Events
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
Kitchen The Village Storytelling Centre. St James' Story telling (‘entre. 18.3 Mciklerig Crescent. 882 3025. 7 10pm. Free. [Enjoy an evening of storytelling. plays. music. food and drink.
Alan Spence llillhead library. Byres Road. 339 7223. 7.30-9.30pm. Free. The respected author reads from (‘leiir Light. a mixture of' poetry and prose.
Edinburgh
Mark Stuart Scottish Parliament Building. l-lolyr'ood Road. 6.30pm. Free. ticketed. Join Stuart and a host of‘ guest speakers for the launch of John Smith: .4 Life.
Melrose
Borders Book Festival \Vy iid 'l‘heatre. Buccleuch Street. 01896 820028. 4»~ 10pm. £10 (£81. Some hot names arrive in Melrose for four day s of' literary fun. The likes of Michael Palin. (ierniaine (ireer and Roy Hattersley for three. Sec vvvvvv.borderslxmkt'estival.org tor the full programme.
Glasgow
Michael Palin \Vrireisrone‘s. 153 157 Sauchiehall Street. 332 9105. lprn. The globetrotting es-Pythoii signs copies ol’ his latest vvork Hinrri/rrvit. based on his most challenging journey to date.
Edinburgh
Michael Palin ()rrrikar‘s. 57 George Street. 225 4495. 5-6pin. See (‘ilasgovv The Guid Crack Club: Not Quite Midsummer \Vav crlcy Bar. I St Mary's Street. 556 9579. 7.30pm. £2.50 donation. International tales from around the vvorld vv ith special guests Joseph Sobol (PST and Anne Stevvart (Australia).
Melrose
Borders Book Festival \\'_v rid 'l‘hearre. Buccleuch Street. 01896 820028. 4 10pm. £100.81. See Thu 23.
Glasgow
Renga Day The Hidden (iardeiis. Tramvvay. 25 Albert Drive. 0845 3303501. 1 1am 5pm. Renga are linked verses composed communally over the course of a day, so vvhy not join in'.’ No experience necessary
Edinburgh
The Hour of Blazing Clouds National Library of’ Scotland. (‘reorgc l\' Bridge. 622 4807. 2pm. Free. Tales vv ith a tvv ist brought to life vvith 19th century Burmese puppets.
Melrose
Borders Book Festival \Vy nd Theatre. Buccleuch Street. 01896 820028. 4- - 10pm. £100.81. See Thti 23.
Edinburgh
Shore Poets ('anons’ (iait. 232 ('anongate. 556 4481. 7.45pm. £2. Edinburgh's plattot‘tit for live poetry and rnUsic has readings this month by Shore Poets Nancy Somerv ille and Kevin Henderson plus special guest John (ilenday. Melrose
Borders Book Festival \Vynd 'l'heatr'c.
Buccleuch Street. 01896 820028. 4 10pm. £l0 (£8). See Thu 23.
Tuesday 28
Edinburgh Janet Morgan National library of Scotland. (icorgc 1\' Bridge. 226 4531. 7pm. Free. Join the author as she reads from 32 THE LIST 2.3.1u'i
.Jii! 300:3
.St'r‘l‘r'tv irriRtre St RUt'Il. the true story of one of" the most daring spying missions of. WW1.
Glasgow
Laura Marney \k'aterstone's. 153—157 Sauchiehall Street. 332 9105. 6.30pm. The (ilasvvegian author dichsses and reads from her vvry and quirky nevv novel Nobody I.rivev (1 (finger Bit/iv.
Edinburgh
Richard Finlay Blackvvells. 53—59 South Bridge. 622 8222. 6.30pm. Free. ticketed. Join in the celebrations as the paperback version of. .llrirlern Scot/rind: The History of (l Sire/"en [9/4- 2000 is launched.
:3: Louise Welsh Borders Books. [hit 26. Fort Kinnaird Retail Park. 657 4041. 6.30pm. Free. The Glasgovv-hom author reads from and signs copies of her 2004 historical novella. Trrnrhrrrlui'ne Must Die.
Glasgow
Reading the Leaves Tchai ()vna. 42 ()tago Lane. 357 4524. 8pm. £2. Join guest vv riters for an evening of‘ poetry and creative vvriting. (‘ontact Nalini Paul at readingtheleav es (0‘ hotnrailcom.
Edinburgh
Jennie Erdal Borders Books. Unit 26. Fun Kinnaird Retail Park. 657 4041. 6.30pm. Free. Author reading and signing session. marking the paperback launch of her nevv hook (I/iiisti'ng.
Monday 4
Glasgow
Clare Sambrook Borders Books. 98 Buchanan Street. 222 7700. 6pm. Free. Sainbrook discusses her debut novel Hrrle iriiil Seek. a story ot’ love. loss and strrvival from the perspective of' a nine-year-old. Jennie Erdal ()ttakar's Bookstore. [hit 6. Buchanan (ialleries. Buchanan Street. 353 1500. 6.30pm. Free. See Fri l.
Edinburgh
Palestinian Poetry Evening Scottish Poetry Library. 5 (‘richton’s Close. (‘anongatcn 557 2876. 7pm. £5 (£3). Poets from Jerusalem. (iaza. Palestine and lidinburgh perl‘oi'iii at this event jointly hosted by the Scottish Palestine Solidarity ('ainpaign. Scottish PliN and the Scottish Poetry Library.
