Books EVENTS list.co.uk/books
COMIC
SUPERHEROES CHUCK DIXON, DOUG MOENCH & VARIOUS Batman: Knightfall Vol 1 (DC/Titan) ●●●●●
Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight Rises is one of the most anticipated blockbusters of 2012. Not only will we get Anne Hathaway as Catwoman but Tom Hardy stars as brutal criminal Bane. To film fans, Bane is a bit of an unknown quantity, but comics fans know him as one of the Caped Crusader’s most vicious enemies.
It was the epic Knightfall where he first made his mark and became ‘the man who broke the Bat’. Knowing Nolan’s revisionist
nature, only the bare bones of the concepts behind Bane will make it into The Dark Knight Rises, but it’s still fascinating to see his origins. A super-villain powered by a super-steroid called Venom, Bane isn’t your typical meat-head: he’s a master strategist, fully prepared to play dirty, releasing all the prisoners from Arkham Asylum as his opening gambit. Batman is worn down as he battles his way through all his old adversaries, going up against Two-Face, Joker, Scarecrow and more in quick succession, before Bane swings in for the coup de grâce.
Comics in the 90s were full of cheap gimmicks and Knightfall is no exception; the writing here is often trashy, pulpy nonsense and the art fluctuates wildly (only Kelley Jones’ cover art really shines). But it’s a full-on action spectacular with hardly any time to draw breath between each Bat-villain encounter, and a helluva lot of fun. The comic’s sheer scale steamrollers any flaws, resulting in an exhilarating romp with nearly every insane crook Batman has ever fought. (Henry Northmore)
ALSO PUBLISHED BIOGRAPHY
It’s a year since Amy Winehouse (pictured) joined the ill-fated 27 Club, so it was somehow inevitable that the story of her largely miserable short life would be out round about now. The fact that proceeds will be heading to a charitable foundation to help young people suffering from addiction, disability and ill-health certainly softens the blow inflicted by reports of her dad contacting psychics to chat with his dead girl. If you fancy a slice of this, then Mitch Winehouse’s Amy, My Daughter (HarperCollins) tells the tale from his perspective, pointing the finger at those who he felt let her down badly.
With an election looming, the US public will let their president know whether he has lived up to the hype over the past four years (how could that even be possible?). Given the Republican opposition, there is almost no chance that David Maraniss’ Barack Obama: The Story (Bantam) will stand as a political obituary come November. One vote Obama can surely count on is from the lifelong Democrat supporter known as The Boss. Marc Dolan’s Bruce Springsteen and the Promise of Rock and Roll (Norton) is a largely academic study which analyses his journey, album-by-album.
Dead American icons are tackled in a pair of biogs. Raymond Chandler: A Mysterious Something in the Light (Aurum) by Tom Williams is a thorough exploration of the writer who defined modern crime fiction, and draws on rare interviews and unpublished letters to shed some light on this elusive figure. The mysteries of Norma Jeane Baker’s life may never be solved but there will always be millions of pictures to focus on instead. Cindy De La Hoz’s Marilyn Remembered (Carlton) goes for the pictorial angle and will be a lavish addition to any fan’s coffee table collection. (Brian Donaldson)
42 THE LIST 19 Jul–2 Aug 2012
EVENTS Events are listed by date, then city. Submit listings at least 16 days before publication to books@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Charlotte Runcie. ✽ Indicates Hitlist entry
Thursday 19
Glasgow FREE Unwind with a Book Glasgow Women’s Library, Mitchell Library, 15 Berkeley Street, 248 9969. Noon–2pm. Friendly, women-only reading group. Edinburgh Edinburgh Literary Pub Tour Meet outside the Beehive Inn, 18 Grassmarket, edinburghliterarypubtour.co.uk. 7.30– 9.30pm daily. £10 (£8). A lively, book- themed pub crawl, commencing daily from the Grassmarket.
Friday 20
Glasgow FREE The Better Crack Club Tchai- Ovna House of Tea, 42 Otago Lane, 357 4524. 8pm. Regular storytelling club. Edinburgh FREE Leith Time Bank Leith Library, 28–30 Ferry Road, 529 5517. 1–4pm. A 1930s-style 80th birthday party for Leith Library. Fairy Lore: Creatures of the Other World Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. 7.30pm. £8 (£6). An enchanted night of storytelling with harp music and song.
Saturday 21
Glasgow FREE Graham Blamire Central Library, 7-9 George IV Bridge, 467 5200. 11am–12.30pm. Jazz bassist Blamire launches his new book, Edinburgh Jazz Enlightenment. Booking essential.
