Brave New Words

Ian Green

Supporting Mark DeJager and RJ Barker

Ian Green is a writer from Northern Scotland with a PhD in epigenetics. His fiction has been widely broadcast and performed, including winning the BBC Radio 4 Opening Lines competition and winning the Futurebook Future Fiction prize. His short fiction has been published by Londnr, Almond Press, OpenPen, Meanjin, Transportation Press, The Pigeonhole, No Alibi Press, Minor Lits, and more.

Ian is reading from his debut The Gauntlet and the First Beneath, the fist in an epic fantasy trilogy published by Head of Zeus.

Find Ian on Twitter and on https://ww.ianthegreen.com

Ian’s reading is now available to watch on our YouTube

Joanna Corrance

Supporting Adrian Tchaikovsky and Cassandra Khaw

Joanna Corrance is a Scottish lawyer and writer living in the countryside near Inverness. She studied law at The University of Edinburgh before returning to the Highlands of Scotland where she was originally brought up. Her interests in writing and literature include Gothic horror, dark fantasy, thriller and science fiction. In her spare time she enjoys illustrating and playing the violin and piano.

Joanna can be found on Twitter at @JoannaCorrance.

Joanna is reading an extract from John’s Eyes, a novella published by Luna Press Publishing.

Joanna’s reading is now available to watch on our YouTube

M.E. Rodman

Supporting C.L. Clark and R.F. Kuang

M.E Rodman writes LGBT+ fantasy with a dark edge and occasional stories of horror and the uncanny. Their short fiction has appeared in Anthologies; Airship Shape and Bristol Fashion, The Dark Half of the Year, Goddesses of the Sea and A Picture’s Worth and online at Expanded Horizons and Zetetic, a Record of Unusual Inquiry. A short story The Selkie; A Tale of Love, Obsession and the Sea, was adapted and performed as a live radio play for the Sanctum Project in 2015. 

Their debut novel Blood and Thorn, published by Grimbold Books, is available from the publisher.

They can be found on facebook and on twitter @thecantingbones

They are reading from their novella Clockwork Sister, published by Luna Press Publishing

M.E.’s reading is now available to watch on our YouTube

Lindsey Stirling

Supporting Ciannon Smart and Cari Thomas

Lindsey Stirling was born in Ayrshire and grew up in the Highlands of Scotland with her Mum and Dad, brother Iain, Skye the cat, and a dog called Spark. Her childhood was spent reading lots of books, climbing mountains, and exploring ruined castles.

She studied Archaeology and Celtic Studies at the University of Aberdeen and graduated with an MSc degree in Archaeology of the North in 2014. She now works as an archaeologist in the Highlands and regularly makes use of archaeology, Scottish and Scandinavian folklore, and the Bible to inspire her writing.

She still enjoys reading lots of books, climbing mountains, and exploring ruined castles, along with the new family dog Broc.

She is reading from her debut novel, Eagle’s Guard, which was released in 2017, with the sequel, Eagle’s Path, published in 2020.

She can be found on https://lindseystirling.uk , on Facebook and Instagram

Lindsey’s reading is now available to watch on our YouTube

Lorraine Wilson

Supporting Claire North and Derek B Miller

Lorraine Wilson lives by the sea in Scotland, writing speculative fiction set in the wilderness and heavily influenced by folklore. She is fascinated by the way both mythology and our relationship with the natural world act as mirrors of ourselves and lenses for how we view others, and with a heritage best described as a product of the British Empire, she is drawn to themes of family, trauma, and belonging. After gaining a PhD in behavioural ecology from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland she spent several years as a conservation researcher in odd corners of the world before turning to writing. She has been stalked by wolves, caught the bubonic plague, and once had a tree frog called ‘Algernon’ who lived in her sink.

She has published short fiction and non-fiction in anthologies by Boudicca Press, Ellipsis Zine, The Mechanics’ Institute Review and Retreat West, amongst others; and magazines including Strange Horizons, Anti-Heroin Chic, Cabinet of Heed, The Forge, Geometry and Terse Journal.

Lorraine is reading from her debut novel This is Our Undoing, published by Luna Press Publishing

She can be found on Twitter

Lorraine’s reading is now available to watch on our YouTube

C.C. Peñaranda

Supporting Kesia Lupo and Victoria Aveyard

C.C. PEÑARANDA is the Scottish author of the compelling young adult novel An Heir Comes to Rise, the first book in an epic fantasy series. 

