Open Book Unbound
Open Book Unbound is our online programme, established during COVID-19 to help keep our community connected.
Our weekly newsletter details our public sessions open to all plus a monthly bumper newsletter which includes new work from our Writer in Residence, further new writing, podcasts and more.
You can sign up to our mailing list to make sure you never miss an issue.
Claire & Marjorie
Open Book Unbound
Newsletters
Links to view our weekly Open Book Unbound newsletters are below, with a summary of what's included in each issue.
You can also sign up to our mailing list to make sure you never miss an issue, and we'll send it straight to your inbox each week.
Open Book Unbound Issue 89
Open Book Unbound Issue 87
Open Book Unbound Issue 82
Open Book Unbound Issue 78
Open Book Unbound Issue 74
Open Book Unbound Issue 69
Open Book Unbound Issue 66
Open Book Unbound Issue 65
Open Book Unbound Issue 61
Open Book Unbound Issue 56
Our ninth Bumper issue of Open Book Unbound. In this issue, we’re delighted to bring you the final story from our brilliant writer in residence Alice Ash. We’ve also got a new story by Cath Barton this month, plus fiction by Katherine Mansfield, Virginia Woolf, Ray Bradbury and more. Read NowOpen Book Unbound Issue 52
Open Book Unbound Issue 47
Open Book Unbound Issue 43
Open Book Unbound Issue 39
Open Book Unbound Issue 37
Open Book Unbound Issue 33
Open Book Unbound Issue 29
Open Book Unbound Issue 24
Open Book Unbound Issue 23
Open Book Unbound Issue 22
Open Book Unbound Issue 21
Open Book Unbound Issue 20
Open Book Unbound Issue 19
Open Book Unbound Issue 18
Open Book Unbound Issue 17
Open Book Unbound Issue 16
Open Book Unbound Issue 15
Open Book Unbound Issue 14
‘Essential’ by Siân Bevan, more postcard stories from Jan Carson (‘Cherry Scones’, ‘Dishes’ and ‘Cappuccino’), Open Book Unbound Podcast Episode 13 and more..
Open Book Unbound Issue 13
‘All at Sea’ by Kate Smith, more postcard stories from Jan Carson (‘Bookshop’, ‘Gladys’ and ‘The Sea’), Open Book Unbound Podcast Episode 12 and more..
Open Book Unbound Issue 12
‘Imagine a Country’ extract by Peter Ross, more postcard stories from Jan Carson (‘Ice Cream Man’, ‘Americano’ and ‘Agnes’), Open Book Unbound Podcast Episode 11 and more..
Open Book Unbound Issue 11
‘Child of the Moon’ by Heather Parry, more postcard stories from Jan Carson (‘Wardrobe Portal’, ‘Long Distance Hug’ and ‘Easyjet Worlds’), Open Book Unbound Podcast Episode 10 and more..
Open Book Unbound Issue 10
‘Hebridean Lovesong’ and ‘The Fox in the Attic’ by James Robertson more postcard stories from Jan Carson (‘Zoo’, ‘Portable Sunset’ and ‘The Bad Thing’), Open Book Unbound Podcast Episode 9 and more..
Open Book Unbound Issue 9
‘Gunther’ by Helen Sedgwick, more postcard stories from Jan Carson (‘Groceries’, ‘Chocolate’ and ‘Before’), Open Book Unbound Podcast Episode 8 and more..
Open Book Unbound Issue 8
‘Imagine a Country’ by Leila Aboulela, more postcard stories from Jan Carson (‘Tesco’, ‘Hoovering’ and ‘Disguise’), Open Book Unbound Podcast Episode 7 and more..
Open Book Unbound Issue 7
‘At Sea’ by Karen Lord, more postcard stories from Jan Carson (‘Fox’, ‘Wardrobe’ and ‘Tsundoku’), Open Book Unbound Podcast Episode 6 and more..
