Its Colours They Are Fine

by Alan Spence

Overview

A classic of short fiction, Alan Spence’s celebrated debut collection, first published in 1977, brings Glasgow to vibrant life and captures the spirit of the city as it teetered on the brink of change. From childhood Christmases in small tenement flats and games played on scrubland, to Orange Walks on bright Saturday afternoons and Thursday nights in dark, pulsing dancehalls, these interlinked stories vividly evoke the city and its inhabitants – young and old, Catholic and Protestant, hopeful and disillusioned.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781786892980
Publisher:	Canongate Books
Publication date:	08/02/2018
Series:	Canons , #88
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	272
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Alan Spence is an award-winning poet, playwright, novelist and short story writer and is the author of six works of fiction, six collections of poetry and six plays. His awards include the Glenfiddich Award, The People’s Prize, Macallan Short Story Prize and McVitie Prize for Scottish Writer of the Year. He is Professor Emeritus in Creative Writing at the University of Aberdeen where he founded the annual WORD Festival in 1999 and was its Artistic Director for twelve years. With his wife he runs the Sri Chinmoy Meditation Centre in Edinburgh. In 2017 he was appointed Edinburgh Makar, the Poet Laureate for the City.

Editorial Reviews

…Spence's debut collection, first published in 1977…surveys a narrow locale to disclose widespread truths. With remarkable precision and emotional weight, these stories depict working-class Glasgow: slummy, rowdy, tribal, drunken, despondent, quixotic and irrepressible…Spence achieves his gravelly realism through raw detail…and deft use of the vernacular…

The New York Times Book Review - Mike Peed

One of Scotland’s most accomplished literary talents

The Times

Poetic, affectionate and moving stories of Glasgow street life

Sunday Times

A calm and necessary visionary

Ali Smith

One of Scotland’s most accomplished literary talents

The Times

Brilliant . . . exquisitely and beautifully written stories

The Herald - LIZ LOCHHEAD

Beautifully observed . . . in each story there is a shining and unforced truthfulness

EDWIN MORGAN

Like Chekhov's stories . . . [Spence] is a writer to cherish

Scotsman

A calm and necessary visionary

ALI SMITH