A Professional Writer-Cratur Essays and Drafts of James Leslie Mitchell/Lewis Grassic Gibbon

James Leslie Mitchell (1901-1935) had only six years in which to exercise his hard-won status as what he termed 'a professional writer-cratur'. His early death the week before his thirty-fourth birthday came just three years after the publication of Sunset Song, his sensational breakout novel of 1932, which continues to earn global acclaim for the enduring pen-name of Lewis Grassic Gibbon.

This comprehensive collection of Mitchell's essays, synopses and fragments boasts previously undiscovered riches: from erudite studies of Mesoamerican history to animated profiles of fellow authors and archly witty reviews of contemporary writing; from eager early attempts at fiction and methodical preparations for the epic trilogy A Scots Quair to tantalising snatches of an array of classic works, both fiction and non-fiction, unfinished at his death.

A Professional Writer-Cratur maps Leslie Mitchell's colourful life in his own words and affords unique insight into the evolution of one of the most passionate and original literary voices of the twentieth century. Authorised by Mitchell's family, the volume is expertly edited and annotated by Dr William K. Malcolm, author of History of a Revoluter: The Life of James Leslie Mitchell/Lewis Grassic Gibbon, shortlisted for the Saltire Research Book of the Year 2025.