One Last Look Back on 2021

One Last Look Back on 2021

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For four decades, Luath Press has been committed to publishing well-written books worth reading. As 2021 draws to a close, we want to look back on the highlights of our 40th anniversary year and remember the important moments we are proud to have been a part of.

So, here are some of our best moments from 2021. We thank you for joining us along way and wish each of you a Happy Hogmanay.

See you in 2022!

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Scottish by Inclination Goes on Tour

Barbara Henderson’s Scottish by Inclination went on a blog tour through some of Scotland’s best-loved and most welcoming online spaces for books and bibliophiles in July. Sarah Broadley, Shelf Life, Portobello Book Blog, Just Geeking By, The Occasional Bookwitch, Unicorns and Kelpies and Highland Book Fairy all joined in for a week-long celebration. Thanks to them, the message spread far and wide – we are more than an island because belonging is a choice.

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Angus Peter Campbell opens the Edinburgh International Book Festival

The panel ‘Culture in a Time of Crisis’ kicked off the Edinburgh International Book Festival on the opening night in August. Writer Angus Peter Campbell, the translator behind Tuathanas nan Creutairean, the first ever translation of George Orwell’s Animal Farm in Scottish Gaelic, spoke at the panel, put together to assert the necessity and value of art and culture even in an age of uncertainty, pandemic, and political chaos. A bold and welcome assertion to inaugurate the 2021 EIBF festival.

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The Road Dance Takes Home the EIFF’s Audience Award

John MacKay’s debut novel The Road Dance was released in 2002 to great acclaim, with the Daily Mail calling it ‘powerful, shocking, heartbreaking’. Set during the onset of the First World War, The Road Dance is an enthralling coming-of-age story of a young woman confronted by a terrible choice in the aftermath of sexual assault. This year, a film adaption by director Richie Adam premiered at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in August where it bagged the prestigious Audience Award.

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Henderson Leads Return for the Ness Book Fest

In October, Barbara Henderson appeared at Inverness’ own Ness Book Fest, which she helped found in 2016. Her semi-biographical book Scottish by Inclination celebrates the stories of EU citizens who have made Scotland their home over years and decades and explores the complexities of finding belonging as an immigrant. Marking the festival’s return following its cancellation in 2020 due to the pandemic, Henderson was able to talk about her book to an in-person audience.

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Get Motivated with the Kilted Coaches

Stephen Clarke and Rab Shields have already made a name for themselves on YouTube – The Kilted Coaches channel boasts tens of thousands of subscribers. October saw the release of their first book, The Kilted Coaches: How to stick to the damn plan, a guide to setting and meeting your personal goals. Lavished with scenic photography and kilts galore, this superb book condenses the best of their teachings, wisdom and good-humoured banter into a compact hardback. So, no more excuses – it’s time to meet your goals! You can even get your hands on signed copies online at Shilling & Fitz.

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How Scotland Dressed the World at the House of Gods

Lynne Coleman launched her latest book How Scotland Dressed the World in November, holding a glamourous launch at Edinburgh’s House of Gods. Celebrating Scotland’s crucial contributions to fashion history’s greatest trends, How Scotland Dressed the World is a fantastic, colourful declaration of love from one of the nation’s greatest stylists.

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COP26 – Glasgow Holds our Hope for the Future

In November, Glasgow was host to the single most important meeting of nations in recent history. COP26 was a crucial step in uniting the world against the threat of climate change and furthering the efforts of global leaders to ensure a sustainable future. Artist and activist Ellie Harrison, author of The Glasgow Effect, spent the week of COP26 hosting and speaking at half a dozen events following the release of her book’s second edition. The hope for a better future was further galvanised by Luath’s other 2021 titles, Angie Zelter’s Activism for Life and Natalie Whittle’s The 15 Minute City. These books could not have arrived at a more critical moment, providing the inspiration for the next generation of activists and the framework for rethinking our relationship to the urban environment.

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National Library of Scotland Hosts Charlie Mackesy & Matthew Fitt
In December, the National Library of Scotland hosted bestselling author Charlie Mackesy and Scots writer Matthew Fitt. They discussed The Laddie, the Mowdie, the Tod and the Cuddie, Fitt’s Scots translation of Mackesy’s beloved The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. Fitt’s translation is a fantastic contribution to the growing popularity of Scots-language books, and a fitting tribute to Mackesy’s original work.