Hi Bonnybrig and Other Greetings

Something out there in the universe had come to scrutinize Bonnybrig, but why Bonnybrig? Some reckon it's because Bonnybrig's a beacon for illegal aliens skidding across the Milky Way, but it's not just aliens. The village is being overrun by foreign agents, spies, shoplifters, sports weirdos and Hollywood actors like Sigourney Weaver and Richard Gere. Other locals think differently. "This here is a place that's never been feart tae listen and look oot fur new things. When whit we should huv realized wiz that the aliens jist liked us an fancied livin an working here. Aw that time we wur going' why? Why Bonnybrig? They wur goin Hi! Hi! Hi! Bonnybrig!" This hilarious, fast-paced novella and 18 other greetings draw on Scottish and American cultures, and use differing kinds of language to explore burlesque possibilities--intergalactic sex, gangs of homophobic bowlers--all combine in an inspired attempt to discover if Scotland can be an alien-nation again...

Shug Hanlan was born in Falkirk in 1955. He lived in Bonnybridge until 1974, then left to work in Aberdeen, Blackpool and Manchester. Once back in Edinburgh he wrote and edited Scotland's first football fanzine-Sick as a Parrot. From there he went on to further study, completing an MA (Hons) in American Studies (literature) at the University of Kent. Following graduation in 1996 he worked in sports journalism for Scottish Football Today and as a freelance comedy writer for such shows as Naked Video, The Ferguson Theory and The Baldyman. He has had short stories published in Rebel Inc and Northwords. He has furthered his interest in performing by reading at the Edinburgh Fringe and the Edinburgh Book Festival and in 1997 was awarded an MPhil in Creative Writing by the University of Glasgow.