster and editor whose books include The Assassin’s Cloak, an anthology of the world’s greatest diarists, Appointment in Arezzo: A Friendship with Muriel Spark, and the ‘autobiographies’ of Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Louise Welsh
Louise Welsh is an award-winning author of eight novels. The Cutting Room, her debut novel, won the Crime Writers’ Association John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger Award and the Saltire First Book of The Year Award.
Photo credit: Ajamu X