Like Birds in the Wilderness
Written by Agnes Owens / Introduction by Kirsty Logan
£4.99
- Paperback
- E-Book
Fiction
Reviews
Has something in common with early Billy Connolly . . . in the sense that its observation and timing bring humour to a sad reality
NME
The time to rediscover Owens' sharp, brilliant, witty, fuss-free fiction is here
The Critic
Agnes Owens is one of Scotland's finest writers, and it's to be hoped that a new readership is about to discover that for themselves
SNACK Magazine
‘Agnes Owens was such a fine writer. Her best stories are great stories . . . she created an art that will endure’
James Kelman
About the Book
The building trade in the west of Scotland has slowed, and Mac leaves his home and his companions in the Paxton Arms for the oil-rich north to seek his fortune. But he soon finds himself out in the wilderness, chasing the promise of a job. In the meantime, he’s fallen for Nancy, but he can’t tear himself away from the allure of the drink.
Agnes Owens is one of the most distinctive and entertaining novelists. Her strength lies in her straightforward storytelling; she understands how laughter and alcohol are vital antidotes to the life of an out-of-work bricklayer.
'I cannot wait for a new generation of readers to re-discover the work of Agnes Owens' – Douglas Stuart
'Owens gives us the ordinary as already enough, already weighty, already strange' – Kirsty Logan
'Agnes Owens has a canny eye for tragicomedy, a compassionate heart for the unfortunate, an acute ear for dialogue' – Financial Times
Published to celebrate Agnes Owens' centenary year in 2026.
The Authors
Agnes Owens
Agnes Owens was always a writer, although for the majority of her life she was preoccupied with making a living and domesticity. She married twice, brought up seven children and variously worked as a typist, cleaner and factory worker. It wasn’t until she attended an evening creative writing course that she wrote her first novel Gentlemen of the West, published in 1984 by Polygon to widespread critical acclaim; she would go on to write a further five novellas, including A Working Mother and For the Love of Willie, and three short-story collections. She died in 2014.
Kirsty Logan
Kirsty Logan is an author of novels, short stories, chapbooks and collaborative projects with musicians and illustrators. Her most recent books are the story collection No & Other Love Stories and the memoir The Unfamiliar. She lives in Glasgow, where she is working on film and TV projects.
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