Lesley Riddoch

The Neil Gunn Trust Lecture

I will be delivering the Neil Gunn Trust Lecture at the Inverness Book Festival at 7pm on Friday October 3 at the Eden Court in Inverness.

The Prisons Commission Reports

The Prison Commission Reports

After six months work -- the Prisons Commission report was launched today at the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. The speech given by Commission Chair Henry McLeish was a tour de force (but maybe I'm biased) listing the cocktail of problems that have given Scotland a prison population more like an emerging Soviet Republic than a modern Western nation.

There were 23 recommendations -- and I was glad I wasn't one of the hacks sight-reading the 82 page report and trying to figure out which one should make the headline. Will the tabloids describe us as deluded, do-gooding lefties (Sheriff Alistair Duff would never live that down!) or over-ambitious... or might Scottish institutions use this report to tackle troubled citizens instead of locking them up?

If you want to read the report email business.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk or call Blackwell's Edinburgh bookshop on 0131 622 8283.

Writing Course - Westray - October

Along with Ron Ferguson, I will be part of the creative writing course in Westray from Friday 10  to Monday 13 October - click on the poster and it will enlarge to give you all the contact details you need to book a place ! Hurry the places are limited and filling fast.

Oh what a night !

Benbecula and the Islands Debate...phew what a night ! The debate was a corker and you will be able to hear the edited highlights on this week's Riddoch Questions.
This picture of the Lionacleit audience is courtesy of Eileen Bell at the Stornoway Gazette.

Scottish Prisons Commission

Prisons Commission Public Debate

The first in a series of public debates involving the Scottish Prisons Commission took place in Dundee last night. Prisons Commission Chair Henry McLeish and I were there. Along with a distinguished audience and a panel of

• Prison Governor Perth, Kate Donegan
• Criminal Justice Manager, Jane Martin    
• Detective Chief Superintendent Angela Wilson Tayside Police    
• Dundee Women’s Aid Manager Margaret Brown

The purpose of this series of meetings is to allow the public and interested parties to discuss and debate the issues which the Prisons Commission is addressing. It was a good meeting and there are several more to come. I will be chairing all of them. The public are welcome and a full list of dates and venues is available here.

Or you can download the schedule here.

Naomi Mitchison Memorial Lecture 2007

Journalist and broadcaster Lesley Riddoch will give a talk at the University of Glasgow on Women and Rural Society on 5 November.

Presenting the 2007 Naomi Mitchison Memorial Lecture, Lesley Riddoch, who hosts the BBC’s Riddoch’s Questions radio show, will discuss whether women are the backbone of rural society or a silenced majority.

The talk will take place at the Sir Charles Wilson Lecture Theatre, Gibson St, University of Glasgow on 5 November at 6pm. The event is free and open to the public.

For more details - click here.

The Faclan Festival and Lesley Riddoch and Stornoway

The Faclan Festival at an Lanntair Arts Centre in Stornoway is the venue for Lesley and the "Riddoch on the Outer Hebrides". Lesley will be speaking at 5pm on Saturday 1 September. Come and meet Lesley in person.

Here is the complete list of the "Riddoch on the Outer Hebrides" Book Tour

Edinburgh International Book Festival - Monday 27 August

Lesley will be appearing at the Edinburgh International Book Festival at 4:30pm on Monday 27 August. She will be talking about her new book; "Riddoch on the Outer Hebrides".

Stop by and meet Lesley in person.

Check out the details of the other Book Tour dates.

Lyth Arts Centre Saturday night - 25 August Saturday

Lesley will be at the Arts Centre in Lyth near Wick talking about and signing copies of her new book, "Riddoch on the Outer Hebrides".

Come and meet Lesley in person.

Check out the other Book Tour dates.

Lesley visits Tain and Helmsdale on Friday 24 August

Lesley will be at the Tower Bookshop in Tain on Friday 24 August between 12 noon and 2pm.Later that day, she will be at Timespan in Helmsdale at 7pm. In both venues she will be talking about and signing copies of her new book " Riddoch on the Outer Hebrides".

Come and meet Lesley in person.

Check out other Book Tour dates here.