Bøger udgivet af Luath Press Ltd

Whether as the mothers of the Norse God Heimdall, Morgan and her sisters on Avalon, the nine sisters at the heart of the founding myth of the Gikuyu of Kenya, or witches battling with the Irish St Patrick, stories of nine women, often attending a goddess or linked to a heroic or divine male, exist across much of our world. Triggered by a local story still told in his native Dundee, Stuart McHardy has traced what seems to be memories of groups of nine women, most likely some kind of priestesses, across much of Europe and as far as Siberia, Korea, India and Africa. Whether as Pictish saints, Muses, Valkyries, Druidesses or witches, the tales of these groups of nine women transcend a vast range of cultural and linguistic boundaries. The painting of nine women dancing round a priapic male in a Catalonian cave painting over fifteen thousand years old suggests these groups may well have been one of the oldest cultural institutions humanity has known.Â

The Scots language is the hidden treasure of Scottish culture. For many of us it is still how we speak to each other, how we express our feelings, our humour, even our Scottishness. It not only connects us to our communities at an emotional level but also links us to our past. Scots was created by millions of voices coming together to share words, phrases and jokes; to understand, act on (and often laugh at) the world around them. Aye, but what exactly is 'Scots' anyway?Usually spoken in a mix with Scottish English, at leastnowadays, is it really a language at all?Was it ever?And what about its future?Dr Clive Young embarks on a quest to learn about the secret life of the language he spoke as a bairn. Along the way, he encounters centuries of intense argument on the very nature of Scots, from the first dictionaries, through MacDiarmid, The Broons, Trainspotting and on to present-day Twitter rammies. (And of course, endless stushies about how to spell it.) Some still dismiss Scots as 'just' a dialect, slang or bad English. Behind this everyday disdain Dr Young uncovers a troubling history of official neglect and marginalisation of our unique minority language, offset only by a defiant and inspiring linguistic loyalty. A refreshing counterbalance to the usual gloomy prognosis of Scots' supposedly 'inevitable' demise, Dr Young sketches out a practical roadmap to revitalise Scotland's beleaguered tongue and simple ways we can all keep it 'hale an hearty' for future generations. Acause if you dinna dae it, wha wull?

Home Game provides an insight into the birth of the Homeless World Cup and how it has become such a global phenomenon, by looking at more than just facts. It shows how the power of sport can help excluded people transform their own lives - and how the event has transformed attitudes to homelessness.

They all excited and inspired me by how they fought their corners [...] So I want to place them all round a fantasy dinner-table, not just to dine, but to relive how I saw them in action and how much they had in common.Who would be on your dream dinner party guest list? Over his 50 years in broadcasting, Archie Macpherson has seen many sports personalities come and go; in Touching the Heights he collects the 13 who have inspired him most around his fantasy dinner table. Some are well-known, others less so, but all shaped both their sport and those, like Macpherson, who watched their careers unfold.Tommy Docherty * Jackie Paterson * Jim Baxter Eric Brown * Jimmy Johnstone * Sandra Whittaker Dr Richard Budgett * Ally MacLeod * Jock Stein * Sir Alex Ferguson * Bill McLaren * Jim MacLean * Graeme SounessFrom football to golf, boxing to athletics, Touching the Heights celebrates the breadth of Scottish sporting achievement. Whether telling the tale of a boy who acquired new shoes by stealing them from the local baths, or that of a distinguished medical scientist at the centre of sporting transgender debates, one thing unites them all: Without them life would have been much poorer.

Growing up during The Troubles, I was determined that I was not going to be forced into Irish unity by terrorist violence or the threat of it. At the time, there was no space to think about a different future. But since then, we have had peace, however imperfect it may be, and we now have the opportunity to freely decide our fate.Why will everyone living on the island of Ireland benefit from Irish unity?How will the referendum be won?Do we need to start preparing now?What will happen when Ireland is reunified?Disillusioned with the state of pro-union politics in Britain and Northern Ireland, scarred by what he and many others see as a detrimental vote for Brexit and determined to heal the wounds inflicted by partition, Ben Collins sets out a multitude of political, social and economic benefits of removing the border on the island of Ireland, once and for all.Written from the viewpoint of an East Belfast-born former UUP campaigner, Irish Unity: Time to Prepare addresses the concerns of unionists in Northern Ireland and sceptics in the Republic and urges everyone on the island of Ireland to escape the crumbling United Kingdom so that we can build a peaceful and prosperous future together, for ourselves and our children.

