Pentlands Book Festival: Nov each year

Mark Baillie: Salvage – A mystery exploring the tragic history of Scotland’s Gypsy-Travellers

Monday 9 November 2026, 6pm.  Colinton Library, 14 Thorburn Road, Colinton, EH13 0BQ

Mark is an Edinburgh-based writer with a long interest in Gypsy and Roma history, stemming from his own Traveller roots.  He has been researching his family history for years, discovering lots about Gypsy-Traveller history, which is tragic, fascinating, and under-represented in fiction.

The publication of his novel Salvage came almost 20 years after his initial interest began, when he recorded an oral history with his Traveller granddad, and he might not have written it at all but for the remarks of an interviewer on a podcast, suggesting the subject could be a good source for a story.  The comment planted a seed and Mark began using his granddad’s memories as inspiration.

The book is based on the little-known fact of the forced removals of Gypsy-Traveller children from their families, which went on around Scotland well into the 20th century but often wasn’t well documented.

Set in 1983, Salvage tells the fictional story of ‘Nash’ Lacklow and his attempt to find out what happened to his sister, who was removed by officials 55 years earlier.  Nash enlists the help of his great-niece, who delves into old records, takes on prejudiced bureaucrats, and slowly pieces together the mystery.