I was delighted to talk about ‘No Safe Anchorage’ at a meeting of Skye U3A at the end of May. There were many interesting questions and comments from the audience despite it being a very hot day. It was a complete contrast to when I spoke about my first book, ‘Love and Music Will Endure’ on a day of storms and torrential rain. The joys of living in a place with changeable extremes of weather!
Author: hazel
Women Writers in the Highlands
In April I spent an enjoyable evening as part of a panel in Inverness, hosted by HighlandLIT. We discussed
‘Women Writers in the Highlands’.
We were a varied group, both in age and as writers. Helen Forbes and Margaret Kirk are both accomplished writers of crime thrillers set in Inverness, Morven-May MacCallum has written a moving account of a teenager suffering from the aftermath of Lyme’s disease and my speciality is historical novels set in the Highlands. However we have Highland ancestry in common and Highland women are renowned for their toughness and resilience!
We covered a range of subjects, including how male authors expect praise for portraying “strong women”. Does this imply that strong women are unusual and therefore most women are weak?
Also debated was the issue of why Highland stereotypes are still so popular, especially the kilted, brooding Jacobite hero (red-haired of course).
There were plenty of lively observations from the audience which contributed to a memorable evening.
The Travelling Bookseller
Since the launch of ‘No Safe Anchorage’ I’ve been travelling around Skye and further afield to Inverness, talking to all sorts of different groups and selling copies of the book. I’ve also been a travelling bookseller, taking books, not only to bookshops but to Skye’s Gaelic College, craft shops, post Offices, galleries and petrol stations. My journeys were mostly by car but I also took the ferry over to the island of Raasay, close to Rona where the story begins.
New Magazine: Skyemakers
This magazine will be available soon. It will feature articles about
creative people, involved in Design, Art,Craft and Literature who live and work on the Isle of Skye.
Do have a look at the website: www.Skyemakers.Com