We welcome submissions for this section, but cannot guarantee inclusion. Send details to our offices at least ten days before publication. Edinburgh Life listings compiled by Maureen Ellis.
Edinburgh life '
Book events
Malcolm Gaskill \\';ttet\IIittc'\. l3 It Princes Street. 550 3034. hpm. l‘ree. Author ol He/lix/r .Vr'l/ Il.u\I of [fr/tum ‘\ llilt'llt‘tl Il-nurtli lixtate L'IJWH introduces his hnnk nn the llllpl'lxtilllllelll nl Helen Duncan in NH. the la\I meditnn In he com icted under the I735 Witchcralt :\el.
Spons
Scotland v Barbarians .\lurra_\ tit-III Stadium. Riverxdale ('rexcent. .i-lh 5t)(itl. 7.I5pm. {I5 £35 (£5 UH). Scotland aim to avenge last _\ear\ 43 45 del'eat at the hands of the Barhariam in this \Iar- studded linale In the \eaxnn.
Other events
North American Bounty The Hub. ('astlehill. Rn)aI Mile. 473 3067. 7.30pm. L33 [35 inc meal. Sample the genernuxl} proportioned delightx nl' North American cuisine with chel .\'ick Bryan.
Book events
Guid Crack The Wawrle}. St Mar} '\ Street. 55h 057‘). (‘nlin .\lc:\llixter ix the guest artist at this monthl) meeting oi" the storytelling cluh.
Storytelling Step By Step Netherhnw ;\t'l\ (’entre. 43 45 High Street. 556 9579/3647. I50 me. Lh U) (£4 £6). :\ workshop lnr an)nne \\ hn’d like to learn the skills needed Ior stnrytelling. with an L‘lllplittxix nn developing )nur o\\'lt st} Ie.
Talks
Three Tahitians by Paul Gauguin National Gallery nl' Scotland. The Mound. (r34 (i300. l3.-l5pm. l‘ree. l‘reelanee art historian Belinda 'l'hnmxnn discusses (iauguin‘s painting. Meditation - Finding Peace In Everyday Life St Mark's (‘liur-ch. (‘astle 'l‘erraee. 7.30pm. Suggested donation £5 (£3). Sogyal Rinpnelte. attthor of The Tibetan lino/t nl'lii'i/ie um! living.
Workshops
OueenDom On Earth Don]. S Advocate‘x (lose. 357 High Street. 335 937 I. 7»rl()pm. £0 (B). In resen e a place call 0| 3| (in‘) 1376. A music and mmement workshop enmhining photography and poetry.
Other events
Stories By Firelight l-‘nur \\'ind\ Inspiration (‘entre. The I’m ilinn. lmerleith l’ark. .»\rhoretum Place. 348 307‘). (1.30 3pm. U.5(H£3.5(li. Snngx and tales from Scotlanth ancient l'nrextx.
Permanent
‘1-1-15. Dani, :iclititr‘ tilt". i»:' I 'E‘l..%t);(ihii;tvett ff::_ l9: .xwa tf'wt".t"t::t;.z. " as lash:- ttf Melton. tttkt‘: ti III'J‘.'.,' :,..f " I\.".; Iii'” to this rart‘s";i.tk’t:- oft: cast-.3. l.l<,"_~; Mat. ‘3‘»:- c ».- U”. r Carberry Candle Cottage unmet: v.0»; int: :gz-taw- ‘w m t ' tut «at Mussetburgh, (365 5656. t‘roii'u'tst MN) t’w' 2' -r .. i ‘ ' ' 1' ‘ Mon—Sat 9am—5pm; Son Gum” “f SW?" Q ""‘ (3"- '3'”
noon—5pm. Free. A treasure
