Born in Yorkshire, 1945. Had a happy childhood – sorry about that! No ‘mispers’ there!Mary Irvine: Revived Controversy
“They were taken illegally, they were stolen.” “No, they weren’t, he had permission.” ‘They’ are the Parthenon Marbles, usually referred to as the Elgin marbles – slabs taken from the frieze of the Parthenon in Greece. ‘He’ is Lord Elgin, British Ambassador in Athens (1799 – 1803)’ The ‘illegal/legal’ removal debate of the marbles, together […]
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Tuesday, March 31, 2020 | Filed under: Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Mary Irvine blogging about a break
I recently decided to take a break from computer and mobile ’phone – using the latter only for ‘emergencies’ (there weren’t any) or to confirm meetings of the pleasurable sort. Off I went for two weeks to stay with friends in Upminster, the last stop on the District Line. It was actually arranged by my […]
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Sunday, March 22, 2020 | Filed under: Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
An Unwanted Gift by Mary Irvine
The pedlar had pushed the heavy hand-cart all the way from London. He was more used to a pack on his back but not this time. The cart was laden with the wonderful bolts of woollen cloth he had bought at a bargain price. He passed many villages on his journey but refused […]
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Monday, March 9, 2020 | Filed under: Coronavirus, Coronavirus stories and poems, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene, Writing
Mary Irvine’s Blog: Christmas Customs and Festivals
Christmas Customs Once again the rush is on and stress increases as the day draws near… I abolished, for myself, the commercialism of Christmas several years ago. It was the year I went to the post office and bought stamps which cost more than double the actual cards being sent. I also considered to whom […]
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Wednesday, December 11, 2019 | Filed under: Christmas Poems , Stories and Winter Tales, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene, Writing for the Festive Season
Mary Irvine’s blog: West Dunbartonshire Book Week November 2019
West Dunbartonshire Book Week November 2019 What a busy week! Monday kicked off with a very icy drive out to the Cove and Kilgreggan Literary Society who had kindly invited me to talk about my life in Greece and how it influenced my writing. I illustrated the talk with a slide show which I must […]
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Tuesday, November 26, 2019 | Filed under: Book and Event Reviews, Books, Talks, Poetry and Creative Writing Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Mary Irvine: Book Week Scotland 2020 – Events in West Dunbartonshire
Recommended events in Libraries in West Dunbartonshire Karen Campbell Crime novelist 18th November, 2019 7 p.m. Parkhall Library, Hawthorn Street G81 3EF David Pratt War Correspondent 19th November, 2019 7 p.m. Dalmuir Library, Lennox Place G81 4LX Paul Murdoch (Alexandria’s very own!) ‘Old Bloke Goes Running’ – a funny/serious approach to getting fitter… 20th November, […]
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Thursday, November 14, 2019 | Filed under: Books, Talks, Poetry and Creative Writing Events, Events, Fairs, Festivals and Fundraisers, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
An Evening with Mary Irvine – ‘My Greek Love Affair’
Living, working and writing about The Land of the Hellenes Wednesday, 23rd October, 2019 – 7 p.m. Helensburgh Library, 59 W King St, Helensburgh G84 8EB Free entry/refreshments
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Friday, October 18, 2019 | Filed under: Books, Talks, Poetry and Creative Writing Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Paul Murdoch, Alexandria Writers + Open Mic
Tuesday, August 6th, 2019 – 7 p.m. The Balloch House Hotel, Balloch Road, Balloch G83 8LQ (five minutes from train station) The headliner for August is Paul Murdoch who may finally be revealing what he wants to be when he grows up. Paul Murdoch, born the son of a slater in 1961, began performing on […]
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Saturday, August 3, 2019 | Filed under: Books, Talks, Poetry and Creative Writing Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Mary Irvine’s Blog: Bruce Biddolph Outstanding as ‘The Inquisitor’
Peter Arnott’s play ‘The Inquisitor’ was recently performed by Bruce Biddolph at the Alexandria Library . The audience sat in a semi-circle in front of a table. A man entered. His dress implied he was someone of importance. An official, maybe. Collar, tie, smart jacket and trousers, highly polished shoes. The table became an office […]
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Start – Graham Morgan at Helensburgh Library
An Evening with local author… Graham Morgan will read from his memoir Start – hosted by Robin Lloyd Jones at the Helensburgh Library, 59 W King St, Helensburgh G84 8EB Wednesday 24th July, 7 p.m. Free entry/refreshments
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Tuesday, July 9, 2019 | Filed under: Books, Talks, Poetry and Creative Writing Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
An Evening with Multi Award winning author Robin Lloyd-Jones
