Books EVENTS
✽✽ FREE Launch of The Poetry Club The Glasgow Art Club, 185
Bath Street, 248 5210. 6.30pm. There couldn’t be a more appropriate day for the launch of this new regular Glasgow poetry meet-up from the organisers of St Mungo’s Mirrorball – it’s National Poetry Day and there’s live readings on offer from Australian poet Chris Wallace- Crabbe and Glaswegian David Kinloch, while Clydebuilt Jazz Ensemble are performing a short selection of poems from their recent collection Spellwinders, with Amy Anderson, Alexander Hutchison, Lorraine McGuire, Gordon McInness, Sam Tongue. Part of Glasgow Poetry Week.
✽✽ FREE Spoken Word in the Den: Memory Mobile The
Bridge, 1000 Westerhouse Road, Easterhouse, 276 9696. 7–9pm. Spoken word speakeasy with host Marc Sherland and a theme of memories, dreams and sleep. Part of Glasgow Poetry Week. Edinburgh FREE National Poetry Day: Games! Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate, 557 2876. 3–6pm. The theme of this year’s national day of virulent versifying is games, so the SPL have got suitably wordy ludic delights such as Scrabble, Cunning Couplets and Poetic Justice lined up, and the kettle on.
North Lanarkshire ✽✽ Words: North Lanarkshire Festival of Books and Writing North Lanarkshire, 01698 372325. Times and prices vary. Today the festival features a special event combining Edinburgh-based writer Ishbel Macfarlane’s train-based storytelling Fringe show with the new Airdrie to Bathgate train line. It’s called Poetry in Motion, of course.
Friday 7
Glasgow ✽✽ FREE Finale of Headspace by Positive Mental Attitudes The
Bridge, 1000 Westerhouse Road, Easterhouse, 276 9696. 6.30–9.30pm. A night of creative wordscapes to round off a week of art making supporting positive thinking and mental wellbeing at The Bridge. Part of Glasgow Poetry Week.
Saturday 8
Glasgow Lost in Digression Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, 552 4267. 8.30pm. £5. An eclectic night for those who have lost their way amid the twists and turns of music, comedy, poetry and storytelling.
Edinburgh FREE Saheliya Quines Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. 2–4pm. An afternoon of story sharing and visual display hosted by the Saheliya women’s mental wellbeing organisation, which has been working with girls to tell their own and others’ stories to do with migration. Part of the Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival. St Andrews Risk a Verse Byre Theatre, Abbey Street, 01334 475000. 7.30pm. £3 (£2). Open mic poetry session organised by StAnza poetry festival, with MC Jim Carruth.
Sunday 9
Glasgow Words Per Minute The Arches, 253 Argyle Street, 565 1000. 4–6pm. £5. Monthly spoken word, music, film and performance night run by Glasgow-based writer-performers Kirsty Logan, Helen Sedgwick and Kirstin Innes.
✽✽ Masque of Poetic Dread Kudos Bar Restaurant, 29 Waterloo Street,
221 1066. 7.30pm. £2. A public 46 THE LIST 22 Sep–20 Oct 2011
masquerade, all attendees are requested to wear a mask and remain incognito as the revolting poets (their words) stage a last hurrah under the watchful eyes of Sheriff Spiteful and MC Grim Reality. Part of Glasgow Poetry Week.
Monday 10
Edinburgh FREE Poems Aloud for Wellbeing Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate, 557 2876. 3–4pm. Bring a favourite cheery, funny or soothing poem, or browse the shelves for inspiration, and share them aloud in good company. Part of the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival. FREE Joseph Pearce’s Book Club Joseph Pearce’s, 23 Elm Row, 556 4140. 8–11pm. Monthly book club in a cosy bar setting.
North Lanarkshire ✽✽ Words: North Lanarkshire Festival of Books and Writing North Lanarkshire, 01698 372325. Times and prices vary. With events from authors Robert Douglas and Isla Dewar.
Tuesday 11
Glasgow FREE Behind the Scenes Mitchell Library, North Street, 287 2999. 2.30pm. Guided tour around the dusty shelves of the largest public reference library in Europe. Booking essential. FREE Allan Wilson: Wasted in Love Waterstone’s, 153–157 Sauchiehall Street, 332 9105. 6–8pm. Young Glasgow writer Wilson launches a new collection of short stories.
Edinburgh Going to the Well: Ancient Stories of Health and Healing Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. 7–8.45pm. £6 (£4). Storytelling by Ruth Kirkpatrick and David Campbell based around themes of dreams, healing and journeys, followed by a Q&A session. Part of the Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival. Electric Tales The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £5 (£4). A blended mix of comedy and storytelling, making for a chilled night of funny yarns and verse told by Siân Bevan, Susan Morrison and guests with the sole aim of cheering you up.
North Lanarkshire ✽✽ Words: North Lanarkshire Festival of Books and Writing North Lanarkshire, 01698 372325. Times and prices vary. Tonight’s event is a Gaelic special with Martainn an t-Saoir.
Wednesday 12
Edinburgh FREE PlayGroup Traverse Theatre, Cambridge Street, 228 1404. 11.30am–1.30pm. Script discussion group with sessions taking place before matinee performances of plays related to those being discussed (and discounted tickets for members). Email Jennifer Williams for more information or to get involved. The group discusses Slope by Pamela Carter, a recent production by Untitled Projects, whose new theatre event, The Salon Project, begins its run at the Trav today.
