THE Wee Ginger Dug stepped out from behind his alter ego last night to launch a new collection of his columns for The National.
Paul Kavanagh began writing his blog after returning to Scotland from Spain in 2013 in order to contribute to the referendum debate. Now the Glasgow-based writer has published a collection of his popular columns for The National in a book titled Barking Up The Right Tree.
The collection was launched at the Yesbar in Glasgow last night and includes both political and personal pieces reflecting on the loss of his husband Andy, who died shortly before the referendum. Kavanagh was full-time carer to his husband, who had dementia, and says he has not yet re-read the articles relating to Andy’s death.While he says becoming carer to Andy spurred him to write, Kavanagh admits he is surprised by his success.
He said: “I started doing this because I was a full-time carer and I was trapped at home looking after my husband who was gradually losing all the things that made him him. I expected that because you know that’s what happens with dementia, but what I hadn’t expected was that it would happen to me as well. I was losing all the things that made me me. You become so invested in this role as a carer that it defines you. I was trying to keep a part of myself alive and I never expected it to take off in the way it did.”
He added: “When I wrote my piece for the anniversary of the referendum, it was very emotional because it was really about losing Andy. I cried when I wrote it and I haven’t read it since. When Pat Kane read it, he tweeted something along the lines of ‘read this by yourself because you are going to cry’. That was quite touching.”
Kavanagh, whose book is published by independent Glasgow publisher Vagabond Voices, denies being a voice for the independence movement.
He said: “I don’t speak for anyone apart from myself. I’m not a member of any party or organisation.
“Even though I don’t agree with a lot of things the SNP does, or the Greens or Rise, I’m not going to attack them. I’m not going to do the Unionists’ work for them. I’m not going to play to that agenda and the reason is the media in Scotland is so one-sided, so powerful, we really have to fight against it.”
Kavanagh launches Barking Up The Right Tree on Tuesday, November 24 at Word Power Books, 43 West Nicolson Street, Edinburgh at 6.30pm. Admission is free and Ginger the Dug plans to also be there.
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