Events are listed by date, then city. Submit listings at least ten days before publication to jules.graham@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Jules Graham.

Glasgow

I National Poetry Day ()iiakar‘s. l'nit (r. Buchanan (iallcrics. Buchanan St. 353 I500. (r.30pm. Rcatlings. pltis compctition rcsults.

Edinburgh

I Billy McNeill \Valcrstonc's. I28 l’t'tnccs Sti'cct. 22(r 2(r(r(r. 12.30pm. l'ch. 'l‘hc ('cltic lootballcr drops in It) sign topics ()l autobiograplT}. “(Ill (.(lt‘VlI'.

I National Poetry Day: Share Your Favourite Poems! Wcston Link. ll£l\\lll()l'll(lt‘ll l.ccturc 'l'hcatrc. National (iallcr'). 'l'hc Mound. (r24 (r5(r0.

I245 l.30pm. l't‘cc. Rcadings from Rob}tt Marsack and l.orna lrr inc ol thc Scottish l’octr) Library

I National Poetry Day: Drink the Green Fairy National (iallcr'} ol .\lo(lcrn .'\l'l. 75 Bcltortl Road. (r24 (r200. (rpm. l-rcc. Brian Whittinghain rcatls from his absinthc-thcmctl pocll’} collcction.

I Tom Conti ()ttakar's. 57 (icor'gc Sti‘cct. 225 4495. 7pm. £ I. 'l‘hc actor prcscnts his (lcbut thrillcr. The Doctor. I Big Word Performance Poetry 'l‘hc lion. 9 Huntcr Squarc. High Strcct. 22(r 093l. 9pm. £3 (£2). National l’octr} I)a_\ spccial from thc Big \Vortl ct'cu'.

Friday 8

Glasgow

I Nick Faldo King's 'l'hcatrc. 297 Bath Slrcct. 240 l l l l. lpm. £5.50. 'l'hc lamctl gollcr talks abotit his .succcss.

I Tom Conti: The Doctor Borders Books. 98 Buchanan Strcct. 222 7700. (rpm. Scc Thu 7.

Edinburgh

I Bill McLaren ()ttak;tr"s. 57 (icorgc Strcct. 225 4495. 5.30 (r.30pm. McLarcn signs copics of his ncw atttobiogt‘aph}. 'Ii'i'ump/is (UNI 'li'urs.

Saturday 9

Glasgow

I Hugh Cornwell Bordcrs Books. 98 Buchanan Strcct. 222 7700. l.30pm. 'l'hc c\-Strang|crs t'rontman signs copics of his ncn biography. :l .llulrrrmlv of'Sirtx.

Edinburgh

I Nick Faldo ()ttakar"s. 57 (icorgc Strcct. 225 4495. lpm. Scc Sat 8.

Glasgow

I Ewan McGregor 8. Charley Boorman Royal (‘onccrt Hall. 2 Sauchichall Strcct. 353 8000. 4pm. £l2. 'l‘hc pair discuss thcir rcccnt 20.000 milc. contincnt-stra(l(lling motorcyclc trip.

Glasgow

I Jacqueline Wilson Royal (‘onccn Hall. 2 Sauchichall Strcct. 353 8000. (rpm. £7.50—£22 tor a tamin of tour (£5.50). Scc llitlist.

I Iain M Banks \Vatcrstonc's. l53~l57 Sattchichall Strcct. 332 9|05. (r.30pm. Frcc. tickctcd. Scc prcr'icn.

I Gordon Smith ()ttakar’s. l'nit (r. Buchanan (hillct‘ic‘s. Buchanan Strcct. 353 I500. 7.30pm. £3. Thc Ps} chic Barbcr (liscttsscs 7714' ( 'nln'lict‘uh/c Truth.

Glasgow

I Alvin Hall \Vatcrstonc's. l53~l57 Sauchichall Slrccl. 332 9l05. (r.30pm. H‘L‘L‘. tickctcd. Signing session.