Hosted by the Helensburgh Library and the Mackintosh Group review by Mary Irvine There was a full house at the Helensburgh Library on Wednesday, 29th May, 2019 for ‘An Evening with Robin Lloyd-Jones’. A brief introduction and Robin took over. He began by reading the very first piece he had had published, which was in […]
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Monday, June 3, 2019 | Filed under: Book and Event Reviews, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Dan Richards Booked! Festival 2019 review Mary Irvine
Dan Richards ‘Outpost: A Journey to the Wild Ends of the World’ Balloch Library Sunday 19th May 2019 This was my favourite event of this year’s festival. The great intrepid British explorer, risking life and limb to go where no man has gone before (or rarely, in this case) is not of a bygone age. […]
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Wednesday, May 29, 2019 | Filed under: Book and Event Reviews, Books, Talks, Poetry and Creative Writing Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Mary Irvine’s Blog: Ashurbanipal
A Long Needed Break Haven’t been away for some fifteen months. Just didn’t happen, partly because as I get older the less I want the hassle of travel. However, I saw there was an exhibition at the British Museum that I really wanted to see. It was a display of the reign of Ashurbanipal whom […]
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Monday, May 20, 2019 | Filed under: Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Richard Holloway ‘Waiting for the Last Bus’ review Mary Irvine
Tuesday 14th May 2019 Booked! Festival of Words, West Dunbartonshire For several years now the ‘Booked! Booked! West Dunbartonshire Festival of Words has commenced its series of events with the Alistair Pearson Lecture at the Millennium Hall, Gartocharn. This year a tribute to this extraordinary man was given by James Macrea who gave a brief […]
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Robin Lloyd-Jones ‘A life in books’ Helensburgh Library
Wednesday 29th May, 2019 7 p.m. An Evening with local author… Robin Lloyd-Jones A life in Books’ at the Helensburgh Library Free entry/refreshments Since June 2018 a group of friends have gathered once a week in the Helensburgh Library to encourage and support each other in their writing. It is not a club so has no membership […]
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Thursday, May 16, 2019 | Filed under: Books, Talks, Poetry and Creative Writing Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Glasgow Writer: Mary Irvine
Mary Irvine, is a writer who hails from Yorkshire but has made her home near Glasgow. She is involved in numerous projects writing short stories, collaborating in producing local history pamphlets about Dumbarton with the illustrator Anne Marshall. Mary also works tirelessly promoting other authors through the many literary events she initiates and organises. Her […]
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Tuesday, May 14, 2019 | Filed under: Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene, writers
Aye Write 2019! Sara Sheridan introduces Anne Griffin and Anstey Harris
Friday, 22nd March 2019 Mitchell Library Review by Mary Irvine The two authors being introduced were Anne Griffin and Anstey Harris. Both in the fifties, each has recently published her first novel. Anne Griffin is an Irish novelist living in Ireland. She has won recognition for her previous writings but ‘When All Is Said’ is […]
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Sunday, April 7, 2019 | Filed under: Aye Write Book Festival 2019, Book and Event Reviews, Books, Talks, Poetry and Creative Writing Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Aye Write 2019, Tom Shields review by Mary Irvine
Aye Write Festival 2019 Tom Shields Mitchell Library Sunday, 24th March 1.15 p.m. One of the many things I love about Glasgow and its people is the humour, the banter and, at the above event, I was not disappointed. Tom Shields is perhaps best known for the humorous ‘Tom Shields’ Diary’ which appeared in ‘The […]
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Tuesday, March 26, 2019 | Filed under: Aye Write Book Festival 2019, Book and Event Reviews, Books, Talks, Poetry and Creative Writing Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Aye Write: Kamal Ahmed: The Life and Times of a Very British Man review Mary Irvine
Aye Write Festival Friday, 22nd March, 2019 Royal Concert Hall The main theme of Kamal’s presentation was the notion of being British. What is it that makes anyone British? What is identity? Kamal’s mother was white English, his father Sudanese, making Kamal mixed race or half-caste in the parlance of the70s/80s when mixed marriages were […]
Aye Write 2019: ‘It’s Not About the Burqa’ Mariam Khan, Amna Saleem’ review Mary Irvine
Aye Write Festival 2019 3 p.m. Sunday, 17th March, Mitchell library It’s Not About the Burqa: Muslim Women on Faith, Feminism, Sexuality and Race – Mariam Khan, Amna Saleem When, in 2016, Mariam Khan read David Cameron’s comment that linked the radicalization of Muslim men to the ‘traditional submissiveness’ of Muslim women, she felt she should […]
Saturday, March 23, 2019 | Filed under: Aye Write Book Festival 2019, Book and Event Reviews, Books, Talks, Poetry and Creative Writing Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Neil Oliver at Aye Write 2019 review by Mary Irvine
