Neu! Reekie! Festival Showcase The avant-garde arts umbrella presents a special two-night bill with appearances from author/stand-up Des Dillon (pictured), Aisle 16 guy Ross Sutherland and clever verse-slinger Kevin Cadwallender while there will be film contributions from Torsten Lauschmann and Ewan Morrison. Tickets from Elvis Shakespeare on Leith Walk. ■ Scottish Book Trust, Edinburgh, Fri 26 & Sat 27 Aug
Books 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 25
Glasgow ✽✽ FREE New Writing Scotland Discussion Waterstone’s, 153–157 Sauchiehall Street, 332 9105. 6.30–8pm. The latest edition launches with Alan Bissett and Carl MacDougall.
Edinburgh FREE Edinburgh Book Fringe Word Power Bookshop, 43 West Nicolson Street, 662 9112. 1pm & 2.30pm. Events with Helen Zaltzman and Olly Mann and Shetland author Neil Butler. Derek Wilson: Divine Light, The Story of the King James Bible City Art Centre, 2 Market Street, 529 3963. 1.30–2.30pm. Exhibition admission £5 (£3.50), talk is included. FREE Canongate Pop Up Shop 20 Queensferry Street, 2–6pm. Sofas, cakes and books, with author events at 5.30pm. FREE BookMachine Edinburgh The Cambridge Bar, 20 Young Street, 226 2120. 6.30pm. A drinks social for book lovers and people involved in publishing.
Friday 26
Glasgow FREE Seeds of Thought CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, 352 4900. 7.30pm. Live performance and open mic night.
Edinburgh ✽✽ FREE Colm Tóibín Edinburgh Art Festival Pavilion, St Andrew’s Square, edinburghartfestival.com 1pm. Colm Tóibín reads from a new story. FREE Canongate Pop Up Shop 20 Queensferry Street, 2–6pm. See Thu 25.
✽✽ Neu! Reekie! Festival Showcase Scottish Book Trust,
Sandeman House, Trunks Close, 55 High Street, 524 0160. 7–10pm. £5 (£4); both shows £7 (£6). See caption, right. Guid Crack Club Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. 7.30pm. £3 suggested donation. Storytelling club.
Saturday 27
Edinburgh FREE Canongate Pop Up Shop 20 Queensferry Street, 2–6pm. See Thu 25.
✽✽ Neu! Reekie! Festival Showcase Scottish Book Trust,
Sandeman House, Trunks Close, 55 High Street, 524 0160. 7–10pm. £5 (£4); both shows £7 (£6). Poetry, a film from writer Ewan Morrison and music.
Sunday 28 Edinburgh The Road North The Hub, Castlehill Royal Mile, 473 2000. Noon–1pm. £6. Ken Cockburn and Alec Finlay discuss a poetic journey.
Monday 29
Edinburgh FREE Waterstone’s Book Quiz Waterstone’s George St, 83 George Street, 225 3436. 6pm. Win vouchers and more.
Tuesday 30
Glasgow FREE Peter Robinson: Before the Poison Waterstone’s, 153–157 Sauchiehall Street, 332 9105. 6–8pm. The author of the DCI Banks books launches a morbid new novel.
Thursday 1
Glasgow ✽✽ FREE Alan Bissett: Pack Men Waterstone’s, 153–157 Sauchiehall
84 THE LIST 25 Aug–22 Sep 2011
Street, 332 9105. 6.30–8pm. See interview, page 82. Friday 2
Glasgow ✽✽ FREE John Connolly: The Burning Soul Waterstone’s,
153–157 Sauchiehall Street, 332 9105. 6–8pm. Launch of a new mystery.
Saturday 3
Edinburgh ✽✽ FREE John Connolly: The Burning Soul Waterstone’s West
End, 128 Princes Street, 332 9105. 12.30–1.30pm. See Fri 2.
Falkirk FREE Alan Bissett: Pack Men Waterstone’s, 119–121 High Street, 0843 290 8327. Noon–1pm. See Thu 1.
Monday 5
Glasgow FREE Derek Landy: Death Bringer Waterstone’s, 153–157 Sauchiehall Street, 332 9105. 6–8pm. See Sun 4. Edinburgh FREE Blackwell Book Quiz Blackwells, 53–59 South Bridge, 622 8201. 6pm. Teams of up to five members.
