smokeheads hits russia and some other press shit

Aye so, been away on holiday in France for a while. The one thing I learnt is that Bruno Mars must be coining it in from French radio royalties. Aaaaanyway, there’s been a smattering of Smokeheads action while I was away, namely:

Smokeheads got a great review all the way from Russia courtesy of Ray Garraty’s excellent blog Endless Falls Up. Cheers Ray!

– A newspaper review of Smokeheads appeared in the Mail on Sunday, courtesy of the inestimable John Williams. It’s short but beautiful and begins ‘Doug Johnstone is one of the most original Scottish novelists around’. Oof.

– I got to do some blah blah over on the Untitled Books website about what books I was taking on holiday. Helen FitzGerald and Cormac McCarthy, as it happens.

– A wee interview with me appeared on Napier University’s alumni website. Here it is in its entirety.

And that’s all for now. Expect a wee flurry of more Smokeheads bullshit soon, as the mass market paperback is coming out 4th August.

Oh, and I’ve also got a whole bunch of new live events coming up. Check out the events page, whydontcha.

A bientot, mes amis!

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the ossians back from the dead

Just spotted a quite amazing in depth review and discussion of my second novel, The Ossians, over on the Dear Scotland blog, huge thanks to Alistair Braidwood for that. Not bad for a book that came out over three years ago, I guess. Haven’t thought about The Ossians in a long time, and it kinda brought back memories, which is a wee bit weird really. Memories of a bunch of fictional guys I made up in my head? What’s that about?

Anyway, without being too fucking coy about it, I’m probably going to have to think about The Ossians a fair bit more in the near future, as there have been some interesting developments on that front. Nothing massive, just something that will hopefully keep the ball rolling a wee bit longer. Watch this space and all that pish.

Also, the Dear Scotland thing is worth clicking on if only for the King Creosote and Sigur Ros videos posted along with the article. Quality.

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‘no pulitzer prizes here’

Ach so, I was on BBC Radio Scotland’s Book Cafe yesterday. Click here to listen again on iplayer. It was a lot of fun. Started off chatting with author and editor Susie Maguire and presenter Edi Stark about the continuing Scottish fascination for crime fiction, then did a review type thing with Edi discussing Ross Raisin’s Waterline and Aatish Taseer’s Noon.

This is not the Radio Scotland logo, but it should be cos it's cool

We blethered on longer than expected cos their star guest, Pulitzer Prize-winning Michael ‘The Hours’ Cunningham, did a no-show. Tube. Anyway, I didn’t swear or punch anyone, so another live radio experience successfully navigated, I reckon. Lemme know whatcha think. It’s always weird doing live radio – I develop a nervous cough each time I do it. I also talk way too fast. And high. Like one of the mice from Bagpuss. Ho hum.

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publishers and authors of ebooks (or just books) – get your book reviewed, maybe

Folks, one of the many journalism things I do is the weekly books round up for The Big Issue magazine. I also sometimes write the lead reviews and the book features. Anyway, I’m always on the lookout for great new books to include in the round up. I have most of the big publishers’ catalogues, and plenty small ones, but I’m now specifically looking for ebooks to include. If you publish or write ebooks available to buy in the UK, drop me a line at doug.johnstone1@virgin.net and tell me about it.

Naturally I can’t promise to review something, we only have space for four books per week, but if it’s interesting and timely, it’s got a decent chance of getting in. By timely I mean that it has to be initially available for the first time in its current format from about now onwards, as to open myself up to previously published ebooks would sadly be too much of a tidal wave of ebookery.

I realise that there is very little opportunity for ebooks to get review space in traditional print media, and I’m trying to rectify that. The slightly ridiculous thing is that, at the moment anyway, The Big Issue books round up is NOT online. Nothing I can do about that, but if I do review the book I’ll try to alert you in time, or I could always forward on the copy from the review.

Also, if you are a small independent press and you don’t think I have your details, please get in touch on the email address above.

Please don’t send me books or ebooks on spec – just get in touch in the first instance and let me know what you’re up to. I prefer to request specific titles rather than get flooded with random stuff.

All best, and look forward to hearing from y’all.

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like King Creosote fronting Husker Du

Well, well. The awesome dudes at Is This Music? have reviewed my EP, ‘Keep it Afloat’. Click on the logo above to read it. Very complimentary, including this seminal line:

like King Creosote fronting Husker Du

After which the reviewer, Donald Bush, writes that as a reviewer myself I might sneer at that cliched description. Not at all, Mr Bush. Not. At. All. It’s a doozy of a line.

