PREVIEW OF 1998

BOOKS

Don DeLlllo: Underworld (Picador. 9 Jan. £17.99) One ofAmerica's finest writers. DeLillo penetrates the soul of US culture in a novel whose horizons shift from a New York baseball game to the emergence of the atom bomb.

Julie Burchill I Knew I Was Right A11 Autobiography (Heinemann. Feb. £15.99) Britain's tnost notorious journalist tells her own story. from the rebel years at the NME. to her post as a Mail On Sunday write r.

Ed. Sarah Champion: Disco 2000 (Sceptre. Feb. £6.99) Campion‘s follow- up to her Ecstasy-fuelled short story compilation Disco Biscuits focuses 011 millennium madness and includes tales from Douglas Coupland (see below). Neal Stephenson and Grant Morrison.

Douglas Coupland: Girlfriend In A Coma (Flamingo. April. £16.99) The cultural guru who labelled us Generation X follows up Polaroids From Tlte Dead with a tragi-comedy about a coma victim who gives birth and awakens eighteen years later.

Will Self: Tough Tough Toys For Tough Tough Boys (Bloomsbury. Apr. £14.99) A third collection of short stories from the maverick novelist and journalist who specialises in throwing caution to the wind. '

Ed. Toni Davidson: Intoxication (Serpent's Tai1.Apr.£8.99) New, stimulant-based short stories by writers including Irvine Welsh. Gordon Legge. Jeff Noon. John King and the collection's Glasgow-based editor.

Andrew O'Ha an: Our Fathers (Faber 81 Faber. 98/9 ) First novel by the author of The Missing. set in a high-rise scheme in Scotland.

Alan Warner: The Sopranos (Jonathan Cape. May. £9.99) Last slice of Warner‘s trilogy of novels beginning with the acclaimed Morvem Callar filmed by the BBC

and continuing with 'l'liexe [)1 Mining! [um/x. This one follow \ the est‘iotts of .1 girls' school choir.

Ardal O'Hanlon: The Talk Of The Town (Sceptre. Ma}. £101 Debut nouei from the star of (‘hanuel 4‘s limit .1 l1 .1’. focusing on a frustrated eighteen-y c.11- old Dubliner on a wild weekend o1 drinking and lighting.

John King: England Away (lottalhan Cape. May. £9.991‘111e linal t‘at'l ot King's trilogy. following //It‘ [lint/lull [victory and Heat/lituilers. lle time. it‘s sex and violence abroad under the Union Jack.

Hanif Kureishi: Intimacy (Faber _‘ & Faber, May. £9.99) The author of The Black :i/lllllll returns to the minefield of relationships in this 1111\t'l about a man leaving his partner and family. See

Films.

T. Coraghessan Boyle:

Riven Rock (Blmnnsbur). May. £15.99) The story of a love affair interrupted when the man falls \'lC111111()st‘\1ltll mania and schizophrenia. From the author of the excellent satire 'lhr Tortilla (.‘urlain. .

Gordon Legge: Near Neighbours (Jonathan tape. .lun. £9.99) A collection of short stories taking a grim but funny 100k at life. from the Edinburgh-based author of The Shoe.

ENTS

William Boyd: Armadillo (Hamish

Hamilton, Feb, £16.99) (5t'\t'11ll1 1111\ e1 11111111111311 .1t‘1111'. .1 \otitig l‘11\111t'\\11‘.11‘. who keeps .111.tppotntttientonly 1o thscoxer .1 hanginl 111.112.

Iain M. Banks: Untitled «(h-bu. June: -\11'.1\j-'\‘1 1111’11lt‘tlst'1t‘11c‘t‘ 11c‘11111111(\\t‘l 110111 the File l‘.1\t'ti.1'.lll1t11111 'l/n' ('nm It’. 1110’. \1 ho keeps churning them out to

ylt‘ul .‘icc'itllltl.

Barry Gifford: The Sinaloa Story 1Rel‘el Inc. .1011. Lb.‘)9- "\ l‘Ultlt‘l tale o1 greed .111tl1.lttt)llt‘ll} set 111 .'\le\1co and America. 1111111 1).1\1di_\11c11\

collabotatot on the lllt1\‘.L‘ lml Hie/truly.

Ardal O’Hanlon:

yet another comedian turned writer

Government Minimum Wage Bill A central plank '1.‘1_abour‘s election manifesto will become law this year, bringing an end to tales of expleitation 111 industries such as hairdressing. catering and cleaning. ()fcourse Blair and ca. are still shying away from setting a rate the figure will be decided by an independent body -~ but anything tnore than £4 an hour will be a surprise. It remains to be seen whether the policy will produce

the job losses predicted in some quarters.

rule sometime this spring.

1999.

