Writing

The Long Delirious Burning Blue is Sharon Blackie's first novel, published by Two Ravens Press in February 2008.

To read an extract, please click here.

To read an article about learning to fly and how ultimately it lead to the development of the novel, please click here.

Cat Munro’s safe, carefully-controlled world as a corporate lawyer in Phoenix is disintegrating, and she is diagnosed with panic disorder just before her fortieth birthday. In a last-ditch attempt to regain control of her life, she faces up to her greatest fear of all: she decides to learn to fly. As she struggles to let go of old memories and the anxieties that have always held her back, Cat faces a choice: should she try to piece her old life back together again, or should she give in to the increasingly urgent compulsion to throw it all away?

Several thousand miles away in Scotland, Cat’s mother Laura faces retirement and a growing sense of failure and futility. Alone for the first time in her life, she is forced to face the memories of her violent and abusive marriage, the alcoholism that followed, and her resulting fragile relationship with Cat.

But then she joins the local storytelling circle. And as she becomes attuned to the mythical, watery landscape around her, she begins to reconstruct the story of her own life…

From the excoriating heat of the Arizona desert to the misty flow of a north-west Highland sea-loch, Sharon Blackie’s first novel presents us with landscape in all its transformative power. An honest and moving exploration of the complexities of mother-daughter relationships, The Long Delirious Burning Blue is above all a story of courage, endurance and redemption.

What did the critics say?

‘It is that rarity, a first novel that smacks of not merely confidence, but authority, a sense that the story is true and clearly envisioned, with the technique to make it seem seamless, dynamic and written with verve and a care for the English language … The ending is powerful (reminiscent of The English Patient), filmic, and achieving the kind of symmetry that novels often aspire to, but rarely reach.’ Tom Adair, The Scotsman

'...Hugely potent. A tribute to the art of storytelling that is itself an affecting and inspiring story.' The Independent on Sunday

‘… A cleverly-woven presentation of how violence and lies within a family work down the generations.’ Scottish Review of Books

‘Sharon Blackie writes with a real sense of truth and emotional depth about relationships between individuals, and between individuals and their environment. Her characters are figures in a landscape brought vividly, vibrantly to life.’ Nicholas Royle

‘An inspirational literary début; empathetic and mature.’ Margaret Graham

'It’s almost impossible to believe that The Long Delirious Burning Blue, published by Two Ravens Press, is a first novel. Sharon Blackie’s spare but elegant prose style seems to belong to a far more experienced writer. She evokes both the seared beauty of the desert landscapes and the rain-soaked mystery of the Scottish mountains with equal skill, weaving them into the fabric of the story ... The psychological and emotional journeys of both women are observed and told with an unsentimental but sympathetic accuracy which makes The Long Delirious Burning Blue compulsively readable ... This is an astoundingly accomplished novel which will live on in your mind long after you’ve read the final paragraph.' Vulpes Libris
http://vulpeslibris.wordpress.com/2008/03/07/the-long-delirious-burning-blue-by-sharon-blackie/

See also a review on Lizzy Siddal's blog: http://lizzysiddal.wordpress.com/2008/02/14/the-long-delirious-burning-blue-sharon-blackie/

Recommended read by Vulpes Libris blogger Moira Briggs on The Book Depository website: 'A simply superb debut novel, beautifully and intelligently written with a terrific sense of place and a clutch of engaging, believable characters.' http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/WEBSITE/WWW/WEBPAGES/
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Cleave is an anthology of new writing from women writers in Scotland, edited by Sharon Blackie and containing two pieces of her work: a prose poem, Here, and a microfiction, Listen.

A compilation of short fiction, non-fiction and poetry by women – both established writers and newcomers – who live in or otherwise ‘belong to’ Scotland. This unique collection of new work reflects the diversity of voices who are writing about what it is to be a woman in contemporary Scotland – and the diversity of their experiences. The writing in Cleave also reflects the diversity of language and dialect from around the country – from the Northern and Western Isles through the Highlands, eastwards to Aberdeen, and all across the central belt to Glasgow, Edinburgh and beyond.

