Books about Glasgow

[Ronnie]

Just about everyone who posts on Hidden Glasgow sounds as if they have enough knowledge and understanding about a relevant topic that they could write a book about it.

Well, I have just been appointed as editorial consultant for a Scottish publisher. If anyone who reads these forums has a good idea for a book about Glasgow, or about any of the relevant topics that are discussed here, please get in touch with me.

Before you make contact, please think about who might buy the book, and whether there is a market for it - would enough people buy enough copies to pay you what you would want for writing it?

I also have contacts with the national broadcaster and independent broadcast production companies, so if you have an idea that you think would work on radio or TV (which programme maker and which slot, please), let me know.

Hidden Glasgow is a fabulous resource for those of us who are passionately interested in Glasgow, and this is a chance to extend that resource into the world of the printed page and the broadcast programmme.

Please get in touch (PM me) and I look forward to talking to you about your great ideas.

Best wishes
Ronnie

[Osiris]

I don't want to sound too obvious Ronnie, but what about a 'Hidden Glasgow' book? You just got to look at the success of this site and other books like the Idler's 'Crap Towns' to see theres a market for this kind of thing. And there would be no shortage of contributors.

Just a wee thought.

Cheers, Jason

[Ally Doll]

In that people on here have certain interests and areas of expertise, you could maybe take the Hidden Glasgow book idea, and break it up in to chapters, like tranport, public buildings, housing, industrial heritage.

[Pripyat]

It would sell big time. As well as a vast overseas market,
which would snap copies up very fast

[Shazbat]

There is a 'Hidden Glasgow' book. Got it at home, can't remember the name of the author.

Just googled it:

"Hidden Glasgow: Carol Foreman (March 2002). Carol Foreman takes readers through modern Glasgow and makes them view it with a different eye. She reveals the stories of features such as the abandoned Britannia Music Hall, the golden merchant ship on top of the Merchant's House, and the Lock Hospital for "dangerous women". "

[DMcNay]

It's not very good.

[allyharp]

It's not very good.

Let's make a better one then!

[Schiehallion]

If everyone interested wrote an essay (to a pre-defined guideline of length) on any topic Glaswegian, the bones could be there for a Glasgow book with pretty diverse chapters and writing styles.

[allyharp]

I'd love to play a part but I've never had the skill to make a good writer at anything. I really hope this takes off though and I'll keep a close eye to see how you lot get on.

[job78989]

The idea of an amalgamated book of Glasgow related perspectives, produced by different writers is a great prospect. I personally would be willing to undertake research into historical and built heritage subjects on the Southside. I am not a writer, but can just about put a piece of work together. If we are going to under take such a vast project, the coordination of issues areas etc. will be somewhat time consuming for someone to keep accurate record of what being covered and what’s not.

All of the researched material should be verified by at least one other researcher, we should aim to separate, historical facts, urban myths and legends and personal anecdotal interpretations. It would also be great if a photographic record were collated at the same time as the research is being done e.g. copies of old paintings, pictures, maps documents etc. This of course opens up the issue of copyright, if we seek to publish such material the permission of the copyright owner needs to be obtained and appropriate acknowledgement given.

On the writing front, we would need to have someone with the appropriate skills to edit and condense material submitted, a job that will require no end of diplomatic skills as it should of course be done in conjunction with the author of the material.

As you can see from this and my other posts, brevity is not one of my faults, I tend to ramble on somewhat verbosely, using six words where perhaps one or two might suffice.

I don’t think that the practical issues should put us off doing this as it would be a wonderfully unique record of much of the City, its history, its built heritage and its industrial past, sitting alongside a record of the lands current use.

What a really valuable resource for everyone interested in Glasgow and of course overtime will provide an invaluable research tool for future historians.

I would encourage the use of referencing of sources throughout, as it is the only way to give the final document any academic credibility.

I for one would love to see this idea take off and would be willing to work with everyone to help us develop the required skills of research, recording and writing.

Personally, I would encourage everyone to participate and contribute something, even if it’s only a paragraph about something you know about. Lets not use the excuses; of I don’t know much, I can’t write, I can’t spell etc, get in our way. All of these things can be put right if we want.

For example: I can’t write, I am useless at spelling, and totally crap at grammar (what ever that might be!)

This post is only as accurate as it is because on my spell and grammar checker, and very little to do with me.



John

[Apollo]

At the risk of being accused of advertising, I've already set up a collaborative website for just such a project http://www.geewiki.de-soft.co.uk/

If you're familiar with Wikipedia, then GeeWiki (it's open to suggestions for a name too) works just the same way.

Anyone can hit the 'Edit' tab on page, and then edit/amend or add to the content.

Anyone can create a New Page for a subject, just by hitting the 'Create New Page' option and entering the name.

There are more detailed 'how to' instructions on the site, and details of how to do fancy formatting etc. but there's no need to learn anything complex. If you can post in a forum and use the formatting there, then you know enough to create and edit pages in GeeWiki.

Core pages don't show the editing tab, and are password protected, and this protection can be afforded to specialised subjects, though is discouraged. One of the mantras of wiki contributions is that you shouldn't be afraid of them being edited to death.

It's there if you wish to use or contribute, or just use it as a resource to tie things together.

There's a special link to a page called the Sand Box, where anyone can test/try/play with the thing without risk of damaging anything elsewhere, jsut to see how it works.

There's no spelling or grammar checking, since it's browser based, these services would be expected to be carried out on the browser/client side, rather than the server.

[Alex Glass]

There was a small book I read some years ago. I think it was called the Wee Glasgow Book of Facts.

Maybe an updated version of this would sell.

[Socceroo]

A book on the Past / Present photo's would do well. I think everyone in Glasgow finds this subject very interesting.

Jack House did something similar in the 1970's which i think was updated in the 1980's. Judging by the amount of impressions / editions noted in the cover of these type of books it would appear they did quite well with sales.

It could be opened up a bit more with better research and narrative on the history of the sites. If i recall correctly some of Jack House's Past / Present books were mainly photo's with little text on the subject.

[Simba]

A book on the Past / Present photo's would do well. I think everyone in Glasgow finds this subject very interesting.

Jack House did something similar in the 1970's which i think was updated in the 1980's. Judging by the amount of impressions / editions noted in the cover of these type of books it would appear they did quite well with sales.

It could be opened up a bit more with better research and narrative on the history of the sites. If i recall correctly some of Jack House's Past / Present books were mainly photo's with little text on the subject.

I've been searching away to see if this book has ever been mentioned, but since nobody has replied to tell you otherwise Socceroo I guess I will!

There is a book called 'Glasgow Then and Now' by Rudolph Kenna and it's essentially a Past Present book. Quite interesting, although a lot of them I've seen before from here I guess. However the book is from 2001 so the idea wasn't nicked from here. I only discovered it because my uncle showed me it the other night - he did a lot of the present photos on it. £9.99 on Amazon.

[John]

I got Night Song of the Last Tram by Robert Douglas for a christmas present and have just finished it.

It was a wonderful read and very moving at parts. It really brought 1940/50s Glasgow to life and had some wonderful descriptions of well known parts of the city and city life.

John