Meeting writers on the page since 1996

Showcase

Emma Cameron

“Catrìona walked along the path beside the kirk carrying a bunch of spring flowers, passing the ancient yew tree, grooved and twisted, as old as time. Lifting the latch she pushed open the gate to the churchyard. It was the anniversary of Duncan’s death. Ten years. In some ways it seemed much longer, a whole lifetime, in other ways like yesterday. There was a time when she thought she couldn’t go on, the crushing feeling when she woke in the morning and realised he wasn’t just away in the field.”

From ‘A Scattering’ – included in the showcase

“By writing A Scattering I wanted to explore an aspect of my own history. Some of my ancestors were from the Scottish Highlands, living through the dramatic period of history known as the Highland Clearances. Despite this, I knew little about it. I hadn’t been taught about it at school, nor had I heard any stories at home. The novel required a lot of research, many trips to Scotland, plus learning to speak some of the Gaelic language, one of the great pleasures of writing this novel. I wanted to tell the story from more than one point of view. I hadn’t written anything historical before this and I’ve lived in England all my life, so I knew it would present a challenge. I thought I might need a mentor and, after some research, enrolled in the TLC Mentoring Scheme.” From the Introduction