Shetland with Laurie’s guide to the best of Shetland fiction
Jarlshof, the Earl's House (see The Pirate below). Photo: Sophie Whitehead
I don’t know about you, but I’ve been enjoying getting through my reading list recently; and what better way to enjoy a place, without visiting, than through the pages of a well-written book.
In this blog, I have selected my top 10 Shetland fiction reads which I hope you too will enjoy and savour until you can visit. So draa in a chair and start reading ...
Shadowed Valley
by John. J. Graham
This is a book that I come back to time-and-time-again and one that I named my eldest child from – Hansi. I read it while I was pregnant, and it has stuck with me ever since. The book is based on the clearances in the Weisdale Valley. These clearances saw an entire community evicted from their homes within a generation by the landlord, David Dakers Black, in the 19th century.
Although the book is a work of fiction, it is based on fact and is provocatively brought to life in the careful prose of Graham, one of Shetland’s great writers.
J.J. Graham is also responsible for Strife in the Valleyand The Shetland Dictionary, an indispensable guide to our local dialect.
Thin Wealth
by Robert Alan Jamieson
This is a fantastic exploration of Shetland’s social history and the changes that the islands felt as the oil industry marched in during the 1970s, shaking the community to the core and bringing great change with it. For some, these were welcome changes, delivering opportunity, adventure and a cosmopolitan feel, but for others, the march into modernity was too much to bear. Another work of fiction but, for those who lived through the oil era, the story resonates many truths. For me, a post-oil boom Shetlander, it is enlightening to dive into the politics and chaos that this time brought through the thoughtful words of Robert Alan Jamieson.
He writes a lively narrative and paints vivid pictures of a bygone Shetland that I will only ever know through words.
Another favourite of mine by Robert Alan Jamieson is Soor Hearts– a captivating read of murder and mystery at the turn of the 19th century.
Ann Cleeves’ Shetland series:
Raven Black, White Nights, Red Bones, Blue Lightning, Dead Water, Thin Air, Cold Earth & Wild Fire.
The bestselling series of crime novels by author Ann Cleeves, based in Shetland, is the basis of the popular BBC crime drama Shetland, featuring detective inspector, Jimmy Perez. Author Ann Cleeves spent much time in Shetland before writing the gripping series, and you can be assured an edge-of-your-seat read with these books.
I offer Shetland TV Series tours, you can find out more about these here.
The Valley at the Centre of the World
by Malachy Tallack
Malachy is one of Shetland’s most prominent writers in Shetland today – and a beautiful writer at that – with several great titles to his name, including 60 Degrees North: Around the World in Search of Home and The Un-discovered Islands.
Published in 2018, the novel takes the reader on a thoughtful journey as the lives of those living in The Valley unfurl and play out. It raises pertinent questions about belonging, community and all that is lost with time. Written in Malachy’s natural and poetic style, the words weave a beautiful portrait of life in one small corner of Shetland.
The Valley is where generations have lived, traditions have been passed down, new faces have built on the fabric of the community and integrated into the Valley’s rhythm.
Dancing with the Ferryman by Frankie Valente
This is a book that will make you fall in love with falling in love. It will take you back to those first butterflies, the anticipation of a kiss, and all the magic that is stirred into a love story. This is chick-lit, Shetland style. Shetland men aren’t known for their grand romantic gestures (sorry guys) ‒ they might give you a lamb for the freezer and perhaps a kokkaloorie (daisy) from the yard, but 12 red roses and a candlelit dinner, probably not!
Frankie Valente has written numerous books, including Dreaming in Norwegian, also set in Shetland and based around the Shetland Bus. But for those stomach-flip moments,
Dancing with the Ferryman is unrivalled. So remember, when you visit, give the ferrymen a wink, as you never know where it might lead...
Catherine of Deepdale by Millie Vigor
This is another fictional tale set in a small, rural Shetland community. Like Malachy Tallack, Millie Vigor sets the stage with beautiful descriptions of both people and place and taps into the deep sense of community that underpins much of our heritage.
