New at NLS
Posted June 4, 2010 3:29 pm by Nicola Stratton | Permalink
An interesting selection of Scottish interest material was received by the National Library of Scotland this week, including The chapel at the edge of the world, the debut novel by Pittenweem based author Kirsten McKenzie. The novel is based on the experiences of the Italian prisoners of war on Orkney during the Second World War. Originally from Leith, Kirsten has a MLitt in Creative Writing from St Andrews University and is currently working on her second novel.
Also received this week was Dunsinane by Scottish playwright David Greig. Written as a sequel to Shakespeare’s Macbeth for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Dunsinane premiered in London during February 2010.
Another new addition to the collections was The lore of Scotland : a guide to Scottish legends by Jennifer Westwood and Sophia Kingshill. This fascinating volume explores the origins of the legends and beliefs of Scotland and their changing influence over time. Fairies, witches, feuds and local traditions are just some of the subjects tackled by this work, which covers the major legends in each region of Scotland.
Scottish folklore is also the subject of The guide to mysterious Aberdeenshire by Geoff Holder which, as well as examining legends peculiar to the area, also looks at historic sites and graveyards to examine what they reveal about beliefs and traditions.