Ron Butlin is an internationally prize-winning novelist and former Poet-Laureate of Edinburgh. His background is remarkably diverse, including work as a pop band lyricist, an embassy footman, and a male model. Butlin's prolific literary output spans novels, short stories, and poetry, all widely translated and recognized for their distinct voice. His writing delves into complex human experiences with a unique and compelling perspective.
Upbeat, laugh-out-loud funny, this compelling novel, set in the Borders, swinging sixties London and present-day Edinburgh, touches on music, Scottish independence, love in later life and, most of all, how to make the most of one's life before it is too late. From the author of the critically acclaimed The Sound of My Voice.
In the seventies and eighties, The Lost Poets - Ron Butlin, Andrew Greig, Liz Lochhead and Brian McCabe, with musician James Hutcheson - were Scotland's reply to the Liverpool Poets. For many years they were regulars on the Edinburgh Fringe and elsewhere. With their unique blend of poetry and music they proved to be an inspiration for much of today's spoken-word movement. Each of them went on to highly successful careers as novelists, playwrights and visual artists, as well as continuing to publish poetry. This collection celebrates The Lost Poets' work and contains new as well as previously published work
The narrative captures the transient nature of life through the metaphor of "bleeters," highlighting the inevitability of change and the cyclical patterns of hardship and hope. The poetic tone suggests a reflection on resilience amid adversity, emphasizing that even when circumstances seem bleak, new challenges are always on the horizon. This exploration of life's unpredictability invites readers to ponder the emotional landscape of waiting and the fleeting moments of joy and sorrow.
1985, Edinburgh. Thatcher's policies are biting deep - fat cats and street-kids, lovers, losers and the rest struggle to survive. Hume sets up a business catering for the rich and their ever-growing appetites. But by the new millennium, these appetites have become too demanding . . .Powerful, challenging and very funny, Billionaires' Banquet is an immorality tale for the 21st century.
This new take on trolls will appeal to children aged 3-7 with its funny and imaginative rhymes and full-colour illustrations
A fast-paced rollercoaster of a novel, packed with adventure and adversity
The Magicians of Scotland will build upon the success of The Magicians of Edinburgh (reprinted five times) and on that book's critical acclaim. Ron Butlin is the Edinburgh Makar and this collection will have an Edinburgh emphasis while seeking to celebrate and interrogate Scotland and its people at a crucial turning point in our country's history.
This new take on trolls is written by a master poet and will appeal to children aged 3-7 with its funny and imaginative rhymes. The inventive poetry is complemented throughout with full-colour illustrations which bring the naughty, adventurous trolls to life
'The Magicians of Edinburgh' is a poetic homage to the city of literature in the twenty-first century, drawn from poet Ron Butlin's experience as Edinburgh's Poet Laureate.
Preface by Alasdair GrayBlasting into the future, across alien worlds and distant galaxies, fantastic technologies and potential threats to humanity, Where Rockets Burn Through brings science fiction and poetry together in one explosive, genre-busting collection.Discover an array of poems by more than forty contemporary UK writers, including Edwin Morgan, Jane Yolen, Ron Butlin, WN Herbert, Ken MacLeod and Kirsten Irving, plus an exclusive essay on Sci-fi poetry by Steve Sneyd.Jump in, strap up and switch on the photon cannon…