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The Fringe and the Book Festival launch their wares Words: Anna Millar
A nother fortnight, another (two) festivals launch their programmes. Across at Charlotte Square, new director of proceedings Nick Barley spoke of ‘innovations’ as he launched an EIBF line-up complete with Booker, Orange, Costa, Turner and Pulitzer prizewinners.
This year’s literary love-in opens with popular author Philip Pullman discussing his re-imagined story of Christianity, The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ, before appearances from high- profile names such as Joyce Carol Oates, Lionel Shriver and Nobel Laureate Joseph Stiglitz. The American strand also boasts over 45 authors, including Garry Trudeau, in town to discuss his much loved Doonesbury strip. Closer to home, talent comes in the guise of James Robertson, Candia McWilliam, Fay Weldon, Seamus Heaney, DBC Pierre and Carol Ann Duffy. New additions include an inaugural Readers’ First Book Award celebrating new writing, and the inclusion of guest selectors, one of whom is Scottish poet Don Paterson. The festival closes, at the end of August, with Portugal’s Nobel Laureate, José Saramago.
Over at the Fringe, things are just as far-reaching, with a programme that boasts first-class names from the sublime (Mika, Dizzee Rascal, Alan Cumming, Steve Schirripa) to the ridiculous (yes, Abi Titmuss, we mean you). It’s also a case of location, location, location, as a double-decker bus, a barge and a football pitch are included in this year’s venue line-up.
DANCE BASE EN POINTE ■ Dance lovers are being encouraged to put their backing behind the latest initiative by Dance Base. Proposals are now underway to get more people dancing with a new studio housed in the Thomas Morton Hall in Leith. Situated on the corner of Ferry Road and Great Junction Street behind the Leith Library, the grade B listed building will hopefully play host to a programme of community classes, professional dance and outreach activity from autumn of this year. Supported by the
Scottish Arts Council Resilience Fund, Dance Base has secured the investment needed to refurbish the Hall, putting forward a proposal to Edinburgh Council to agree a two-year hire of the Thomas Morton Hall from July. The proposal also includes plans for drop-in classes and workshops throughout the year for community users, as well as residency space for professional dance companies to develop/rehearse work and install flexible, non-permanent studio equipment. Watch this space.
Mika is just one of the names rocking up for this year’s Edge Festival
5 Things. . . PAUL REEKIE RIP Why the great writer, poet and musician should never be forgotten
1 Children of Albion Rovers Reekie’s
1996 novella Submission caused a scandal when it appeared in Rebel
Inc’s defining collection. Legal action forced the book to be withdrawn until the story was heavily edited.
2 Irvine Welsh Reekie’s poem
‘When Caesar’s Mushroom is in Season’ appeared in the frontispiece of Welsh’s The Acid House. The pair were friends and read at a large- scale Rebel Inc event at Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre.
3 Vic Godard and Subway Sect After Subway Sect supported the Clash at Edinburgh Playhouse in 1977,
Reekie became president of the Scottish branch of the Subway Sect fan Club.
4 Fast Product In 1979 Reekie’s
band Thursdays shared a record with Joy Division on Edinburgh’s defining
post-punk label.
5 Paul Reekie, the man He loved Hibs, Noel Coward, Prince, free jazz and King Tubby. He had an encyclopaedic
knowledge of classical literature, his conversation was dazzling and baffling. He died far too soon. Reekie died 15 Jun 2010 aged 48. RIP.
HISTORIAN AWARDED BOOK OF THE YEAR
Congratulations to Donald Worster following his Book of the Year Award for his biography A Passion for Nature: The Life of John Muir. The academic and historian will pick up his prize of £30,000 in recognition of the significance of his biography, which positions Muir as a national icon for Scotland and a figure of global significance for his concern about the environment.
24 Jun–8 Jul 2010 THE LIST 7