Things That Make Me Happy During Lockdown

Lockdown is tough on everyone. All of our freedoms have been snatched from us, our TV sets and streaming services help a little, but the more adverts I see telling me to #StayAtHome the more I want to scream. No-one wants to overwhelm our NHS, but of course if The Tories hadn't slashed it to…

Nancy Drew: Sleuth of Style

Nancy Drew is many things to many people, yet across the decades there have been several consistent elements in her characterisation. For one thing, she's deceptively resourceful. A brilliant brain. A crime busting teen queen. And she owns a wardrobe full of fierce fashions that she's not shy about showcasing. Basically, Nancy Drew likes to…

beautifulgarbage by Garbage (an apology)

Dear Shirley Manson, I'm writing this because I want to apologise to you. I've always admired your power, your supreme fierceness, your talent. In the '90s, you were a huge part of my life. You and the band were a soundtrack for voluntary self-distancing. I listened to your voice, took in your words, studied interviews…

Gran Turismo by The Cardigans

Sometimes a band are so good that they fear their greatness and run away from it, only to encounter a different sort of glory. The Cardigans were always brilliant. Completely, wholly amazing. Their first three albums brimmed with beautifully crafted pop that left the listener warm and happy because the music never failed to sound...wholesome.…

Me & Mr. Cigar by Gibby Haynes

My first published novel was a Young Adult book called Conjuring The Infinite, a sort of greatest hits package of everything that freaked me out as a child. There's a bit of Twin Peaks, a little Stephen King, and a smidgen of Doctor Who. Basically, I wanted to write the weird books that the teen…

Lots To Talk About

So much is happening that I almost can't keep up, but I'm going to try and get myself together using this blog to sort out my thoughts. WARNING: you, as the reader, may need to cartwheel in order to keep up. Okay? Good. Let's go. The Edinburgh International Book Festival Every year, every August, my…

First Album by Miss Kittin And The Hacker

If I had to choose a handful of albums that I needed, actually couldn't live without, during a bizarre epidemic then surely one of those albums would be the quietly seminial First Album by Miss Kittin And The Hacker. We all have albums that never leave our iPods. This album is one of those, forever…