Books EVENTS
EVENTS Events are listed by date, then city. Submit listings at least ten days before publication to books@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Laura Ennor.
Thursday 16
Glasgow FREE Glasgow Launch of Causeway/Cabhsai CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, 352 4900. 7–8.30pm. Launch of a new magazine of Scottish and Irish writing coordinated by the University of Aberdeen, combined with a midwinter celebration for the Scottish Writers’ Centre.
Edinburgh ✽✽ Phill Jupitus and Ian Rankin The Voodoo Rooms, 19a West
Register Street, 447 1917. 7.30pm. £5. The panellist, DJ and comedian talks to author Ian Rankin about his new book, Good Morning Nantwich: Adventures in Breakfast Radio. FREE Edinburgh Skeptics The Bongo Club, Moray House, 37 Holyrood Road, 558 7604. 8pm. Opportunity for rational thinkers to meet and discuss all things sceptical. This time, the Skeptics give their take on the Christmas Nativity.
Friday 17 Edinburgh Tales for a Winter Evening Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. 7pm. £8 (£6). Clare McNicol, Donald Smith and the appropriately named Heather Yule lead a cosy evening of songs, stories and music.
Phill Jupitus and Ian Rankin The Essex-based Never Mind the Buzzcocks guy meets the Edinburgh-residing author who gave Scottish crime writing a bestselling shot in the arm to discuss the former’s memoir, Good Morning Nantwich: Adventures in Breakfast Radio. The book tells of Jupitus’ career shift from full-time comic to breakfast DJ, with all the anti-social early rises and incessant chirpiness which that role demands. ■ The Voodoo Rooms, Edinburgh, Thu 16 Dec.
Tuesday 21
Edinburgh ✽✽ FREE The Shortest Story Day The Canon’s Gait, 232 Canongate, 556 4481. 6pm. Join Rodge Glass, Alan Spence and James Robertson in the cosy surroundings of the Canon’s Gait for pint-
5 BEST
BOOKS OF 2010 Justin Halpern Most often, the noises emanating from Twitter are akin to the pumpfire blurted from the groaning anus of Satan, but almost unbelievably, the odd gem is in there if you care to check. Occasionally, some forward- thinking publisher might save us that bother by throwing together a collection of tweets and this is exactly the story with Shit My Dad Says. The funniest book of the year is essentially the scatological espousings of Sam Halpern, cranky dad of US journo Justin. And now a TV show with William Shatner playing the potty-mouthed pop. Boxtree, July. Allan Brown The story of the Blue Nile is one of glacially-paced recording schedules, thwarted ambition and cult fandom. And it’s all there in Nileism, journalist and author Allan Brown’s insightful and addictive elegy. Polygon, December.
Rebecca Hunt Winston Churchill’s depressive black dog comes magnificently to life in debutant Rebecca Hunt’s novel, Mr Chartwell, in which the gangly hound stalks both the iconic leader and a House of Commons clerk. Fig Tree, October. Christopher Hitchens Given that Christopher Hitchens’ days are now numbered, the release of this year’s memoir, Hitch-22, was certainly timely. A typically erudite and polemical read, you might not agree with every word, but you can only admire the guy’s style and wit. Atlantic, June.
Kevin MacNeil One of the most down-the-line enjoyable fiction reads of the year, the Stornoway scribe’s A Method Actor’s Guide to Jekyll and Hyde featured an aspiring thespian involved in a theatre production of the RLS classic while going slightly off the rails. Polygon, August. (Brian Donaldson)
inspirational city for writers. Thursday 6
sized tales, drinks of similar proportions, and good craic. Wednesday 22
Edinburgh FREE Havers and Blethers Captains Bar, 4 South College Street. 6–7.30pm. A spoken word show where performers get just five minutes to show off their talents, interspersed with live traditional music. Among the authors showing off their specially-written festive words are Gavin Inglis, Rosie Bell, Andrew Ferguson and Juliet Wilson. Paisley FREE Glenburn Girls Book Launch and Celebration Glenburn Library, Fairway Avenue, 248 9969. 3.30–4.30pm. Launch of the first print endeavour from a group of women from Paisley, who began meeting to share and work on their writing in January 2010. The book is available on the day, and at libraries around Renfrewshire.
Friday 31
Edinburgh The Guid Crack Club: Hogmanay Waverley Bar, 1 St Mary’s Street, 557 1050. 7.30–10pm. By donation (suggested £3). A special edition of the storytelling club for Hogmanay. See out the old year with tales and plenty of the eponymous merriment from Jack Martin and friends.
Saturday 1
Edinburgh ✽✽ FREE New Year Haikus Royal Scottish Academy, The Mound, 225
6671. 1–6pm. As part of the New Year’s Day events taking place around the Royal Scottish Academy on the Mound, specially commissioned haikus from writers including Don Paterson, AL Kennedy, Jackie Kay and Ron Butlin are being screened on the outside of the building.
✽✽ A New Year’s Day Conversation National Gallery of
Then I saw her face. Now I’m a believer.
www.list.co.uk/i-saw-you 50 THE LIST 16 Dec 2010 – 6 Jan 2011
Scotland, The Mound, 624 6200. 2–3.15pm. £10. See off that Hogmanay hangover with a bit of literary discussion between two of Scotland’s best-loved crime writers: Ian Rankin and Lin Anderson. In particular, they’ll be talking about Edinburgh’s important role as an Glasgow FREE Poetry Discussion Group Mitchell Library, North Street, 287 2999. 6pm. Lively and informal discussions of poetry on the first Thursday of every month.