Books
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 21
Glasgow
Momma Cherri Water-stone‘s. 153 157 Sauchiehall Street. 332 9105. 6.30 Spin. £2. Sample some of (‘harita Jones’ African-American food at this event for her new book. .llnmmu ('ltr'rri's Soul in (1 Bow] ('(mk/muk.
Edinburgh
Shadow-Mile: An Old Town Poetry Tour with Ken Cockburn Scottish Poetry Library. 5 ('t'ichton‘s (lose. (‘anongate 557 2876. 6pm. £5 (£3). A walk from the Scottish Storytelling (‘entre to the Scottish Poetry Library taking in the poetic history of Burns. 1"ergusson and .\lac(‘aig.
Glasgow
Remzija Sherifi Waterstonc‘s.
153 157 Sauchiehall Street. 332 9105.
1 1.30pm. Free. The launch of Sherifi's tnemoir. in which she tells the story of a Kosoyan asylum seeker moving to Maryhill in (ilasgow.
Edinburgh
Royal Mile Story Walk Scottish Storytelling Centre. 4.3 45 High Street. 556 9579. Noon 6’; 3pm. 1’ree. Master storyteller John lice leads a walk down the Mile from Netherbow to lloly'rood Palace. explaining the characters and events that have shaped the ()1d Tow-n.
Edinburgh
Book Group Waterstorte's. (‘anteron Toll Shopping Centre. 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 'Ilrmlt'rri'r'rt' by (’lait‘e Kilroy. 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 ). \\'.‘\' Herbert. Dorothy Baird and Angela McSeyeney wax poetical while the musical entertainment comes from Youth (iaitherin’.
Edinburgh
Shadow-Mile: An Old Town Poetry Tour with Ken Cockburn Scottish Poetry Library. 5 ('richton’s (‘lose. ('anongate. 557 2876. 6pm. £5 (£3). See Thu 21.
Tuesday 26
Glasgow
Write-Tron for All Tron Theatre. 63 '1‘rongate. 552 4267. 10.30am 12.30pm. £35 (£20). ('reatiye writing workshops for adults run by Stephen Barnes. Booking essential.
Edinburgh
Joseph Gerson Word Power Bookshop, 43 \Vest Nicolson Street. 662 91 12. 7pm. £3. (ierson launches his book lint/tire um! I/It’ Bomb: [low Illt' ( 'S (has Nile/cur lieu/mus Ir) Dominate the World.
>l< Stevenson Walk Scottish Storytelling ('entre. 43 45 High Street. 556 9579. livery Tue and Wed until 27 Jun. 7pm. £3 (£2). liollow~ in the footsteps of Robert Louis Stevenson and see how he was inspired by the Old Town. In association with lidinburgh liNliS(‘() (‘ity of Literature Trust.
28 THE LIST 21 Jun 5) Jul 700/
Wednesday 27 ,
Edinburgh
>l< John Hegley Scottish Poetry Library. 5 (‘richton's (lose. (‘anongate 557 2876. 7.30pm. £6 (£4). The bespectacled cornic- poet performs a sneak preview of his forthcoming l-‘estiyal show. Booking essential.
Thursday 28
Glasgow
Caro Ramsay Water-stone's. I53 157 Sauchiehall Street. 332 9105. 6.30pm. Free. Ramsay launches her new crime thriller. :lhwlulimi.
Edinburgh
The Bridge Readings: James Robertson National Library of Scotland. (ieorge l\' Bridge. 226 4531. 7pm. Free. The author of the popular tome about rural ministers and brushes with the deyil. 'I'lic 72’.s‘lrll)tt'ltt (MGR/mm .llttt‘k. discusses his work with [an ('amphell.
Edinburgh
The Guid Crack Club Scottish Storytelling ('entre. 43 45 High Street. 556 9579. 7.30pm. Donations. lidinburgh’s popular storytelling cltrb. where all are welcome as listeners or tellers. This month Jack Martin tells tales of Auld Reekie.
Saturday 30
Glasgow
Write-Tron for All Tron Theatre. 63 'l‘rongate. 552 4267. 10.30am 12.30pm. £35 (£20). See Tue 26.
Edinburgh
Deacon Brodie‘s Old Town Tour Scottish Storytelling ('entrc. 43 45 High Street. 5569579. I lam. lpiii & 3pm. Free. Peer into the murky world of Deacon Brodie as this storytelling walk explores the wynds of the Old Town while tellirtg tales of lidinburgh's most infamous criminal. (‘hildren must be accompanied. If These Stones Could Speak \Vriters' .\ltiseum. Lady Stair's (lose.
Law nmarkct. 529 4901. 4pm. lirce. Writer and director of the Storytelling ('entre. Donald Smith. leads a tour looking at the highs and low s of literary lidinbtir'gh. Meet outside the Writer's Museum.
