“The cat’s brains were pink and glistening in the glow of the clear high moon. Rivulets of blood puddling on the concrete. Its limbs were folded to the side, and the dead thing’s face looked away from the road, towards the loch.”
Set in the fictional landscape of Cullrothes, in the Scottish Highlands, The Mash House is about simple people antagonising each other to the limits of human endurance. There is Innis, a newcomer who hides a shameful secret and manages the pub; his girlfriend Kirsten, a gorgeous, cheating, lying primary school teacher. And, in the same village, Donald is the aggressive distillery owner, who floods the country with narcotics alongside his single malt; he is haunted by an anonymous American investor intent on purchasing the Cullrothes Distillery using any means necessary.
This is a place where mountains are immense and the loch freezes in winter. A place with only one road in and out. With long storms and furious midges and a terrible phone signal. The police are amateurs, the journalists are scum, and the innocent folk of Cullrothes tangle themselves in a fermenting barrel of suspicion, malice and lies.
In whisky distillation, the mash house is where malted barley is repeatedly steeped in hot water. The intense heat and pressure changes the barley’s complexion. Sugar is drawn from the liquid, and the husks are sold as cattle feed. The villagers of Cullrothes must survive this same transformative process.
The Mash House uses multiple narratives to weave together the parallel lives of individuals in the village. Each fractured by the fears and uncertainty of their own minds. Rural isolation is at the forefront of these concerns. Who can we trust? What are we most scared of? What are we hiding from? Relationships, no matter how damaging or dedicated, sustain each of us.
Infused with love, addiction and free-pouring measures of single malt, The Mash House takes inspiration from the television series Fargo, from Mario Puzo's The Godfather, and from the rich tradition of tartan noir writers.
More information
Alan Gillespie
Alan teaches English at a school in Glasgow, working each day with brilliant pupils to help them read better, write better and enjoy literature.
Alan’s short stories are published online and in print, and he has performed at spoken word events, including the Edinburgh International Book Festival. He has received support from Creative Scotland, and took a residency as Cove Park’s Emerging Writer in 2011. His plays have performed in Glasgow and Barcelona. He completed an MLitt in Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow, where he edited the department’s online literary magazine.
Alan has recently written articles focusing on education and arts, and these have been featured in The Times Educational Supplement, The Guardian, The Herald and The New York Times.
Alan grew up in Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. His first teaching placement was in Ardnamurchan, a remote peninsula in the West Highlands. In his year there, he was appalled and charmed by the small community’s social quirks. These are blended in The Mash House to create a fond yet dark portrayal of rural Scotland and its people.
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7th May 2021Publication Day
My dear mashheads,
Yesterday our gorgeous book, The Mash House, was officially released into the wilds. It is available online, in-store, delivered to your door. Thank you for being such a fundamental part of my writing journey.
I have a final favour to ask, if you can stomach it. Please review and rate the book on Goodreads and Amazon?
This helps me to climb the algorithms and gives the…
26th April 2021An Interview about The Mash House
Hello mashheads,
I had a little interview about our book in the Daily Record this week, which I thought you might like to see:
Many of you have been receiving your copies of The Mash House through the post over the past few days. I have absolutely loved to see the photographs of them in your hands and in your homes. Please continue sharing these with me on social media!
The book is not…
21st April 2021The Mash House at the Aye Write Book Festival
Hello mashheads,
I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the warming weather. I received a box of The Mash House paperbacks last weekend and they look gorgeous. I hope you will all receive yours soon enough as well.
I wanted to share some exciting news. This week, I was invited to take part in a panel discussion for the Aye Write book festival. With some readings and chat about plotting,…
14th April 2021Calm Before the Storm
Dear mashheads,
Peel the foil from the cork. Ease it clear from the bottleneck. Cradle the cut glasses and pop the ice cubes from their tray - depending on how you take it. It is nearly time.
As I understand it, The Mash House will be with you very soon. Unbound will have emailed you to confirm your address. Soon, the eBook will be made available to download and you will be sent a link for this…
29th March 2021The Mash House Audiobook
Hello mashheads,
I got a bit of good news lately that I'd like to share. The audiobook publisher W. F. Howes has acquired the rights to record, produce and distribute an unabridged audiobook version of the novel. It'll be available on Audible, iTunes and even as a CD for those of us with a retro taste.
I don't have much say in the production - or which actor they choose - but I'm sure they ken…
25th February 2021The Mash House on Goodreads
Dear mashheads,
The sun is rising earlier each day and there is less bitterness in that wind. Isn't it pleasant?
We are ten weeks out from seeing #TheMashHouse hit bookshops and doormats. I can't wait for you all to read it.
I have set up myself, and the novel, with a page on the Goodreads book community. This is a great place for readers to find new books and for writers to gain a new audience…
9th February 2021Early Reviews
My dear mashheads,
I wanted to share a couple of updates about our book. Which is not far away now from release. And offer a warm welcome to new supporters who have recently joined us.
Huge thanks to the excellent authors Kirstin Innes (Scabby Queen) and Claire Askew (All the Hidden Truths) for providing these early review quotes for The Mash House. I am so grateful. I am sure you will agree…
18th December 2020New Writing Scotland 38
Dear mashheads,
I hope you are doing well and getting a bit of a break over the coming weeks.
I wanted to share some good news with you. My story 'The Arcade' has been included in this year's New Writing Scotland 38. Published by the Association for Scottish Literary Studies, this annual collection is seen as the principal forum for new writing from Scotland. In the past, they've published writers…
11th November 2020Cover Reveal
Hey mashheads,
It's bleak grey days here in Glasgow. It's dark when you get up and it's dark when you go home. Bare trees and midnight storms and horses eating each other when nobody's watching. But I do have a bit of good news to share.
