Alan Bissett

Alan Bissett is an author from Hallglen in Scotland. His two novels both utilize Bissett's trademark understanding of Scottish colloquialism, popular culture and Socialist politics. Bissett used to lecture in Creative Writing at Bretton Hall College, now part of the University of Leeds. He currently tutors in Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow. He became a full-time writer in 2004.

Background

Bissett was born in 1975. He attended Falkirk High School and then the University of Stirling, where he gained a First Class Honours degree in English Literature and Education. After a short spell as a secondary school teacher at Elgin Academy, Bissett was awarded a Masters degree in English from the University of Stirling, during which time he edited a collection of Scottish Gothic stories, "Damage Land" (2001), and wrote his first novel, "Boyracers". His stories were either short- or longlisted for the national Macallan Short-Story Competition four times between 1999 and 2002.

Alan Bissett is a member of the Glasgow G7 group of writers [cite web|url= http://www.arts.gla.ac.uk/SESLl/EngLit/grad/BOOK%20GROUP%202.pdf |title=The Book Group | last=MacLeod|first=Heather| date=2005-09-20] (Alan Bissett, Nick Brookes, Rodge Glass, Laura Marney, Alison Miller, Zoë Strachan and Louise Welsh).

Bibliography

Novels

* "Boyracers" (2001)
* "The Incredible Adam Spark" (2005)

Music

Bissett also collaborated with musician Malcolm Middleton for the song "The Rebel on his Own", writing the lyrics and performing a spoken word section, for the Ballads of the Book project, bringing together Scottish writers with Scottish musicians, spearheaded by Roddy Woomble and Edwin Morgan.

Inspired by this experience, Alan approached bands Zoey Van Goey and Y'all is Fantasy Island suggesting they perform together. In May 2007, all three performed together in a short tour of Central Scotland. The three acts, dubbed as "The Super Puny Humans" played in Edinburgh on the second of May, Glasgow on the third, Stirling on the fourth and finally Falkirk on the fifth.

External links

* [http://www.alanbissett.com/ Official site]
* (British Council)
* [http://www.arts.gla.ac.uk/SESLL/EngLit/grad/creative.html Creative Writing at Glasgow University]
* [http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/arts/author/alan_bissett/index.html Alan's blog] at The Guardian
* [http://www.superpunyhumans.co.uk/ Super Puny Humans site]
*Short story: " [http://www.scottisharts.org.uk/1/artsinscotland/literature/features/shortstory.aspx This Snow Won't Lie for Long] " at Scottish Arts Council website, Dec 2007
*Short story: " [http://www.madhattersreview.com/issue7/viva_bissett.shtml So Many Crows] ", Mad Hatters Review, Issue 7, February 2007

Notes