Call of the Isles - A Scottish Anthology #calloftheisles @tantallon_2001 @tantallontir @randomthingstours #scottishanthology #shortstories

 

From St Kilda to Samoa, Call of the Isles sails into islands beset with grief, violence, hope, regret, and recovery. 

It is a stunning set of stories from the best Scottish and Scotland-based writers in the world.

The islands are calling.

The anthology features the work of: Donald Adamson, Rory Allison, Ricky Monahan Brown, Peter Burnett, Neil Cocker, Maggie Colquhoun, Morag Coyle, JS Daly, John Dean, JP Dolan, Scott Ferguson, Mirri Glasson-Darling, Stephanie Garcia, Stephen Kingston, Coinneach MacIntyre, Charles McGarry, Liam McLeod, Eilidh McIntosh, Jamie David McLean, David McVey, Ewan Morrison, Kate Peel, Roger David Smith, Rose Campbell-Smith, Robin Montgomery-Smith, Andrew Tagg, Dickson Telfer, Douglas Thompson, LG Thomson, and Les Wilson.

Call of the Isles - a Scottish anthology edited by John Gerard Fagan was published on 1 May 2026 by Tantallon Tir. My thanks to the publisher who sent my copy for review as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour 

I really enjoy collections of short stories, I should read them more often!  I was intrigued when I read the blurb for this one, I'm a fan of Scottish fiction and jumped at the chance to read it. It's just over 100 pages so the perfect size to snuggle down with and read in one go. 

This outstanding anthology from an exciting new Scottish publisher brings together some of Scotland’s finest contemporary writers, all exploring the unique character of island life with remarkable skill and imagination.

I really admire short story writers, it's an incredible skill to be able to create a vivid, compelling story in just a few pages. There are thirty-two tales in this anthology, in just 103 pages, that tells you just how short they are. 

Each story is really vividly told, they are filled with memorable characters, authentic dialogue, and rich and  atmospheric landscapes that took me to these remote settings. I was really interested in the use of Scots language, and felt that this adds warmth, and a really strong sense of place throughout.

What I really loved about this anthology is the way the stories seem to capture both the beauty and the isolation of island communities. There is a powerful feeling of separation, and isolation from the wider world, which felt quite intense. There's a darkness to some of the stories, which can be unsettling, yet others were  humorous and up lifting. Without at doubt, they are all so beautifully created. This is such an enjoyable little read.

** There are detailed biographies of all of the contributing authors, at the back of the book.

Call of the Isles is a Scottish anthology curated and published by Glasgow-based publisher Tantallon Tìr, founded by brothers John Gerard Fagan and Michael Anthony Fagan.

www.tantillontir.com