The Book Alchemist (Heather Suttie)

There's no one more passionate about Scottish culture than Alistair Braidwood. His website, Scots Whay Hae! podcast and radio show is a celebration of writers, poets, music, films, TV, art, comedy, books and and so much more - all created by Scots talent.

The books and authors we discuss are:

• Iain Banks
• The Hobbit
• The Sound of My Voice by Ron Butlin
• Shuggie Bain
• Deborah Orr's Motherwell
• Jenni Fagan
• Denise Mina
• Louise Welsh
• Zoe Strachan
• Muriel Spark
• Gillian Shirreffs

Find Alistair on Twitter.

Alan Parks is an award-winning author from Glasgow.

We discuss his favourite library, great coffee shops, life before becoming an author, his connection to John Niven and his forthcoming novel and more.

Parks has been compared to the great Scottish author McIlvanney given the many similarities in their novels. Bloody January was his debut novel, a crime thriller set in Glasgow in the 1970s.

We speak to him whilst he's in the midst of writing his seventh novel (working title) The July Graves, the other book he mentions is Promise Me You’ll Shoot Yourself by Florian Huber.

Shari Low has written 40 rom com novels and sold millions of books. She started writing in her 30s and has also written a trilogy with Ross King MBE.

We discuss her writing journey, overcoming self doubt, her love of libraries. Plus her favourite authors and books which include:

• Jackie Collins
• Tai Pan by James Clavell
• Autobiography Of a Geisha by Sayo Masuda 
• The Rise, The Fall and The Catch
• Jilly Cooper, Sydney Sheldon, Judith Krantz
• Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Enjoy!

Author BC Harris talks about being re-born in your late 40s, her love of Africa, writing two novels and the books which she's loved of late.

The books and authors we discuss include:

• The Bad Seed by William March
• The Fair Botanists by Sara Sheridan
• American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
• Conspiracy of Cats by BC Harris
• Making Sacrifices by BC Harris
• Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

If you've enjoyed this episode, please rate, review and subscribe and to contact me, please email heather@thebookalchemist.com

The Fair Botanist

Mike Kernan is an avid reader and has written a few books himself. We discuss his journey to becoming a self-published author of The Fenian and Stopping to Rain, plus the books he loves including the works of John Boyne, and William McIlvanney and we discover who the best editor in his life is.

Lazara Canton is a self-published author. The 45 year-old mum of two has called Hong Kong, Scotland, Istanbul and Spain home, travelling with her role in corporate leadership training.

Growing up in Shotts, a small town in Scotland, at an early age she experienced the loss of her Dad and sister, and after leaving her high profile career she decided to write a self-help memoir.

She is now a Mindset Healer and Coach.

The books we discussed include:

• The Urgent Life by Bozoma Saint John
• The Architect's Apprentice by Elif Shafak
• The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
• Flowers in the Attic by VC Andrews
• The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
• Consolations by David Whyte
• Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
• Marianne Williamson's The Gift of Change
• Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now

If you've enjoyed this episode, please rate, review and subscribe.

One Love One Life is Billy Sloan's memoir. We discuss Scottish bands, his passion for music memorabilia, anecdotes about The Beatles, Phil Spector, David Bowie, Wet Wet Wet, Prince and his love of Muhammed Ali.

The books and authors we discuss include:

• Taschen books
• The Longest Cocktail Party by Richard DiLello
• Ken McNab's The Beatles in Scotland
• Shake it up Baby by Ken McNab
• David Bowie, A Life by Dylan Jones
• Tearing Down the Walls of Sound by Mick Brown
• The Black Lights: Inside the World of Professional Boxing by Thomas Hauser
• McIlvanney on Boxing Hugh McIlvanney

If you enjoy this episode, please rate, review and subscribe, every little helps!

Seb McKay is probably Oscar Wilde's biggest fan, he loves reading and words are his life. Seb is a self confessed nerd; he loves Japanese culture, shares the bookshops he loves and how a year of reading dangerously changed the way he reads.

We discuss the books and authors which have great meaning for him:

• Blurb Your Enthusiasm by Louise Wilder
• Claire Keegan's So Late in the Day
• White Teeth by Zadie Smith
• Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo
• The Travelling Cat Chronicles Hiro Arikawa
• Other People's Beds by Anna Punsoda 
• Paradise Rot by Jenny Hval
• Earthlings by Sayaka Murata
• Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
• Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood
• The Portrait of Dorian Gray
• Weird Fucks by Lynne Tillman

Madeline Black is a psychotherapist and is also known as the Courage Cultivator. An activist, author and TEDx speaker, Madeleine has an unusual personal story and has experienced more trauma in her life than most ever will.

