The Extremis Publishing Podcast

Laura Ruddock, the founder of the Literary Escape Company, joins us for a chat about her ambitious new range of book festivals, with sellout events scheduled right across Britain in 2026. Laura discusses her business journey to date, including her range of merchandise and new developments that are still in the pipeline. For more information about the Literary Escape Company, please visit their official website at: https://www.literaryescapeco.co.uk/

Stuart Hall, PR and Media Officer at Forth Valley College, has a chat with Dr Tom Christie, creator of the Writing for Publication course that runs regularly at the college's Stirling campus. Tom reflects on presenting the course over the past few years, and discusses the content that attendees can expect - not least the fact that there is always something new to include every time a session runs! For more information about the Writing for Publication course, please visit Forth Valley College's website at: https://www.forthvalley.ac.uk/courses/creative-industries-and-media/writing-for-publication-evening

Author and entrepreneur Laurie Duncan discusses his brand new book Real Property, Real Profit, exploring his remarkable real-life journey towards huge business success in the world of property. Laurie discusses the challenges and the successes involved in becoming one of the country's most successful property traders and developers, including the importance of mindset and adaptability. For more information, please visit our website at: https://www.extremispublishing.com/real-property-real-profit.html

A true pioneer of British microcomputing has once again taken to the airwaves. Mel Croucher, the visionary creator of Deus Ex Machina and one of the most distinctive voices of the 1980s home computer scene, has revived his irreverent end-of-the-year “address to the nation” as Mel Croucher’s Christmas Cracker. In the glory days of Crash and other stalwart computer magazines, Mel’s seasonal missives arrived as crackling cover-mounted cassette tapes, equal parts satire, philosophy and digital mischief. Now, in a pleasingly circular twist of technological fate, the message returns via podcast: still as provocative, still as witty, and still reminding us that computing was once as much about imagination and rebellion as it was about machine code.

In this Christmas podcast special, author Robert Murray reminisces about celebrating the festive season in glorious Tayside - from his happy childhood in the seaside town of Carnoustie to his memories of working in retail in the city of Dundee. Robbie paints a vivid picture of yuletide festivities over the decades, exploring just why this amazing part of Scotland means so much to so many people.

Phillip Vaughan, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Games Technology and Mathematics at Dundee's Abertay University and Programme Leader for their Master of Science degree in Technical Art and Visual Effects, chats with Tom Christie and Julie Christie about their new book, "Lights, Camera, Dundee!" This entertaining illustrated guide to the films, TV series, music videos, and commercials filmed in and around Dundee, Tayside, and Angus considers just what makes this amazing part of Scotland so unique and appealing to film-makers worldwide. For more information, please visit our website at: https://www.extremispublishing.com/lights-camera-dundee.html

Chris Watson, Retail Liaison Manager for Stirling's famous Thistles Shopping Centre, drops by for a chat about his amazing charity challenge in support of Save the Children - a feat of endurance which has included training for participation in the gruelling Tokyo Marathon and a nail-biting sleepover in the Thistles' infamous Thieves' Pot, beneath the historic Bastion. With many thanks to Studio King Street, where this recording took place. If you'd like to support Chris in his fundraising efforts, please visit his JustGiving page at: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tokyomarathon2026-chriswatson

Robert Murray discusses his book "My Life in Carnoustie: A Lang Time Ago," a lively exploration of the famous seaside town in the Scottish county of Angus. He looks back over the evolving industries in the town, the changing face of the high street, the enduring community spirit, its cultural heritage, and of course Carnoustie's enduring connection with the game of golf. For more information, please visit our website at: https://www.extremispublishing.com/my-life-in-carnoustie.html

Laura Cluxton, Lauren Gilmour, and Rowan Ferguson - all representatives of the Forth Valley Sensory Centre in Falkirk - join us to discuss the vital role the centre plays in the lives of people of all ages. They talk about the services being provided by the centre, the community focus of its work, and the different ways that people can become involved. For more information, please visit the Forth Valley Sensory Centre's website at: https://www.forthvalleysensorycentre.org/

