Alan Bissett

**Alan Bissett** (born 17 November 1975) is an author an playwricht frae Hallglen, an area in Fawkirk in Scotland. Efter pittin oot his first twa novel, *Boyracers* an *The Incredible Adam Spark*, he became kent fur his sindry take on Scots scrievin, evolvin tae a style speceefic tae Fawkirk, fou o references tae popular cultur an socialist politics. He applied tae be a rector at the Glesga Varsity in 2014.

Bissett uised tae lectur in creative scrievin at Bretton Hall College (nouadays pairt o the Varsity o Leeds), an tutored creative writin MLitt at Glesga Varsity (2004-2007) alangsyd Janice Galloway an Tom Leonard. He becam a fou-time scriever in Disember 2007. In Mairch 2012, he becam a "Cultural Ambassador" for National Collective, a creative organisation thit forrits Scots Unthirldom.

## Backgrund
Bissett went tae Fawkirk Heich Schuil an than the Varsity o Stirlin, whaur he wis gien a First-Class Honours degree in Inglis literatu an eddication. Efter a wee spell as a seicondary-schuil teacher at Elgin Academy, Bisset wis gien a master's degree awaird in Inglis frae the Varsity o Stirlin, durin that time he eeditit a collection o Scots Gothic Stories, *Damage Land*, an scrieved his first novel, *Boyracers* (baith 2001). His stories war aither short- or longlistit for the naitional Macallan Short-Story Competition fower time atweesh 1999 an 2002. His third novel, *Death of a Ladies' Man*, wis pit oot bi Hachette Scotland in Julie 2009. In 2009 Bissett muived ontae playwritin: his first play, *The Ching Room,* wis performed at Oran Mor an Traverse Theatre in Mairch 2009, starrin Andy Clarke an Colin McCredie. It wis folloaed bi *Times When I Bite*, or *The Moira Monologues* an "ane-woman show" thit Bissett haes performed hissel (at Glesga literary festival Aye Write! in Mairch 2009, at the *Kikinda Short Story Festival* in Serbia in Juin 2009, an at the Traverse Theatre in November 2009. In an interview wi the *Sunday Times*, Bissett descrieved the inspiration for Moira Bell's chairacter. 
"The vyce comes frae the weemen in ma faimlie, ma three auntie an ma sister, thit ur braw storytellrs an haurd as f***," he says. "See gin thay war tae g'on stage an tawk aboot thair lives in thair ain vyces, it wad be gien praise as a virtuoso performance."Bissett wis a ordinar co-organise an performer o Glesga spoken wird nicht Discombobulate.  In 2016 he wis gien an Honorar Doctorate bi the Varsity o Stirlin.

## Bibliographie

### Novels

* *Boyracers* (2001)
* *The Incredible Adam Spark* (2005)
* *Death of a Ladies' Man* (2009)
* *Pack Men* (2011)

### Anthologies

* *Damage Land: New Scottish Gothic Fiction* (2001) (editor)
* *In the Event of Fire: New Writing Scotland 27* (July 2009) (co-editor with Liz Niven)
* *Stone Going Home Again: New Writing Scotland 28* (July 2010) (co-editor with Carl MacDougall)
* *The Year of Open Doors* (July 2010) (contributor)
* *The Flight of the Turtle: New Writing Scotland 29* (July 2011) (co-editor with Carl MacDougall)
* *Collected Plays* (March 2015)

## Music
Bissett collaboratit wi muisician Malcolm Middleton an aw, for the sang "The Rebel on His Own Tonight", screvin the lyrics an performin a spoken wird bit, for the *Ballads of the Book* project, gittin thegither Scots scrievers wi Scots muisicians, heidit bi Roddy Woomble.

Inspirt bi this experience, Bissett went tae the bands Zoey Van Goey an Y'all is Fantasy Island pittin forrit the idea o performin thegither. In Mey 2007, aw 3 performed thegither in a short tour aboot the Central Belt. The tour, cried *Super Puny Humans* played in Edinburgh on the 2t Mey, Glesga on the third, Stirlin on the fowert an at the hinder end, Fawkirk on the fift. Fae than, Bissett haes stairtit performin his writin at concerts regular-like, in support slots for sindry bands, includin the first-ever comeback gig fur The Vaselines, an the "Music Like A Vitamin" nicht at ABC Glesga, rin bi Rod Jones frae Idlewild in support fur Mental Halth Week. He performed spoken word sets at the Connect Music Festival in 2007 an 2008 an aw, as weel as at Crossing Border Festival in 2007.

## Film
In 2009, *The Shutdown*, a short documentary Bisset wrocht (an narratit) aboot the experience o grawin up in the scarrae o the Grangemouth Oil Refinery, mention his faither's injur in the refinery flare line incident o 13t Mairch 1987 premiered in competition at Edinburgh International Film Festival, IDFA an Silverdocs, was shortlist for the Scots Short Documentary Awaird an won baith the Jury an Audience Awairds for Scots Short film at the Jim Poole Scots Short Film Awairds. *The Shutdown* wis directit bi Adam Stafford, an later on picked up for distributin bi Accidental Media.

## References


## Freemit Airtins

* Offeecial Wabsteid
* Alan Bissett at British Council: Literature
* Creative Writing at Glasgow University
* Alan's blog  at The Guardian
* Super Puny Humans site
* Short story: *[https://web.archive.org/web/20131004230436/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: *[https://web.archive.org/web/20110928131214/http://www.madhattersreview.com/issue7/viva_bissett.shtml So Many Crows]*, Mad Hatters Review, Issue 7, February 2007
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