SUMMER BOOKS
WEST COAST REVIEW | 31
prominently in Colin’s recent
cultural landscape, and - in a
home where there are ‘guitars
lying around’ – almost inevitably
sparked a new vein of
creativity.
His fi rst chldren's picture
book, The HumDrum Drum
(illustrated by Catherine
Thomann) was published
by Oban-based Little Door
Books in June. It’s the story
of an orchestra drum who
isn’t too sure about being
bashed – until he learns the
importance of togetherness,
and keeping the beat.
“I remember waking up with
the idea, and just grabbing
a big piece of white cardboard
that was headed for
recycling, drawing a picture
of a drum, and starting to
story-board the idea. Things
came together so clearly,”
says Colin.
“Then, I was en route to the
Borders Book Festival for
an event for my novel, and
I happened to sit at a table
with the team from Little Door
Books and told them the
idea. Now, a couple of years
later, we’re all heading back
to the Borders Book Festival
to launch the book that came
out of that.”
“I love the fact that this book
has an Oban connection,
with Little Door Books being
based so close to where
I come from. You can reach
out to the world from anywhere,
but a strong regional
identity is still precious.”
Though he lives in London
now, Colin has plans to head
homewards soon for album
and book-related events,
with From Stage to Page, a
words and music show at the
fi rst Tobermory Book Festival
in October, set to be a highlight
– and a fi rst chance for
locals to hear him play the
new music, and read from his
memoir. “It feels like a really
good fi t,” he says. “Where I
come from means everything
to me.
“There are days when I’m on
the Tube, and a voice comes
on to say that the Piccadilly
Line is down again, and a
part of me still expects it to
be the Oban ferry announcer
– I’m just waiting for him to
repeat it all in Gaelic!”
- Colin’s books The
Humdrum Drum (Little Door
Books) and Hometown
Tales: Highland and
Hebrides (Weidenfeld &
Nicolson) are out now.
His new album Wakelines
(Extra Mile Recordings),
produced by Bernard
Butler, is out in September.