Stephen’s new book pitches at a Kirkintilloch market

But have you heard of the celebrity broadcaster whose hit TV show owes a lot to Kirkintilloch’s Rob Roy? No? Then you the need the page-turner that is Stephen O’Donnell’s latest book, Scotball, a contemporary piece of Scottish fiction which follows on from his previous critically acclaimed offering, Paradise Road.

This time the narrator, a minor character from book one, hails from Kirkintilloch and much of the opening chapters feature East Dunbartonshire. For Stephen (43) who spent his early years in the town and still has many family connections it seemed a natural choice,

‘‘It was really good fun, especially in the opening chapters which have descriptions of local landmarks, such as the canal, and feature a Rob Roy game, and what’s changed in the town, such as Adamslie Park no longer being there. My family in particular have recognised a lot of the settings and they have been very positive about it.

‘‘I think it is unusual for a book to be set in East Dunbartonshire and they enjoyed all the Kirky references.’’

The book is on sale at W H Smith’s in Kirkintilloch, and it is hoped book signings will happen in the local library.