Events

Events are listed by date, then city. Submit listings at least ten days before publication to suzanne.black@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Suzanne Black.

Thursday 26

Glasgow

Treasure of the Month: Facsimile Limited Editions Mitchell Library. 201 North Street. 287 2999. Until 30 Apr. Mon Thu 9am 8pm; Fri Sat 9am-5pm. Free. A chance to see facsimile copies of the Book ()fKe/Is. the Bank ofDurrmi' and the Lint/isj/urme

( inspels.

Edinburgh

3% Happy Birthday Mifly! National Library of Scotland. (ieorge 1V Bridge. 226 4531. Until 3 Jun. Mon Sat

10am 5pm: Sun 2 4pm. Free. A selection of art work and interactive material featuring the staggerineg popular bunny created by Dick Bruna. Scottish PEN 1927-2007: 80 Years in Scotland Writers‘ Museum. Lady Stair’s (‘lose. Lawnmarket. 529 4901. Until 5 May. Mon Sat

10am 5pm. Free. An exhibition celebrating 80 years of the Scottish branch of the worldwide writers association. set tip by lltigh MacDiarmid. Scottish PliN works on behalf of oppressed writers all over the world. and aims to strengthen the international impact of Scottish voices. The Hairy Bikers WHSmith. (iyle Shopping Centre. 339 8855.

12.30 1.30pm. Free. The bearded twosome (Dave Myers and Si King) motor in to sign copies of their latest cookery venture. Hairy Bikers Ride

Again.

Glasgow

Edwin Morgan‘s Birthday Party Kelvingrove Art (iallcry & Museum. Argyle Street. 276 9599. 3pm. Free. An event to celebrate the birthday of the National Poet of Scotland and launch his latest book. Beyond the Sun. a combination of Scotland's favourite paintings and his newly penned

corresponding poems.

Edinburgh

The Guid Crack Club Waverley Bar. 1 St Mary‘s Street. 556 9579. 7.30pm. £3 by donation. It‘s lidinburgh's tnonthly storytelling club where anyone

can share a story or a song.

Saturday 28

Glasgow

Write-Tron for All Tron Theatre. 63 Trongate. 552 4267. 10.30am 12.30pm. £35 (£20). (‘reative writing workshops for adults run by Stephen Barnes.

Booking essential.

Edinburgh

Book Group Waterstone‘s (Formerly ()ttakar‘s). (‘ameron Toll Shopping ('entre. 6 Lady Road. 666 1866. 5 6pm. Free. A regular book group meeting on the last Sunday of every month. To join in with the discussion of Irene Nemerivosky‘s Suite I't'ittt(‘(ti.w'. please contact Stephen at the branch for more

information.

Shore Poets Mai Thai. The Tun. Jackson‘s lintry. l l l llolyrood Road. 313 2797. 7.45pm. £2 (£1). A very pleasant night of entertainment. with poetry from Helena Nelson. Anna Davis and Stewart (‘onn rounded off with music from The Lucy Pringle Trio.

26 THE LIST 26 Apr—10 May 2007

Comics

Glasgow

Sauchiehall Street Book Quiz EUTPAERNHEL’EDE & Waterstone‘s. 153 157 Sauchiehall Street. STEVE DITKO

332 9105. 6 7pm. Free. Test your literary knowledge against the Quiz Master. With free entry and great prizes.

Creative Writing Class Borders Books. 98 Buchanan Street. 222 7700. 6 8pm. £30 for six sessions. Alistair Patterson hosts a writing workshop every Monday: ‘1)iscover and develop the writer within‘. For further info please call ()7969 823712 or email prisin.atic(a‘virginnet.

Le Mois De la Poesie: Le Poeme D Amour Alliance Francaise de (ilasgow. 3 Park (‘irctis. 339 4281. Until 18 May. Times vary. Free. The (ioethe-lnstittit and the Alliance Francaise invite you to choose your favourite love poem in either French or (ierman which will then be displayed along with a selection of famous verse from different centuries.

Edinburgh

SPL Monthly Reading Group Scottish Poetry Library. 5 (‘richlon‘s ('losc. (‘anongate. 557 2876. 6 8pm. Free (£1 for tea and biscuits). A poetry reading group open to all. For more details please contact Lilias Fraser on 013| 557 2876 or lfraser(fl‘spl.org.uk.

Glasgow

In Conversation with Jodi Picoult Royal (‘oncen Hall. 2 Sauchiehall Street. \. t . 353 8000. 7pm. £10. An exclusive Scottish websimgerlcre‘neu . . event. where readers can pose questions to ' DOCk "1 1952 by comics the bestselling author. including insights legends Stan Lee and into her latest offering. Nineteen .tlinutes. Sieve Ditko' it was a

Subm" “WW?” “’3 fiendishly simple concept claire.walshe(a glasgow.newsquest.co.uk. , ~ teenagers read

