Uploaded December 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Ian Cobain talks with Andy Cassell about his new book, Anatomy of a Killing: Life and Death on a Divided Island.
On the morning of Saturday 22nd April 1978, members of an IRA Active Service Unit hijacked a car and crossed the countryside to the town of Lisburn. Within an hour, they had killed an off-duty policeman in front of his young son.
Focusing on this one killing, award-winning investigative journalist Ian Cobain follows the stories of everyone involved, the hours leading up to the dreadful event, and the months and years of violence, attrition and rebellion surrounding it. Drawing on interviews as well as court files, police notes, military intelligence reports, IRA strategy papers, memoirs and government records, this is an astonishingly deep look into a history of the Troubles and a revelatory work of investigative journalism.
About the author: Ian Cobain is an award-winning investigative reporter whose work has appeared in the Guardian, The Times, the Irish Times and Middle East Eye. He has won the Martha Gellhorn Prize and the Paul Foot Award, along with two Amnesty International media awards for his journalism. His first book, Cruel Britannia (2012), won the Paddy Power Total Politics Award for Debut Political book of the Year. His second book was The History Thieves (2016).
#WigtownWednesday
Ian Cobain talks with Andy Cassell about his new book, Anatomy of a Killing: Life and Death on a Divided Island.
On the morning of Saturday 22nd April 1978, members of an IRA Active Service Unit hijacked a car and crossed the countryside to the town of Lisburn. Within an hour, they had killed an off-duty policeman in front of his young son.
Focusing on this one killing, award-winning investigative journalist Ian Cobain follows the stories of everyone involved, the hours leading up to the dreadful event, and the months and years of violence, attrition and rebellion surrounding it. Drawing on interviews as well as court files, police notes, military intelligence reports, IRA strategy papers, memoirs and government records, this is an astonishingly deep look into a history of the Troubles and a revelatory work of investigative journalism.
About the author: Ian Cobain is an award-winning investigative reporter whose work has appeared in the Guardian, The Times, the Irish Times and Middle East Eye. He has won the Martha Gellhorn Prize and the Paul Foot Award, along with two Amnesty International media awards for his journalism. His first book, Cruel Britannia (2012), won the Paddy Power Total Politics Award for Debut Political book of the Year. His second book was The History Thieves (2016).
#WigtownWednesday
![Vivian French || The Giants Tea Party [AGES 7+]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JPLNqkt6YM8/mqdefault.jpg "Vivian French || The Giants Tea Party [AGES 7+]
The royal family are down to their last penny so the king and queen have sent Prince Max on a mission to the valley of the giants – with only a grumpy donkey for company. Legends say that the giants are rich beyond dreams, living in gold palaces and brushing their teeth with gold toothpaste. But even if it’s true, will they share their treasure? With dangers lurking in the shadows, Max must keep his wits about him to find out. Bring your own afternoon tea or carpet picnic as author and storyteller Vivian French introduces her brilliant and boisterous new fairy-tale adventure.
SEND YOUR QUESTIONS
You, your parent or teacher can send questions to Vivian before or during the event [questions@wigtownbookfestival.com] for a Q&A session at the end of the event.")
