{"product_id":"with-my-own-hand-in-conversation-with-ashley-douglas","title":"With My Own Hand: in conversation with Ashley Douglas","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eJoin us at \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.harbourchapel.com\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThe Harbour Chapel\u003c\/a\u003e in Dunbar on Thursday, 10th September at 7.30 pm.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWe'll be in conversation with author Ashley Douglas, discussing her book \u003cem\u003eWith\u003c\/em\u003e\u003ci\u003e My Own Hand: \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Secret Life of Marie Maitland, Scotland’s sixteenth-century Sappho\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe event will include an interview and Q\u0026amp;A with Ashley Douglas, followed by a book signing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOrder a copy of the book via this page for free entrance to the event. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAlternatively, please select an 'entrance-only' ticket.\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout \u003cem\u003eWith My Own Hand\u003c\/em\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe youngest of the Maitland siblings, Marie had watched her elder sisters be married off one by one, destined to take up the unavoidable path for women in sixteenth-century Scotland. However, as she neared marrying age, her father, an influential judge, poet and Keeper of the Privy Seal under Mary, Queen of Scots, went blind and suddenly needed someone to act as his scribe and secretary.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn taking up this role, Marie indeed avoided the unavoidable, dedicating her life to her father's work. After his death, she put the finishing touches on the Maitland Quarto, long recognised as significant for its preservation of the poetry of the male great-and-good of sixteenth-century Scotland. A rare feat for a woman at the time, but Marie's story doesn't stop there.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor hidden in the pages of the Maitland Quarto, historian and translator Ashley Douglas discovered Marie's own secret lesbian love poetry. Penning such poetry in the hostile climate of post-Reformation Scotland, with its suffocating tightening of moral control over society, was an incredible act of bravery. Unable to sign it directly, Marie, insistent on her voice and love being known, littered the manuscript with clues to its true penmanship.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eClues that, until now, have remained unseen. Building on her initial discovery of Marie's poetry, in \u003cem\u003eWith My Own Hand\u003c\/em\u003e Ashley Douglas draws on a vast range of newly unearthed primary historical records to tell the fascinating story of Marie and her manuscript, in full, for the very first time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eHardback, 304 pages,\u003cstrong\u003e \u003c\/strong\u003epublishing on 16th July 2026.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAbout Ashley Douglas:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003eAshley Douglas is a Scottish historian and translator. Ashley has two master\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e'\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003es \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003edegrees - one in Scottish Historical Studies from the University of St Andrews and \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eanother in Archaeology from the University of the Highlands and Islands. Since \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003egraduating in 2016, Ashley has developed a national profile and successful \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003efreelance career as a translator, historian, speaker and consultant, specialising in \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLGBT history and the Scots language. She has worked with and written for a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003erange of national heritage, literary and educational organisations, including the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNational Library of Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Time for Inclusive \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEducation, and Scottish National Galleries. In 2023, Ashley was named as one of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ethe \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e'15 most influential women in culture\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e' in Scotland in a list created to mark \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eInternational Women\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e' \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003es Day. In 2024, she consulted on Katherine: James V, the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003elatest instalment in Rona Munro\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e'\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003es acclaimed The James Plays series; she is \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ecurrently consulting on James VI, which will be staged in 2027. Ashley is the author \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eof the essay My Sapphic City, which was published as part of the anthology who \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ewill be remembered here (Historic Environment Scotland, 2025). She is also the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eauthor of The Lass and The Quine (2025), the first ever original LGBT inclusive \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003echildren\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e'\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003es book in the Scots language.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eEVENT DETAILS:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePlease note, copies of \u003cem\u003eWith\u003c\/em\u003e \u003ci\u003eMy Own Hand \u003c\/i\u003ewill be available for collection\/delivery around publication day, 16th July 2026.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003ePlease select 'local pick up' at the checkout if you would like to collect your copy\/copies from Night Owl Books, or at the event. \u003cspan\u003eAlternatively, please select a Royal Mail option and we'll post your book(s) to you.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEvent times:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eThe Harbour Chapel bar will be open for attendees from 6.30 pm.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvent: 19:30 - 20:30, followed by signing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDoors: 19:15.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVenue information:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/maps.app.goo.gl\/UooPLjkpN2TSKKcRA\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eThe Harbour Chapel\u003c\/a\u003e, 10 Victoria Street, Dunbar, EH42 1ET.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFAQs\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e- Will I be sent an e-ticket before the event?\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePlease note that we will have a guest list on the door on the night of the event, and you will not be sent an e-ticket for it - simply let us know your name\/the name of the person who booked your ticket when you arrive, and we'll check you in! \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e- Can I collect my book at the event?\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCopies can be collected on the night at the event, or alternatively if you would like to read the book before attending copies can be collected or posted to you in advance. \u003cstrong\u003eCopies will be available for collection\/delivery around publication day, 16th July 2026.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA note on Covid precautions: if you feel unwell on the day, please err on the side of caution, and please take a lateral flow test before attending, if you can.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Night Owl Books","offers":[{"title":"Includes With My Own Hand (admits one)","offer_id":56719266382202,"sku":null,"price":22.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Entrance only (admits one)","offer_id":56719266447738,"sku":null,"price":6.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/2178\/1163\/files\/NightOwlBooksWithMyOwnHandAshleyDouglas.png?v=1774276912","url":"https:\/\/nightowlbooks.co.uk\/products\/with-my-own-hand-in-conversation-with-ashley-douglas","provider":"Night Owl Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}