Deacon Blue front man and broadcaster Ricky Ross shares his favourite books and gives insight to his own memoir Walking Back Home when he appears on BBC Scotland show The Big Scottish Book Club this weekend.
In an episode airing on Sunday December 4, host Damian Barr will chat to the Glasgow-based Dundonian about his childhood and growing up as part of the Christian Brethren church in Dundee.
The latest BBC episode – the sixth of eight – also features Pulitzer-prize winning writer Jennifer Egan talking about her latest novel The Candy House and best-selling crime-writer Mark Billingham.
Recent Dundee event
The broadcast comes less than a fortnight after Ricky Ross talked about his formative years growing up in Dundee at a special event in his home city.
In that DC Thomson subscribers event, held in the Counting House of Courier publisher DC Thomson’s Meadowside headquarters, Courier editor David Clegg interviewed Ricky about everything from his early forays into music, to life on the road with the band.
The relaxed ‘fireside chat’ was followed by an audience question and answer session.
Questions raised included everything from Ricky’s favourite Deacon Blue song to songs he wished he’d written.
After a lively and engaging hour, there was then an opportunity for subscribers to get a signed copy of Ricky’s new autobiography, Walking Back Home.
What is The Big Scottish Book Club?
The Big Scottish Book Club, hosted by Damian Barr, has featured some of the biggest-name authors in Scotland, UK and internationally while adding in well-loved personalities to talk literature and life with a big dose of insight and laughs.
The new revised BBC format sees three guests join Damian on set to talk to him and share stories with each other.
The line-up for the series has included Bafta-winning actor Elaine C Smith, literary grande dame Kate Mosse and cop-turned-author Karen Campbell.
Other authors have included Rachelle Atalla, Patrick Gale, Graeme Macrae Burnet, Armistead Maupin, Denise Mina, Chitra Ramaswamy, Ian Rankin, Bethan Roberts, Lemm Sissay and Sarah Vaughan.
Among the stars appearing on the series – many of whom are authors or writers in their own right – are Deacon Blue’s Ricky Ross, comedian Josie Long, football legend Pat Nevin, Still Game’s Gavin Mitchell, broadcasters Stuart Cosgrove and Andrew Cotter, The Fast Show’s Charlie Higson and the Reverend Richard Coles.
Damian Barr’s delight
Host Damian, who is also an acclaimed author, said: “I love it. I get to meet people whose work I’ve admired; people whose work has intrigued me.
“And they get a chance to talk to each other which is the really nice part of our new format.
“So it’s not just me talking to them, they are also talking to each other.
“And you get some really surprising connections and stories you just wouldn’t hear anywhere else.
“What I love about this show is that we are giving people the space to think, a space to disagree and a space to be surprised.”
When to view the BBC episode
*The Big Scottish Book Club, Ep 6/8, featuring Ricky Ross, Jennifer Egan and Mark Bellingham, airs on Sunday December 4 from 10pm to 10.45pm on the BBC Scotland channel.
Ricky Ross talks about Dundee, his late mum and his music career at Courier subscribers event
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