In her memoir, Unbroken, Madeleine tells her deeply moving and empowering story, as she discovers that life is about how a person chooses to recover from adversity.

We discuss her love of books and audiobooks, including:

• The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
• Super Survivors by Feldman and Kravetz
• Bonnie Garmus's novel Lessons in Chemistry
• Racing in the Rain: My Life as a Dog by Garth Stein
• The Seven Sisters by Lucina Riley

Bestselling author of The Fair Botanists and The Secrets of Blythswood Square, Sara Sheridan talks about the books which have shaped her life, libraries she loves and more.

Truth or Dare, her first novel received a Scottish Library Award and was shortlisted for the Saltire. In 2022, her novel The Fair Botanists was chosen as Waterstones’ Scottish Book of the Year.

Sara is also an activist, interested particularly in female history. She's written more than 20 books and we discuss a wide range of books including:

• Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile
• Her latest novel, The Secrets of Blythswood Square
• Water Music by TC Boyle
• The Collected by Lorna Moon
• Damon Runyon's short stories
• The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon
• Valerie Perrin's Fresh Water for Flowers

In this week's episode baker, book lover, sub-editor and Scottish Sunday Mail columnist Julie Bryson discusses her love of reading and the books which shaped her life.

The books and authors we discuss include:

• Sophie Loren's Eat With Me
• Nigella's How to Eat
• Queen Victoria: Daughter, Wife, Mother, Widow by Lucy Worsley
• Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
• Julia Donaldson, Peter Pan and Moat Brae in Dumfries
• Enid Blyton
• Notes from an Exhibition by Patrick Gale
• Anne of Green Gables
• Out of Africa
• Wonder by RJ Palacio
• Lessons in Chemistry
• Taste by Stanley Tucci
• The Unfortunates by Laurie Graham

If you'd like to join Bookface, the free online book group which trades purely in great recommendations for books of every genre. Click here.

This episode features Sheila Grier, an avid reader and wonderful TV and film actress from the iconic soap, Brookside and so much more.

She loves biographies, Billy Connolly, libraries and the escapism that books allow.

Sheila tells us how she landed her dream job on Brookside and how reading has shaped her life.

Dr Rhona Morrison is a retired, Scottish forensic psychiatrist, artist, and author of her memoir, ‘I don’t talk to dead bodies: the curious encounters of a forensic psychiatrist’.

We discuss big life changes, finding your groove in your 50s. Plus the books snd authors she loves including:

• Adam Kay and This is Going to Hurt
• Val McDermid's books
• Graeme Armstrong's The Young Team
• Guy Grieve's Call of the Wild

Please rate, review and subscribe, it all helps.

Donna Ashworth is a Sunday Times bestselling author, poet and lover of words who found fame with her work in her 40s. She originally self-published her work.

Celebrity fans include Fearne Cotton, Tess Daly, Elizabeth Day, Mark Owen, Davina McCall, Susannah Constantine and many more.

Donna's current book Wild Hope is a #1 bestseller since its release in 2023. We discuss her journey and finding hope and comfort during life's most challenging times.

We discuss Louise Hay, Bryony Gordon and The Goddess Path by Kirsty Gallacher.

Psychotherapist and author Angela Trainer is the guest on this episode of The Book Alchemist.

Angela has self-published two books, Love Never Dies and The Beauty of Broken. Both raise money for charities.

She talks about the therapeutic power of writing and reading, soul friends, grief and living with illness.

Angela Trainer is one inspiring woman.

Anna Campbell Jones is an interior designer who found fame in her 50's as one of the hosts of BBC Scotland's Home of the Year.

We discuss the joy of a charity shop rumble, the work of Norman Wilkinson, organising bookshelves and her new brand.

Plus Anna shares the authors and books which have shaped her life. This includes:

• Friendaholic by Elizabeth Day
• Max Porter's Lanny
• The Comfort of Things by Daniel Miller

Dr Lesley McDowell is a novelist and writer of non-fiction, she was a lecturer in English Literature at St Andrews University, then became a full-time freelance literary critic, writing for publications like The Herald, The Scotsman, The Guardian, The Times Literary Supplement and others.

Her first novel, The Picnic, was published in 2007, and her second –Unfashioned Creatures - about Mary Shelley’s Scottish childhood friend, was published in 2013. We discuss the books she loves and her latest novel, Clairmont.

Life is too short for s*** books and in this episode we meet James Taylor, who has a passion for books 24/7 as he's a bookseller with Waterstones.

We talk about the perks of being a bookseller, his favourite books and the joys of an unintentionally funny book.

Like what you hear? Please subscribe and review The Book Alchemist wherever you listen to your podcasts and if you'd like to contact me, my email is heather@thebookalchemist.com

Colin McCredie is an acclaimed actor, big music lover and recent wearer of spectacles.