Millie Vigor, an octogenarian, was born in Dorset but chose Shetland as the stage for her captivating trilogy, beginning with Catherine of Deepdale, and followed by No Skylarks Sing and Paying Davy Jones. Despite not being a Shetlander, Millie captures much of the essence of the isles in her writing, and of the three,
Catherine of Deepdale is her finest piece of writing.
Lowrie by Joseph Gray
What began as a series of short stories published in the Shetland Times quickly became one of Shetland’s best-loved literary treasures. Written by Joseph Gray in the 1930s and illustrated by F.S. Walterson, these stories are hilarious depictions of everyday life in Shetland at the time, heavily focused on the croft, as well as fashions of the day and new inventions. Ironically, perhaps, the first short story is called A Wrastle wi’ a Hen– and if you’ve seen my Instagram stories, you’ll know we have our own wrestle with a hen and a certain little four-year-old!
Written in the Shetland dialect, this is well worth the effort, but be warned, if you’re a non-Shetland reader, you might want to invest in The Shetland Dictionary to accompany this read!
The Pirate by Sir Walter Scott
Best-known for the Waverley Novels, Sir Walter Scott based his 14th Waverley Novel, The Pirate, in Shetland. Inspired by a trip north in 1814 with the famous Stevenson family who were tasked with building the numerous lighthouses in Shetland, and beyond, Scott based The Pirate around Shetland’s southernmost tip. Scott didn’t publicly acknowledge authorship of the books until 1827 – five years after The Pirate was published. My first encounter with Scott’s work was
The Heart of Midlothian (seventh in the Waverley series), an interesting if, like many 19th-century novels, gruelling read!
The Pirate is based loosely on the life of a pirate, John Gow as Captain Cleveland and it was set around 1700. A captivating tale of shipwreck, love, loss and piracy. An interesting side note appears from the story: In the book, Scott uses the Laird’s House at ‘Jarlshof’ (now in ruin) as a setting in the novel. It is from this description that the archaeological site takes its name. The literal translation comes from the Old Norse ‘Jarl’, meaning Earl, and the German ‘Haus’, meaning house – so Jarlshof translates as the ‘Earl’s House’.
Probably the most challenging read on this list, but if historic writers float your boat then this one’s worth a bash!
Often when we read book suggestions, they focus solely on adult reads, and as a mother, this can be frustrating as, let’s face it, none of us wants to read another Peppa Pig book – ever again. So for my final picks, here are a few for younger readers – and their long-suffering parents!
A Stranger Came Ashore by Mollie Hunter
Perhaps not necessarily for the younger reader – I read this when I was 21 and finished it in one sitting, as it was so captivating.
This is a haunting tale, based on the selkie (seal) stories of our folklore, the ability of seals to take human form and shed their skins to pursue men or women on land and carry them away back to the sea. This tale is based on a young man who appears at the door on a stormy night, from a shipwreck, he says – but twelve-year-old Robbie knows that the truth is more haunting …
This is undoubtedly a book that both children and parents will equally enjoy.
A Midsummer Foy by Janice Armstrong and Meilo So
I love this book; a flamboyant and colourful portrayal of summer, written by Janice Armstrong and brought to life by illustrator Meilo So. This is a brilliant book for toddlers and a great way to introduce them to Shetland’s culture – starting with a fishing trip and culminating in a great midsummer foy (party) in the Great Hall on the island of Vaila.
This book certainly has all the good-feelings of a Shetland summer, and is beautifully presented in hardback format.
The Galleon Girls by ... me!
To this list, I’m going to add my little tale – as yet unpublished, although I am working with an illustrator to bring it to life. This is a story, based on the history of the Spanish Armada. I wrote it for my bairns and published it on the blog. You can read The Galleon Girls here.
This is by no means an extensive list. I am aware that I have omitted some of Shetland’s best-known writers including, Jessie Saxby, a prolific writer and folklorist, and J.J. Haldane Burgess who wrote so much and gave us the famous Up Helly Aa song! To choose favourites from them would be almost impossible. For today’s reader, the selection above gives a far more accessible and current look at Shetland’s culture through the eyes of contemporary writers.
Happy reading,
With love,