A mystery interviewer quizzes author Dr Tom Christie about his book Digital Pioneer Spirit: The Freewheeling Creative Innovation of Mel Croucher on the Home Microcomputer. They discuss the infamously nonconformist counter-cultural genius, Mel Croucher - the acknowledged founder of the UK computer games industry - and explore his extraordinary career of world firsts as well as his most memorable titles, his original music, and many unexpected facts along the way. For more information, please visit our website at: https://www.extremispublishing.com/digital-pioneer-spirit.html

Entrepreneur Paul Murray, Director of King Street ApartHotel in Stirling, turns the tables on Extremis Publishing's Directors by putting them into the hot seat as part of their tenth anniversary celebrations. Tom found himself as the interviewee for once, while Julie took to the airwaves for only the second time in over eighty Extremis podcasts (to date). If you would like to know about the people behind Extremis Publishing, now is your chance!

Abertay University's Phillip Vaughan and Matthew Bett join us for a discussion of Dundee's brand new CoSTAR Realtime Lab - a remarkable new production facility which has tremendous implications for film and TV, live performance, and videogame development. They explain the many ways that this cutting-edge creative technology has the potential to spark new growth and innovation.

Archaeologist Dr Murray Cook discusses his book "Hidden Stirling", an exploration of the secret sites of the city, where he uncovers some surprising stories of its illustrious past. He also ventures into his findings from Stirling's surrounding area, discussing the ancient communities that once lived there and the mysteries they left behind.

Gillian Barrett, Association Manager with the Scottish Tourist Guide Association, kindly joins us for an exploration of the work of this distinctive and highly-respected national organisation. With over sixty years of experience, the STGA has built up a vast network of clients with a first-class reputation of training highly-skilled guides who can bring any travel itinerary to life. Gillian discusses the many different facets of the organisation as it works tirelessly to bring Scottish history and cultural heritage alive. For more information about the Scottish Tourist Guide Association, please visit their website at: https://www.stga.co.uk/

Neil Munday, the Managing Director of the brand new King Street Aparthotel in Stirling, joins us for a chat about this remarkable new attraction in the city centre. Housed within a charming B-listed 19th-century stone building, this luxurious boutique self-service hotel is also home to WorKing Flexispaces - a flexible workspace with private offices, a co-working hub, soundproof telephone booths, a business lounge, meeting rooms, and a podcast studio. Neil explains how the building has been thoughtfully restored to combine historical charm with modern amenities, providing a productive environment for individuals and businesses alike. For more information, please visit https://kingstreetaparthotel.com/ and https://workingflexispaces.com/

Author, pastor and radio personality, the Rev. Dr Alasdair Black, has a lively and informative chat about his new book "The Courage to Speak: Sex, Sexuality and the Church," which examines changing cultural and social attitudes towards sexual behaviour in the modern world. Alasdair discusses the themes of his book and talks about the urgent need to find common purpose amongst division and conflict.

The importance of library services comes under the spotlight in this podcast, where librarians Lynne James and Jennifer Hosie discuss the vital importance of Falkirk Libraries throughout the region's communities. Join them for an entertaining exploration of the many different roles played by libraries in the modern day.

In this festive special, author, podcaster and media personality Santa Joe Moore interviews his friend, Dr Tom Christie, who has just completed work on his four volume history of Christmas cinema in the twentieth century with the publication of "A Seriously Groovy Movie Christmas" - a guide to the themes and developments of holiday season movies during the 1960s and '70s. Join them as they discuss the highlights of the era, along with some truly surreal films which have become infamous for all the wrong reasons! For more information, please visit our website at: https://www.extremispublishing.com/a-seriously-groovy-movie-christmas.html

Mel Croucher, digital culture pioneer and legend of computing, unveils his new book "Mundaneum": an absorbing account of information management pioneer Paul Otlet, creator of a unique global data retrieval system, and propagandist Hans Hagemeyer who was responsible for the project's eventual eradication from history. Mel explains the astonishing true story of the man who created the Internet and the man who ultimately destroyed it. For more information, please visit our website at: https://www.extremispublishing.com/mundaneum.html

Robert Murray, Chairperson of Carnoustie Heritage Group, joins us for a discussion of the organisation's activities in promoting the history, culture and heritage of this beautiful seaside town in scenic Angus. Robbie explains how the group was founded, talks about its events to date, and gives a few clues about what to expect in the months ahead.