Tuesday the 21st July 2026 was a glorious day, and at 6:30pm Broughton House opened its doors to welcome 45 Members and Visitors to The Stewartry Literary Society Biennial Summer Party. Guest harpist Kirsty Anderson played a selection of Scottish and Irish traditional music on her Clarsach. Her wondrous music floated up to the picture gallery from Hornel’s studio, inviting our guests to ‘bag a seat’ and then head out into the garden to enjoy ‘plants rarely seen in Scotland’ and to wander the labyrinth of pathways. Drinks and a selection of nibbles were served in the studio, complemented by Kirsty’s music.
At 7pm Hilary Alcock, the Society Chair, welcomed all present and outlined the next season of speakers. Our guest speaker Anstey Harris then took us on a whirlwind tour of how she became an award-winning novelist and a ‘Richard & Judy Book Club’ pick. Anstey told us she was about to give up writing when a friend suggested an agent, who was looking for a morally ambiguous narrator. Within a week, The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton was ‘out there’. Anstey described the art of working with a good agent and the complicated world of publishing. Following a question from the floor, there was a lively discussion about ‘literary snobbery’. The accessible writing style of EL James in her hugely financially successful Fifty Shades of Grey series was compared with that of DH Lawrence’s in Lady Chatterley’s Lover. The room was split, and Anstey had the last word on the matter: “EL James has a bigger swimming pool than DH Lawrence!”
We heard about OpenAI’s harvesting of books and the resultant Class Action lawsuit, of which she is a part; and the Amazon-owned algorithm which determines how your book is sold. Anstey also gave us an insight into how the American markets differ from those in the UK. When The Truths and Triumphs of Grace Atherton was to be sold in the USA, it was at a time when American readers were buying short titles, and so her book was retitled Goodbye, Paris. Anstey’s latest book will be released in October and is about spying. However, once again considerations about the American market have necessitated an adjustment. On this occasion, a clown has become a magician, as Americans will not buy books about clowns. (One of the USA’s worst serial killers was John Wayne Gacy, the Killer Clown.)
Anstey remarked that commercial and popular writing can be both well-written and valuable; and agents are the gatekeepers of quality. Anstey described the tiers (and tears) of publishing and her need to make mistakes and learn the rules. When all is said and done, Anstey said “everyone needs commas.”
At 8pm Hilary gave the vote of thanks, expressing appreciation for Kirsty’s wonderful musical accompaniment to the proceedings and Anstey’s highly entertaining talk. Following a sustained round of applause, those present were then invited to purchase Anstey’s books, take another turn around the garden, and to sit in the gallery whilst Kirsty played once more. This thoroughly enjoyable evening concluded at 8.30pm.
