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Lectures and Papers

On occasion I have been fortunate enough to be invited to speak about my work at various events.  It may seem like an ironic observation when writing is such a solitary pursuit, but one of the most satisying things about being an author is the opportunity that it brings to meet and chat with new people - especially when they're as passionate about film and literature as I am!  Listed below are some of the lectures and research papers that I have presented over the past few years:

  • 'Lights, Camera, Stirling!', Presentation for Stirling District Tourism, Legends at the Monument, Abbey Craig, Stirling, 24 April 2025.
  • 'Writing for Publication', Lecture series at Forth Valley College, Stirling Campus, 18 February-25 March 2025.
  • 'A Century of Christmas Cinema', Christmas Lecture at Legends at the Monument, Abbey Craig, Stirling, 5 December 2024.
  • 'Lights, Camera, Stirling!', at Stirling Rocks: The City that Defined Scotland Conference 2024, Stirling District Tourism Event, at the Church of the Holy Rude, St John Street, Stirling, 30 November 2024.
  • 'Artificial Intelligence in Publishing', Presentation at Lochee Library, 47-49 High Street, Lochee, Dundee, for Book Week Scotland, 22 November 2024.
  • 'Christmas on Film', Presentation at Falkirk Library, Hope Street, Falkirk, for Book Week Scotland, 21 November 2024.
  • 'Travel Writing and Presentations', Workshop at Forth Valley College, Stirling Campus, for Book Week Scotland, 18 November 2024.
  • 'Writing for Publication', Lecture series at Forth Valley College, Stirling Campus, 10 September-22 October 2024.
  • 'Digital Publishing, Food Heritage and Food History', Presentation at Cafe, Coffee, Questions and Solutions!, Business Gateway Perth and Kinross Event, at the Salutation Hotel, 30-34 South Street, Perth, 23 August 2024.
  • 'Writing for Publication', Lecture series at Forth Valley College, Stirling Campus, 20 February-26 March 2024.
  • 'More on the History and Culture of Christmas in Scotland', Christmas Lecture at Legends at the Monument, Abbey Craig, Stirling, 7 December 2023 [with Dr Murray Cook].
  • Extremis Publishing December Creative Residency at Stirling Castle, Stirling, 5-23 December 2023 [with Julie Christie].
  • 'Christmas on Film', Christmas Lecture at Dundee Central Library, Wellgate, Dundee, 1 December 2023.
  • 'Tales of Scotland's Christmas', Presentation for Doune Library, Main Street, Doune, 23 November 2023 [with Dr Murray Cook].
  • 'A Brief History of Scotland's Christmas', Keynote Speaker at the Forthgiving (The Sons of the Rock Society SCIO) Annual General Meeting 2023, The Stirling Highland Hotel, Stirling, 5 October 2023 [with Dr Murray Cook].
  • 'Writing for Publication', Lecture series at Forth Valley College, Stirling Campus, 12 September-24 October 2023.
  • 'The Story of Publishing in Stirling', Presentation for The Oasis Club, Cambusbarron Parish Church Hall, St Ninians Road, Cambusbarron, 9 May 2023.
  • 'Writing for Publication', Lecture series at Forth Valley College, Stirling Campus, 18 April-30 May 2023.
  • 'A Brief History of Publishing in Stirling', Presentation at Legends at the Monument, Abbey Craig, Stirling, 23 March 2023 [with Julie Christie].
  • 'Mission: Employable', Faculty of Arts and Humanities Conference Dinner, University of Stirling, 3 February 2023.
  • 'Publishing in Stirling: Past, Present and Future', Auld Hansel Monday Keynote Lecture for ForthGiving at The Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum, Stirling, 16 January 2023.
  • 'A Brief History of Christmas in Scotland', Presentation at Legends at the Monument, Abbey Craig, Stirling, 8 December 2022 [with Dr Murray Cook].
  • 'Extremis Publishing: The Inside Story', Presentation at Dundee Central Library, Wellgate, Dundee, 4 November 2022.
  • 'Stirling Legends: Official Launch', Presentation at Legends of the Monument, Abbey Craig, Stirling, 21 October 2022.
  • 'Stirling Legends: Formal Launch', Presentation at the Chapel Royal, Stirling Castle, 20 October 2022.
  • 'Digital Publishing: Local Companies with Global Reach', Presentation for Stirling Probus Club, Glebe Avenue, Stirling, 27 April 2022.
