Flashback (with GJ Moffat)

Mes Amis

After a very long time some pictures have been sent my way of the Dundee Literary Festival where, earlier this year, I appeared with the fantastic GJ Moffat, author of Daisy Chain. The event was nicely attended by an enthusiastic audience who, after our readings, got straight down to the business of questions.

The photos are courtesy of the enormously talented Ross McLean* who kindly passed on some images of the event.









Here we have the estimable Mr Moffat reading out a pre-prepared statement of intent. At this point, your beardy hero was thinking, "ulp, we were supposed to be prepared?"













Luckily, I had to hand a copy of THE GOOD SON so read out the sweary bits for all the nervous ladies in the audience. That was okay, because at lunchtime on a Friday and in front of a crowd of Dundee women (and a smattering of chaps, too), Gary had just read out the rather sweaty sex scene that opens DAISY CHAIN.









After all that sex and violence, our moderator - the charming and rather brilliant Robin Pilcher - had to go and have a lie down with a damp towel over his forehead. So we moved the podium to one side and took questions from the audience. Look closely and you can see one of their feet dangling into frame in the picture above.









After the signing was over, we signed for the lovely folks at Borders who were sponsoring the festival and chatted to fans. By this point, we were both starting to hallucinate having only grazed on sandwiches left behind by the lunchtime "Poem and a Piece" event. But according to our two adoring fans (pictured), this made for some great entertainment as the crowds took bets on who would collapse of hunger first.

Anyway, folks, that was a flashback to a grand event, and let me say, if you're in Dundee for the lit festival, they really do lay on a fine series of events.

And if you're in the mood for a Glasgow thriller with a Cobenesque styling to the action, I would also say you might want to take a peek at Mr Moffat.

Au revoir

Russel
*no relation. But we did once work together. It was very confusing on payroll having two R McLeans.