Books
SQUESTIONS
JOHN SERGEANT The long reign and continuing influence of Maggie ‘Baroness‘ Thatcher are the subject of John Sergeant’s latest book although, inevitably, the great newsman manages to squeeze in a bit of himself as well. Maggie: Her Fatal Legacy looks back at the woman who abused Geoffrey Howe, gave Tony Blair military advice and (according to Chris Patten) ‘destroyed the Conservative party'. Good show!
Peter Bazalalgette created Ready Steady Cook and Ground Force and brought Big Brother to the UK. He is chairman of the British Academy of Gastronomes, his great-great grandfather designed London’s sewage system, and Billion Dollar Game is his account of the reality TV explosion. 5 reasons why Big Brother is a good thing One. it enrages the wr nklies. Two. it's a geiiuine Quest for the genuine over the fake. Three. it was the first l)|(3(3(? of really multimedia entertainment. Four. it's the most (:ontro\.iersial t)l‘()t}l'{lllill‘(} in the history of televson. And five. its outcome is entirely decided by the Eili(il(:-"(‘.(i'. 4 television programmes you wish you had made Antiques fi)().'l()'5;/?(>‘.'.. The Office. Wife Swap. And Who Wants to Be a Mi/liona/re. which (:atapiiiteu the quiz into prime time. where it hadn't been for 40 years.
3 authors you’d like to have seen at the Book Festival Julian Barnes. because [new book] Arthur and George is great. Zadie Smith. who wrote l'x’hire Teeth. which I loved. And Jung Chang because although her biography of Mao is Slightly over-polemical. it is a most extraordinary piece of research.
2 dishes you hate Gumbo and boned tripe. I'm on holiday in Italy at the moment and l love Italian food bill they boil tripe. and it's ghastly. You always eat outshe in Italy. and | hide it in the flowerbeds.
1 best Big Brother moment Nadia's Victory last year. A transsexual '.'."ti<> "an been on an extraordinary journey was. despite an extraordinary atttuait‘. of ivveg..ri.::e in the newspapers. taken to the heart of the nation and mau'e the ‘.‘.'ll‘."ttl.
I 28 Aug. noon. {‘8 6‘6).
james.smart@list.co.uk
Ilit FESTIVAL BOOKS
‘Good English is clear English’ — Alan Sillitoe
* Margaret Atwood The Booker winner makes a highly anticipated appearance at this year’s festival, reading from Curious Pursuits. a collection of her journalism from the last 35 years. 27 Aug, 3pm 8 28 Aug. 77.30pm, E 7 (£5); /mpri'soned Writers, 27 Aug. 5.30pm. tree.
>i= Salman Rushdie One of the literary giants of our age, Rushdie is still courting controversy: Sha/i'mar the Clown tells the story of a boy turned into an Islamic terrorist. See page 74. 27 Aug. 4.30pm, £7 (£5).
=l< Peter Bazalgette Bil/ion Dol/ar Game describes the men behind the reality TV explosion. See preview. left. 28 Aug, noon. £7 (£5).
=i= Melvin Burgess The controversial writer dlSCLlSSGS Bloodtide and B/oodsong, which use a Viking saga as the inspiration for a story of gang warfare and mutants. Catherine Fisher also appears at this Teenage Kicks event. See preview. page 74. 25 Aug. 5.30pm, £3.50.
=i= George Monbiot Globalisation. politics and nationhood from one of today‘s best commentators. See preview. page 74. 27 Aug. 3.30pm. £7 (£5); 7.30pm (with Timothy Garton Ash), E8 (E6); 28 Aug. 7.30pm, £8 (£6).
3%: Zadie Smith The talented young Londoner comes to Edinburgh with her excellent third book. On Beauty. See feature. page 10. 28 Aug, £7 (£5).
* Sebastian Faulks The author of the enormously successful Birdsong returns after a four year break with Human Traces. the story of two friends who set up an asylum at the end of the 19th century. 27 Aug, 77.30am, £7 (£5).
>i= 100 Best Scottish Books The List's six month campaign to find the public's favourite Scottish book culminates in this event. chaired by James Naughtie and featuring Ian Rankin. See feature. page 8. 27 Aug, 6. 30pm. £8 (£6).
5 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE 73