Regular readers of this blog will know that my research on Macintosh has benefited hugely from the insights and encouragement of Deirdre Grieve (née Chapman), a descendant of Macintosh’s sister, whom I met for the first time a decade ago. In the intervening years, Deirdre has been kind enough to host me at her home in Glasgow for more-or-less biennial project reports. During my most recent visit in September, Deirdre shared the exciting news that she had secured a publisher for her new novel, Badlands, which is due to come out with Vagabond Voices next year.

Shortly after my visit, Deirdre was interviewed about her novel, and her life and career, by the Scottish poet Beth Junor, who has just published a video of that interview on YouTube. It is well worth a watch.

Readers of the blog might be interested in a new biographical study of Jean Paul Fonclar
de Grenier, a soldier in the Pondicherry regiment, who was a fellow passenger of Macintosh aboard the Brisson in 1778. The study’s author, Jean-Luc Brachet, was kind enough to get in touch with me during the preparation of the biography, and we were able to share some findings that enrich our respective accounts of life aboard the Brisson. It was Jean-Luc, for example, who spotted that the ship’s cook, about whose cuisine Macintosh frequently complains in Travels, was the unfortunately named Monsieur Rat.