Tuesday 6
Milngavie ✽✽ Milngavie Book and Arts Festival Various venues, 0141 956 4252. Times and prices vary. The fourth annual festival features James Robertson, Sally Magnusson, Postman Pat and Chris Brookmyre. milngaviefestival.org.uk
Wednesday 7
Glasgow Word Play Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, 552 4267. 8pm. £2. Open mic night.
Milngavie ✽✽ Milngavie Book and Arts Festival Various venues, 0141 956 4252. Times and prices vary. See Tue 6.
Monday 12
Glasgow Robert Douglas: Staying on Past the Terminus Mitchell Library, North Street, 353 8000. 6pm. £5 (£3). Douglas launches his latest novel. Tickets via the Royal Concert Hall box office. Edinburgh FREE In Conversation on Banned Books National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, 623 3918. 6pm. Leading academic and religious figures lead a discussion about censorship. FREE Joseph Pearce’s Book Club Joseph Pearce’s, 23 Elm Row, 556 4140. 8–11pm. Monthly book club in a cosy bar setting.
Tuesday 13
Edinburgh Electric Tales The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £5 (£4). A blended mix of comedy and storytelling.
Wednesday 14 Glasgow FREE Glasgow Poetry Book Group CCA Terrace Bar, 350 Sauchiehall Street, poetrybookgroup@hotmail.co.uk. 7.30pm. Two Flarestack Poets pamphlets by Selima Hill and Mario Petrucci are up for discussion.
Edinburgh Café Voices Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. 7–9pm. £4. Storytelling, poetry and music with a travel theme. Thursday 15
Glasgow FREE Gergely Nagy Scottish Writers’ Centre, CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, scottishwriterscentre.org.uk 7pm. Hungarian journalist, editor, and bass guitarist Nagy discusses his work.
Saturday 17 Edinburgh FREE Blackwell Book Group Blackwells, 53–59 South Bridge, 622 8222. 6pm. The group turns its attention to To Kill a Mockingbird.
Tuesday 20 Edinburgh FREE Fee-paying Schools of Edinburgh National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, 623 3918. 6pm. Alasdair Roberts discusses his book on local private boys’ schools.
Thursday 8
Glasgow FREE Stephen McGinty: Camp Z Langside Library, 2 Sinclair Drive, 632 0810. 1–2pm. Stephen McGinty discusses his book on the secret plotting of Hitler’s deputy Rudolf Hess.
✽✽ An Evening with Janice Galloway Mitchell Library, North
Street, 353 8000. 6–7pm. £5 (£3). See Festival Q&A, page 21.
✽✽ DisComBoBuLatE presents Ireland’s Greatest Living
Genius: The Book Launch CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, 352 4900. 8pm. £3. Ian Macpherson, who has just spent 15 years editing Fiachra MacFiach’s memoir, reads extracts from the work.
Milngavie ✽✽ Milngavie Book and Arts Festival Various venues, 0141 956 4252. Times and prices vary. See Tue 6.
Friday 9 Wednesday 21
Milngavie ✽✽ Milngavie Book and Arts Festival Various venues, 0141 956 4252. Times and prices vary. See Tue 6.
Saturday 10
Glasgow Ceol’s Craic Celebrates Sorley MacLean CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, 352 4900. 6pm. £8 (£5). Glasgow’s Gaelic culture social honours the MacLean legacy.
Milngavie ✽✽ Milngavie Book and Arts Festival Various venues, 0141 956 4252. Times and prices vary. See Tue 6.
Stirling Off the Page Various venues, 01786 432383. Until Sat 17 Sep. Times and prices vary. Stirling libraries’ book festival is a week of fun featuring the likes of Chris Brookmyre, Haunted Stirling, Cathy Cassidy, Gavin Francis, Mark Billingham and Gruffalo workshops. See stirling.gov.uk/offthepage for full details.
Glasgow FREE Weegie Wednesdays The Universal, 57–59 Sauchiehall Lane, 332 8899. 7.30pm. Monthly discussion forum for anyone interested in books and publishing. Edinburgh FREE Discovering Family History at NLS National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, 623 3918. 10am. Practical research workshop.
Thursday 22
Glasgow FREE Christopher Wallace Discussion and Signing Waterstone’s, 153–157 Sauchiehall Street, 332 9105. 6–8pm. Wallace discusses and signs copies of Killing the Messenger. Edinburgh FREE DD Johnston: Peace, Love and Petrol Bombs Waterstone’s West End, 128 Princes Street, 226 2666. 6pm. Launch of a witty debut about a disaffected Scottish burger flipper.