A story by Shane Johnstone

Which novel would you recommend to someone who had never read a word written in your country? The first stop on our tour is Scotland, where Alan Warner highlights James Kelman’s astonishing Kieron Smith, boy

Which one novel would you recommend to represent your country’s literature? The next stop on our tour is Turkey, where Ayla Douglas champions Sabahattin Ali’s modern classic Madonna in a Fur Coat

A poem by Stuart A. Paterson

Romance media is awash with cringe-making cultural stereotypes, writes Bomi Park

A short story by Graham Lironi

Her captivating pictorial promotions champion small publishers and little known authors, and shine some light amidst contemporary gloom. Patrick Small meets writer Amy Long to discuss literary solidarity, genius cover design and why it had to be Taylor

Alistair Braidwood admires a fresh look at how Simple Minds created their early innovations

We publish original art and invite writers to submit stories inspired by the work

Victor Eaves surveys the festival’s finest shorts

Neil Cooper finds Jimmy Cauty’s  miniaturist celebration of dissent strikingly apposite

Keith Farquhar chooses his favourite songs. By Hugo Fluendy

By Kirsti Wishart

A poem by Eileen Farrelly