list.co.uk/books Friday 29
Edinburgh Guid Crack Club Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. 7.30pm. £3 suggested donation. Regular storytelling club. Host Noel Cochrane and his daughter Marie Louise Cochrane lead a night of tales for journeying. Caesura The White Horse, 266 Canongate, 557 3512. 8pm. Tickets by donation. A night of poetry and spoken word, with performances from slam champion Kevin Cadwallander, Peter Manson (famed for his translations of Mallarmé), Iain Morrison and Michael Q Black, and hosted by Graeme Smith.
Anstruther ✽ Richard Holloway: A Personal Pilgrimage Kilrenny
Church, Kilrenny, 0131 473 2000, eastneukfestival.com. 2.30pm. £10. Former bishop Richard Holloway reads from and discusses his memoir. See panel. Part of East Neuk Festival.
Saturday 30
Glasgow FREE National Reading Group Day Mitchell Library, North Street, 287 2999. 2pm. Alex Gray talks about her writing, and there’s discussion of which books deserve a place on every Scottish bookshelf. Register by emailing bookgroups@glasgowlife.org.uk. Edinburgh FREE National Reading Group Day: Sara Sheridan Central Library, 7–9 George IV Bridge, 242 8100. 11am. Sara Sheridan discusses her debut 1950s crime novel. Booking essential.
E B A C C M N N O M A E
Crail ✽ Richard Mabey: Writing the Natural World Crail Parish Church,
Marketgate North, 0131 473 2000, eastneukfestival.com. 2.30pm. £10. Richard Mabey’s latest book Weeds: A Cultural History explores the insulted and injured of the plant world. He discusses his passion for nature and for writing with Richard Holloway. See panel. Part of East Neuk Festival.
Monday 2 Edinburgh FREE Blackwell Book Quiz Blackwells, 53–59 South Bridge, 622 8201. 5.45pm. Test your literary credentials in teams of up to five. FREE Edinburgh Creative Writers Pulp Fiction, 43 Bread Street, 229 4444. 7pm. See Mon 25.
Tuesday 3
Edinburgh FREE Nuruddin Farah Word Power Bookshop, 43 West Nicolson Street, 662 9112. 6.30pm. The prolific political author discusses Crossbones, his new novel exploring piracy and conflict in Somalia.
Wednesday 4
Glasgow Word Play Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, 552 4267. 8.30pm. £2. Celebrating USA Independence Day with a feast of concrete poetry, including some open mic opportunities. Edinburgh FREE Tom Devine: The Scotland Trilogy Blackwells, 53–59 South Bridge, 622 8222. 6pm. Scottish historian Tom Devine is in conversation with Owen Dudley Edwards.
Thursday 5 Glasgow FREE Unwind with a Book Glasgow Women’s Library, Mitchell Library, 15 Berkeley Street, 248 9969. Noon. See Thu 21.
EAST NEUK FESTIVAL Various venues, East Neuk, Fife, Wed 27 Jun–Sun 1 Jul
While the East Neuk Festival across the wonderful landscapes of Fife is heavily focused on classical music (it developed into its current form after the Scottish Chamber Orchestra played some summer concerts in the area), the event has spread its wings. As well as exhibitions, films, installations and guided walks, the literary programme for 2012 is highly impressive. In Kilrenny Church, Kathleen Jamie (pictured) and Sara Maitland (Thu
28 Jun) will be discussing ‘Nature Around Us’. Jamie’s follow-up to the hugely acclaimed Findings is this year’s Sightlines which takes her further afield and finds her getting annoyed at people who insist that all nature is loveliness personified: ‘It’s not all primroses and otters’, she implores. Maitland’s last non-fiction affair was 2008’s A Book of Silence, an arresting exploration into solitude and stillness which involved her experimenting with Zen meditation, flotation tanks and a week in the Sinai Desert. Maitland will also be on hand at Kellie Castle the previous day to
talk about the 200th anniversary of the first Brothers Grimm fairy tale. Meanwhile, Andrew Greig and Tom Pow (Thu 28 Jun) pop into Anstruther’s Smugglers Inn Hotel to chat about ‘The Coast and the Villages’. If you’re lucky, there might even be a song thrown in. Back at Kilrenny Church, Richard Holloway (Fri 29 Jun) reflects on how he got to where he is philosophically today, while Richard Mabey (Sat 30 Jun) is joined by the former Bishop of Edinburgh at Crail Parish Church to chew some fat about nature, writing and the point where those two meet. (Brian Donaldson) ■ eastneukfestival.com
Taigh Ceilidh Ghlaschu Argyll Hotel, 973 Sauchiehall Street, 337 3313. 7.30pm. £2 (£1). See Thu 21.
