100 Shetland Authors @ Shetlopedia!?!

[Malachy]

Btw, does anybody know anything about this crime writer who is supposed to have lived on da Fair Isle:

 

www.anncleeves.com/shetland.html

 

She didn't live here, she worked at the bird observatory for one summer, maybe two. She spends a lot of time in Shetland but I don't think that counts.

[ex-isle]

Btw, does anybody know anything about this crime writer who is supposed to have lived on da Fair Isle:

 

www.anncleeves.com/shetland.html

 

She didn't live here, she worked at the bird observatory for one summer, maybe two. She spends a lot of time in Shetland but I don't think that counts.

 

 

I see ... and are the books any good?

[Pooks]

I have read Raven Black. It was alright I suppose, I wouldn't read it twice though. It amused me to see that she used some Shetland words from the outset which I thought wouldn't really appeal to a wider audience.

 

Also she had Ravens on the brain. Everything seemed to be named after a Raven. There was even an auld man that kept ravens in a cage.

 

Lots of references to Shetland though, perhaps a few too many. The high school, Up Helly Aa, etc etc etc...

[islandhopper]

... Lots of references to Shetland though, perhaps a few too many. The high school, Up Helly Aa, etc etc etc...

 

Agreed ... with two little adds:

 

i) I read (for a planned critics section on our website) a lot of more recent novels about Scotland or with the plot set to a Scottish background. Compared with many of those the overall view she presents is by far more - how do you say - harmonizing ??? or coherent ??? Probably not for Shetlanders or the people of Fair Isle in particular but for all who are not so familiar with Shetland details. If you read only "the island" or "the islands" much of the background information does make a sence to highlight different aspects of island life.

 

ii) It is quite obvious that the interpreter who translated the novel into German (Die Nacht der Raben = The Night of the Ravens) could not deal with all references and details - and so some are left out without doing any harm to the story ...

[ex-isle]

Interesting - will take a look, then. I guess her situation isn't that dissimilar to Sheenagh Pugh's, then, who someone added to the list? So should Cleeves also be added, or Pugh removed? And is another category required for 'Books aboot Shaetlan bie fokk'at pass trowe', then?

[Ghostrider]

^^^ A Category for books set in Shetland written by non-residents probably is needed.

 

The likes of Hammond Innes' North Star would be another that fitted such a Category, and looking through just the ST's booklist there are one or two others.

[Malachy]

Walter Scott's The Pirate would be an obvious one.

[ex-isle]

And there's that Ian Rankin novel that has the guy hiding out in the broch on Mousa, if that counts ...

[Malachy]

Might I also make a suggestion that the word 'author' is not entirely accurate here. Perhaps the description 'writer' would be better? A number of the people on the list (including me) have never written a book (of prose, at least), so couldn't really be called authors.

(I also know one of the folk would never call herself a writer either, but that is perhaps by the by.)

[ex-isle]

Might I also make a suggestion that the word 'author' is not entirely accurate here. Perhaps the description 'writer' would be better? A number of the people on the list (including me) have never written a book (of prose, at least), so couldn't really be called authors.

(I also know one of the folk would never call herself a writer either, but that is perhaps by the by.)

 

I did wonder about that too, but the category was already established, as with the alphabetical listing, which somebody raised earlier. I'm sure that can be amended if need be ... however, according to the online dictionary

 

 

au·thor(ôthr) n. =

 

1. a. The writer of a book, article, or other text.

b. One who practices writing as a profession.

2. One who writes or constructs an electronic document or system, such as a website.

3. An originator or creator, as of a theory or plan.

4. God

[ex-isle]

Thinking about that, definition 4. should probably just be 'Thor' without the 'Au'

[Guest Anonymous]

I thought about the "Author" v "Writer" thing some time ago. Purely wondering if journalists could also be classed as authors.

I did a similair search as Ex-Isle, and came to the conclusion that anybody who writes anything creative, whether it is a book, a news article, a poem, an editorial, etc... can, and should be classed as an author.

In fact, taking this to a literal conclusion. I am the author of this post.

 

So sorry Malachy. You are an author , as well as all the other things you do.

[ex-isle]

I thought about the "Author" v "Writer" thing some time ago. Purely wondering if journalists could also be classed as authors.

I did a similair search as Ex-Isle, and came to the conclusion that anybody who writes anything creative, whether it is a book, a news article, a poem, an editorial, etc... can, and should be classed as an author.

In fact, taking this to a literal conclusion. I am the author of this post.

 

So sorry Malachy. You are an author , as well as all the other things you do.

 

My graetgraandmiddir readily used the term 'aathir' for a writer of something, in just that sense, as well as to refer to 'a writer of texts'. 'He wis da aathir a'his aein doom' etc. But I can't recall her using 'writer' ...

[Malachy]

Yes, well I was just hoping not to have to add another one to the list of jobs. I have quite enough already thanks!

[ex-isle]

On the subject of categories for this, what about those writers in residence who spent time here, such as Raman Mundair and Jen Hadfield, both of who I know have written beautifully about Shetland - an Raman ati'da dialect at dat! Should we adopt them formally, tink you?