Nuclear veterans test case Three Scots who claim their health was affected by atom bomb tests in the 1950s have taken the Government to the European Court of Human Rights in the search for compensation. Two are veterans of the artned forces who claim they were forced to parade on Christmas Island while bombs were detonated above the sea less than fifteen miles away. The third is the daughter of an RAF pilot who claims his exposure to the blasts caused her childhood #' leukaemia. The Government and the MoD have insisted for decades that the ' " tests were not to blame. but if they lose they will be forced to offer compensation to them. and dozens more waiting in the wings. The court will

Aussie Republican referendum That English Sheila with the crown could be out on her car down under. as Australia contemplates a referendum on the future of the monarchy. Currently they are electing representatives to a constitutional convention which will meet in February to decide whether or not to have a referendum on the topic. If they decide to send Lizzie packing. expect calls in the UK for Rolf Harris. Dame Edna and the forcible repatriation of shamefully had. yet addictive soap Dame Edna: forced repatriation? operas. (Stephen Naysmith)

Louise Woodward appeal The prosecution is appealing against the decision ; to free the British nanny early. claiming the original jury was right to convict Woodward of the murder of baby Matthew Eappen. Tabloid darling Woodward will again be facing a fifteen-year mandatory sentence if the prosecution is successful. Campaigners hope to have her home by Easter.

Scotland's Parliament Remarkably. the latest front-running site

for the devolved Parliament is neither Leith waterfront nor Calton

Hill. but the former Scottish and Newcastle headquarters adjacent to Holyrood Palace. As a compromise candidate. it offers the centrality of Calton Hill without the sky-rocketing expense of converting that site. The long-awaited decision will be made in the first fortnight of January. while the election machine will kick into gear as the year goes on with candidates and manifestos prepared. ready for the first poll in

i

i DIR ECTDR—Y—“f

ART

'CCA0141332 7521

Collective Gallery 0131 220 1260 Dundee Contemporary Arts 01382 432 0990

Edinburgh Colle e or Art 0131 :21 6000

.Fruitmarket Gal ery 0131 225 2383 Gallery Of Modern Art 0141 229 1996 Glas ow School Of Art 0141 353 4500 Matt ew Architecture Gallery

101310502306 National Gallery Of Modern Art

.0131 550 3921 Royal Museum Of Scotland 0131 225 7534

50115 0131 022 6200

*CLUBS

gLizzard Lounge at Cafe Graffiti 0131 557 8003

! Tribal Funktion at The Venue 0131557 3073

Cream at The Tunnel (1141 204 1000 Slam at The Arches 0141 221 4001

COMEDY

Gilded Balloon 0131 2266550 Glasgow Royal Concert Hall 11141227 5511

DANCE

Edinburgh Festival Theatre

30131 529 0000

' Edinburgh International Festival 0131 473 2001

Scottish Ballet 0141 331 2931

; Scottish Dance Theatre 01382 227 684 Traverse Theatre 0131 228 1404

lFESTlVALS

Aberdeen Alternative Festival 01224

(135 822

;CCA(11413,12 7521

iEdinburgh Book Festival 228 5444

1 Edinburgh International Festival 0131 473 2001

i Edinburgh International Jazz Festival .01315571642

iEdinburgh International Science 1Festiva10131 220 3977

Edinburgh Festival Fringe 0131 226 5257

Edinburgh Film Festival 0131 228 4051 1 Glasgow International Jazz Festival 10141287 5511

"The Hi hland Festival 01463 719 000 .Scottis Book Fortnight 0131 228 6866 1 Scottish International Children's iFestiva10131 554 6297

1 MUSIC

[Barrowland 0141 552 4601 }Glasgow City Hall 0141 287 5511

Glasgow Royal Concert Hall ’0141287 5511

, Edinburgh International Jazz Festival §()1315571642

:Fruitmarket Gallery 0131 225 2383

Glasgow International Jazz Festival 30141287 5511

:lbrox: Elton John and Billy Joel .0141287 5511

Murrayfield: The Rolling Stones i0131 220 4349

lQueen's Hall 0131 668 2019/667 7776 gTheatre Royal 0141 332 9000 gTraverse Theatre 0131 228 1404

lTHEATRE

;Barrhead Sports Centre: Romeo And =Juliet 0141227 5511

YBenchtours 0131 555 3585

.Brunton Theatre 0131 665 2240

Citizens’ Theatre 0141 429 0022 3Communicado 0131 624 4040

i Edinburgh International Festival 0131473 2001

. Edinburgh Festival Fringe

10131226 5257

King’s Theatre. Edinburgh 0131 220 4349i

IMacRobert Arts Centre 01786 461 081 § Playhouse theatre 0131 557 2590

i Royal Lyceum Theatre 0131 229 9697 . TAG Theatre Company 0141 552 4949 lTraverse Theatre 0131 228 1404

{Tron Theatre 0141 552 4267

2B TIIE UST 9-22 Jan 1998