Includes pieces by: Patricia Ace, Dorothy Baird, Meg Bateman, Pamela Beasant, Sheena Blackhall, Sharon Blackie, Celaen Chapman, Regi Claire, Linda Cracknell, Alison Craig, Meaghan Delahunt, Margaret Elphinstone, Alison Flett, Yvonne Gray, Kirsty Gunn, Mandy Haggith, Sylvia Hays, Joy Hendry, Laureen Johnson, Jackie Kay, Morag MacInnes, Anne Macleod, Laura Marney, Lesley McDowell, Anne Morrison, Erica Munro, Alison Napier, Agnes Owens, Janet Paisley, Pauline Prior-Pitt, Elizabeth Reeder, Cynthia Rogerson, Dilys Rose, Gerda Stevenson, Susan Sellers and Sheila Templeton.

What did the critics say?.

'...a book that stands out from the pack ... an excellent anthology with a sense of direction and common purpose ... an impressive collection of accomplished and thoughtful work.' The Herald

'...a written record of modern Scottish literary form. Cleave showcases formidable talent.' The Scotsman

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Riptide is an anthology of new writing from authors in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, edited by Sharon Blackie and husband David Knowles (Two Ravens Press, 2007). It contains a short story by Sharon entitled Freefall.

This diverse collection of new fiction and poetry from the Highlands and Islands showcases the work both of established writers and of new names to watch. Contributors : Pam Beasant, Sharon Blackie, Robert Davidson, Angus Dunn, Eva Faber, Alison Flett, Yvonne Gray, John Glenday, Clio Gray, Andrew Greig, Nicky Guthrie, Mandy Haggith, Morag Henderson, Elyse Jamieson, Laureen Johnson, David Knowles, Morag MacInnes, Anne Macleod, Kevin MacNeil, Daibhidh Martin, John McGill, Donald Murray, Alison Napier, Pauline Prior-Pitt, Joanna Ramsey, Cynthia Rogerson, David Ross, Mark Ryan Smith, and Peter Urpeth.

‘...a force of creation, the kind of irresistible tide into which we should all dip.’ The Scotsman

‘...A remarkable production. The fiction explores states of mind; family dynamics; and the quirkier, even Gothic, byways of experience. There is poetry of intelligent intensity, of quiet emotional power, and of courageous but disciplined imagination; and also poetry where a lively ingenuity of image is the most visible thing.’ NorthWords Now

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The Sam Book is Sharon Blackie's translation from the French of acclaimed Franco-American author Raymond Federman's memoir of/ tribute to his friend Samuel Beckett. It was published by Two Ravens Press in June 2008.

In 1963, renowned Franco-American author Raymond Federman – then a young academic, just fresh from defending his PhD – met Samuel Beckett in Paris. The meeting was to change his life. ‘Sam’ became both a great friend and a great source of inspiration to Federman throughout his writing career. Intensely moving and intensely funny by turns, this unique book is both a memoir of a friendship, and a typically Federman-esque tribute to Beckett and his work. The Sam Book brings together memories, anecdotes, extracts from articles and talks, and other pieces of writing that derive their inspiration directly from Beckett’s work.

Raymond Federman was born in France, and went to the United States soon after World War II. At the age of 14, Federman was hastily thrust into the small upstairs closet of their Paris apartment by his mother just before she, his father and two sisters were taken to Auschwitz, where they were killed. Federman’s work focuses on the attempt to find a language appropriate for the enormity of the Holocaust and his part in its legacy; ultimately he espouses the concept of laughterature – laughter as a means of survival. Federman is considered internationally to be one of the most influential representatives of postmodern literature. As well as novels, his work encompasses books of poetry, essays, criticism and translations, it has been translated into a dozen languages, been adapted for stage and screen, and has received numerous awards – including the American Book Award (1986). Federman now lives in San Diego, California.

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Articles and other publications

Here: Waterlog, Summer 2008

The Changing Face of Crofting: Country Smallholding magazine, July 2006

Easter Eggs: A Fresh Northerly, 2006

In Praise of Solitude: Corvaceous, August 2008