Books published by Luath Press Ltd

This collcetion of poems eloquently captures the contradictions and multiple identities of modern China. Taking on ancient traditions and contemporary issues, this selection is in turn humorous and poignant and illustrates China as it is rarely seen.

The Central Highlands area is the smallest of the six regions covered in the series, but is packed with more Munros than any other - so many that this area has been split into two books, Central Highlands South including Glen Coe and Central Highlands North including the Nevis Range.

An Aberdonian born and bred, Ian R Mitchell delves into Aberdeen's rich, often unseen history, and culture from an exile's perspective.

For the first time in years Gussie can run, climb and jump. Every breath she takes is easier now, and every step more confident, but Gussie can't help wondering about her doner. Was she young? Had she been very sick or was there an accident? And with her new life comes a whole new set of problems. She is going back to school at last - but she doesn't know anyone her own age, with the exception of Siobhan, the girl she hates most in the world. With school not meeting up to her expectations, Gussie turns to her old pastimes of bird watching and photography, but troubling news awaits her there too. And the lightning strikes and Gussie must act at once.

The remarkable stories of Scottish women throughout history...Featuring Scottish heroines such as the Bruce women, Black Agnes and the witches of Scotland. Not merely reproducing the biographies of famous women such as Mary, Queen of Scots, Scottish Women reveals a new and interesting perspective on the lives of Scottish women throughout history.

The Wey Forrit is a political work written in Scots which examines the current British political climate, with a particular focus on how the inner workings of Westminster affect Scotland and her people.

The Nordic countries have a veritable smörgåsbord of relationships with the European Union, from in to out to somewhere in between. So, what does that mean for Scotland?Well, somewhere in this incredible diversity of relationships with Europe is an arrangement that‿s likely to be good for Scotland too ‿ strangely enough, maybe more than one. Inside or outside the UK, Scotland wants to keep trade and cultural links with Europe ‿ that much is clear. But is the EU really the best club in town for an independent Scotland?Or would Scots benefit from ‿doing a Norway‿ ‿ joining the halfway house of the EEA and keeping the Single Market but losing the troublesome Common Fisheries and Agriculture Policies?Would an independent Scotland need the support and shelter of another union ‿ or could the nation stand alone like the tiny Faroes or Iceland?These tough questions have already been faced and resolved by five Nordic nations and their autonomous territories within the last 40 years. Perhaps there‿s something for Scotland to learn?The unique combination of personal experience and experts‿ insights give this book its hands-on character: pragmatic and thought-provoking, challenging and instructive, full of amazing stories and useful comparisons, enriching the debates about Scotland‿s post-Brexit future as a Nordic neighbour. Scotland‿s response to Britain‿s divided Brexit vote has been positively Nordic ‿ Scots expect diversity and empowerment to be entirely possible ‿ whilst Westminster‿s reaction has been decidedly British. One singer ‿ one song. One deal for everyone ‿ end of. Lesley RiddochOf course, the majority of Nordic nations are eu members. But perhaps the eea is a closer fit for Scotland? Perhaps, too, a viable halfway house option would boost support for Scottish independence? Especially since Holyrood may not automatically retrieve powers from Europe post Brexit. Paddy Bort

In May 1999 the Scottish Parliament opened with high expectations. They will explore whether initial expectations have been met and analyse how the Parliament has evolved at the core of a new Scottish political process.

A vibrant selection of the best Scottish love poems spanning centuries of affection and desire.

"Not Just Moonshine: New and Selected Poems" has been compiled to celebrate Tessa Ransford's seventieth birthday. This book chooses poems from each of the last four decades.

The Whisky Muse - the spark of inspiration to many of Scotland's great poets and songwriters; a collection of the best poems and songs, both old and new, on the subject of that great Scottish love, whisky.