trove Of a“ “Mugs wax from] Bt?li()l'(l ROCKI. lie/3‘: r iv .:"‘.'.,. b.’tt".. .-:'i. ;’_.-:~;f,"‘-; ,iMH “Hf; ,. perfumed, aromatherapy MO’I‘Sf‘I H“"""'i""7 'i‘i'V '7‘i‘=”‘ ‘11 " ' ‘ t .r r ' . I and feng Shut candles. to a HOUR—150m.E'tiitth‘. .:~:,-‘.t in.) t: :.2.:':'»-’: r‘ :it': " ' 't is ' .-:, t a a ' bargain Clemamce comer mm the whole of AOL" septa", art. 1"»;- f thin". ~"1 'llrr" ‘~f":‘:T:-. 501'. '7 >1
a permanent Chrlsunas DCilli ITOUSOS It 'ti'gt LIVE-3'1". ‘ .l'u.“ ’ ,I.l.~’:':-. I ' " Taft?» i:"’.2 ZOO sectlon. work I); Etttiar‘tit‘, thfilLli'. t: s 7 E :7" .' :f-’-'~;'. Cavita'pinw; Peru. 1
Craigmillar Castle
Craignnlla' “clash: Hut 1. W“
Dean Gallery
Saturday 26
Book events
Speaking Volumes liruntnn 'l‘heatre. l.ad_\\\ ell \\'a_\. .\Iu\\elhurgh. («)5 33-1“. Illam J. ilipm. L5 Iincludex hulch lunehi, \Vnrkxhnp programme leaturing lttlk\ lrnrn .laniee (ittllo\\a_\. Bernard Macl .a\ert_\. :\lan Spence and man} mnre \xhich gi\e art inxight into the huxinexx nl ptthlixhing.
Spons
Bathgate and West Lothian Highland Games \Ieadnu l’ark. (ilttxgou Road. Bathgate. lII5lIh h5-l5li7. Illam hpm. Lthc. Highland gamex \\ ith pipe hand context. \olo piping context. drtnn mainr context. Highland dance colile\l. .tIlllL‘llc'\ and heax} e\ent\.
World Karate Organisation European Championship Meadnuhank Sports ('entre. l W London Road. hhl 535 I. The martial arts championship makex itx dehut appearance in Scotland.
Talks
Alison Watt National (ialler) ol Modern .'\l'l. lit‘lllil'tl Road. 03-1 0300. l3.—l5pm. l‘ree. 'licketx are lree lrnm lln' Sin/mum and Scot/(un/ ()n Stun/m nn (Il3l h3ll 3335K». .\li\on \Vatt talk\ to lllt(' Radio Scotland'\ llrian .\Inrtnn ahnttt her cn\ er image lnr ('anongate Hookx.
Workshops
Edinburgh International Festival Residency ‘l'he Huh. ('axtlehill. Ro}al Mile-1733058. L50. .»\merican ehnreiigrapher Amanda .\lil|er shares her kntm ledge at llii\ \xeek-lnng rexidenc) and her contempnrar} dance trnupe. Hallett l"reihurg l’rett) l'gl}. makex itx dehut this )ear at lidinhurgh International li‘xliVal.
Conference
Fourth Annual Scottish Beach Boys Convention SI Bride-k ('entre. ll) ()rxxell 'l‘errace. 34f) l-lli5. I (rpm. L5. l.i\ e music. \ou\ enir stalls and surprise guests.
Spons
World Karate Organisation European Championship
.\Ieadnu hank Spot'lx ('entre. l3‘) l.nndnn Road. ()(il 535 I. See Sat 3o.
Workshops
OueenDom On Earth own. 8 .‘\d\ocale'\ (low. 557 High Street. 335 ‘)37l. 3 5pm. to I [3). See iii 35.
Other events
Pop Quiz Night The lla_\tttat‘ket Hat. I l \Vext .\lailland Street. 333 3557. 8pm. l'ree. \Veekl} qui/ night \\ ith heer and pri/ex up lnr grahx.
ledlnburghellstc'oguk
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh Dungeon
FRANK MCCOURT
Queen's Hall. Edinburgh. Wed 30 May.
