Alasdair Gray rereads an excerpt from Chapter 11 of his second novel 1982, Janine. This is Alasdair’s own choice of excerpt from what he felt was his best novel. And he continues reading until Jock’s breakdown and the multiple sections of typeface defeat even his ability to read aloud. I made these recordings in what turned out to be the last year …

In 1993 Alasdair sent his sister Mora (my mother) a cassette tape in reply to one of her letters. On it he reads some of her favourites poems - along with his own personal selection - from his collection Old Negatives (published the same year). I started recording Alasdair in what turned out to be the last year of my uncle's life - so I could spend…

In 1993 Alasdair sent his sister Mora (my mother) a cassette tape in reply to one of her letters. On it he reads the whole of this bitter-sweet short story Time Travel – which was published the same year with some revisions in Ten Tales Tall And True and later in Every Short Story. I started recording Alasdair in what turned out to be the last year…

In 1993 Alasdair sent his sister Mora (my mum) a cassette tape in reply to one of her letters. He ends it with this excerpt from Lanark and an explanation of why he only included the miserable aspects of his childhood in the novel. I started recording Alasdair in what turned out to be the last year of my uncle's life - so I could spend more time wi…

In 1993 Alasdair sent his sister Mora (my mother) a cassette tape in reply to one of her letters. On it he reads bits of his work he thinks she'll enjoy - including this excerpt from the Climax of Lanark that’s clearly based on memories of spending time with his own son, Andrew. I started recording Alasdair in what turned out to be the last year of…

In 1993 Alasdair sent his sister Mora (my mother) a cassette tape in reply to one of her letters. On it he reads bits of his work he thinks she'll enjoy including this poem from 'In a Cold Room 1952 - 57' - the first of four verse sequences in Old Negatives. I started recording Alasdair in what turned out to be the last year of my uncle's life - so…

Alasdair rereads his own choice of short story, the slyly sinister The Trendelenburg Position. It was originally published in 1993 and although Alasdair never owned a television - and only engaged with digital technology via his assistants - the story is surprisingly prescient and still seems relevant today. I made these recordings in what turned o…

Alasdair continues rereading Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. Sadly there wasn’t time for him to finish the whole book! But I found it so gripping I had to borrow his copy and read to the end. I made these recordings in what turned out to be the last year of my uncle's life - so I could spend more time with him and share with you the very …

Alasdair rereads the opening chapter of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic adventure story, Treasure Island. Alasdair particularly admired the way Stevenson opened his novels and credited him with providing the model for the opening paragraph of his own novel, Poor Things. I made these recordings in what turned out to be the last year of my uncle's l…

Alasdair and his sister Mora (my mother) recite and reread Edward Lear’s limericks and nonsense rhymes – which leads them on to childhood quarrels, other favourite books and poems and the huge influence of author-illustrators on Alasdair’s own art. I made these recordings in what turned out to be the last year of my uncle's life - so I could spend …

Alasdair rereads the passage from Chapter 22 of Lanark that includes his most quoted excerpt - where Thaw explains to his friend McAlpin why nobody notices the magnificence of the city they live in. I made these recordings in what turned out to be the last year of my uncle's life - so I could spend more time with him and share with you the very gre…

Alasdair rereads his own favourite excerpt from Lanark – Chapter 44. End. I first shared this podcast in memory of my beloved Uncle who left us on the 29th of December 2019. When I asked him why he had chosen this chapter he said "because it's the end and, I think, a rather good one". I'm so pleased to be able to say that Alasdair's own death - lik…

Alasdair rereads an excerpt from the Epilogue of his novel Lanark - where the hero meets his author and argues against his forthcoming death. I made these recordings in what turned out to be the last year of my uncle's life - so I could spend more time with him and share with you the very great pleasure of sitting quietly at home with Alasdair list…

Alasdair explains how H G Wells’s description of interplanetary conflict in The War Of The Worlds - informed by socialism and the brutality of the British Empire - quickly became a dominant narrative and rereads excerpts from the Wells novel that particularly impressed him - The First Men On The Moon. I made these recordings in what turned out to b…

Alasdair rereads the first part of his essay New Kelvingrove from Of Me And Others - in which he describes how childhood visits to Glasgow's Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum fuelled his imagination and aided his obsession with creating and escaping to other worlds. I made these recordings in what turned out to be the last year of my uncle's life …

