Life in a Scotch Sitting-room, Vol. 0, by Hamish Hawk, and inspired by the work of Ivor Cutler, is available today, 5 December.
Edinburgh International Book Festival today announces that Life in a Scotch Sitting-room, Vol. 0, a limited-edition LP by Scottish indie songwriter Hamish Hawk has been released. This marks the festival’s first ever record release – representing the latest output from the festival’s commissioning programme, which brings literary works to audiences in unexpected and creative ways.
The Festival won the 2025 Thistle Award for Outstanding Cultural Event or Festival just last month, which recognises its innovative approach to programming and the contribution it makes to Scotland’s cultural landscape.
The Festival commissioned Hamish to create a lyrical homage to poet and musician Ivor Cutler and his spoken-word work Life in a Scotch Sitting Room. The project premiered at the Festival this year, at two sold-out events in a nostalgic living room setting (courtesy of Scottish design firm getMade) reminiscent of Scottish life past and present, within the Spiegeltent.
Hamish and members of his band Hamish Hawk & the New Outfit – one playing Cutler’s very own harmonium – performed new stories and songs inspired by his own Edinburgh childhood home in Fairmilehead, alongside reworkings of Cutler’s original works.
Jenny Niven, Director of Edinburgh International Book Festival, said: “We’re immensely proud of this project and it’s been an absolute joy to work with Hamish and the team. When I first approached him to explore a writer who has shaped his work, and he brought the idea of Ivor Cutler to the table, you could immediately see the connections and the possibilities – but the process of bringing it all to life has been just magical, as anyone who was in the Spiegeltent in the summer will tell you. Releasing the album now means both that so many more people can hear these amazing pieces but also that we have created a lasting tangible piece of cultural history.
“Our commissioning programme is about creating space for writers and artists to experiment and create new work and collaborations that just wouldn’t otherwise happen. Bringing together Hamish’s songwriting and Ivor’s legacy, we’ve created a bridge between artforms, and between Scottish sitting rooms across the decades; and it’s a thing of absolute beauty!”
Hamish Hawk said: “The Book Festival approached me about creating something bespoke, and it became the most personal thing I’ve ever done. It’s about two Scotch sitting rooms – Cutler’s idiosyncratic version of his childhood in Govan, and my own family home. Ivor fictionalised his family history and created something as tangible as if it had been videotaped. I wanted to honour that approach.”
This project continues the Festival’s support for cross-disciplinary artistic work. Previous commissions include 2024’s Perambulations of a Justified Sinner Experience – an immersive audio-visual walk through Edinburgh’s Old Town by Grid Iron’s Ben Harrison, Louise Welsh, and Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite, celebrating the 200th anniversary of James Hogg’s novel.
Bringing Cutler’s work to new listeners through Hawk’s contemporary songwriting this limited-edition vinyl – marking the Festival’s first record release – captures the wit, warmth, and intimacy of the original festival performances, offering fans and collectors alike a piece of Edinburgh’s literary and musical heritage reimagined for today.
Life in a Scotch Sitting-room, Vol. 0 will be released on 5 December via Hamish Hawk’s official store and select retailers, and is available for pre-order now from https://hamishhawk.tmstor.es