Edinburgh

I Alvin Hall \\'atcr.stonc'.s. I28 Princes Strccl. 22(r 2(r(r(r. [2.30pm. Scc (ilasgtm. I Jacqueline Wilson \\'atcrst(rnc‘s

i()ccan Tcrminal l. 98/9 ()ccan 'l‘crminal. ()ccan l)ri\c. l.cith. 554 "32. 4pm. Scc llitlist.

I Iain M Banks lrawrsc ’l‘hcatr‘c. (‘ambritlgc Strcct. 228 1404. 7pm. £4. Scc pt'c\ icu.

I Midge Ure .-\canlhus. l7 \Va\crlc_\ Britlgc. 550 2358. 7pm. £3. .\li(lgc l'rc (liscllsscs ltls car‘ccr lo (latc.

Wednesday 13

Glasgow

I Selma Hill Bordcrs Books. 98 Buchanan Strcct. 222 7700, (rpm. 'l'hc poct rcatls from ttcxs collcction [Jill 1.4:“. I Jon Snow 'l'hcatr‘c Ro}al. 282 Hopc Strcct. 332 9000 730pm. £5.50 (£4 l. 'l‘hc prcscntcr talks about his carccr.

Edinburgh

I Matt Lucas & David Walliams Watcrstonc's. l’rinccs Strcct. 22(r 2(r(r(r. l2.30pm. l'rcc. Scc Big l’icturc. pagc l l.

Glasgow

I Sheila Hancock Royal (‘onccrt Hall. 2 Sauchichall Strccl. 353 8000. 12.30pm. £4 (£3.50 atluiitcc). Shcila Hancock (liscttsscs lriogt‘aph) T/u' 'Iii'o of (is.

I Scotland’s Poets and Nation Bordcrs Books. 98 Buchanan Stt‘ccl. 222 7700. (rpm. l’octr')‘ launch.

Edinburgh

I Jamie Oliver \\'tttc‘r‘st(rrtc"s. 98/9 ()ccan 'l'crminal. ()ccan l)ri\ c. l.cith. 554 7732. lpm. l‘rcc. Scc llitlist.

I Noreena Hertz Blackwclls. 53 59 Sotith Bridgc. (r22 8222. (r.30pm. l’rcc. 'l‘hc globalisation cxpcrt airs hcr \ icrt's on thc pt‘oblcm ol third \sorld debt.

I Hamish Haswell Smith ()ttakar‘s. 57 (icorgc Strcct. 225 4495. 7pm. l-rcc. tickctctl. 'l'hc author talks about thc latcst million of his gtiitlc to Scotland’s islands.

Tuesday 19

Glasgow

I Michael Palin Bot'tlcrs Books. 98 Buchanan Strcct. 222 7700. 5 (rpm. Signng scssion.

Edinburgh

I Michael Palin \\';itci'st(riic-‘s. l28 Princcs Strcct. 22(r 2(r(r(r. l2.30pm. Scc (ilasgow.

Wednesday 20

Glasgow

I Des Dillon Bortlcrs Books. 98 Buchanan Strcct. 222 7700. (rpm. The cclcbratctl Lariarkshirc-born author rcltirtts with (i/itxgoii' Dragon.

I Anvar Khan Boi'tlct‘s Books. 98 Buchanan Strcct. 222 7700. (rpm. The journalist rcatls l'rom hcr l‘rank ncw ll()\ cl.

Edinburgh

I Peter Allis Watcrstonc's. I28 l’rinccs Strcct. 22(r 2(r(r(r. (rpm. l-‘rcc. tickctctl. Rcacling l'rom his autobiography.

I Valerie Gillies 8. Christine De Luca Scottish Poetry Library. 5 (‘richton‘s (‘losc. (‘anongatu 557 287(r. 7.30pm. Rcatlings from a pair who haxc rcccntl)‘ collaboratcd with Visual artists.