 A lifelong avid reader and writer, Chloe discovered her passion for storytelling in her early teens. An Heir Comes to Rise has been built upon from years’ worth of building on fictional characters and exploring Tolkien-like quests in made up worlds. During her time at the University of the West of Scotland, Chloe immersed herself in writing for short film, producing animations, and spending class time dreaming of far off lands. 

In her spare time from writing in her home in scenic Scotland, Chloe enjoys digital art, graphic design, and down time with her three furry companions. When the real world calls...she rarely listens.

Chloe can be found on https://www.ccpenaranda.com/ , on Facebook and Instagram

Chloe’s reading is now available to watch on our YouTube

Jim Alexander

Supporting Shona Kinsella and Alex Pheby

Jim Alexander was first published in 1992 as writer of Calhab Justice, a post-apocalyptic view of Scotland set in the future that is the Judge Dredd Universe.

He has worked for DC Comics, Marvel, Black Library and many more. Two of his comic strips for French publisher Humanoids were adapted for the TV series Metal Hurlant Chronicles. ‘

Jim also founded small press publisher Planet Jimbot, which is responsible for publishing Wolf Country, Gabriel, Amongst the Stars, and Savant (which went on to be picked up by Dark Horse Comics). Wolf Country was nominated for the True Believers Comic Awards for Favourite British Comic: Black and White 2014. The award was won by GoodCopBadCop (the comic book which predated the novel) also written by Jim.

He has now entered the world of novels. GoodCopBadCop was published in 2018, a crime novel and modern twist on Jekyll and Hyde. He is currently working on Good Cop, the sequel.

Jim is reading from his second novel called the Light. A work of speculative fiction, the Light explores a world where you wake up and know this is the day you die. How would such a world shape the way we think, our views on each other and society, how we conduct our personal and financial affairs; how we live and how we will die?

Jim can be found at https://jimalexanderwriting.com/ and on Twitter.

Jim’s reading is now available to watch on our YouTube

Ry Herman

Supporting Andrea Stewart and Tasha Suri

Born in the US, Ry Herman is now a permanent Scottish resident, and has been writing theatrical plays for most of his life. He’s worked at a variety of jobs, including submissions editor, theatre technician, and one job which could best be described as typing the number five all day long. He acts and directs, and is performing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2019.

He is bisexual and genderqueer. Hobbies include baking bread, playing tabletop roleplaying games, and reading as many books as humanly possible.

His debut novel, LOVE BITES, is out now from Jo Fletcher Books. He is reading from the sequel, BLEEDING HEARTS, will be published on June 10, 2021.

Ry can be found on https://ryhermanwrites.wordpress.com/ and on Twitter

Ry’s reading is now available to watch on our YouTube

C.F. Barrington

Supporting Ben Aaronovitch and C.S. Green

C.F. Barrington spent twenty years intending to write a novel, but found life kept getting in the way. Instead, his career has been in major gift fundraising, leading teams in organisations as varied as the RSPB, Oxford University and the National Trust.

In 2015, when his role as Head of Communications at Edinburgh Zoo meant a third year of fielding endless media enquires about the possible birth of a baby panda, he finally retreated to a quiet desk and got down to writing.

Raised in Hertfordshire and educated at Oxford, he now divides his time between Fife and the Lake District.

He is reading from his Edinburgh-set debut novel The Wolf Mile, the first instalment in The Pantheon Saga, out with Head of Zeus.

Chris can be found on https://www.cfbarrington.com/, on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook

Chris’ reading is now available to watch on our YouTube

Lindz McLeod

Supporting A.G. Slatter, Hannah Whitten and Lucy Holland

Lindz McLeod is the Competition Secretary of the Edinburgh Writer's Club, as well as their Flash Fiction judge and occasional workshop host.  She is a fiction reader for Outlook Springs, and a book reviewer for Lunate. She is represented by Laura Zats at Headwater Literary Management.

Her first novel, Beast, s currently out on submission and explores a fresh perspective of the timeless fairytale Beauty and the Beast, as seen through the eyes of the uptight butler, Le Majordome. Set in rural France in 1793, the novel examines classism and self-identity, and asks the question— 'is a monster born, or bred?'

She is now working on her second novel, Wolf Whistle, a subverted Red Riding Hood, which follows Matthew, a young boy on the cusp of manhood. In his remote village, women build, hunt, and - most importantly - make all the rules. Men are expected to be modestly dressed, meek, and pliant at all times... but what if they're tired of behaving this way?

In her spare time, Lindz is a member of the Leith Community Archery Club, and travels often to New York where her partner lives. 

Lindz can be found on https://lindzmcleod.co.uk/ and on Twitter

Lindz’s reading is now available to watch on our YouTube