Open Book Unbound Issue 6
Scottish Book Trust Your Stories annual writing projet, more postcard stories from Jan Carson (‘Seagull’, ‘Loch Ness Monster’ and ‘Neighbours’), Open Book Unbound Podcast Episode 5 and more…
Open Book Unbound Issue 5
Edwin Morgan Centenary, more postcard stories from Jan Carson (‘Butterfly’, ‘Expedition’ and ‘Clock’), Open Book Unbound Podcast Episode 4 and more..
Open Book Unbound Issue 4
‘A Tale of Two Cities’ by Yiyun Li, more postcard stories from Jan Carson (‘Statues’, ‘Chicken’, ‘Surprise’), National Theatre At Home, Unbound Podcast Episode 3 and more…
Open Book Unbound Issue 3
‘Self Control’ by James Robertson, with composition by Aidan O’Rourke, more postcard stories from Jan Carson (‘Mountain Goats’, ‘Compost’, ‘Binoculars’), At Home with the RSNO, Unbound Podcast Episode 2 and more…
Open Book Unbound Issue 2
‘An Anti-Social Ride’ by Lee Craigie, more postcard stories from Jan Carson (‘Mugs’, ‘Birds’ and ‘Cocoon’), ‘The Road Not Taken’ by Robert Frost,‘Landscape with Flying Man’ by John Glenday, Unbound Podcast Episode 1 and more….
Open Book Unbound Issue 1
‘Weather’ by Jenny Offill, ‘Stars’ Illustrated Postcard Story by Jan Carson, Miranda Sawyers’ True Life Stories podcasts, Explore the Science Museum, Maggie O’Farrell Virtual Book Launch party/
Sign UP
Sign up to our mailing list to make sure you never miss an issue of our newsletter – we’ll send it straight to your inbox each week, along with updates and other information.
Podcasts
Links to listen to our Open Book Unbound podcasts are below, with a summary of what's included in each.
January 2022
We welcome in the new year with the story ‘Hazy Shade of Blue’ by Lorraine Thomson and a poem by John Glenday, ‘Bird Sighs for the Air’
December 2021
On this episode we read Heather Parry’s short story ‘To Table’ and the poems ‘Who goes to dine must take his Feast’ by Emily Dickinson and ‘Revelry’ by Open Book Creative Writing Group.
November 2021
We discuss the short story ‘The Serpent’ by Rafael Torrubia and two group poem by members of the Oasis Group at Maryhill Integration Network, ‘What Every Woman Should Carry’ and ‘In The Wardrobe’.
October 2021
This episode features the story ‘Histogram’ by Katharine Macfarlane and ‘Crossing The Loch’, a poem from our new Scottish Makar Kathleen Jamie.
September 2021
We discuss the short story ‘The Forthcoming Me’ by Catherine Wilson and the poem ‘Piano’ by DH Lawrence.
September 2021
We discuss the short story ‘The Forthcoming Me’ by Catherine Wilson and the poem ‘Piano’ by DH Lawrence.
August 2021
On this episode we discuss the story ‘Preserving History’ by Angi Holden and the poem ‘The Matchsafe’ by John Glenday.
July 2021
On this episode we discuss the short story ‘Horses for Courses’ by Judy Upton and the poems ‘I would not paint — a picture —’ (348) and ‘Success is counted sweetest’ (112) by Emily Dickinson.June 2021
In this episode we discuss the story ‘Inside Her Leg’ By Lorraine Thomson and the poem ‘Bird-House’ by Em Strong.May 2021
Claire and Marjorie discuss ‘Adelstrop’ by Edward Thomas and the story ‘There Were Always Roses’ by Cath Barton.April 2021
We discuss ‘The Change’ by Ruth Gilchrist and the poem ‘Selkie’ by Rachel Plummer on this episode of our monthly podcast series.
March 2021
On this episode we read the Edwin Morgan poems ‘When you go’, ‘One cigarette’ and ‘The picnic’ and the Morgan inspired story ‘On The Ship’ by Alice Ash.February 2021
In this episode we discuss the short story “Someone Else’s House” by Jane Archer and the poem “The House” by Emily Dickinson.January 2021
On this episode Marjorie and Claire discuss “A Visit from Niven and Flynn” by Dorothy Lawrenson and “Flying Inside Your Own Body” by Margaret Atwood.December 2020
We return with the first of our new monthly podcasts and this one features a new story ‘The Christmas Box’ by Liz Treacher. We also read the poem ‘The Coming of Light’ Mark Strand.