  • 'The Present and Future of Digital Publishing', Presentation for Dundee University Students Association, Airlie Place, Dundee, 22 March 2022.
  • 'Career Stories: English Studies', Presentation for University of Stirling, 10 November 2021.
  • 'No Wrong Path', Presentation for Graduate Plus+, University of Stirling, 3 November 2021.
  • 'Publishing in the North', Presentation for the International Police Association Section UK Writers Special Interest Group and Global Writers' Forum, 10 April 2021.
  • ‘Insights into Publishing’, Presentation for Clackmannanshire Library Services, Ben Cleuch Centre, Tillicoultry, 15 August 2019.
  • ‘Publishing and Creative Non-Fiction’, University of Dundee Library, Nethergate, Dundee, 5 July 2019.
  • ‘Arts Action’, University of Dundee Writers Read Forum, Tonic Cafe, Nethergate, Dundee, 10 October 2018.
  • ‘A Righteously Awesome Eighties Christmas’, Christmas Lecture at the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum, Stirling, 13 December 2017.
  • ‘Author Q&A’, Presentation for the Tay Writers' Group, The Shore, Dundee, 10 November 2017.
  • ‘The James Bond Films of the 1980s: Themes, Politics and Narratives’, for Off the Page: The Stirling Book Festival 2014, The Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum, Stirling, 16 September 2014.
  • ‘Interpreting the James Bond Films of the 1980s’, Lecture for The Probus Club of Berwick-upon-Tweed, Berwick Parish Church Centre, Berwick-upon-Tweed, 23 July 2014.
  • ‘Depictions of Dementia in Modern Cinema’, Keynote Speaker at the 2014 Annual General Meeting of the Alzheimer Scotland Action on Dementia Stirling and Clackmannanshire Branch, The Order of Malta Building, Stirling, 28 May 2014.
  • ‘Behind The Shadow in the Gallery’, for the official book launch of The Shadow in the Gallery, The Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum, Stirling, 5 December 2013.
  • ‘A Very Brief History of the James Bond Films of the Eighties’, for the Rotary Club of Berwick-upon-Tweed, Berlino's Steak House, West Street, Berwick-upon-Tweed, 22 October 2013.
  • ‘The James Bond Films of the Eighties: Geopolitics, Ideologies and Cultural Relevance’, Film Lecture at Morpeth Film Library, Morpeth, 8 October 2013.
  • ‘A History of Christmas Cinema’, Ash Wednesday Lecture for The Probus Club of Berwick-upon-Tweed, Berwick Parish Church Centre, Berwick-upon-Tweed, 13 February 2013.
  • ‘Forgotten Classics of Christmas Cinema’, St Andrew's Day Lecture, The Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum, Stirling, 30 November 2012.
  • ‘The Christmas Movie Book in 3D: A New Dimension in Festive Cinema’, for the official book launch of The Christmas Movie Book, The Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum, Stirling, 1 December 2011.
  • ‘Weaving A Cloud of Witnesses: An Editor's Tale’, for the official book launch of A Cloud of Witnesses, The Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum, Stirling, 27 October 2011.
  • ‘A Christmas Movie Timeline: 1898-2009’, Keynote Speaker at the 2011 Annual General Meeting of Ayr Film Society, The Carlton Hotel, Prestwick, 20 October 2011.
  • ‘Seven Decades of the Christmas Film’, for the Rotary Club of the Carse of Stirling, The Terraces Hotel, Stirling, 5 January 2011.
  • ‘The Twelve Films of Christmas: Themes and Tropes in the Cinema of the Festive Season’, Christmas Lecture at the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum, Stirling, 15 December 2010.
  • ‘The Thistle in the Ashes: A Very Scottish Apocalypse’, for the Transgression and Its Limits Conference, University of Stirling, Stirling, 29 May 2010.
  • ‘A Brief History of the Christmas Film’, for the A Brush with the Bible lecture season, The Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum, Stirling, 17 December 2009.
  • ‘Nothing Reel Exists?: Richard Linklater and Changing Interpretations of American Hegemony’, for the Interdisciplinary Postgraduate Symposium in Postcolonial Studies, University of Stirling, Stirling, 26 April 2008.
  • ‘Global Concerns, Independent Minds: National Identities and International Ideologies’, for the School of Postcolonial Studies Workshop, University of Stirling, Stirling, 7 November 2007.
  • ‘Liv Tyler in Modern Film and Popular Culture’, for Off the Page: The Stirling Book Festival 2007, The Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum, Stirling, 28 September 2007.