Monday 23 Edinburgh FREE Edinburgh Creative Writers Pulp Fiction, 43 Bread Street, 229 4444. 7–9.30pm. Social meet-up for writers.
Tuesday 24
Edinburgh FREE Inky Fingers Open Mic Negociants, 45–47 Lothian Street, 225 6313. 8–11pm. Open mic night for spoken word and performance poetry. With appearances from Richard Tyrone Jones and Sarah Stewart. Email ahead (inkyfingersedinburgh@gmail. com) to secure your chance to perform. Wednesday 25
Edinburgh ✽ FREE John Connolly Waterstone’s West End, 128 Princes Street, 226
2666. 12.30pm. John Connolly signs copies of new novel The Wrath of Angels. Café Voices Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. 7–9pm. £5. A relaxed session of poetry, storytelling and song, with folk tales from Bob Pegg.
Thursday 26 Glasgow FREE Unwind with a Book Glasgow Women’s Library, Mitchell Library, 15 Berkeley Street, 248 9969. Noon–2pm. See Thu 19.
Edinburgh ✽ FREE ‘Jesus Was a Scotsman’: The Anniversary of the New
Testament in Scots National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, 623 3918. 6pm. Discussion celebrating the 30th anniversary of the first ‘public airing’ of William Lorimer’s translation of the New Testament into Scots.
✽ Denise Mina: Gods & Beasts Waterstone’s West End, 128 Princes
Street, 226 2666. 6pm. £2 (redeemable against a copy of the book on the night). The crime writer reads from and signs copies of her latest book. See profile on list.co.uk. The Tinker & the Student Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. 6–8.30pm. £8 (£4). Launch of a new biography og storyteller Duncan Williamson. With song, music and dance. Ages 12+. FREE A Handbook of Scotland’s Wild Harvests Blackwells, 53–59 South Bridge, 622 8222. 6pm. Hone your foraging abilities and learn wild food recipes with Fi Martynoga.
Friday 27
Glasgow FREE Waterstones Relaunch Weekend Waterstones, 174 Argyle Street, 248 4814. Times vary. A three-day celebration of Waterstones on Argyle Street’s post-refit re-opening, with kids’ activities, fancy dress and an interactive craft session with Make It Glasgow on Friday at 3pm. On Saturday evening there’s a literary quiz with a local author acting as quizmaster (£2 entry for a team of four, with proceeds going to Maggie’s Trust), and lots more events and activities on offer across the weekend. Until Sun 29. Edinburgh Guid Crack Club Waverley Bar, 1 St Mary’s Street, 557 1050. 7.30pm. Suggested donation £3. Regular storytelling club involving song and music, with Andy Hunter. Accompanied young adults welcome. FREE Skepticamp: Edinburgh Skeptics Fringe Previews Counting House, West Nicolson Street, 667 7533. 8pm–midnight. An evening of various short skeptical talks, videos and events, with open mic spots available.
Saturday 28
Glasgow ✽ FREE 1001 Comics: Who Are The Geniuses Who Transformed
Comics Forever? CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, 352 4900. 3pm. A talk on some of the most influential graphic novelists throughout history, by comic boffin Paul Gravett.
Edinburgh ✽ Robert Burns in Song and Story Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45
High Street, 556 9579. 10.30am–4.30pm. £36. An introduction to Burns’ life and work, and its contemporary relevance. FREE My Favourite Place: Workshop Central Library, 7-9 George IV Bridge, 524 0170. 11am. Writing workshop led by Ryan Van Winkle. Booking essential.
Monday 30 Edinburgh FREE Edinburgh Creative Writers Pulp Fiction, 43 Bread Street, 229 4444. 7–9.30pm. See Mon 23.
Tuesday 31
Glasgow FREE Reading the Leaves Tchai- Ovna House of Tea, 42 Otago Lane, 357 4524. 8pm. Join guest writers for an evening of poetry and creative writing. Edinburgh FREE Scottish Poetry Library Poetry Workshop Hemma, 75 Holyrood Road, 629 3327. 6–8pm. New informal poetry workshopping session for writers of any age and level of experience, which it’s hoped will become a regular event with occasional special guests stopping by.
Thursday 2 Glasgow FREE Unwind with a Book Glasgow Women’s Library, Mitchell Library, 15 Berkeley Street, 248 9969. Noon–2pm. See Thu 19.