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I seem to be losing people. In the last few months two childhood friends, both exact contemporaries of mine, have gone. Three years ago, it was my greatest childhood friend. All too early. I don’t wish to be maudlin, simply … Continue reading
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Growing up in Scotland in the 1950s and 1960s, Scots was, unsurprisingly, the language I was most likely to hear when I set foot outside the family home. This was the Scots of rural Perthshire where we lived, one of … Continue reading
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When you write a book about someone you enter into a relationship with them, even if they are dead and the relationship is imaginary. It continues to exist after the book is published, the promotional work is done, and you … Continue reading
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Yesterday evening I met with my friend and colleague Richard Pelletier. We came together with the small group of four writers we’re currently supporting as they progress with personal writing projects. The meeting was online, not least because Richard lives … Continue reading
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It was not until I was in my twenties that I realised that not everyone had colours for numbers, letters and some words. What I mean by that is that in my mind’s eye the number 3, for example, is … Continue reading
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Two years ago I published a biography of my great-great uncle. He and I were born almost a century apart: he in 1852, I in 1949. We also arrived in South America almost a century apart, in 1870 and 1972 … Continue reading
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After an absence of several years I had forgotten that one of the challenges of writing this blog is that there are some weeks when I have no idea what I’m going to say. Generally there’s at least the germ … Continue reading
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I’m back in a place I love. I haven’t been here for eight years and my first impression on arrival was how beautiful it is. I had forgotten. An hour north of Seville, tucked into the side of a wooded … Continue reading
In 1946, George Orwell wrote of the English language: “It becomes ugly and inaccurate because our thoughts are foolish, but the slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts.” He was speaking, in the main, … Continue reading
The story of Jamie's extraordinary great-great-uncle. Published June 2023 by Scotland Street Press.
Making a deeper connection with words - the acclaimed creative writing programme
12 chapters, 12 authors, the collective wisdom from 15 years of running courses around the world
A masterclass in business writing and communication from John Simmons and Jamie Jauncey.
A gripping story of conflict in a Scotland of the not-too-distant future
A Few Kind Words 