Edinburgh
Quintin Jardine Traverse Theatre. ('arnbridge Street. 228 1404. 7pm. £3. The crime lord launches Let/ml Intent. Resisting the New Enclosures: Peace, Anti-Capitalism and the Multitude l'niversity of Edinburgh. Lecture Room 1. School ol’Arts ('ulture and Tim ironment. 20 (‘hainbers Street. 662
91 I2. 7pm. Free. Ian Boal. one of a collection ot’ vvriters and activists to have recently contributed to .lfflri'teil I’oirers: (‘iipitii/ rrnil Spectacle in it New Age riflliri'. gives an illustrated lecture in the run-up to the (18 summit.
Foakies Royal Oak. Infirmary Street. 557 2976. 8pm. Monthly night for aspiring singer songvvriters and poets. It you are interested in performing contact Tom Fairnie at tomfta ruiscorp.ed.ac.uk.
Glasgow
Rodge Glass ()trakar‘s Bookstore. l'nit 6. Buchanan Galleries. Buchanan Street. 353 I500. 6.30pm. Free. Join the author iii-store tor the launch of his compelling nevv novel .\'o l'i'reii-orks.
Edinburgh
Quintin Jardine Blackvvells. 53—59 South Bridge. 622 8222. Norm-2pm. Free. Signing. See Tue 5.
Iain M Banks Blackvvells event. venue tbc. 622 8222. 6.30pm. £1 (redeemable against purchaser. The hugely successful fiction vvriter vvill be launching the paperback version of' The .-llgebriii'.vt.
Comics
COLLECTION VARIOUS
Funny Book #1 (Fantagraphrcsl 0000
The inaugural Free Comic Book Day offering from independent publisher Fantagraphics doesn‘t disappoint. wrth contributions from some of the biggest names in COrnicdom.
These include Peter Hate Bagge. whose 'Batboy' strips usually appear in paranormal tabloid The Weekly World News. and Los Bros Hernandez. legendary creators of Love & Rockets. who Supply the bqu Of this collection.
xtr new: VJ): Liv
But the real gems are the less renowned artists. like Max Andersson. who can pack all the pathos of Ingmar Bergman into three panels. and Marc Bell. With his Surreal tale of roommates — ‘Removeable Nose and Carl'. a post-millennial Bert and Ernie. whose odd svrrrovrndings and bizarre speech patterns make fOr a truly refreshing read.
As wrth all collections. there is some filler. here provrded by Sophie Crumb's self-obsess rd scrawlings. and a Surprismgly inadeqriate Daniel Clowes. his 'Komrc Kollector's Korner'. Culled from Ergtitbal/ :38. proving instantly forgettable. (Dave Martin)
ART
JIM WOODRING Seeing Things (Fantagraphicsl one
This coffee table book collects over 100 examples of Jim Woodring's beautifully rendered Oll paintings and charcoal sketches. The collection is drvrded into four sections. each introduced by a rambling
reminiscence from the artist. who seems to be recalling his childhood's end. Woodring's recollections aren't uninteresting. but they probably won't help you understand the images that follow (and the text probably isn't intended to).
The images themselves are of strange other worlds inhabited by creatures part amphibian. part human and part child's toy. spinning top. cart. to; train. etc. OCCETESIUT‘till‘, funny. more often disturbing. but always engrossing. these surreal outpourings of a visiorian, mind look like the product of one too many bad acid trips. Either that ()t' \-"i’oodrii:g's managed to remain in tench Wlill the dark side of his childhood. llVlllCS Fielderr
ANATYSIS (301 'i t (I l 101’s JOHN BENSON (ED)
Squa Tront #11 lFantagr'aphicsl 0..
A fanxrne dedicated to the EC comics of the 1950s. whose title comes from the words used by space monsters in W ‘rr‘r/ Science and Weird Fantasv magazines. issue 1 l of Sgt/a Tront concentrates on the work of John Severin.
DeSpite being colour blind. Severin crafted a niche for himself in his ultra-detailed depictions of soldiers and cowboys. which. due to the huge investment of American culture in the Western as a national mythology. means he
remains a notaLIo figure today.
The central article here is an inteiviov'.’ between vlllll \.’adetx)nr:ooui Jr and Severin, in which they loaf through a stack of his comics. discussing varior is works. (tlltl-l'tl;1ll‘.(;l‘, gripped ‘.‘.llll laughter (,i set/ed b‘, lllt‘:h111(fl1t)l\,
Other (roiitirbtitions include a look at t- (3 Comics in France. various essays about Severin's v-xork and a checklist of his titles. making this a curio to be pri/ed by R) (llvl'lliiltl‘i. but one that}; likely to leave the general reader cold. (Dave Martin)
Ml MOIH MARJANE SATRAPI Embroideries (Jonathan Carrel oooo
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Sahara's gran. lriiolhor ‘.‘.t1f;£tt]t(3.tl tiniest}: that "to speak behind otliors' tracks is the ‘.t}lllll.ll()l of the heart'. so (mun, afternoon she would beat up the :turi‘ovai in her parlour and utter tea and (takes to her lad: friends and ltroach tho unsayablo and unthinkable. Satrarii. the lianian author and artist behind the glorioust compelling l"iixsi,=,'io/is series of graphic novels. details these sessions ‘.‘.|ll1 the glee of a ‘.‘.ltlt? eyed daughter- chroniclt'ér in this \.*.'()iitlr2rftilly,' sustained piece of (?()11\.'t?1'8<1il()ftitl storytelling.
Ar lopting a much looser Visual style ll‘.tlt that of her previous vvork. Satiapi creates a kind of open tableaux to the b:tchy. ‘.‘.‘lt3(} and sometimes t‘irido gossip that went on around her grandmother's house.
Not half as ambitious as her previous output. this does tool like an intermediary work by Satiapi but it is nevertheless a ‘.‘.;titlt. relaxed. Joyful and beautifully packaged atfair. rl’aul Dale‘i