The cover design for The Mash House has arrived.
This incredible image was created by Mecob design studio and perfectly captures the book's aesthetic…
22nd October 2020How Come Ma Scottish Novel Isnae Written in Scots
Hiya mashheids,
As ye’ll maist likely hae picked up by noo, The Mash Hoose is a gey Scottish book. It’s aw set in the Scottish Heilands, it’s aw aboot Scottish fowk n the hings they get up tae, n Ah’m a Scottish lad masel. Hooever, it isnae scrieved in Scots. N so Ah wantit tae post youse a wee update explainin ma thinkin aboot it.
Ah’m fae Fife, n ower there it’s aw “ah ken this” n “d’ye ken…
23rd July 2020A Story about the Edits
Hey mashheads,
How's it going? I hope you're all doing well. I wanted to give you a quick update on the book's progress.
I've been working on the developmental edits with a really good guy called Russel D. McLean. He's a fellow Fifer and I've benefited from lots of support through working with him. The first draft that I sent Russel was really shabby, and he guided me through heaps of issues…
17th June 2020Welcome to Cullrothes
Hey mashheads,
I hope you're all doing well. I've been busy doing remote teaching by day and editing the manuscript for the book at night. I've been working with a terrific editor and the story is getting stronger and clearer.
I’ve always been a sucker for a book with a map, and I’m absolutely in love with this one. Drawn by Laura Barbour @dreamingisfree for my debut novel THE MASH HOUSE. Isn…
28th November 201995% - Almost There!
Hello mashheads,
I know it's been a long time since I've updated you on the progress of our book. November is a busy month in my day job as a teacher, and I've been involved in lots of extracurricular events as well. Theatre trips, creative writing seminars, journalism workshops.
But I'm delighted to report that the funding has now reached 95% - so close to completion!
I'd love to get this…
22nd October 2019Upcoming Short Story Publication
Hello mashheads,
There's a good literary organisation called the Federation of Writers Scotland, a well-established group who champion writing and have a small publishing imprint called New Voices Press. They produce an annual anthology of their members' writing, and this year have accepted a short story of mine.
It's an old story, written maybe six or seven years ago, called The Permanent Arrangement…
14th October 2019Meet the Author: Jason Cobley
Hello mashheads,
I hope you're all doing well. I've got a week off school and I'll be spending a lot of this time working on the manuscript for THE MASH HOUSE. The crowdfunding picked up brilliant momentum through September, but October has been a little quiet. And just as we're so close to the two-thirds mark. Please, if you can, pass on details of the project to anyone who might be interested…
23rd September 2019In The Footsteps of Robert Burns
Hello mashheads,
Last month I was talking to my Uncle Allan, a proud son of Ayrshire, about the crowdfunding nature of Unbound books. It can be a tricky thing to explain. The book is not a physical reality, yet we've already sold well over 200 copies to subscribers. We're asking for individual pledges which will combine to fund the whole project. And this reminded Uncle Allan of Robert Burns' early…
19th September 2019Meet the Author: Emma Grae
Hey mashheads,
One of the cool things about working with Unbound has been getting to know some of the other writers with live projects. One of the first I noticed was Emma Grae. Another Scottish writer with a novel called 'be guid tae yer mammy' which is set in Glasgow.
I interviewed Emma about her writing, her favourite books and her idea of a good party.
Tell us what little Emma…
17th September 2019An Interview about The Mash House
Hey mashheads,
There's another Scottish writer currently crowdfunding with Unbound, called Emma Grae. She's been a good support for me throughout this journey. This week, she has kindly interviewed me about my upcoming novel, and other things. You can read the exchange here:
I'll be interviewing Emma later this week as well, so keep your spuds peeled for…
11th September 2019Ness Book Fest '19
Hey mashheads,
I got a bit of welcome news this week. I'm going to be reading an extract from our novel at the Ness Book Fest. This is a pretty awesome book festival held in Inverness, Scotland. Which suits the Highland setting and atmosphere of THE MASH HOUSE perfectly.
I'm no stranger to a book festival reading. Back in the foggy past, I was part of the Margins Festival, a short-lived but…
6th September 201950% Funding Reached!
Dear mashheads,
Today is a bit of a landmark day in the journey of THE MASH HOUSE - thanks to 188 generous souls, I have reached the halfway stage of funding.
I've been so grateful for pre-orders from old pals in Fife, my wonderful family, colleagues old and new, and the pupils and parents from Fernhill School, where I teach English. I've also had support from friends of friends, twitter acquaintances…
27th August 2019The Mash House in the Media
Hello mashheads!
It has been a busy summer. Working on the manuscript and fundraising and a bit of DIY. Part of my strategy has been to get a little coverage in the media.
First I contacted the Glenrothes Gazette. This was the local newspaper where I grew up and I thought they'd like to carry a story about the book. I carried out a nice wee interview and was able to talk about how my schools…
10th July 2019Free Range Writing #2: The Clydeside Distillery
It's been too wet recently to write outside, so today I went for a tour of the Clydeside Distillery in Glasgow. I had an excellent tour guide, and afterwards spent time in the cafe working on my manuscript for THE MASH HOUSE on my typewriter.
One of the major conflicts in the novel revolves around the ownership of a fictional distillery. On the tour I couldn't help but imagine my characters…
25th June 2019Free Range Writing #1: The Southern Necropolis
I'll be working on my manuscript over the summer, and as long as the weather's fine I'll be taking my typewriter out into the wild. Sitting at a desk is fine for editing but I like drafting in the fresh air.
Today I went to the Southern Necropolis for the first time. It's a sprawling and crumbling graveyard in the Gorbals, near where I live. I haven't been before. It's surrounded by high rises…