Naomi is haunted by a troubling secret. Stuggling to come to terms with her husband's death, her biggest dread is finding out that Adam knew of her betrayal. He left behind an intimate diary - but dare she read it? Will it set her mind at rest - or will it destroy the fragile control she has over her grief? Caught by the unfolding story, Naomi discovers more than she bargained for. Adam writes of his feelings for her, his challenging career, his burning ambition. How one by one his dreams evaporate when he is diagnosed with a degenerative condition. Motor Neurone Disease. How he resolves to mastermind his own exit at a time of his choice...but time is one luxury he can't afford. Soon he won't be able to do it alone. Can he ask a friend, or even a relative to commit murder? Adam's fierce determination to retain control of his own body against insurmountable odds fills his journal with a passion and drive that transcend his situation, and transfix the reader. A startingly clear - sighted and courageous story, this novel explores the collision between uncomprimising laws, complex loyalties and human compassion. REVIEWS There are few novels which deal with the issues of contemporary medical ethics in the lively and intensely readable way that [these] do.- ALEXANDER MCCALL SMITH

Gussie is a twelve year old girl from St. Ives in Cornwall. She is passionate about learning, wildlife, poetry, literature, and she wants to be a photographer when she grows up. But her dreams were put on hold as she struggled with a serious heart condition. Now she has got what she needed: a heart and lung transplant. But it isn't working out quite the way she thought. Firstly she has to leave her beloved Cornwall to live in London and in the months following her operation she is unable to do very much except read and adopt a stray kitten, but she could do that when she was sick. She craves adventure and experience beyond her four walls, until, that is, she hits upon a plan - she is going to get her divorced parents to fall in love again. It's not going to be easy, her mum is still dating her doctor boyfriend and despises Gussie's father, who happens to be living with his new girlfriend - the Snow Queen. But Gussie is a determined girl and there is only one thing that could stop her now. REVIEWS 'Not many books around that you can give to anyone of any age and be sure of an appreciative audience, but Kelley does it beautifully in this, the third in the Gussie series, following the well-deserved Costa Category award for The Bower Bird.' SUE BAKER's Personal Choice, PUBLISHING NEWS' A great book.' THE INDEPENDENT 'You have to read it, and it will stay with you forever!' TEEN TITLES BACK COVER I ask for a mirror. My chest is covered in wide tape, so I can't see the clips or incision but I want to see my face, to see if I've changed. Gussie wants to go to school like every other teenage girl and find out what it's like to kiss a boy. But she's just had a heart and lung transplant and she's staying in London to recover from the operation. Between managing her parents' love lives, waiting for her breasts to finally start growing, and trying to hide a destructive kitten in her dad's expensive bachelor pad, Gussie makes friends with another cardio pation int the hospital, and finds out that she can't have everything her heart desires...

North Atlantic Drift - the warm ocean current that runs past Shetland, keeping the climate mellower than equivalent latitudes anywhere else in the world. Robert Alan Jamieson mixes mythology, autobiography and history with photographs in a beautiful book not only for Shetlanders, but everyone who has visited, or dreams of visiting.

A collection of contempory poems addressing themes that are traditional to Scotland and to the Gaelic world. Each Gaelic poem is accompanied by a full English translation and there are several original English poems.

There are many books about William Shakespeare but few written for the visitor which deal so thoroughly with his life, works and associated sites.

Sonny Jim McConaughy wakes up to find himself accused of attempted murder with no memory of the previous drunken night. So his girlfriend Rhonda, determined to stop him destroying them both, pits herself against him in a desperate battle of attrition.

Manny Riley is a recovering alcoholic and struggling scriptwriter with a serious anger management problem. Lately, though, things have started to change for the better. He'll soon find that these things only open up a whole new world of problems he'll have to face up to.

This collection of poems ranges from dystopian visions of modern day London in 'Strange Lights over Bexleyheath', lust-driven nostalgia in 'Sligo Maid', to a sombre walk through Glasgow in 'In the Necropolis'.

Glen is as dead as a dodo's doornail, and what's more he has just lost his job. How he became a differently-alive ex-employee is a mystery and extremely inconvenient, in fact it's a bit of a downer. But one thing is certain - he'll stop at nothing to find out how he became a morbid member of the ungrateful undead.

The Immortal Memory remains the centrepiece of the traditional Burns Supper and although that rite might be seen by some to have had its day, the "e;Immortal Memory"e; itself still retains its importance and prestige to Burns lovers all over the world. It is an honour to be invited to present this toast and it is to honour this status and to further respect its subject that Dr Cairney's third book on Burns is devoted to his "e;Immortal Memory"e;. The extraordinary thing is that the contributors, while dealing with the same man, all appear to see him so differently, but what they all still have in common is a love and admiration for the man and his work. This is the factor that makes Burns unique, that he has the same appeal for so many different kinds of people.

Covering a range of themes, from love to landscape, this wonderful collection has something for everyone to read aloud.

The first collection of Scots poetry devoted entirely to football ranges from historic to modern and sums up the best and worst of football spirit.