We discuss growing up in Perth, landing dream film roles, his work on the iconic TV show Taggart and the books he loves. This includes:

• Mayflies by Andrew O'Hagen
• Sunset Song by Lewis Grassic Gibbon
• The Crow Road by Iain Banks
• Forensics by Val McDermid
• Billy Sloan's One Love One Life
• Memoirs by Thomas Dolby, Brett Anderson, Johnny Marr
• O'Brother by John Niven
• The Secret History by Donna Tartt
• A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Life is too short for s*** books!

This podcast is a celebration of great reads and in this episode, journalist, avid reader and dog mama Alice Hinds shares the books which have shaped her life. We talk brilliant biographies, librarians, and being a celebrity ghostwriter.

The books and authors we discuss are:

• Sanjay and the Baker by Robin Tzannes
• The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole
• From A to Biba by Bárbara Hulanicki
• Wild by Cheryl Strayed
• Entirely Up To You Darling by Sir Richard Attenborough
• David Niven's The Moons A Balloon and Bring on the Empty Horses
• Elton John's Me
• Cash by Johnny Cash
• Brian Cranston's A Life in Parts
• India Knight's My Life on a Plate
• Blurb Your Enthusiasm by Louise Willder
• Sophie Gravia's trilogy

Hello and welcome to The Book Alchemist. I’m Heather Suttie and in this series we meet avid readers from all walks of life.

My guest today is avid reader Karen Campbell. Her dream is to have a book shop and she’s one step closer to that with her business ‘For the love of books’.

We discuss cosy crime, Alan Parks, Jane Harper's The Dry, Kit de Waal, Karen Campbell's Paper Cup, Marion Todd, Muriel Spark and something I can’t pronounce properly…

Life is too short for s*** books and Graeme Armstrong is a highly celebrated Scottish writer. His teenage years were spent within North Lanarkshire’s gang culture. His bestselling debut novel, ‘THE YOUNG TEAM’, is inspired by his experiences.

We chat about his book and how it came to be.

The books we discuss are:

• The Young Team
• Trainspotting

Alongside overcoming struggles with drug addiction, alcohol abuse and violence, he read English as an undergraduate at the University of Stirling; where he returned to study a Masters’ in Creative Writing. He is currently undertaking a PhD at the University of Strathclyde.

It won the Betty Trask Award, the Somerset Maugham Award, and was Scots Book of the Year 2021. It's being adapted for screen by Synchronicity Films.

In 2021, Graeme presented ‘SCOTLAND THE RAVE’, a BBC documentary exploring Scotland’s rave and PCDJ culture, which was subsequently nominated for a BAFTA Scotland and RTS Scotland Award 2022. Most recently, he wrote and presented ‘STREET GANGS’, a BBC factual series exploring modern Scottish gang culture, drill music and his own past.

In 2023, Graeme was named as one of Granta’s ‘Best of Young British Novelists’, a once-in-a-decade literary honour.

Gregor Hollerin is the cofounder of Story Shop an award winning PR and marketing agency.

Dad to two young children, he does a lot of bedtime stories. We discuss Alan Partridge, supporting Doddie Aid, his love of memoirs and more.

The books and authors we discuss include:

• Nick Hornby's High Fidelity
• Stillness and Speed by Dennis Bergkamp
• Norm Macdonald's Based on a True Story
• Dave Chang's Eat a Peach
• F*ck it I'll Start Tomorrow, A True Story by Action Bronson
• Surprisingly Down to Earth, and Very Funny by Limmy
• The Ride of a Lifetime by Robert Iger
• David C Baker and Seth Godin
• Win Without Pitching by Blair Enns
• A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
• Deep Work by Cal Newport
• Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

Hello and welcome to this episode of The Book Alchemist which features double best-selling author, biohacker and wellness expert Davinia Taylor.

We talk all things health and wellbeing and the power of brilliant reading material.

We discuss her books It's Not a Diet and Hack Your Hormones, emotional sensitivity, ADHD, resilience, weight loss and the power of Instagram.

The authors, podcasts and experts mentioned include:

• Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food by Dr Catherine Shanahan
• Terry Pratchett books
• Professor Andrew Huberman and Dave Asprey's podcasts
• Gary Brecka
• Dr Ken Berry
• Dr Malcolm Kendrick

Reece Donnelly is the brilliant, 27 year-old founder of Theatre School of Scotland. He was also a competitor on The Apprentice.

Reading is a big part of the work he does with children and it fuels his professional ambitions. He shares insights into The Apprentice and what he's learned about himself as a result of that experience.

