The result was a professional production of The Island, a coming of age novel published in October 2013 that passed one thousand sales just as 2016 ended. Another seven novels of mine have been published since, although they are awaiting discovery!
I am far from the only author who has benefitted from the Gisby combination of skill and enthusiasm. His commitment would be remarkable if he did nothing else but he also writes exceptionally well on his own account. Unlike other publishers, he will let the buyers decide on the merit of the books issued under his imprimatur.
His is a unique role in Scottish letters. The Arts establishment is still elitist and exclusive but McStorytellers from the outset have rejected the notion that one size fits all. John McGroarty is developing a particularly Glasgow style in novels of gritty realism, challenging the Edinburgh voices of Ian Rankin and Quintin Jardine. Angus Shoor Caan has shaken out the mantle once worn by Robert Burns and James Hogg: the Scottish dialect is not the result of low intelligence and poor education but instead is the authentic voice of a real and vibrant society.
Brendan has recognised the energy in Scottish writers unrecognised – as yet – by the wider community and has made their work available to the public. Perhaps the Scottish media will take note.
Alasdair McPherson