First off, thanks to everyone who emailed me wishing me a happy holiday last week – I hope I’ve replied to you all, I’ve certainly tried to, but in case anyone has slipped under the net: ta. We ended up doing a last minute thing visiting The Cotswolds and relatives up in the Midlands and it was REALLY good just to have a change of scenery. Plus we visited Warwick Castle which was BRILLIANT. We got put in the stocks, saw knights speared by jousting spikes and set on fire, we got terrorised by ghosts, shot arrows and saw a giant catapault with a FLAMING BOULDER being fired on the heathens in the next (imaginary) village. If that’s not family entertainment I don’t know what is. Recommended.

Whilst I’m here, *that* Adrian Mead has asked me to remind you Scottish Writers that the SBT Mentoring Programme is open for submissions. It looks like a great opportunity and I for one am gutted not to be able to access it since I don’t live in bonny Scotland. But if you do, what the hell are you waiting for?? APPLY. All the details and links below. If you get on, let us know!

The Scottish Book Trust Mentoring Programme

Scottish Book Trust is currently open for applications for our hugely successful mentoring programme. The mentoring programme is aimed at established and emergent writers, playwrights, screenwriters and illustrators who have a specific project on which they’d like some dedicated support.

Past mentors have included Bernard MacLaverty, Alan Bissett, Tom Leonard, Professor Douglas Gifford, Kathryn Ross of literary agents Fraser Ross Associates, David Ian Neville of BBC Radio Scotland, established screenwriter Adrian Mead, Philip Howard (former Artistic Director of Traverse Theatre) and many more.

The deadline for applications is Monday 8th September. For more information and application guidelines please click here.