Wednesday 2 comics. lets create a

Glasgow teenage superhero‘. We

Jodi Picoult Borders Books. l-‘on Retail 8“ know the story: young Park. 390 Provan Walk. 773 2910. Peter Parker is bitten by 12.30pm. Free. Popular and prolific author a radioactive spider that Ficoplt in“? its throt/ivgh her la/tést tale of gives him super strength. ami y t ys unction. ineteen mules. . . . , . , , >t< Conversation Pieces: Liz Spider sens” and the Lochhead Royal (tint-en Hall. 2 abI'IW ‘0 walk Up WB'IS- Sauchiehall Street. 353 8000. 1pm. £5 (£4 Add to that tilS in advance). A conversation with the poet webshooters and we (slid ndra)matist rezimnsible vii-(Ink .lsttch as have your friendly i at!) {Intuit}. (01.8 out (I (()It . neighbourhood Spider_ ( hopped ()j] and. most recently. I me (i/ I My Heart. ()ption for Lunch (‘lub for pre- Md” v More importantly Parker embodies all the

show chat at l 1.30am. usual teenage flaws:

Thursday 3 wishing to fit in at school

Glasgow and get a girlfriend. l

; Marvel Masterworks: Amazing Spider-Man 1964

(Marvel/P

anini) oooo

Spider-Man is Marvel's mascot. one of the most recognisable superheroes of all time. With the latest huge blockbuster on the horizon there's bound to be a lot of interest in everyone‘s favourite

Alex Gray Waterstone‘s. 153 157

Sauchiehall Street. 33.~ )105. 6.30 8pm. These every_kld qualmes - Free. the Scottish writer of crime thrillers made the Character 8 signs and reads from her latest. The I _ , menun masswe hit. A 1965

_ Esquire poll of college Edinburgh

campuses found that Beatnix Poetry Nite The .lttll. Bar. l Spider—Man ranked (‘hambers Street. 220 4290. 8- 10pm. £4 alonggido Bob Dylan and (£3). ()pen mic poetry and iiiusic hosted by , . Anita (iovan. ((‘all 07962 912590 for more Che Guevara as the"

my”) favorite revolutionary icons. WedneSday 9 Here we have another '

huge antholgy from Marvel, collecting the wall crawler's 1964 adventues from his break out title. The Amazing Spider—Man. We get the

Edinburgh Storytelling Cate: Ghosts and Shadows Scottish Storytelling (wire. 43 45 High Street. 5569579. 7pm. £3. A relaxed evening of music. storytelling and song. this month's theme is Ghosts and Shadows. so go along and listen orjoin in y if you’re feeling brave. Hosted by Noel “'31 GVCV appreallce 0f (‘ochrzine the likes of arch-enemies W Green Goblin, Kraven the Hunter and Electro (as Glasgow Ewan Morrison Waterstone's. 153 157 Sauchiehall Street. 332 9105. 6.30- 8 )m. . . -. , Free. (‘atch the ‘Scottish purveyor of" OCIODUS) Tins '5 way erudite lilth' signing his first novel Strung before the "wt about a bunch of messed-up aesthetes in appearances 0i MarY' the West find of (ilasgow. 3 Jane or Gwen Stacey

i

well as the return of Sandman and Dr

(Betty Bryant was the apple of his eye in ‘64), the alien Symbiote (that would later become Venom), his recent unmasking and many of the other iconic elements associated with Spider- Man today. There's a wonderful innocence to the writing by the immortal Lee. and the phrasing used (especially the ever flamboyant intros to each issue) is so evocative of the 603. Of course it's dated. but that's half the fun.

(Henry Northmore)

SUPERHERO

J MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI & MIKE DEODATO JR Spider-Man:

Skin Deep (Marvel/Panini) ooo

Jump cut to the latest collection from Marvel UK of exactly the same title (Amazing Spider- Man. now running at issues 515-518 in this compendium). Now married to Mary-Jane. this is more the world of Spidey we know and love. Dipping back to Parker's teenage years we find a fellow nerd who attended the same high-school. now a research scientist looking for the ultimate amour alloy. Of course things go wrong and an explosion transforms him into an indestructible monster.

.J Michael StraCZynski (creator of TV's Babylon 5) has a fantastic take on the series. investing his main characters with angst and guilt. The dual art styles employed by Deodato to portray both the past and present are also presented with real style. (Henry Northmore)

SUPERHERO

KEVIN SMITH & TERRY DODSON Spider-Man & Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do (Marvel/Partini) oooo

There has been some amazing creative talent

on Spider-Man through the years. Comics bad boy Todd McFarlane (Spawn), Jeph Loeb (Lost). Pete Bagge (Hate) and John Byrne have all thrown in their artistic tuppence worth. while even Frank Miller turned in a few issues in the early 80s However Kevin Smith (director of Clerks and Dogma) probably has the biggest crossover appeal into the world of movies. Much like his movies he has a sharp grasp on dialogue. Here he tackles subjects that are often thought far too serious for comics (rape being the main theme) with a deft touch that never fe als out of place. A surprisingly sensitive graphic novel.

(Henry NOrthmore)

SUPERHERO VARIOUS Spider-Man Family 1 & 2

(Marvel) ooo

Some may call it Cynical marketing that Spider- Man is ‘back in black‘ just as the new film hits the screens. but hey he looks cool as hell so we'll forgive Marvel. Spider- Man Family is the latest monthly to hit the shelves. an anthology title of new and old stories from across the world of Spider-Man. Not an essential purchase. but a great entry level comic into the sometimes baffling cannon of Spidey stories for any casual comics fan. (Henry Northmore)