Aye Write Festival 2019 Neil Oliver 11.30 a.m. -12.30 p.m. Saturday, March 16th Strathclyde Suite Royal Concert Hall Having driven through heavy snow (Alexandria), meeting heavy sleet (Dumbarton), being overcharged by Scotrail, then very cold rain (Glasgow) I finally arrived at the Royal Concert Hall for my first 2019 visit to the prestigious ‘Aye Write’ […]
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Wednesday, March 20, 2019 | Filed under: Aye Write Book Festival 2019, Books, Talks, Poetry and Creative Writing Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Charlie Gracie, Meet the Author, Fruin Farm review by Mary Irvine
Meet the Author Charlie Gracie – ‘To Live With What You Are’ The final meeting of the Meet The Author events for 2018 took place once again at the picturesque Fruin Farm, Glen Fruin, Helensburgh G84 9EE This time we welcomed Charlie Gracie, originally from Baillieston but now domiciled at the other side of the Ben. […]
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Wednesday, January 2, 2019 | Filed under: Books, Talks, Poetry and Creative Writing Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Mary Irvine’s Blog: Michael J Malone at Book Week Scotland 2018
A very appreciative audience enjoyed an entertaining two hours during the recent Book Week 2018 when the Helensburgh Library played host to poet turned novelist Michael J Malone. He spoke of his early writing life and the benefits of joining a writers’ group for support and encouragement, as well as offering critiques. Having had many […]
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Tuesday, November 27, 2018 | Filed under: Books, Talks, Poetry and Creative Writing Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Catriona Malan ‘Meet the Author’ at Fruin Farm
‘Meet the Author’ at Fruin Farm (Back by Popular Demand) Not a shuffle, not a cough, ne’er a sniffle. Total absorption in the event. And what was the event? The award winning poet from Helensburgh, Catriona Malan, who was being interviewed on her life and work. From her birth to the present day Catriona took […]
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Sunday, November 25, 2018 | Filed under: Books, Talks, Poetry and Creative Writing Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Mary Irvine: Scottish Writers Centre Comes Home
A full house, good poetry and prose speakers, an interesting discussion (with a revelation) and a very entertaining and talented singer. All in one evening and all for free! The event was a celebration of the Mexican Day of the Dead organised by Dove Tales in which the courage of conscientious objectors was honoured in […]
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Wednesday, November 7, 2018 | Filed under: Books, Talks, Poetry and Creative Writing Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Mary Irvine’s Blog: Freedom Bound – Escaping Slavery in Scotland
Freedom Bound – Escaping Slavery in Scotland by Warren Pleece, Shazleen Khan and Robin Jones, pub. BHP Comics, Glasgow 2018. I recently spent a couple of hours in Our Lady and St. Patrick’s School in Dumbarton. The reason for the visit was to hand over a set of thirty books. These were Book One of […]
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Saturday, October 13, 2018 | Filed under: Black History Month Glasgow, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Public Lecture of the Publishing Scotland’s International Fellows Glasgow – review by Mary Irvine
‘Main entrance, first right, first left.’ I was early. Reliant on train times, and the ‘drop of a hat’ cancellations, I had taken an early train. No problems. Partick not busy. Metro to Kelvinbridge. Pleasant walk through grassed area to steps leading up to Gibson Street and on to University Avenue, arriving at the main […]
Monday, August 27, 2018 | Filed under: Books, Talks, Poetry and Creative Writing Events, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Mary Irvine’s blog: How authors relax or do they?
I was recently asked to write a short piece on ‘How Writers Relax. I contacted the usual suspects and came up with the following. Have to admit the replies to the above brought no surprises. Mostly physical activities, presumably to counteract the effects of sitting when writing. So in no particular order these were the […]
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Monday, August 20, 2018 | Filed under: Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Mary Irvine blogging about A Goodbye Lunch
My oldest grandson, Ryan, (twenty-five) has been planning to spend a year working in Australia. His Aussie girlfriend, from Sydney, had returned to find a flat and get a job. Ryan set about getting all the paperwork, including the important twelve month work permit. All respect to the Australian embassy for their super-efficiency in offering […]
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Tuesday, May 29, 2018 | Filed under: Eating and drinking Glasgow West End, Mary Irvine: Writer and Philhellene
Writers’ Workshop Day at Fruin Farm, Nr. Helensburgh
Wednesday, 20th June 2018 The venue is the picturesque Fruin Farm at the Cross Keys roundabout on the A818, Helensburgh, G84 9EE (www.fruinfarm.co.uk) Programme 10.15 am Robin Lloyd-Jones Building a character 11.15 am Coffee 11.30 am Mary Edward Editing 12.45 pm Lunch […]
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