Podcast 23 7 September 2020
In this week’s podcast, Claire and Marjorie read and discuss Pauline Moore’s story ‘I took my troubles for a walk’ and Wendell Berry’s poem ‘Go Among Trees and Sit Still’.. Listen on SoundcloudPodcast 22 31 August 2020
We discuss our commissioned story ‘Unbound’ by Iain Matheson and the poem ‘Daisy’ by Alice Oswald.Listen on Soundcloud
Podcast 21
24 August 2020
We discuss our commissioned piece ‘The Bench’ by Beth Godfrey and the poem ‘Once Upon a Time’ by Gabriel Okara.
Listen on Soundcloud
Podcast 20 17 August 2020
In this episode we discuss our commissioned piece ‘Orange Peel’ by Sophie Law and the poems ‘A Birthday’ by Edwin Muir and ‘The Orange’ by Wendy Cope.Listen on Soundcloud
Podcast 19
10 August 2020
We take a break from our commissioned pieces of writing on this episode to read an abridged version of the first chapter from The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree by Shokoofeh Azar. We also look ahead to the event with the author which our very own Marjorie Lotfi Gill will be chairing at the Edinburgh International Book Festival on Wednesday 19 August at 11.30.
Listen on Soundcloud
Podcast 18 3 August 2020
In this episode we discuss our commissioned piece ‘The Happy House’ by Kathryn Koromilas and the poems ‘Little Sea House’ by Hamish MacLaren and ‘Home is so Sad’ by Philip Larkin.Listen on Soundcloud
Podcast 17
27 July 2020
In this episode, we discuss our commissioned piece ‘Gathering Threads’ by Lisa Williams and ‘The Knitter’ by Jackie Kay.
Podcast 16 20 July 2020
In this episode we feature our Unbound commissioned piece by Elspeth Wilson and two of the poems she chose to accompany it – ‘Early April Heatwave’ by April Thomas and ‘Summit of Corrie Etchachan’ by Nan Shepherd.Listen on Soundcloud
Podcast 15
13 July 2020
In this episode Claire Urquhart and Marjorie Lotfi Gill discuss our commissioned piece ‘Confluence of Years’ by Linda Cracknell and the poem ‘Crossing the Bar’ by Alfred Lord Tennyson.
Listen on Soundcloud
Podcast 14
6 July 2020
In this episode we continue our discussion of our commissioned pieces with ‘Gazing’ by Russell Jones and the poem ‘Unwittingly’ by John Burnside.
Listen on Soundcloud
Podcast 13 29 June 2020
Continuing our commissioned pieces, we feature ‘Essential’ by Siân Bevan and one of her chosen poems, ‘One Art’ by Elizabeth Bishop.Listen on Soundcloud
Podcast 12
22 June 2020
We present the first of our commissioned pieces in this episode and feature a poem chosen by its author.
Marjorie Lotfi Gill and Claire Urquhart read and discuss the story ‘All at Sea’ by Kate Smith and the poem ‘Dolphins at Kochin’ by Tom Buchan.
Listen on Soundcloud
Podcast 11 15 June 2020
In this episode of Open Book Unbound Marjorie Lotfi Gill and Claire Urquhart discuss the poem ‘So Much Happiness’ by Naomi Shihab Nye and the essay by Peter Ross from Imagine a Country, edited by Jo Sharp and Val McDermid.Listen on Soundcloud
Podcast 10 8 June 2020
In this episode we read ‘Child of the Moon’ by Heather Parry and ‘No.115 dreams’ by Jackie Kay.Listen on Soundcloud
Podcast 9 1 June 2020
In this episode we discuss the poems ‘Temptation’ by Nina Cassian and ‘Lightness’ by Meg Bateman, as well as the short story ‘Hebridean Lovesong’ by James Robertson.Listen on Soundcloud
Podcast 8 25 May 2020
Claire Urquhart and Marjorie Lotfi Gill discuss the story ‘Gunter’ by Helen Sedgwick and the poem ‘Otherwise’ by Jane Kenyon in this episode.Listen on Soundcloud
Podcast 7
18 May 2020
Marjorie Lotfi Gill and Claire Urqhuart discuss Leila Aboulela’s short essay from the book Imagine A Country: Ideas for a Better Future (ed. Val McDermid & Jo Sharp) and the poems ‘Coffee Ceremony’ by Anne Hay and ‘What Work Is’ by Philip Levine in this episode of Open Book Unbound.