We discuss great stories and the titles he loves which include:

• The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
• Unlimited Power by Anthony Robbins
• The Third Door by Alex Banayan
• Laura Whitmore's No One Can Change Your Life Except For You
• Becoming Mollie Mae
• Lord Sugar's What You See is What You Get

The Book Alchemist is a celebration of the magic of books and the joy of storytelling and Dr Gillian Shirreff's debut novel Brodie is the topic of conversation alongside the books which mean the most to her.

She shares her journey receiving an MS diagnosis and years later a devastating breast cancer diagnosis. Her gorgeous novel Brodie was a labour of love and celebration of Gillian's love of Muriel Spark.

The books and authors we discuss are:

• The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark
• The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde
• Why We Revolt by Victor Montori
• Bunburry Series by Helena Marchmont
• Miss Blaine's Prefect Series by Olga Wojtas

Please take a moment to review The Book Alchemist, thank you for listening!

Elissa Soave is both an avid reader and an author. Her brilliant debut novel Ginger and Me is a coming-of-age mystery that is also a love-letter to her hometown of Uddingston.

The novel was shortlisted for the Saltire Society's Scottish First Book of the Year Award 2023, and film rights of the book have been sold to Mother Pictures.

We discuss her journey to landing her first agent and publishing deal, books which she loves and the ones which have shaped her life.

The authors and books we mention include:

• The Change by Kirsten Miller
• The Magic Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton
• Octavia Bright's memoir This Ragged Grace
• Briony Gordon's Glorious Rock Bottom
• Susannah Constantine's Ready for Absolutely Nothing
• Colin Walsh's Kala
• Complicit by Winnie Lee
• Yellowface by R.F. Kuang

Sarah Frame is a grandmother and the award winning founder of The Book Nook, a community bookshop in Stewarton, Ayrshire in Scotland.

The Book Nook scooped Scotland's independent bookshop of the year in 2024.

We discuss books and authors she loves including John Boyne's Water, Earth, Fire and Air ( to be released ), Douglas Skelton, John Niven, Caro Ramsay, Denzyl Meyrick, Donna Ashworth, Len Penny, The Force by Paul Hardisty, Valerie Perrin's Fresh Water for Flowers and more.

Callum McSorley is an award-winning writer based in Glasgow.

In this episode we discuss awards, Ally McCoist, the importance of finding the time to read, why failing is good and how a part-time job helped him become a best-seller.

The authors and books we discuss are:

• Haruki Murakami
• Predator's Gold by Philip Reeve
• John Boyne's The Hearts Invisible Furies
• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
• The Buried Giant and Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

His short stories have appeared in Gutter Magazine, Shoreline of Infinity, New Writing Scotland, Typehouse Literary Magazine, The Glasgow Review of Books, Monstrous Regiment, and many more.

His debut novel, SQUEAKY CLEAN was published by Pushkin Vertigo in 2023 and won The McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year 2023. Squeaky Clean is out now, you can buy here.

“Loved it… One of the best books I’ve read in a while. Excited to see what Callum McSorley does next. A serious talent.” KEVIN BRIDGES, comedian and author of The Black Dog.

“A manic tale of blood and suds told with laconic humour and warmly engaging characterisation. Callum McSorley is definitely a talent to watch. I knew within a page that I was in good hands.” CHRIS BROOKMYRE.

Sunday Times Best Seller, million copy and twice long-listed for the McIllvanney Scottish Crime Book of the Year and an author whose books have been translated across the globe, Helen Fields consistently produces high impact, compelling novels that readers love.

A former criminal and family law barrister, Helen has the expertise and experience to make the characters and plots scorch with authenticity. 

With a background as both a prosecutor and defence counsel, Helen Fields has a depth of knowledge about crime that lends a fierceness to her writing. From Courts Martials to care proceedings, the Coroner Courts to the Crown Court, Fields draws on her professional years for the extraordinary colour and texture that makes her writing jump off the page.

The 'Perfect' series, set in Edinburgh, introduced the world to DI Luc Callanach. This year saw the release of Degrees of Guilt, her first psychological thriller in the name HS Chandler, a book as shockingly realistic as it is darkly entertaining. 

​Helens' latest character creation is Dr Connie Woolwine, an American forensic psychologist and profiler, based on a real FBI Agent who consulted on the first book. You can find Connie in The Shadow Man, One For Sorrow and The Institution.

And look out for her latest propulsive thriller Profile K.

​.

57 year-old author Helen Fitzgerald has written more than a dozen best selling novels. She has worked as a criminal justice social worker for over ten years. Helen grew up in Victoria, Australia and now lives in Glasgow with her screenwriter husband and family.

We discuss her own books including Dead Lovely, The Cry and its BAFTA winning screen adaptation plus the inspiration for her latest novel Halfway House.