Friday, 25 March 2011

TRICIA McDOUGALL (FIFE)

A few weeks ago Tricia McDougall lost her battle with cancer after bravely hanging on to life long enough to see her daughter, Vicki, get married.

Tricia had fought the disease heroically for six years and had hoped that an alternative healing centre for cancer sufferers could be established in Fife.

To that end, she backed a charity started by Vicki and two of her (Tricia's) sisters.

You can make contributions via www.triciaswish.co.uk



AN UNSUNG HEROINE OF CONTEMPORARY SCOTTISH LITERATURE

Agnes Owens was born in Milngavie, near Glasgow, in 1926.

She only published her first book at the age of 58 after having been championed by several prominent Scottish authors who discovered her talent through a Writer's Group that she attended.

Hers has not been an easy life. She has struggled to bring up a family on a low income, coped with a war traumatised, alcoholic husband and come to terms with the murder of her youngest son when he was only 19.


She says her stories are about building site workers, tramps and alcoholics. They are all very firmly set in that part of south west Scotland that she has known all her life.

"I couldn't have written about anything else and I didn't want to talk about wealthy people", she says.

Her work might, on the face of it, seem downbeat but her characters are beautifully observed and her stories bustle with energy - and even hope!


Her work includes: "Gemntlemen of the West", "A Working Mother", "For The Love Of Willie" - shortlisted for the 1998 Stakis Prize (Novels).

"Lean Tales", "Getting Sent For", "The Complete Short Stories, 2008" - contains new material (Short Stories).

Agnes Owens work is published by Polygon Books.