The Books of

McGinn of the Calton is a celebration of the life and work of Matt Mcginn (1928-1977), singer, songwriter, humorist, raconteur, novelist, playwrigth and, above all, Glasweigan, who played such a vital part in the British folk and protest movement of the 1960´s and 1970´s, and who was one of Scotland´s most colourful characters. His songs are internationally known: sung by himself - in a voice once described as a mixture of lumpy porridge and broken glass - and performed and recorded by Pete Seeger, Tom Paxton, Alistair McDonald, the Macalmans, Lena Martell and many others.

This first representative selection from his work has been put together with the help of his widow, Janette. It includes hilarious excerpts from his previously unpublished autobiography, over 60 songs - such as the well-known ´Corrie Doon´,´The Red Yo-Yo´ and ´The Ballad of John McLean´ - stories and poems (like the ineffable ´Bee from the Old Town of Effen´), with photographs and illustrations from the McGinn archives.

This novel is based on McGinn's personal experiences as an inmate of a Catholic reform school in Glasgow. Readers will find it quite horrific but at the same time very funny, as the novel both exposes a terrifyingly oppressive system and presents an ironic and carefully drawn series of character portraits.
Characters include the unfortunate boys incarcerated in the school, the Marist monks in charge of them and many other less than endearing Glasgow characters. There are McKinnon, whose hobby is frying mice alive; Feeney, the night watchman and spy; Brother John - naively believing after many years that ideals are still possible for his boys; 'English Mae', the street prostitute; Brother Gabriel, nicknamed 'Lucifer' - who, together with the protagonist 'Patchy' Kelly, is central to the story.

Set in war-time Glasgow, "Fry the Little Fishes' unforgettably conjures up those grim times, and we are given more than a glimpse of the seamy side of Glasgow life - with its black-market spivs and pick-pocket prostitutes. The images reflect not only the post-war era, but our own as well, and many readers will think that times have changed little for Clydeside youth, certainly not the social conditions.