The postman and the primary teacher, the midwife and the musician. Workers in shops, workers at sea. Solidarity with the Columbian farmer and the Palestinian fireman...Modern trade unionists in Scotland perform roles in every imaginable location and are drawn from all backgrounds. They campaign to win on issues facing the colleague next to them or a comrade thousands of miles away. 'Mon the Workers tells their stories in their own words. It is a celebration of 125 years of the STUC, and a clarion call for the next generation to agitate, organise and win. This book demonstrates past achievements, explores the ideas trade unionists have fought for and rouses the movement towards future victories. 75 trade union members, reps and officials share experiences of union life from the anti-apartheid movement to Wick Wants Work. Alan McCredie's charismatic portraits of 50 other activists from the trade union movement provide a complementary visual narrative. This very human book pulses with the energy of Scotland's trade union movement, which has achieved so much and still has more to do.

Why is Mum crying? Why is she up so early? Why isn't Dad looking after her?Something unusual is happening in an Edinburgh bungalow, and at the heart of it are Jude and Sam Redpath, a mother and son forced to confront both their grief and their darkest secrets.Still reeling from a doping scandal that shocked the athletic world and with a baby on the way, Jude knows she must keep her family safe, no matter the sacrifice. But what does that mean she should do?Child's third novel is a truly unique tale of grief and desperation. Us vs the World questions not only the nature of the digital world and the strength of family bonds but how far you would really go for what - and who - you love?

We are Hibernian explores the sights, sounds and memories of fans who have taken the journey to watch the team that they love. Supporters from all walks of life bare their souls with humour, emotion and sincerity. This book celebrates the story behind that unforgettable moment when Hibernian entered the childhood of its fans lives and why, despite their different backgrounds, these loyal fans still support a sometimes unsupportable cause together. Is it what happens on the field of play or the binding of tradition, memories and experience that makes Hibs fans follow their team through thick and thin? Featuring interviews with many different fans, this book takes you on a journey to discover why football is more than just a game and why Hibernian is woven into the DNA of each and every one of its supporters.

In post-war Glasgow a primary school class was set a composition topic: a memorable family event. Each child completed the assignment ‿ all, that is, but one. Why didn‿t you write about your family?Please, miss. I didn‿t, I didn‿t know what to write. But now, he does. In Already, Too Late, Carl MacDougall, one of Scotland‿s most accomplished and celebrated literary writers, presents a memoir of extraordinary authenticity and honesty. This memoir takes us through MacDougall‿s upbringing, both in and out of care on the west coast of Scotland, Fife, and industrial Glasgow, during the first decade of his life. Within this world, now teetering on the brink of our collective memory, sits a single-parent household of German descent; money is tight, trauma roams free and tragedy comes calling again and again. Through a powerful mosaic of stories, MacDougall strips away all rose-tinted sentimentality to create a vivid account of heart-break, dissociation and loss. Already, Too Late is the early life of an outsider looking in, a changeling child, displaced, alone, and ‿ in his own grandmother‿s words ‿ ‿no right‿. Because for some, even the very beginning is already too late.

‿In pencil-written and drawing-spattered notebooks intended for her Australian granddaughter, an elderly woman, now in Edinburgh, remembers and relives her Hebridean childhood. The community thus recreated is one where modernity ‿ its emblem the Electricity of Angus Peter Campbell‿s title ‿ collides and overlaps with all sorts of linguistic, cultural and other continuities. But this is no sentimental or elegiac excursion into a long-gone past. What‿s evoked here is a powerful sense of what it was, and is, to grow up amid family, neighbours and surroundings of a sort providing, for the most part, both security and happiness.‿ JAMES HUNTER

Honey Get the Door! is a book of illustrated thoughts and pictures of Honey the wee sausage dog who Janey Godley ventriloquises for her fans across social media on a regular basis. In this book Honey tells us what she really thinks about her life as a dachshund, with Janey‿s own thoughts, along with cute photographs and hilarious illustrations, interspersed throughout.

