It’s the first day of September 2026. I’m a writer. I live in a small 120-year-old tenement flat in Glasgow, near to a good 120-year-old public library, with this weirdo.
Projects
I’m preparing for one more 2026 Melt It! screening, this time in the Lakes with special guest Michael “Brass Eye” Cumming.
Aside from that, I find myself at a fork in the roads as we approach the last third of the year. I’d like to start a new novel, which would involve clearing the decks of smaller tasks and projects for the necessary peace of mind. As such, I’m tempted to ditch the New Escapologist December release, which would also give the current one more time to pay for itself. Hmm.
In the other direction, I’ve been involved in some smashing events lately and I’m in the mood for more. This (for me) isn’t compatible with novel-writing. Still, were I to book those events, I’d have the bandwidth to do the New Esc after all and I could probably also faff with the second draft of a regretfully backburnered secret American writing project (ooh, mysterious). It’s just that (a) I’ve already delivered a tonne of stuff this year (Tether, NE19, EE!10, tour) and (b) I’m obviously procrastinating on starting the novel.
You know what? In typing this out, I think I’ve settled on it. One sometimes needs to think with one’s fingertips. Please expect more live events before the year ends, plus NE20. If it’s fun, why not? Maybe I’m not ready to retreat into a novel-writing hole just yet. Thanks for helping me to chew this over.
Travel
I’ve enjoyed seeing more of my native isles while on tour. Hark at the long lad.
The largely renationalised trains have been working well for me, and I’ve hardly been half a day late to anything at all.
We decided today that we will end the year in Montreal, at our volcano lair (in-laws’ spare room). 🌋
Reading
I just polished off The Umbrella Man and Other Stories: What We Talk About When We Talk About the JFK Assassination (2026) by Martin Fitzgerald, which sounds a bit Dad but is totally Rad. The first 40% is excellent. It’s about the lives and backstories of various witnesses to the assassination. It’s a remarkable bit of storytelling and is really exciting. The idea is to provide human context to what we see in the Zapruder footage: it works well. The remaining 60% takes the form of more standard assassination travel writing about the author’s trip to Dallas. I enjoyed this part too, but it’s the first half that properly glistens.
You can see what I’m reading at any given minute here.
Culture
What shall I see at Sonica then?
Humans
At the recent Edinburgh screening, I reconnected with someone who was very important to me twenty years ago. This feels good. I’m also trying to be a better son to my aging and wrinkled parents by visiting more often and texting with my poorly dad.
Monking
To celebrate having made the decision on which projects to handle next, I will spend this afternoon sweeping the accumulated dust and dead clothes moth bodies from the edges of our rooms. I am just like the mad monk who sayeth: “We remove dust to sweep away our worldly desires. We scrub dirt to free ourselves of attachments.”
Physical form
This is not my best angle, but here’s a snap from culture historian Travis Elborough at Dickon’s show last week:
