It's been a while since Belfast-born author Bernard MacLaverty has written has written a novel. His first in 16 years, Midwinter Break, has just been published.
However, he wasn't short of things to do during that time.
"There's been plenty of stuff happening during those 16 years. It's not that writing is a hobby, it's more important than that, but there are other things that kind of intrude on your life."
One of those things was his two-hour classical music programme on Radio Scotland, which gave him the opportunity to interview musicians as well as tell stories of his own.
Bernard has been living in Scotland for over 40 years, but his Northern Irish roots are an important part of his work.
"Growing up in Belfast has been extremely important, the friends and the things that started you off to think in such ways. There was also this horrific political scene of discrimination."
"I think anger is one of the things that drives you to take to the page, and there were plenty of reasons for anger in Northern Ireland."
Bernard's new book draws on his background. He describes it as a story "about people getting old and a long-term relationship which began in Northern Ireland, and the kind of refugee status they achieved when they moved to Scotland."
"People write out of their own experience and from their imagination, so if you put these two things together and you're writing well, people shouldn't be able to tell the difference between them."
