Overland to Malta

Abstract

This essay details a research trip undertaken, by train and ferry, from Scotland to Malta. In doing so, it examines the creative process of writing my third noveldot dot dashand the research supporting the writing of the text. This aspect focuses on the historical and political context of Malta in the 1940s and 60s, as well as the linkages to the contemporary political situation in Scotland, in particular the Independence Referendum of 2014 and the Brexit vote of 2016, making use of examples from the creative narrative.dot dot dashis the story of a Maltese steward in the Royal Navy, Pietru, who has impacted on the lives of the three main characters in the book in various ways: as a father to young Joe; as a wartime husband to Beth; and, it emerges, as the man responsible for the horrific airman’s burns suffered by RAF pilot Stuart. It is a historical literary thriller.