Listen on Soundcloud
Podcast 6 11 May 2020
We read ‘At Sea’ by Karen Lord, one of the Freedom Papers commissioned by the Edinburgh International Book Festival, and the poem ‘Dawn Revisited’ by Rita Dove.Listen on Soundcloud
Podcast 5 4 May 2020
Inspired by the Scottish Book Trust’s theme this year, we explore two pieces that consider the future in very different ways – “Egg”, a short story by our Writer in Lockdown Jan Carson, and the poem “Curiosity” by poet and translator Alastair Reid. Listen on SoundcloudPodcast 4 27 April 2020
Claire and Marjorie read and discuss Edwin Morgan’s poems, and Liz Lochhead’s introduction to the ‘Scotland ‘ collection of Edwin Morgan Twenties.Listen on Soundcloud
Podcast 3 20 April 2020
Claire Urquhart and Marjorie Lotfi Gill read and discuss ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ by Yiyun Li, ‘Harlem’ by Langston Hughes and ‘Late Fragment’ by Raymond Carver.Listen on Soundcloud
Podcast 2 12 April 2020
In this episode we explore poems and stories with a musical theme. Claire Urquhart and Marjorie Lotfi Gill read and discuss the poems ‘Another Reason Why I Don’t Keep A Gun In The House’ by Billy Collins and ‘Everyone Sang’ by Siegfried Sassoon, and we read the short story ‘Self Control’ by James Robertson. We also discuss your feedback from our first episode and give an update on the latest news from our virtual groups.Listen on Soundcloud
Podcast 1 2 April 2020
Our first episode features Marjorie Lotfi Gill and Claire Urquhart taking part in their very first Open Book discussion as a podcast. We discuss ‘An Anti-Social Ride’ by Lee Craigie, one of Edinburgh International Book Festival’s Freedom Papers, and the poem ‘Landscape with Flying Man’ by John Glenday.Listen on Soundcloud
Writers in Residence
As part of our Unbound programme, developed during the Covid pandemic, Open Book began a writer’s residency to help fill our newsletter with ideas, stories and thoughts to explore and enjoy - together in our on-line Zoom groups and on our own.
JESSICA WIDNER
Jessica will be writing for us each month – we’ll share her writing in our monthly bumper Unbound email newsletter (sign up here), or you can catch up on everything here after each piece is published.
About Jessica
Jessica Widner is a writer and academic. She is a current doctoral candidate in English Literature, at the University of Edinburgh, working on a thesis that explores reading as an embodied, sensual process in contemporary women’s fiction. Her short fiction is forthcoming in Extra Teeth, and has also appeared in Gutter Magazine, The Cardiff Review, and Spartan Lit. Her debut novel, Interiors, is forthcoming with The 87 Press. She lives in Edinburgh.
Heather Parry
Heather Parry was our Open Book Unbound Writer in Residence from June – December 2021. You can access our archive of Heather’s stories by clicking on the link below.
About Heather
Alice Ash
Alice Ash was our Open Book Unbound Writer in Residence from December 2020 – May 2021, supported by the Bank of Scotland Foundation. You can access our archive of Alice’s stories by clicking on the link below.
