Da Happie Laand

An experimental novel on a grand scale, beautifully carried through. A Perth minister takes in a traumatised stranger who calls himself 'the son and heir to being lost'. When the stranger disappears, the events leading up to and following on from this are revealed. Shifting perspectives from a contemporary mystery to a history of Shetland and emigration, it extends the idea of Scottish empire and diaspora imaginatively, while addressing notions of being and belonging in 21st century Scotland.

Robert Alan Jamieson Robert Alan Jamieson was born in 1958 into the crofting community of Sandness on Shetland. Since graduating from the University of Edinburgh he has held the William Soutar Fellowship, co-edited the Edinburgh Review and tutored creative writing at Glasgow and Strathclyde Universities. His work appears in many anthologies, he has published a poetry collection (Shoormal) and three novels (Soor Hearts, Thin Wealth and A Day at the Office). In 2005 A Day at the Office was featured in The List?s ?100 Best Scottish Books of All Time?. He is currently teaching a Creative Writing course at Edinburgh University.