In the 19th century, it was not uncommon to see itinerant lecturers hopscotching across their countries. It was also a great opportunity for them to meet with people, mingle with them, and listen to local stories and folk tales. Is it during his itinerant lectures that John Mackay Wilson got the idea of writing and compiling the Tales of the Borders … Continue reading →
“The strange human craving for the pleasure of feeling afraid….” (Virginia Woolf – The Common Reader) We’re not of the kind to discriminate against anybody, so let us share our readings with this old guy relaxing in his armchair, or… is it a “she” ? This venerable person must have a lot of thrilling stories to tell us … Indeed, … Continue reading →
Gosh…Mairiuna….we’ll miss the 2009 Edition of Wigtown Book Festival, but let us not forget to include this major event inside our 2010 itinerary. It’s a must! Very welcoming sign board indeed. Let’s see if I can guess which nationality lies behind each “Welcome”… Willkommen … gotta be German. Failte … for sure it is Gaelic. Bienvenue … can’t miss this … Continue reading →
The Wigtown Ploughman Hotel On our next Scottish itinerary, we’ll certainly not leave Scotland without spending a day or two in Wigtown. That’s really a nice little town and of course, as we’ve already mentioned it, a fabulous place to buy books, especially the old ones we are looking for desperately and which have been out of print since a … Continue reading →
The first Scottish fictional female detective, Valeria, created by Wilkie Collins, back in 1875, in his book titled The Law and the Lady was all about attacking the “Not Proven” verdict that still exists today in Scotland laws. It is quite surprising Mairiuna, that Wilkie Collins had a great success with this book, because, in those times, women were not … Continue reading →
