A Kick Up The Arts with Nicola Meighan

Available Episodes

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Jenny Colgan and Andrew Meehan: A Kick Up The Hearts
Send us a textThis week I'm hearing from two terrific writers whose latest books are perfect for cosy reading over the next few weeks - and beyond... Jenny Colgan is a best-selling author. whose latest - The Secret Christmas Library - follows accidental book detective Mirren, and Jamie, who's desperately trying to do his best on a crumbling family estate in the Highlands... It's a snowed-in, fired-up celebration of family, secrets, ancient novels, dogs, adventures, mysteries, castles - and devastatingly handsome men... Andrew Meehan has worked for the Irish Film Board and teaches Creative Writing at Strathclyde University, and his books include the wonderful One Star Awake and The Mystery of Love. His latest, Best Friends, sees seventy-somethings Ray and June falling into ways of life, and love, they never thought possible - via books and bikes and honey bees, and the wonder of hedges, knees, and surprises...Listen in, and catch Jenny and Andrew at St Andrew's Book Festival in London's St Columba's Church at the end of this November... I'll also be there, chatting with Irvine Welsh and John Niven together - we'll be there on Saturday night, that's November 29th at 8pm - and before that, at teatime - I'll be in conversation with Claire Mitchell and Zoe Venditozzi - aka the Witches of Scotland - about their publishing phenomenon, How To Kill A Witch...For now though, to a bright and frosty Edinburgh morning, with Jenny Colgan, and Andrew Meehan, and piping hot coffee and excellent pastries - to talk about life, love, getting older, memory and expectations, winters nights and travellers - and Italo Calvino gets a seasonal look-in too...
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Gavin Mitchell: All Back To Mine
Send us a textIn this episode I’m delighted to be joined by actor, artist, comedian and Still Game favourite Gavin Mitchell who - among other things - is known and loved as Boabby the Barman…His work includes early roles on stage and behind the scenes at The Citz in Glasgow, via Velvet Soup, Monarch of the Glen, Bill Forsyth’s Being Human, Casablanca: The Gin Joint Cut - and various dramas with his kindred spirit John Byrne, including the Tutti Frutti theatre show…We recorded this conversation live at The Stand in Edinburgh as part of this year’s Fringe, and Gavin took us on an imaginary evening of entertainment chez Mitchell, discussing his choice of a Scottish album, film and book, along with his own life and work. Come for his Mick Jagger impressions; stay for the chat about Peter Pan: though I warn you; it gets pretty dark… If you’re a fan of Still Game incidentally, another legend - Sanjeev Kohli, aka Navid - joins me at The Stand in Glasgow on November 13th, at half two - we’ll be having a similar chat to this, and it’d be lovely to see you there… there’s more info at akickupthearts.orgFor now though, back to Gavin Mitchell, live in Auld Reekie…
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Hollie McNish: All Back To Mine
Send us a textIn this episode, I’m joined by the brilliant poet Hollie McNish, whose latest collection, Virgin, is out this week. We caught up last night in her dressing room, ahead of a sold-out gig at Glasgow’s Oran Mor, kicking off her Scottish book tour.Virgin is a blazing, bright, riled love letter to the best of us - which is most of us - in the face of man-made constructs, expectations, blame, shame, and abuses of power. It features mashed potatoes, pomegranates, warm baths, pornhub comments, rebel yells, kissing trees, butter dishes and radical hope.(I’m also now madly in love with Benny from Accounts, incidentally - but you’ll need to read the book to find out why.)Anyway - we sat down for a blether, for an All Back To Mine special, where Hollie chose us a Scottish album, book and film…We spoke about love, life, words, power; women, children, masculinity; Shirley Manson, Michael Mullen, roller-skates, and Gregory's Girl. (You can also watch a very DIY film of our chat in Hollie's dressing room on YouTube, if you like!)Hollie's live at Toppings' St Andrews tonight (October 20), at Dunkeld's Birnam Arts on the 21st, at Mac Arts in Galashiels on the 22nd, at Portobello Town Hall on the 23rd, and then she's at Push the Boat Out with Michael Pedersen in Edinburgh on November 8th.
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Gordon Buchanan: All Back To Mine (live from Edinburgh Fringe)
Send us a textWhile I’ve got your ear, just a quick reminder that on the afternoon of Thursday the 9th of October I’ll be in conversation with writer and legend Denise Mina - that’s at The Stand in Glasgow, it’s at half two - and it’d be lovely to see you there. You can get tickets for the price of a coffee via akickupthearts.org…There are also events coming up with Emma Pollock, Irvine Welsh, John Niven, Sanjeev Kohli and Teenage Fanclub’s Norman Blake, Michael Pedersen - and more chats with this episode's guest, Gordon Buchanan. I’ll tell you more about all those soon... sign up for the newsletter! Or you can find me on social media...Right now though, I’m joined by brilliant wildlife cameraman and film-maker Gordon Buchanan, whose hugely loved series include My Epic Camel Adventure, Life in the Snow, The Bear Family and Me - and Tribes, Predators and Me. Earlier this year, he published a terrific, enlightening and hugely engaging memoir - IN THE HIDE: HOW THE NATURAL WORLD SAVED MY LIFE - which is well worth reading if you haven’t come across it yet. We chat about all that, of course, and Gordon also reflects on a favourite Scottish album, film and book, in a chat that ranges from killer polar bears - and vicious pets - to pop goddess Sheena Easton, magical writer Michael Pedersen - and showbiz icon Sydney Devine…This conversation was recorded live at the Edinburgh Fringe - thanks so much if you joined us - and, as I always do, I got the audience to try and practice cheer before we brought Gordon out… But it didn’t really go to plan…
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Bloody Scotland with Tariq Ashkanani, Dave Goodman and Claire Wilson
Send us a textWe’re back at Scotland’s Crime Writing Festival, Bloody Scotland, for this episode - which is a whistle-stop blether with three of the many, many excellent writers who’re in my home town of Stirling this weekend…Tariq Ashkanani’s latest wide-screen Americana novel, The Midnight King, hones in on a best-selling writer, a father, a widower, and a friendly man who - guess what - is also a serial killer. It won this year’s McIlvanney Prize for best Scottish Crime book of the year, leading on from Tariq’s 2021 Crime in the Spotlight slot at Bloody Scotland where upcoming writers are given a platform to read their work ahead of lead events onstage… The Midnight King also follows Tariq’s Welcome to Cooper, which won the debut prize in 2022. This year, that garland was bestowed upon David Goodman - another previous Crime in the Spotlight guest - thanks to his fab novel, A Reluctant Spy, which sees a man make a bit of a deal with the devil, or MI6 at least, in return for an easier life. Spoiler alert - that’s the last thing that happens.I caught up with Tariq and Dave on Friday night at Bloody Scotland, and when I got to the green room, I also bumped into the thrilling writer that is Claire Wilson. Her debut, Five by Five, is a trip deep into the prison system - and then some - and it transpired we’re also very closely connected through family, because we realised, literally while we were talking last night, that Claire has an incredible tattoo of Kathy Bates on her arm and - guess what, my wee brother did it years ago… Here’s to Tariq, David, Claire - and here’s to Bloody Scotland…
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