Announcing Stevenson's Exploration of Scottish Gothic Fiction

We are delighted to announce that Orcadian author Barbara Stevenson, will return to Academia Lunare with a new work on Scottish Gothic Fiction: The Kirk, the Deil and the Grue Atween. Luna Press has acquired EWR and we are looking forward to welcome this new publication in the new year.

Barbara on the book:

"I first became intrigued by Gothic fiction having read the works of Charles Maturin, a great uncle of Oscar Wilde's. Maturin was one of the earliest Gothic writers and I was interested in how the genre developed and split into various sub-genres - Scottish Gothic being one of them.

Having been brought up with Scottish literature, it has always been close to my heart, perhaps because, in general, it sides towards the Gothic almost naturally, with writers such as James Hogg and Walter Scott (who was himself an admirer of Maturin's work).

I wanted to put my finger on what defines Scottish Gothic, specifically, what separates it from traditional Gothic fiction yet keeps it in the Gothic mould. The landscape, the history and the people play a part, but there is also a 'certain something', often seemingly elusive. Scottish authors are close to the source, familiar with cultural and linguistic peculiarities, and write with authenticity, but sometimes it is non-Scottish authors, looking in, who capture an essence so familiar to native Scots it is often overlooked.

This book is for all lovers of Gothic fiction; readers, writers and those in between. It is also for those who know little about Gothic fiction, but want to find out more. It is for the Bravehearts out there, who are not scared to delve into the darker parts of life, of history and of human nature. It is for those unafraid of dark woods, deserted glens, strange islands, and the supernatural beings lurking there. It is for folk who wonder what 'normal' really means, but most of all it is a book to enjoy."

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Barbara Stevenson

Barbara Stevenson has a background in veterinary medicine and subsequently, animals feature in many of her stories – some with outspoken things to say about humans. She studied creative writing as part of an Open University BA(Hons) degree and has had a novel and short stories published. In 2014 her humorous sketch ‘Commonwealth Conundrum’, about Martians trying to join the Commonwealth, was performed in the Tron Theatre, Glasgow. In 2016 she won the Scottish Association of Writers’ Livingstone scholarship trophy and the Castles in the Air Trophy for a short story in the fantasy genre. She has written several articles of literary criticism, a collection, Where the Ocean Meets the Sky, and a novel, The Dalliances of Monsieur D'Haricot, translated in English and Italian.

She lives in Orkney, where she finds inspiration for her writing.

As always, you can follow the publication process through our newsletter.