Edinburgh ✽ FREE Janice Galloway Central Library, 7–9 George IV Bridge, 242 8100. 6.30pm. The writer is in conversation with Scotsman literary editor David Robinson, discussing her new autobiography, All Made Up. Booking essential. FREE Sarah Fraser: The Last Highlander Blackwells, 53–59 South Bridge, 622 8222. 6.30pm. Biographer Sarah Fraser tells stories of Lord Lovat, a double-agent and spy who was one of the most famous supporters of Bonnie Prince Charlie. Literary Pub Quiz Golf Tavern, 30–31 Wright’s Houses, 221 5221. 7.30pm. £10 per team. Bring out your best book knowledge for this quiz to celebrate Independent Booksellers Week, in teams of up to five.
Friday 6
Edinburgh ✽ RBS Museum Talks: Dava Sobel National Museum of Scotland,
Chambers Street, 0300 123 6789. 6.30pm. £6 (£5). Dava Sobel, author of international bestseller Longitude, talks with Professor John C Brown, astronomer royal for Scotland, and Dr John C Taylor.
Monday 9
Edinburgh FREE Edinburgh Creative Writers Pulp Fiction, 43 Bread Street, 229 4444. 7pm. See Mon 25.
Tuesday 10 Edinburgh FREE 365 Ways to Get You Writing With Jane Cooper Blackwells, 53–59 South Bridge, 622 8222. 6pm. Jane Cooper leads an evening of creative writing, providing inspiration and advice for tackling
EVENTS Books
writers’ block. Bring a notebook and a pen. The School of Poets Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate, 557 2876. 6pm. £2. Monthly workshop- type poetry session aiming to encourage and develop writing skills. Wednesday 11
Glasgow FREE Cracking On: Picnic Poetry An Clachan, Off La Belle Place, 07846 463614. Noon. A picnic and some poetry, versifying the positive sides of ageing with a line-up of prominent poets. Bring or buy a sandwich and meet on the back green of An Clachan café in Kelvingrove Park. Booking essential. Edinburgh Café Voices Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. 7pm. £5. An evening of Scots histories with some of the Young Storytellers of Scotland.
Thursday 12
Glasgow FREE Unwind with a Book Glasgow Women’s Library, Mitchell Library, 15 Berkeley Street, 248 9969. Noon. See Thu 21. Taigh Ceilidh Ghlaschu Argyll Hotel, 973 Sauchiehall Street, 337 3313. 7.30pm. £2 (£1). See Thu 21.
Dundee ✽ FREE A Pound of Flesh Central Library, The Wellgate, 01382
431500. 7pm. Alex Gray, Tony Black and Doug Johnstone band together to talk about their lives as crime writers.
Saturday 14
Glasgow ✽ FREE Mark Millar Book Signing Plan B Books, 55 Parnie
Street, 237 1137. Noon. Award-winning graphic novelist Mark Millar signs copies of his new book, Kick-Ass 2.
Monday 16
Edinburgh FREE Blackwell Book Group Blackwells, 53–59 South Bridge, 622 8222. 6pm. This time the group discusses Emma, Jane Austen’s masterpiece of matchmaking, social economics and self- discovery. FREE Edinburgh Creative Writers Pulp Fiction, 43 Bread Street, 229 4444. 7pm. See Mon 25.
Tuesday 17
Edinburgh FREE Jasper Fforde Waterstone’s West End, 128 Princes Street, 226 2666. 1pm. Signing copies of his latest novel, The Woman who Died a Lot.
Wednesday 18
Glasgow FREE Weegie Wednesdays CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, 352 4900. 7.30pm. Monthly social meet-up for those with a literary inclination to talk about books and publishing. Edinburgh Café Voices Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. 7pm. £5. Fiona Herbert tells irreverent tales of rescue.
Thursday 19
Glasgow FREE Unwind with a Book Glasgow Women’s Library, Mitchell Library, 15 Berkeley Street, 248 9969. Noon. See Thu 21. Taigh Ceilidh Ghlaschu Argyll Hotel, 973 Sauchiehall Street, 337 3313. 7.30pm. £2 (£1). See Thu 21. 21 Jun–19 Jul 2012 THE LIST 55