Doug Johnstone

The fifth Skelfs novel, The Opposite of Lonely, is coming out in Germany in November as Das Gegenteil von Einsam thanks to the amazingly supportive Polar Verlag. I love their moody covers!

So the first leg of the joint residency between Edinburgh and Okayama UNESCO Cities of Literature is underway, and our two Japanese author friends, Eight Tenkawa and Heisuke Kitazawa, have joined Morag Hood and myself in Edinburgh. So far we’ve made them eat haggis and drink Irn Bru, so we’re covering all the cultural bases. Next week the four of us head to Moniack Mhor in the Highlands for a week of writing time. It’s already been great getting to know them and I’m looking forward to spending time together up north. Here we are ‘enjoying’ a typical rainy day in Edinburgh. Kanpai!

Something a little different for me: I’m doing an event at Larbert Library specifically about my approach to songwriting and making music. Genuinely can’t wait for this, I rarely get a chance to talk about my music in any depth. I’ll be there on Monday 23rd November at 6.30pm. Tickets are free but you need to reserve a spot here.

I’m really excited to be appearing at the Kinross-shire Winter Festival for the first time this year. I’ll be having a ‘Killer Conversation’, apparently, on Sunday 22nd November at 1.30pm in Loch Leven Community Library. As always, there will also be tunes along with the banter. Come find me! More info and tickets here.

I’m absolutely THRILLED to have been awarded this year’s Loch Long Crime Writing Residency at Cove Park! I’ll be spending two weeks there in January working on the early stages of a new novel. So I guess this (below) will be my view for two weeks. Can’t wait.

And I’m delighted to be appearing at the Birnam Book Festival for the first time! My event is launching the festival on Friday 23rd October at 7.30pm, talking to Jamie Jauncey. The whole festival programme is terrific, all details and tickets here. 

I’m also excited to be appearing at The Stewartry Literary Society in Broughton House, Kirkcudbright on Tuesday 20th October at 2.30pm. I’ll be chatting about twenty years of murder and mayhem, and playing a couple of solo tunes too, I reckon. More details are here. 

I’m appearing at my local Portobello Book Festival this Saturday October 3rd at 7pm. I’ll be chatting to old pal Mary Paulson-Ellis about all things Skelfs, then playing a few songs with my son Aidan. Tickets are FREE for all events at the festival, but they’re going fast, so get on it. 

I am gobsmacked and beyond excited at being picked for this Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature residency. Two weeks in October/November in Scotland with two Japanese writers, Eight Tenkawa and Heisuke Kitazawa – one week in Edinburgh then a week at Moniack Mhor in the Highlands. Then myself and Morag Hood are off to Okayama in Japan for two weeks in March next year. There will be events and cultural activities in both places, as well as time to write and explore. Pretty damn amazing. I cannot wait!