David Cairns of Finavon

When I first began writing, I quickly realised that grounding my narratives in real historical events added a compelling layer of authenticity - for example, placing my character in London during the 'Great Stink' in 1858 provided a rich palette to build sensory depth. The delicate balance between fact and fiction invites readers to immerse themselves in a world that feels both familiar and thrillingly unknown. Drawing from actual occurrences enriches the story’s texture, offering a vivid...

We have seen it in the movies: In 1973, the Six Million Dollar man  envisaged a man rebuilt with bionic limbs and sensors; in 1987, RoboCop sees a police officer reborn as a cyborg.  The pace increases as the years roll by: in 1995, the Ghost in the Shell, in 1999, the Matrix and so on. As with all science fiction, the initial idea is a matter of thinking forwards until the impossible becomes possible.  But today, these visions of the future are actually taking seed. Much of RoboCop’s...

A family story of courage, loss, and remembrance from Scotland’s coalfields. Wives and children waiting for news at the pit head A Morning of Fire and Grief On the morning of 28 October 1939 , as Europe was gripped by the opening months of the Second World War, a different kind of explosion rocked the quiet villages along the Firth of Forth. Deep underground at Valleyfield Colliery , near Newmills in Fife, a blast tore through the workings, killing thirty-five miners , injuring many more, and...