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One of the key features of an event like the forthcoming Kirkcudbright Book Festival is the opportunities it affords for audiences to experience local voices. Yes, festivals provide a chance for local readers to hear readings from big name writers (this year those names include political commentator Michael Crick and romantic comedy novelist Fiona Gibson
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The next twelve months offer hope for all those unpublished writers out there who are seeking that all-important breakthrough as opportunities open up like never before. You will hear some writers, both published and non-published, coming up with gloomy prognostications about the book trade but I beg to differ. These are exciting times, boom times
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Every literary festival needs a blend of authors travelling in from outside the area and a healthy offering of home-grown talent.The team that has put together the forthcoming Kirkcudbright Book Festival know that and among the home-grown talent on the programme are the members of the excellent Stewartry Writers.Back by popular demand, they will read
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He’s back! One of the fictional world’s most unusual killers has returned in the sequel to the novella Koki, by thriller writer Malcolm Beadle. The first book in the series by Malcolm, of Darlington, County Durham, which was published in 2025, introduced readers to former rodeo clown/turned Army sniper Trent Blane. Blane has been a
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What has a classic Ferrari F40 got to do with one of the most important elements of the craft of writing? All will be revealed in my latest free handy hints for emerging writers to be found on the Handy Hints – Writing with Pace, Light and Dark page, which can be accessed off the
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Authors and football personalities supported the official launch of the National Year of Reading at The Emirates, the home of London club Arsenal. The nationwide initiative from the Department for Education and the National Literacy Trust seeks to address the steep decline in the nation’s enjoyment of reading by inspiring people of all ages to
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One of the features of Kirkcudbright’s annual literary celebration is how readily it brings in authors who embrace other art forms – and, this year music is a recurring theme. From bagpipes to the revolution in folk music, inspiring landscapes to groundbreaking songs, it’s all there at the forthcoming Kirkcudbright Book Festival, including a look
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The organisers of Kirkcudbright Book Festival like to treat their audiences to appearances by some big-name authors and Fiona Gibson certainly fits the bill. The author of romantic comedy novels will give a talk on the afternoon of Sunday March 8 (the last day of the four-day festival), entitled The Woman Who Turned Her Life
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I am a huge fan of books and radio but, sometimes, I find myself fearing for the future of both of them in our world of endless social media (he says writing this for use on his Facebook site!) limitless view-on-demand television and streaming movies beyond counting). So, I was delighted when I saw that
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The thriller novella Koki has been given a bold new front cover ahead of the publication of its sequel Koki’s Last Dance The books by Malcolm Beadle tell the story of Trent Blane, clown turned Vietnam War sniper who paints his face before going out hunting the enemy in Vietnam. The sequel, a full-length novel,
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John Dean - Crime Writer 