A COLLECTION of Nan Shepherd’s previously unpublished works is to be published later this month.

The noted Scottish modernist writer, particularly famed for The Living Mountain, was recently featured on the Royal Bank of Scotland's £5 notes.

Wild Geese, to be published by Galileo on September 20, contains a short story, Descent from the Cross, as well as 12 poems and 13 prose pieces, which cover subjects from nature writing to literary criticism.

It has been edited by Charlotte Peacock, author of Into the Mountain: A Life of Nan Shepherd

Shepherd (1893-1981) published three novels between 1928 and 1933: The Quarry Wood, The Weatherhouse and A Pass in the Grampians, as well as a collection of poems: In the Cairngorms.

Her reputation grew with the 1977 publication of The Living Mountain, now considered a seminal work of nature writing.

Much of her work was never published outside local magazines and journals, and are reprinted in Wild Geese for the first time in book form.

Some of her poems in this volume appear for the first time, after being discovered by Peacock.

www.galileopublishing.co.uk

A NEW musical for families, featuring only two voices, is to embark on a on full Scottish tour.

Islander, made by Helen Milne Productions with Mull Theatre, is touring until 29 September.

It has original music from Scottish composer and songwriter Finn Anderson.

The story tells the tale of a young girl, Eilidh, who has never left her island.

Director Amy Draper and writer Stewart Melton use Eilidh’s story to "explore themes of conflict, migration and identity."

The cast of two features Kirsty Findlay and Bethany Tennick, who is in her professional theatrical debut.

Ms Draper said: " Having first work shopped Islander in 2011, it is wonderful to now be devising the full show with such a talented team - and even more exciting to be doing so on the beautiful Isle of Mull.

"Our story is set on an imagined island, but we are taking lots of inspiration from the landscapes, stories and people we meet here. "Creating a musical using just two voices and a loop pedal is new, challenging and rewarding for all of us, and we hope the resulting show will take the audience on a journey of the imagination".

The show has already been shown on Mull, Iona, Luing and Greenock and will travel to Stirling, Paisley, Giffnock, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Findhorn, Wick, Inverness, Portree, Fochabers and Peebles.

www.helenmilne.com/islander

THE Hebrides International Film Festival is to take place in venues across the islands from September 19 to 22.

This year’s films include Iranian drama Lerd – A Man of Integrity, which won the Un Certain Regard Award at the Cannes Film Festival, and American film The Rider, which won the Directors’ Fortnight Art Cinema Award, also at Cannes.

Festival curator Muriel Ann Macleod said: "Lerd is a very strong film. It’s about a gold fish farmer trying to make his business work but he has problems with the water and you find out that the neighbour, who is a big businessman trying to get hold of the land, has poisoned the water.

"I thought it was interesting because of how unimportant the environmental issue was.

"It was about who owned what, and who was making money."

The festival is also screening of environmental documentary features – Blue from Australia, Plastic Ocean, A River Below about pink dolphins in the Amazon, among others.

The fifth Hebrides International Film Festival is supported by Creative Scotland, HIE and other agencies and presented in collaboration with An Lanntair.

Only films made within the last three years are eligible to be included in the programme and must fit within the festival’s theme of “islands, environmental issues and indigenous peoples”.

There are 26 features and 13 short films on the programme.

www.hebfilmfestival.org.