Alasdair rereads another excerpt from the stories that so terrified him as a child and explains how Edgar Allen Poe’s The Imp Of The Perverse relates to Freud’s death wish. I made these recordings in what turned out to be the last year of my uncle's life - so I could spend more time with him and share with you the very great pleasure of sitting qui…

Alasdair describes the terror he experienced as a child on first reading the stories of Edgar Allan Poe and rereads the start of one of his most famous works – The Fall Of The House Of Usher. I made these recordings in what turned out to be the last year of my uncle's life - so I could spend more time with him and share with you the very great plea…

Alasdair rereads excerpts from Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea – the first science fiction he ever read and a book that improved his geography as he followed the path of the Nautilus on a globe of the world. I made these recordings in what turned out to be the last year of my uncle's life - so I could spend more time with him an…

Alasdair rereads excerpts from Just So Stories to his sister Mora (my mother) and they revisit Rudyard Kipling’s illustrations and rhymes – with one particular passage triggering thoughts of Jean Rhys and Eliot’s The Wasteland. I made these recordings in what turned out to be the last year of my uncle's life - so I could spend more time with him an…

Alasdair rereads the beginning of John Masefield’s The Box of Delights – a book he mentions with great fondness in a number of podcasts and that he enjoyed as much at the end of his life as he did when he was a child. With many thanks to the copyright holders who very kindly gave us permission to reread this excerpt. I made these recordings in what…

Alasdair talks about some of the work that influenced his Gothic novel Poor Things - from Thomas Love Peacock's Nightmare Abbey to Mel Brook’s film Young Frankenstein - and explains why he feels the opening of this book may be his best. You'll hear that I incorrectly credit Gene Wilder as the director of Young Frankenstein in the podcast and Alasda…

Alasdair rereads the beginning of Duncan Wedderburn’s hysterical (and hysterically funny) letter to Godwin Baxter from his Gothic novel Poor Things. I made these recordings in what turned out to be the last year of my uncle's life - so I could spend more time with him and share with you the very great pleasure of sitting quietly at home with Alasda…

Alasdair rereads excerpts from Jane Austen's first novel Northanger Abbey - where Austen pokes gentle fun at the attributes and experiences of the typical romantic heroine together with the craze for everything ghastly and Gothic. I made these recordings in what turned out to be the last year of my uncle's life - so I could spend more time with him…

Alasdair rereads his short story The Crank That Made The Revolution from Unlikely Stories Mostly. Very clever, very poignant and very funny! I made these recordings in what turned out to be the last year of my uncle's life - so I could spend more time with him and share with you the very great pleasure of sitting quietly at home with Alasdair liste…

Alasdair describes the concept of the Gothic novel and rereads the first chapter of Nightmare Abbey by Thomas Love Peacock. This satirical novella was originally published in 1818 and was among the many influences on Alasdair's own Gothic novel Poor Things. I made these recordings in what turned out to be the last year of my uncle's life - so I cou…

Alasdair introduces his Gothic novel Poor Things and rereads chapters four and five - A Fascinating Stranger and Making Bella Baxter. I made these recordings in what turned out to be the last year of my uncle's life - so I could spend more time with him and share with you the very great pleasure of sitting quietly at home with Alasdair listening to…

Alasdair rereads chapter two of Alice in Wonderland – for those of us who enjoyed chapter one and want to hear a little bit more. I made these recordings in what turned out to be the last year of my uncle's life - so I could spend more time with him and share with you the very great pleasure of sitting quietly at home with Alasdair listening to him…

Alasdair rereads The Star to his sister Mora, my mother. It's one of his best loved short stories and her own personal favourite. I made these recordings in what turned out to be the last year of my uncle's life - so I could spend more time with him and share with you the very great pleasure of sitting quietly at home with Alasdair listening to him…

Alasdair explains to his sister Mora (my mother) why Tenniel refused to work for Charles Dodgson again after illustrating the Alice books and rereads the beginning of this children’s classic. I made these recordings in what turned out to be the last year of my uncle's life - so I could spend more time with him and share with you the very great plea…

Alasdair describes his early appearance on BBC Scotland's Children's Hour and he and his sister Mora (my mother) reminisce about favourite childhood books, comics and radio programmes. I made these recordings in what turned out to be the last year of my uncle's life - so I could spend more time with him and share with you the very great pleasure of…