North Lanarkshire ✽✽ Words: North Lanarkshire Festival of Books and Writing North Lanarkshire, 01698 372325. Times
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and prices vary. An evening of Urdo poetry at Bellshill Cultural Centre. Thursday 13
Glasgow Paul Cuddihy Discussion and Signing Waterstone’s, 153–157 Sauchiehall Street, 332 9105. 6–8pm. £2. A discussion and signing of the author’s gripping new novel, The Hunted.
Edinburgh ✽✽ West Port Book Festival Various venues, West Port area,
westportbookfestival.org Times and prices vary. Squeeze yourself into a space in one of West Port’s lively, atmospheric second- hand and independent bookshops for this four-day celebration of one of Edinburgh’s quirkiest areas and a haven for bibliomaniacs. In fact this year they’ve even spread their wings to take in the Traverse Theatre, the Scottish Poetry Library and pubs and church halls around the city. The programme includes everything from bookbinding workshops to a World War II tea dance, with Gaelic fiction showcases, pub sessions, flash fiction, audio trails, discussions on copywright and plenty of cake along the way. See below for selected listings, or online for full programme.
✽✽ FREE TraVerses Open Mic Traverse Theatre, Cambridge Street,
228 1404. 9pm. Poetry open mic night where anyone is welcome to come and read for five minutes. Part of West Port Book Festival.
North Lanarkshire ✽✽ Words: North Lanarkshire Festival of Books and Writing North Lanarkshire, 01698 372325. Times and prices vary. James Robertson, author of And the Land Lay Still, speaks at Motherwell Library on the relationship between fiction and history.
Friday 14
Glasgow Richard Morgan Discussion and Signing Waterstone’s, 153–157 Sauchiehall Street, 332 9105. 5.30pm. £2. Fantasy author Morgan discusses and signs copies of his new book, Cold Commands, about the ongoing adventures of Ringil Eskiath with his trusty broadsword, Ravensfriend.
Edinburgh ✽✽ West Port Book Festival Various venues, West Port area,
westportbookfestival.org Times and prices vary. See Thu 13. Café Voices: Dreams, Sleep and Memories Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. 7–9pm. £4. A relaxed evening of storytelling, poetry and song organised by the Connecting Voices project. This time around there’s a focus on dreams and memories, and host poet Donny O’Rourke. Part of the Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival.
Saturday 15
Glasgow Fighting Fascism, Fighting Franco: Scottish Volunteers for Spanish Freedom, 1936–2011 Mitchell Library, North Street, 287 2999. Times tbc. £tbc. A day of film, music and poetry to mark 75 years since the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, a conflict that motivated young people from around the world, including Scotland, to travel to Spain and support their liberal counterparts in the fight against General Franco. Speakers include Jackie Kay, Mike Arnott and Daniel Gray. Full details still tbc at time of going to press, see the Mitchell Library website for information. Edinburgh West Port Book Festival Various venues, West Port area,
westportbookfestival.org Times and prices vary. See Thu 13.
✽✽ FREE TraVerses Playwrights as Poets Traverse Theatre, Cambridge Street, 228 1404. 9pm. Playwrights connected with the Trav – David Greig, Peter Arnott and Linda McLean included – share their poetic secrets. Open mic slots are available too. Part of the West Port Book Festival.
Sunday 16
Edinburgh ✽✽ West Port Book Festival Various venues, West Port area,
westportbookfestival.org Times and prices vary. See Thu 13.
Monday 17
North Lanarkshire ✽✽ Words: North Lanarkshire Festival of Books and Writing North Lanarkshire, 01698 372325. Times and prices vary. J David Simons discusses recent sophomore effort The Liberation of Celia Kahn at Wishaw Library, while Dennis Canavan appears at Airdrie Library.
Tuesday 18
North Lanarkshire ✽✽ Words: North Lanarkshire Festival of Books and Writing North Lanarkshire, 01698 372325. Times and prices vary. With appearances from Neil Forsyth, aka the creator of The List’s own agony uncle Bob Servant, and graphic god and Kick Ass creator Mark Millar.
Wednesday 19
Glasgow ✽✽ Tariq Ali Mitchell Library, North Street, 353 8000. 6–7pm. £8 (£6). A
discussion on the UK economy, Middle Eastern uprisings, European protests and the future of Scotland from a uniquely engaging speaker. Tickets via Glasgow Concert Halls box office. FREE Weegie Wednesdays The Universal, 57–59 Sauchiehall Lane, 332 8899. 7.30pm. Monthly forum offering writers, poets, publishers, booksellers, librarians, creative writing students or anyone else with a literary interest the chance to get together socially to talk about books and publishing.
North Lanarkshire ✽✽ Words: North Lanarkshire Festival of Books and Writing North Lanarkshire, 01698 372325. Times and prices vary. Paul Cuddihy discusses new novel The Hunted, the sequel to 2010’s lauded Saints and Sinners.
Thursday 20
Glasgow Shari Low Talk & Signing Waterstone’s, 153–157 Sauchiehall Street, 332 9105. 6pm. £2. Journalist and novelist Low discusses Friday Night with the Girls, a twentysomething fiction of cocktails, heartbreak and high heels.
Edinburgh David Dondero and James McKay Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. 8–10pm. £7 in advance; £8 on the door. Narrative, folky, singer songwriter who so impressed Conor ‘Bright Eyes’ Oberst that the alt.folk god snapped him up for his own Team Love label. With support from from UK poet and songwriter McKay.
North Lanarkshire ✽✽ Words: North Lanarkshire Festival of Books and Writing North Lanarkshire, 01698 372325. Times and prices vary. Glasgow literary cabaret DisComBoBuLatE comes to the festival with performances from organisers Magi Gibson and Alan Bissett, comedian Ian Macpherson and a host of special guests.