James Maley, George Watters, Donald Renton and Archibald Williams were members of Machine Gun Company No. 2 of the XV International Brigade. This is the first book to focus on a small group of men from different starting-points, ended up in the same battleground at Jarama, and then in the same prisons after capture byFranco‿s forces. Their remarkable story is told both in their own words and in the recollections of their sons and daughters, through a prison notebook, newspaper reports, stills cut from newsreels, interviews, anecdotes and memories, with a foreword by Daniel Gray. Our Fathers Fought Franco is a collective biography that promises to add significantly to the understanding of the motives of those who ‿went because their open eyes could see no other way‿.

Commissioned especially for Scotland's Year of Stories, Storm and Shore connects the west coast of Scotland's rich mythological past with the present day. When artist Lucy Salter comes to a remote Argyll coastline she aims to connect with nature in its wild state. Aid worker Dave McArthur is fleeing traumatic conflict. But they have both ventured into a borderland, layered by history, migration and repressed violence. Itis a liminal place, storied by centuries of settlement and travel. Yet local tradition bearers, bard and seannachaidh, can channel the past. From these hauntings, a storytelling tapestry is woven from the sea, nature myth and weather. The long roots of our global crisis are laid bare in landfalls, wherein the crucible of Gaelic tradition, creatures of the sea meet the shore.

Witchcraft holds a continued fascination for readers around the world, and the Scottish witch hunts have recently received renewed media attention, especially with the BBC 2 show Lucy Worsley Investigates, bringing attention to Edinburgh‿s witches. Expert Mary Craig explores the unusual story of Agnes Finnie, a middle class shopkeeper who lived in the tenements of Edinburgh. After arrest, most witches were tried within a matter of days but not Agnes. Her unusual case took months with weeks of deliberation of the jury. Mary explains why and gives her expert insight into the political and religious tensions that led to her burning. The book will interest a variety of readers, academics and non-academics alike ‿ those interested in witchcraft, British and Scottish history, religious studies and women‿s studies. Mary Craig works as a historian with museums, archives and schools and hosts regular, well-attended events on the subject of witchcraft in the Scottish Borders. We expect strong media coverage. The Witches of Scotland campaign has recently gained traction and the attention of first minister Nicola Sturgeon, calling for a pardon and apology to those accused during the witch hunts.

From her unique perspective as former French ambassador to the UK, Sylvie Bermann examines the mistruths told by politicians surrounding the fateful 2016 Brexit referendum. Au Revoir Britannia asks the question 'How did this happen?' and exposes what she sees as the 'unrepenting' and 'inveterate' lies of the now pm, Boris Johnson. This first English edition includes a new preface exploring the future of post-Brexit Europe and Britain, and the uncertain implications of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

This book traces the story of how and why thousands of Scots made money from buying and selling humans... a story we need to own. We need to admit that many Scots were enthusiastic participants in slavery.Union with England gave Scotland access to both trade and settlement in Jamaica, Britain's richest colony and its major slave trading hub. Tens of thousands from Scotland lived and worked there. The abolition campaign and slave revolts threatened Scottish plantation owners, merchants, traders, bankers and insurance brokers who made their fortunes from slave-farmed sugar in Jamaica and fought hard to preserve the system of slavery. Archives and parliamentary papers in both countries reveal these transatlantic Scots in their own words and allow us to access the lives of their captives. Scotland and Jamaica were closely entwined for over one hundred years. Bought & Sold traces this shared story from its early beginnings in the 1700s to the abolition of slavery in the British Empire and reflects on the meaning of those years for both nations today.

Set in Edinburgh in 1690. The body of a wealthy merchant is discovered in his home in the city centre. Was his killing the result of a robbery gone wrong? The vicious mode of his death seems to suggest otherwise. Scotland is in upheaval as political and religious tensions boil, and there is mystery concealed behind the walls of Van Diemen's Land. MacKenzie and Scougall investigate.

affront * baffies * capercailzie * dingie * elderitch first fit * glaikit * hogmanay * jalouse * laldie * mar numpty * onding * pawkie * scunner * thrapple wean * yeukie * and mony mony mair tae whet yer thrapple...What is your favourite Scots word?Have you heard of a stushie or a stairheid rammy?Do you know a numpty who talks a lot of mince?For over a decade, The Herald has published the Scottish Language Dictionaries' Scots Word of the Week. This wee book gathers 100 of our favourites, showing the breadth and diversity of the Scots language over time, ranging from lesser-known Older Scots to formal language to contemporary slang. Uncover the surprising origins of well-known words such as numpty and wean, discover unusual ones like onding and gowan, and savour evocative gems like Robert Burns' 'blethering, blustering, drunken blellum'.

