On Writing Short Stories Rooted in Scotland with Rob McInroy

The Ringwood Publishing Podcast

In this episode, we’ve invited Ringwood author Rob McInroy to discuss the release of his newest novel, Burials and Other Stories, a short story collection rooted in Scotland and, in particular, Perthshire, detailing its physical beauty, its history, its people. We talk about Rob's writing process, the inspiration behind some of these short stories, similarities and differences between writing short stories and novels, and more!
Ranging from 1832 to the present day, these twenty intertwined stories offer a study of community and kinship, the need to belong and the pain of disconnection. Burials and Other Stories is, at turns, uproariously funny and devastatingly moving, revealing the complexities of lives spent negotiating with the ghosts of the past, the present and the future.

The collection contains a number of award-winning short stories; Burials won the ChipLit Festival Short Story Competition in 2018 and was described by judge Rachel Seiffert as ‘dark and well-crafted’. Joss’n’Jules Forever won the Bedford International Writing Prize in 2019, and Man Walks Into a Bar won The Highlands and Islands Short Story Association (HISSAC) flash fiction competition in 2017, and was described by award winning author Clio Gray as ‘a hugely impressive piece of work. Rarely will you read a piece of flash fiction that gets so much into such a short space.’

The stories within Burials and Other Stories have been meticulously researched and crafted, providing a detailed insight into life in a rural community, while maintaining strong historical accuracy. Many of the stories feature accurate usage of the Scots language, lending them a unique authenticity.

While many of the stories are works of historical fiction, they contain themes that resonate strongly with contemporary audiences. Rob McInroy sympathetically explores death, and the grief felt by those left behind. He perceptibly explores issues surrounding mental health and its effects, both on those suffering and on the people around them. The stories also tactfully explore queerness, featuring wonderfully crafted LGBTQ+ characters and explore themes that resonate with modern readers.

Rob McInroy:

Rob McInroy is an award-winning writer of novels and short stories, all of which are firmly rooted in his native Perthshire area spanning from the 1930s to the 2010s. His Bob Kelty series has been long listed by the Crime Writers Association, and in 2018 he was a winner of the Bradford Literature Festival Northern Noir Crime Novel competition with Cuddies Strip, which was highly recommended by Val McDermid for its strong contemporary resonances.

Ringwood published Cuddies Strip in 2020. He has followed this success with Barossa Street (2022) and Moot which was published in 2024.

Rob McInroy is a highly accomplished writer of short fiction, and has won multiple short story competitions, including the Bedford International Writing Competition with Joss’n’Jules Forever, and many more that feature in this short story collection, Burials and Other Stories.
Order Burials and Other Stories here.