About Alice
Alice is a new writer from Brighton. Her debut collection, Paradise Block, is forthcoming from Serpent’s Tail in Spring 2021. In 2019, Alice was longlisted for the Galley Beggar Short Story Prize, commended for The Berlin Writing Prize, and her manuscript was longlisted for the SFWP Literary Award, judged by Carmen Maria Machado. Other writing has been featured in Extra Teeth, Hotel, 3:AM, the TLS, Mslexia, and Popshot Quarterly, amongst others.
You can find Alice on Twitter & Instagram @aliceash_ or learn more at her website aliceash.com.
Jan Carson - Writer in Lockdown
Our inaugural Writer in Residence (we called her our Writer in Lockdown) was Jan Carson. For twenty weeks she kept our morale up with her wonderful Letters from Lockdown and Postcard Stories (copies available here https://theemmapress.com/).
We’re happy to share all of Jan’s Writer in Lockdown stories here – just click on the links below to access the archive and enjoy her weekly letters and stories, with their accompanying illustrations.
About Jan Carson
Jan Carson is a writer and community arts facilitator based in East Belfast.
Her debut novel Malcolm Orange Disappears and short story collection, Children’s Children, were published by Liberties Press, Dublin. A micro-fiction collection, Postcard Stories was published by the Emma Press in 2017. Jan’s novel The Fire Starters was published by Doubleday in April 2019 and subsequently won the EU Prize for Literature for Ireland 2019. She has been shortlisted for the Sean O’Faolain Short Story Prize and in 2016 won the Harper’s Bazaar Short Story Prize.
Unbound Writing
We’re delighted to share a second wonderful series of Unbound writing, supported by the Bank of Scotland Foundation. Each of the bumper newsletters between December 2020 and May 2021 will feature a story from this series as well as a podcast where Claire and Marjorie share their thoughts on it.
An earlier series of eleven pieces of commissioned writing was published in summer 2020. Each of these pieces of Unbound writing was the focus of our newsletter and also discussed in our podcast in the week in which each was published. Both are available in our archive on this page.
We’d love to hear what you think and to share your feedback with our wonderful authors.
You can get in touch by email at info@openbookreading.com or @openbookreading on Twitter.
We hope you enjoy the stories as much as we did.
Kate Smith “All at Sea” – 22 June 2020, newsletter 13
Siân Bevan “Essential” – 29 June 2020, newsletter 14
Russell Jones “Gazing” – 6 July 2020, newsletter 15
Linda Cracknell “Confluence of Years” – 13 July 2020, newsletter 16
Elspeth Wilson “Body In The Landscape” –
20 July 2020, newsletter 17
Lisa Williams “Gathering Threads” – 27 July 2020, newsletter 18
Kathryn Koromilas “The Happy House” –
3 August 2020, newsletter 19
Sophie Law “Orange Peel” – 17 August 2020, newsletter 21
Beth Godfrey “The Bench” – 24 August 2020, newsletter 22
IaIn Matheson “Unbound” – 31 August 2020, newsletter 23
Pauline Moore “I took my troubles for a walk” –
7 Sept 2020 , newsletter 24
Liz Treacher “The Christmas Box” –
4 Dec 2020 , newsletter 37
Dorothy Lawrenson “A Visit from Niven & Flynn” –
4 Jan 2021 , newsletter 39
Jane Archer “Someone Else’s House” –
1 Feb 2021 , newsletter 43
Linda Cracknell – “Joyous Messengers” – 01 March 2021, newsletter 47
Ruth Gilchrist – “The Change” – 05 April 2021, newsletter 52
Cath Barton “There Were Always Roses” – 03 May 2021, newsletter 56
Lorraine Thomson “Inside her Leg” – 07 June 2021, newsletter 61
Judy Upton “Horses for Courses” – 05 July 2021, newsletter 65
Angi Holden “Preserving Objects” – 02 August 2021, newsletter 69
Catherine Wilson “The Forthcoming Me” – 06 September 2021, newsletter 74
Rafael Torrubia “The Serpent” – 01 November 2021, newsletter 82
Jeda Pearl Lewis “In Search of Patience” – 06 December 2021, newsletter 87
Lorraine Thomson ‘Hazy Shade of Blue’ – 03 January 2022, newsletter 89