Scotland has a distinctive place in the world. Nation to Nation explores how this unique relationship with the rest of the world has developed over the years and how it manifests itself today.In this book Stephen Gethins combines his knowledge from years of work in the field - from the conflict zones of the former Soviet Union to the corridors of power in Westminster and Brussels - with insights from political, cultural and academic figures who have been at the heart of foreign policy in Scotland, the UK, Europe and North America.Gethins looks at Scotland's foreign policy to better inform the debate about our country's future and its relationships with its neighbours near and far.

'Gradually I forgot I was a foreigner.'Barbara Henderson has been Scottish by inclination for 30 years. She fell in love with Scotland and its people when she left Germany at the age of 19. Now a children's author, storyteller and teacher in the Highlands, she gives us a lively glimpse of Scotland through the eyes of an EU immigrant - from her first ceilidh to Brexit and the choppy seas of citizenship.Scottish by Inclination also celebrates the varied contributions of 30 remarkable Europeans - beer brewers, entrepreneurs, academics, artists and activists - who have chosen to call Scotland home.'All voices matter and deserve to belong. Belonging is more than a privilege. Belonging, I am now convinced, can be a choice.'

It would be easy to despair at the state of the world today. But we must not. Indeed, we cannot.In this book Neil Findlay brings together first-hand testimony from people who have played crucial roles in social justice campaigns. Their stories are personal, political and unforgettable. They say a lot about dignity, integrity, courage and humanity. We can apply what we learn from them to build a sustainable and fair society for generations to come.Activists, social justice campaigners, trade unionists and environmentalists will find this collection inspirational, emotional and educational. And they will understand why it is titled If You Don't Run, They Can't Chase You.With contributions from 'Andrea', Margaret Aspinall, Alex Bennett, Brian Filling, Maria Fyfe, Elaine Holmes, Mark Lyon, Alistair Mackie, Olive McIlroy, Tony Nelson, Paul Quigley, Terry Renshaw, Dennis Skinner, Dave Smith, Jim Swan, Louise Taggart and Yvette Williams.We must examine the campaigns and struggles people have gone through, listen to their stories, study their actions and in turn look at the world now, and apply what we have learnt.

Every single person in Scotland has some kind of stake in the effectiveness of the nation's schools, so in writing this book my goal was to explain the intricacies and inconsistencies of the system, and to explore its strengths and weaknesses, in a way that would make sense to as many people as possible.How much do we really know about the state of Scottish education?Why do inequalities continue to dictate the school experiences of children across the country?What can be done to address the problems in the school system?James McEnaney does what he claims pundits and politicians cannot or will not do tell the truth about Scottish schools.Class Rules makes the key issues and information surrounding Scotland's education system accessible to all. McEnaney delves into the successes and failures of the Curriculum for Excellence, interrogates the rhetoric around closing the 'attainment gap' between the richest and poorest pupils, and considers the impact of the global Covid-19 pandemic.Most importantly, this book also looks to the future to ask what changes can be made to improve the system for young people across the country, and is a must-read for anyone interested in the future of schools in Scotland.

The mountains provide the spiritual nourishment so essential to a truer understanding of the hills and, ultimately, ourselves.Munro bagging is a headily addictive pursuit, with the holy-grail of 'compleation' the ultimate aim, currently achieved by around 7,000 Munroists.It all began in 1891 when Sir Hugh Munro's Tables of 3,000-foot Scottish mountains appeared in The Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal. Since then, this innocent compilation of hills has become a hallowed hit-list.Andrew Dempster traces the meandering course of this cult activity, which has gone from trickle to torrent in the space of a century. From early map-makers to current record-breakers, from the why and the wry to wildness and well-being, The Munros: A History explores the compulsions and philosophies underpinning the Munro phenomenon.