Edinburgh
New Scottish Poetry .\'oith lidiiihurgh Arts ('entrc. 15a Pennyw ell Court. 315 2151.1'ntil3l Aug. .\lon Sat 10am 4pm. l’ree. (hock-full of Scottish humour. this exhibition of new work by 12 Scottish writers. including performance poets and stand-up comedians. sees published and unpublished work. freestyle poetry. Iiionologttes and haiku sit side by side.
Edinburgh
>3 Irvine Welsh Assembly Rooms. 54 George Street. 226 2666. 6.30pm. £5. The 'Ii'ur'iis/mtlrire author reads from his new collection of short stories. [flint Ukt't/ School. You.” I.Ul'(’ llitrk. See preyiew. page 26.
Glasgow
ti: Janet Paisley \Vaterstonc‘s. 153 I57 Satichiehall Street. 332 9105. 6.30pm. liree. The Versatile short story writer. poet and playw right launches her latest noy'el. the historical romance ll'lu'ti' Ruse Rt'ht‘l. Quintin Jardine liastwood Park 'l‘heatre. liastw'ood Park. Roiiken (ilen Road. (iil'fnock. 577 4970. 7pm. £5 (£3). A chance to hear the Scottish crime writer read front his new book. l)t'ut/i's' [)rml'.
Edinburgh
BeatniX Poetry Nite The Jan Bar. 1 (‘hambers Street. 220 4290. S 10pm. £4 (£3). 0ch tnic poetry and music hosted by Anita (ioyan. ('all 07962 912590 for info.
Comics DVD Special
HORROR/SUPERHERO HELLBOY ANIMATED: BLOOD AND IRON
(15) 75min
(Starz Home Entertainment) coo
The newest animated feature based on Mike Mignola's hugely enjoyable demon ghost hunter graphic novels is somewhat hampered by the fact that it is based on what is arguably the weakest of the first six source novels. This is the one where Hellboy (here voiced as he was in the live action film by Ron Perlman) gets to repay the kindness of his adopted father Professor Broom (John Hurt) when long thought dead female vampire Erzsebet Ondrushko
’BLQOD 8: IRON
reappears. Liz Sherman. Abe Sapien and new agent Sydney Leach come along on what is supposed to be a simple haunted mansion gig. but soon things turn really scary . . .
This is actually a really impressive adaptation that has been accurately and faithfully rendered. A ten of extras includes Iron Shoes at Hellboy animated short. The Penangga/an — an E- comic exclusive from Mignola. an animated recap of Professor Broom's story and a making of documentary. (Paul Dale)
SUPERHEBO STAN LEE PRESENTS MOSAIC (12) 73min (Star?) 0
As the creator of Spider- Man. The Fantastic Four and X-Men. Stan Lee is the McCartney of comic books alongside his own Lennon, psychedelic frequent
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collaborator Jack Kirby. But just because they invented some hugely enduring characters in colourful style back in the 608. that's not a cue to go acclaiming what Lee does nowadays as genius. After all. if someone claimed one of Sir Paul's recent albums as better than Revolver. you quite rightly wouldn't listen. So this animated tale of annoying teenage actress wannabe Maggie Nelson (voiced by the X-Men movie's Anna Paquin) acquiring chameleon-like powers and investigating her secret agent dad's disappearance is rather frighteningly dull. I'm afraid. Created by Lee but scripted by sometime Marvel scribe Scott Lobdell. it's high on cliche and short on tension. and mirrors the desperately-craving- hipness style of those duff old 70s Marvel cartoons. Stan should stick to cheeky cameos in Spider-Man films in future . . . ‘Nuff said. as
his favourite quote goes.
(David Pollock)
FANTASY NEVERWHERE (15) 173min
(Cinema Club) 0000
Elephant and Castle. Knightsbridge and The
Angel, lslington: to non- Londoners and small children alike the names of the city's landmarks conjure a sense of the bizarre which Neil Gaiman. much—loved writer of novels. comics. films and everything else. spun into a six-part TV series of the secret ‘London Below' back in 1996. In an idea inspired by comedy oddity Lenny Henry. Richard Mayhew (the endearing Gary Bakewell) is the reluctant hero who is plunged into a hidden world and must aid Door (Laura Fraser) while overcoming a host of baddies.
So what if the acting‘s hammy. the special effects make vintage Doctor Who look like The Matrix and the fabled Beast of London is a Highland cow puppet on a stick? The charming mix of fantasy. lore and the familiar into a comfortany unsettling view of the world finally gets a proper DVD release. Despite pared down extras. it is a must for those who appreciate the down- home charm of David Tennant's Doctor or already count themselves among the legions of loyal Gaiman fans. (Suzanne Black)
NEVERWHERE
Storms. including one lucky reader who will receive a copy of Sword of Storms. signed by Hel/boy creator Mike Mignola himself. For your chance to Win a just send an email marked STRAIGHT TO HELL(BOY)' with your name and address. to Cltll)S(ClllSl.C().Uk by Wed 4 Jul.
WIN HELLBOY ON DVD
I To mark the release of the new Hellboy Animated: Blood & Iron we have a rather tasty compo. Five readers will receive a copy of both Hal/boy: Blood <2 Iron and his first animated adventure Sword of