Glasgow

I Emma Richards Thcatrc Royal. 282 Hopc Strcct. 332 9000. lpm. £5.50 (£4). The yachtswoman reacts from her latest tras cloguc. Around .‘l/(lm’.

I Archie Macpherson ()ttakar‘s Bookstore. l'nit (r. Buchanan (iallcrics. Buchanan Strcct. 353 I500. (r.30pm. Frcc. tickctcd. 'l'hc comtttcntator (lisctisscs Jock Slain: Th6 Diffinrtn'c’ Biogrztpln'.

Edinburgh

I Gordon Smith ()ttakar's. 57 (icorgc Strcct. 225 4495. 7pm. £l. Scc Mon ll. I Big Word 10th Birthday Special Thc Tron. 9 Hunter Square. High Strcct. 22(r 0931. 9pm. £3 (£2). Tcn _\cars of Big Word celebrated with Jcm Rolls. l.tic_\' English. Viv (ice and Rob (icc.

Comics

BRIAN WALKER The Comics Before 1945

Al"’a"‘:; O...

Cartoon strips hate always engo‘, ed a higher profile on the other side of the pond. Wide syndication means that characters like Popeye 0r L'il Abner haye really pene rated public consCiousness. This history. which profiles famous creators and supplies generous reprints of classic art. gives a great insight into why this might be. Tackling each decade and the advances they brought. Walker's wry commentany covers racism. economics and the mass media.

weaVing these seemingly

Simple strips into the wrder fabric of American histOry. from the desperate laughter of the Great Depression to the painful prOpaganda of World War II. All in all. he paints a seriously complex picture of the 'funnies'. (Dave Martin.

SURREAL SCIENCE FICTION

CHRIS REYNOLDS

The Dial and other stories

(Kineg Books) .00.

This modest anthology from Scottish writer- artist Chris Reynolds collects nine of his medieval woodblock illustrated stories. The main tale. The Dial is a

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trar“ a straw .'.ar to ill‘.(l ltif; litth‘: lt-RIli wed l“. arr alien n‘rnng operate-'1. ln other tales. saunas lll(ll‘.l(ltl{llfl find themselves ahenatetl trorr‘ the naorld lllfiy thought the. knew. All(“lll{lll‘.'(}ly ntaddeningl, sague and intriguing, Reynolds stories leave you \‘ranting rnor'e.

(Miles Fielder»

SUPE? Ht ll; HO GEOFFJOHNS scon‘ KOLINS AND PHIL WINSLADE

The Flash: Blitz (Titan) .0

The mania for releasing insipid story arcs continues With The F/as/r: B/rf/. Hero ‘Vi/ally‘ West must defend Keystone City from the equally alliterative Gorilla Grodd. beset on all sides by betrayal, famin tragedy and Supemillain shenanigans. including the apparent reappearance of his predecessor Barry Allen's nemesis. This modern day book of Job goes some way to

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Hard Boiled [\(l'k llvlrt' \WC'T‘ (“s ‘ltll‘ ‘>\§

lrrank Miller '3. hard boiled Noir series .‘r‘r't C/tt proved that the man knows how to do Violence in (L()lll|(2§i.

However. this we|(i( )ll‘t: rerelease of his excellent 1998 lisner award writhing collaboration ‘~.‘/llll Geot Darrow (a key designer of [be Mat/n trilogy) shows that Miller really knows how to (to to town on the bloodbath front.

The plot an Average .Joe tax collector is thrust into a heinously ‘./l()l()lll (;()llll|(ll that leads hint to suspect his real identity as a cyberneticassassin is ligl‘itrxreight. predictable cyberpunk at best. but it allows Miller to rack up a gleefully Peckinr)ahesriue body count amongst epic set-pieces. Yet. y'xhatever slack is ultimately made up by Darrow's thoroughly impressive artwork a intensely detailed and hugely visceral s this is his show.

(Danny Grayden)

Chris Reynold’s The Dial and Other stories

—2 JCT 2304 THE LIST 33