Thank you to Frazer and everyone who came along to the reading last night. It was a lovely evening. I particularly liked the cross, small schoolboy who came in during the talk to say to his mum in the audience ”You’ve got the key of the house!”

Thank you to readers, supporters, browsers and friends who came on Thursday evening and made the evening so special not least my bookselling colleagues. Extremely touched.

The reviewer does not only inform the reader but can inspire further creativity:-
“I am browsing the weekend papers, the ‘Culture’ pages,
reading the reviews…

…have your heartstrings tugged by the emotional stories of peoples sufferings, soar with the reading of the beautiful poem but when the anti-semitic chants start that is when you leave.

…you had not considered or challenges one you thought you were firm on, ponder on those who make a counter-argument to your pre-conceived ideas, forebear the trite, the trendy, the populist, greet with a wry smile the old saws rehashed from the demos of your youth- “hello pal, awright?”-…

…you most agree with, clap (or if one hand is holding a placard you shoogle it up and down) to show your approval of pertinent points, nod if someone makes a good argument for a view you had not considered or challenges one you thought you were firm on, ponder on those who make a counter-argument…

Of course by attending such a demo you are at the mercy of your fellow demonstrators. Yes, you are anti-Trump but we are each against him in our own individual ways. You admire the banners: that’s a good one, yes, very funny, ouch, naw that’s just rude, that apostrophe! You cheer the speakers that…

The source of the placard from my book ‘Cauld Blasts and Clishmaclavers’

@aliciabruce.bsky.social taking portraits of all of today’s placard and banner makers- continuing her work photographic reportage of Trumps impact on Aberdeenshire started in her brilliant book I Burn But Am Not Consumed. Available here: www.toppingbooks.co.uk/books/alicia...