If you wanna hear what got Mr Bush excited, check out the EP here, where you can listen, download and/or buy at your leisure. Please do.

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new cover

OK, got a new cover for the paperback of Smokeheads, out August 4th. Here it is. Whatcha think? I like it.

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half-elephant, half-woman in edinburgh tomorrow

Want to see a half-elephant, half-woman? Of course you do. Here is one:

Which, reading the poster, you will discover is an advert for tomorrow night’s Golden Hour at the Forest Cafe in Edinburgh. The man in charge is Ryan van Winkle, and here is his chat about it:

Ladies and gentlemen — join us for the first in the final trilogy of monthly Golden Hour Events. We promise the usual melange of zesty new words, honourable music and visual rubbish all in a beautiful space. Bring yourself. Bring friends. Bring booze. This is a night we can not prepare you for. Words from: Tracey Emerson (The Short-Story Doctor is In!), Richie McCaffrey (young poems with a familial lustre) & Gavin Bowd. With Music From: BenOfficial (electro art performance for which you are all woefully unprepared), Doug Johnstone (acoustic and solo and acoustic and alone), & Jade and the Jacks – Pure, relentless, funky fun. You will hot up.

Come along. I’m on about half eight, and only playing tunes, not reading, which will be a relief if you hate my books. But bad news if you hate my music. If you hate both, why the hell are you reading this?

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is your dad a violent alcoholic psycho?

Is your dad a violent alcoholic psycho? If so, then buy him this for Father’s Day:

A book that contains loads of violence, whisky, drugs and swearing. If your dad doesn’t read books, then perfect! I’ve lost count of the number of times numbnut dads have come up to me and said: “I don’t normally read books, but I read Smokeheads and it was great!”

So, there you go. The perfect Father’s Day present for dads who love fucked up shit.

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some shit going down in dundee

You are cordially invited to a night of quality local literary and musical entertainment this Saturday 7pm at Benjamin Barker Barber & Shop, 212a Perth Road, Dundee. The evening will feature Doug Johnstone, Ana Stewart, Zoe Venditozzi, Sam Longden and Josephine Jules Andrews as part of Dundee’s Westfest.

There will be readings and music in the fantastic surroundings of Dundee’s finest barber shop, and mibbes some free wine thrown in if you’re lucky.

The event is FREE but space is very limited, so get down early if you don’t want to be peering in through the steamy windows wishing you could make out what’s going on. Details on all performers below:

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Doug Johnstone is a writer, musician and journalist based in Edinburgh but originally from Arbroath. He’s had three novels published, most recently the whisky-based thriller Smokeheads (Faber). His band Northern Alliance have released five albums, and he recently released his debut solo EP ‘Keep it Afloat’. At this event Doug will be reading from his work and playing songs.

Ana Stewart completed the MLitt in Creative writing at The University of St Andrews in 2010, since then she has been working on a short story collection called Pleasureland: Selected Stories. She has worked as a Teaching Assistant in a Speech and Language school, and studied Theatre at Dartington College of Arts. Last year she won the Dragons’ Pen at Edinburgh’s International Book Festival. She is a member of The St Andrews Playwrights Lab and is currently writing life stories for the Mid-lin Day Care Centre in Dundee.

Zoe Venditozzi’s novel, Anywhere’s Better Than Here, was shortlisted for last year’s Dundee Book Prize and she has had work published in a variety of places including New Writing Scotland and New Writing Dundee. An experienced English teacher, Zoe has taught Creative Writing at Pitlochry Winter Words Festival, the Dundee Literary Festival and and through her own business Two Dolls.

Sam Longden graduates with a first in English Literature next week and is now considering embarking on a Masters in Fine Art at Duncan of Jordanstone. Ultimately Sam plans on becoming a robotic aethetisist.

Josephine Jules Andrews was born in Dundee and trained in Anthropology and Ecology and lived in Madagascar for ten years where she founded an award-winning lemur conservation project. She was runner up in the Dragons’ Pen at the edinburgh International Book Festival 2010 and has contributed to a book, “In Memoriam” to be published in the Autumn.

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the tidal wave of indifference interview

Lookit, my first proper interview about the solo EP has popped into the ether, courtesy of the lovely Stu Lewis over at The Tidal Wave of Indifference. He did indeed interview me in a car park in Anstruther during the recent Homegame, and it’s true we were almost run over by King Creosote, who was transporting backline and PA from one venue to another. Crazy times.

Enjoy! And never forget, as if I would let you, that you can listen to and/or buy the EP here.

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