Currently installed in a Chicago hotel, Frank McCourt is in the initial stages of a reading tour whose length and pace would unmake the most indefatigable of rock stars let alone an unassuming, septuagenarian former English teacher. Yet, the Angela 's Ashes author remains buoyant. ‘l‘m a bit of a Johnny-Come-Lately to this
Edinburgh Life
business, so it’s all a big discovery to me,‘ he says, the Irish brogue intact despite years of New York dwelling. “Going on tour you get to meet hundreds of people and have them smile and say nice things to you. Of course, after a while, you get sick of travelling and noisy hotels and you‘re ready to get back home and start writing again.‘
If nothing else, McCourt‘s current hotel-hopping existence is providing a holiday from his otherwise permanent residence at the top of the New York Times Bestseller List, that prestigious barometer of the fifteen hottest fiction and non-fiction titles. Angela ’s Ashes, McCourt‘s 1996 memoir of his impoverished childhood in Limerick and its sequel, ’Tis, which dealt with the young McCourt’s emigration and attempt to establish himself in ‘classless’ America, were loved by both literary establishment and public alike for their unpretentious humour and the immediacy of the writing. Suddenly finding himself catapulted into the limelight at 67 with television appearances and invitations to write for such bibles of cool as Rolling Stone magazine, even McCourt was astonished that such a frequently sad story could prove a popular phenomenon.
‘People do come up to me in the street now, but that has nothing to do with the books, it’s because of the film (Alan Parker‘s adaptation of Angela’s Ashes) and because I’ve been on television. Over here, you‘re really somebody if you’ve been on television.’
McCourt is about to begin the European leg of his tour, which includes a date at Edinburgh’s Queen’s Hall. He’s naturally excited about returning to Limerick where, despite some negative reaction from the odd lrish intellectual (‘In Ireland the word for that is ‘begrudgery’), he has legions of fans and was recently honoured by the city’s university and mayor. So, does he ever get weary of all this success? ‘There’s an expectation nowadays that most people of my age should simply deteriorate,’ he says, ‘Which makes what I’m doing now especially fulfilling.’ (Allan Radcliffe)
Monday 28
Spons
Scottish Dance 2001 5-A-Side Challenge l’nuerleague. It) \Vexthank Slt'eel. l’orlohello. (ih‘) 33(ih. lpltt. lip to 40 team\ lrnm Scotlanth cluhhing lllNllItlliottx compete to raixe lundx lnr \Va\erle_\ ('are l'or .'\II)S .\\\arene\\. Hut \\ ill knou ing their hreakx l'rnm their heatx help them on the tnntie pitch'.’
Talks
Roland Penrose Talk National (ialler) ol Modern .-\rt. Bell'nrd Road. h34 (i3III). l3.—l5pm. l'ree. Keith Hartle} on the lile and unrk ol Roland I’enrnxe.
Tuesday 29
Book events
Murder Galore! \Vaterxtohe‘x
I5 l4 l’rince\ Street. 55h 3034. (rpm. l‘ree. ('rime nn\eli\I l’eter .\Ia_\ readx iron) The Killing lt’rmm Illndder tk Stoughtnn {5.0% and .v\Iine 'l'empletnn
Edin urgh Zoo
readx lrnm her next p\_\clio|ngical thriller Slim/m u/ /)r'ilI/l Illndder t\' Stoughtnn L5‘Ni.
Tim Flannery \Vttlet‘\lollt"\. (it-urge Street. 335 :I in. ipm. l'ree. llie author ol ('um t‘ll't (I III /.l/H‘l'l\. a lll\ltll) ol \nrth .'\mcrtca which cnimnencex ()5 million _\caI\ ago. readx lrom ll|\ hook and dixcuxxex lll\ IIlltllllj3\.
Talks
Spinning Disks And Cyberspace Ro}al .\Iu\ettm. 3 ('Itattrherx Street. 317 Al3l‘). lpm. l'tcc (‘lare \Vliittakel on the lllll\t'lllll lihrar} \ digital luture.
Wednesday 30
Book events
Frank McCourt ()uccn'x llaII. (iletk Street, filth 3lll‘I. 3pm. LEI IL i i, .\ rare chance to hear l'l;tlll. .\Ic( 'ouII teatl horn and dixcum lll\ l\\o .Iuttrhingiaplncal litt\c'l\ .lner‘ltt'x .l\/ll \ and /l\. See
pre\ ieu.
Georgian House
:. ./ ' THE LIST 99