A former political journalist, Les Wilson is Creative Director of Caledonia TV, directing and executive producing documentaries on Scottish history, the British monarchy (Scotland’s War, The Enchanted Glass), and many programmes in Scottish Gaelic on literature and arts.
He is co-author (with Seona Robertson) of Scotland’s War and has a novel and several history books to his name: Islay Voices, The Drowned and the Saved: How War Came to the Hebrides (winner of Scotland’s National Book Awards, history) and Putting the Tea in Britain: How Scots Invented our National Drink.
We asked Les to tell us a little more about his latest book, Orwell’s Island. “Being steeped in Orwell, I’m always surprised that even fans of Nineteen Eighty-Four don’t know that its author wrote it in a remote farmhouse on Jura. And if they do know that, they probably don’t know that Orwell arrived on Jura with a strong anti-Scottish prejudice. My book reveals how and why Orwell came to be on Jura, and how the experience caused him to abandon his almost lifelong ‘Scotophobia’.”
In common with several of our authors this year, Les is looking forward to attending other sessions during the Festival. “There are so many great writers I want to see, but as I’ve just read Andrew O’Hagan’s great new novel Caledonia Road, seeing him being interviewed will be a highlight for me. I’m also greatly looking forward to talking to Sue Lawrence about her novel Lady’s Rock, a terrific tale set partly on Islay!”
Les’s latest book Orwell’s Island can be purchased from the Celtic House.
Les will chair Sue Lawrence’s event on Saturday morning at the Gaelic College. He will also participate in Saturday evening’s Orwell panel event.