Anne Donovan’s acclaimed debut novel Buddha Da is a contemporary story of a Glasgow house-painter’s conversion to Buddhism, and the impact this has on his life and the lives of his family. Seen from the perspective of three family members, using Glaswegian Scots throughout, the book addresses complex issues – social, psychological and philosophical – in a deceptively simple fashion. Christopher Nicol’s Scotnote examines the novel, its tripartite structure, its characters and its language, and addresses the larger questions of philosophy and spirituality that it raises. These notes are suitable for senior school pupils and students at all levels.

Along with his contemporaries Edward Morgan and Hugh MacDiarmid, Sorley MacLean is recognised as one of the most important Scottish poets of the 20th century. This book offers a detailed study of MacLean's poems, providing insight into the context of his work.

George Mackay Brown’s work is full of a deeply evocative sense of place and history; his work shows a deep respect for, and love of the natural world, but he is always conscious that there is a spiritual, supernatural dimension to reality. In his short stories especially, there is always the possibility of grace for his characters. Linden Bicket’s Scotnote examines ten of George Mackay Brown’s short stories, from across his long writing career, and explores their themes and characters.

Ena Lamont Stewart (1912 - 2006) had a keen sense of the appalling poverty and deprivation suffered by the residents of Glasgow's slum tenements in the first half of the twentieth century. A member of the radical group of young writers and artists gathered around Glasgow's Unity Theatre in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War, she is today most noted for her play, Men Should Weep, set in the East End of Glasgow in the 1930s. John Hodgart's Scotnote explores how the play deals with issues of poverty and sexual and social inequality. This study guide examines the roles of the individual characters and outlines the major themes in an approachable and accessible way, and also explores issues of set, dramatic technique and staging. This guide is suitable for senior school pupils and students at all levels.

John Galt (1779 – 1839) was a contemporary of Sir Walter Scott and Jane Austen, and a friend and biographer of Lord Byron. His writings are full of acute observation, penetrating psychological insight, rich Scots language and great good humour. This SCOTNOTE examines two key novels by Galt, which chronicle the changes in Scottish society in the later eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

Set in the aftermath of the 1707 Union of the Parliaments, Sir Walter Scott’s romantic tragedy The Bride of Lammermoor (1819) conveys the anxiety of a fractured Scottish society through the ill-fated romance of two young lovers, Edgar and Lucy. With its heady gothic mixture of history, fiction, humour, romance, and the supernatural, The Bride of Lammermoor is both intriguing and entertaining, and an ideal text for further study. Eileen Dunlop’s SCOTNOTE explores and explains the historical, social and political background of this influential novel, and is suitable for senior school pupils and undergraduate students.

Derick Thomson - Ruaraidh MacThomais - was one of the most prolific and influential Scottish Gaelic poets of the twentieth century. His work pushed forward the boundaries of Gaelic poetry, taking it from its traditional heartlands in the Highlands and Islands to Scotland's Lowland cities, Glasgow in particular. He was the first poet to use free verse consistently in Gaelic, and his poems, both in terms of form and content, had a profound influence on following generations of Gaelic writers. Petra Johana Poncarovás SCOTNOTE examines Thomson's life and work, and his historical, political, cultural and personal influences. It is an ideal introduction for senior school pupils and students of all ages.

Edwin Morgan’s Glasgow-based Scots translation of Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac is one of the most successful productions in modern Scottish theatre. Fresh, clever and dynamic, Morgan’s refashioning of the play establishes a cultural bond between the classic French play and Scotland’s own dramatic and literary heritage. John Corbett’s SCOTNOTE provides a succinct background to Edmond Rostand and his original play ⃛ first performed in Paris, 1897 ⃛ as well as to Edwin Morgan and his 1992 Scots verse translation, and is a perfect introduction for senior school pupils and students of all ages.