David McVey
David McVey lectures at New College Lanarkshire. He has published over 120 short stories and a great deal of non-fiction that focuses on history and the outdoors. He enjoys hillwalking, visiting historic sites, reading, watching telly, and supporting his home-town football team, Kirkintilloch Rob Roy FC.
David started writing in the 1980s, and has won or been placed in a number of national and international prizes, especially for his short stories.
Q: What is the first book you remember reading or having read to you as a child?
A: First proper ‘reading book’ was Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi.
Q: Do you have a favourite quote? (From a book, film, song, speech…)
A: Loads, but this one will do; ‘No burglar wastes his time burgling authors’ – ‘The Romance of an Ugly Policeman’ in PG Wodehouse, The Man With Two Left Feet
Q: Is there a book that you keep going back to, and if so, how many times have you read it?
A: Hamish’s Mountain Walk (Hamish Brown), Ring of Bright Water (Gavin Maxwell), The Clicking of Cuthbert (PG Wodehouse), Gaudy Night (Dorothy L Sayers), Kidnapped (RLS). Take your pick. Around eight or nine times, some of them.
Q: What is the least interesting part of writing for you?
A: Writing. I much prefer it when I have some sort of draft, and can edit, improve, polish.
Q: What superpower would you like to have and why?
A: The knowledge of what’s the right thing to say in social situations. Is that a superpower?
Q: Who is your personal inspiration?
A: My wife, Rhoda. For too many reasons to explain.
