Books EVENTS
Dunfermline Robert Henryson Conference Carnegie Hall, East Port, 01383 831076. 2–5pm. £5. A day of events celebrating Henryson, featuring David Greig considering the poet’s influence on Scottish theatre. Part of Fife BookFest.
Tuesday 2
Glasgow FREE Book Launch: Colin Will – The Propriety of Weeding Committee Room No. 9, 18 John Street, 553 2490/ 0845 1666035. 7–11pm. Launch of a new collection, with guest readers and an open mic. Part of Glas- goes Poetic. Edinburgh FREE Brent Weeks Waterstones West End, 128 Princes Street, 226 2666. 6pm. Reading and signing from the Lightbringer fantasy trilogy author.
Wednesday 3 Glasgow Electric Tales Rose and Grants, 27 Trongate, Merchant City, 553 0501. 7.30pm. £8. A blended mix of comedy and storytelling. Part of Glasgay, Glasgow Cabaret Festival.
W I N S T U F F
WIN DAVID SHRIGLEY BOOKS Uber-talented artist/musician/ man about town David Shrigley has
a new book out on Thu 4 Oct entitled How are you Feeling?: At the Centre of the Inside of The Human Brain’s Mind. As you might expect, it’s filled with fascinating, keenly observed (and downright funny) illustrations from Shriggle’s unique mental interior. Fancy winning yourself a copy? Then haste ye along to list.co.uk/offers where we have three to give away. For more Shrigley goodness, see our autumn preview, page 26, and our Shrigley interview on list.co.uk.
WIN ELSEWHERE BOOKS
Cargo Publishing’s latest project is a massive collaborative effort with US publisher McSweeney’s involving four books and 50 authors, including Alasdair Gray, Roddy Doyle, Julia Donaldson and Joan Lingard. The collection is being launched in eight cities on Wed 26 Sep, but you can win yourself one of three box sets of all four books over at list.co.uk/offers. HOW TO ENTER
Visit list.co.uk/offers. Closing date for competitions is Wed 17 Oct. There is no cash alternative. Usual List rules apply.
48 THE LIST 20 Sep–18 Oct 2012
Thursday 4 Edinburgh FREE Don’t Mention This to Anyone Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. 2–3pm. Tessa Ransford launches her new book. FREE Porty Poetry Bash Portobello Library, 14 Rosefield Avenue, Portobello, 529 5558. 7–9pm. Big-style community celebration of National Poetry Day, with comic poet Robin Cairns and a friendly open mic. Email portobello.library@ edinburgh.gov.uk to nab a slot. FREE National Poetry Day: Angus Peter Campbell Reading The Pleasance, 60 Pleasance, 650 4673. 8pm. The writer, broadcaster and actor reads from his work.
Friday 5
Edinburgh ✽ FREE Portobello Book Festival various venues, Portobello, 529 5558.
Times vary, until Sun 7 Oct. A chirpy wee seaside lit fest, run by volunteers and based mainly at Portobello Library, with appearances from James Robertson, Denise Mina and Christopher Brookmyre, among others.
Saturday 6 Glasgow FREE Street Performance as Art & Reality Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum, Argyle Street, 276 9599. 3.30pm. An afternoon of outdoor readings by the Museum. Part of Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival.
Sunday 7
Edinburgh FREE Illicit Ink The Bongo Club, Moray House, 37 Holyrood Road, 558 7604. 8pm. Prose and storytelling on a ghostly theme. Tuesday 9
Glasgow FREE GiftED: The Edinburgh Book Sculptures on Tour 2012 Mitchell Library, North Street, 287 2999. Times vary, in Glasgow until Sat 27 Oct before moving to Edinburgh and then Dunfermline. See Thu 20.
✽ FREE Peter Hook Waterstones, 153–157 Sauchiehall Street, 332
9105. 12.30–1.30pm. The Joy Division and New Order bassist signs copies of his musical memoir, Unknown Pleasures.
Edinburgh The School of Poets Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate, 557 2876. 6–8.30pm. £2. Monthly workshop-type poetry session. FREE The Central Edinburgh Monthly Bookclub Looking Glass Books, 36 Simpson Loan, Quartermile, 229 2902. 6.30–8.30pm. Diverse, friendly book group.
✽ An Evening with Peter Hook Waterstones West End, 128 Princes
Street, 226 2666. 6.30pm. £5. For the Edinburgh instalment of Peter Hook’s mini-tour, he also discusses and answers questions on his book and his life in music. Jo Caulfield Presents . . . The Speakeasy Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. 8–10pm. £5 (£4). A relaxed evening featuring a range of artists (magicians, comedians, writers and more) telling their stories.
Wednesday 10
Edinburgh ✽ FREE Peter F Hamilton and Iain M Banks Waterstones West
End, 128 Princes Street, 226 2666. 6pm. Two kings of sci-fi (and pioneers of the red-hot middle initial trend) discuss their eagerly awaited new books. Café Voices Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579.
WIGTOWN BOOK FESTIVAL Various venues, Wigtown, Fri 28 Sep–Sun 7 Oct
While the Edinburgh International Book Festival looms large over not just the Scottish scene, but the global festival arena, we should be very grateful that those in charge of literary gatherings across the country haven’t chosen to up sticks and do something else entirely in the face of such a universal phenomenon. For the Scottish cultural environment would be far poorer without the likes of the Wigtown Book Festival, which does a wonderful job in cheering us up as the winter months threaten to close in. This year, the organisers have secured yet another superb collection
of names and events for both adults and children in this latest extravaganza in Scotland’s National Book Town. Among the all too- many adult highlights are AL Kennedy talking about her passion for Dr Who, Richard Holloway looking at the link between creativity and boredom, and Susannah Clapp discussing her friend Angela Carter, while there are also appearances from Jon Ronson, Douglas Hurd, Noo Saro-Wiwa, Alexander McCall Smith, Brooke Magnanti, James Kelman and Marina Warner. And yes, there will be the inevitable Fifty Shades of Grey debate with Ewan Morrison, Jennie Erdal and Stuart Kelly pondering the phenomenon.
Within the children’s programme are Sally Magnusson with Horace the Haggis, Anthony McGowan and the Bare Bum Gang, James Robertson with his Scots version of The Gruffalo, plus events about pharaohs, stilt-walking, the joy of flight and a Winnie the Pooh party. (Brian Donaldson) ■ wigtownbookfestival.com
7–9pm. £5. Storyteller Jess Smith celebrates traditions of Scottish Gypsy travellers. Thursday 11
Glasgow FREE Read for Your Life Glasgow Women’s Library, Mitchell Library, 15 Berkeley Street, 248 9969. 12–2pm. Readings and discussions of stories and poems from the library’s collection, including work by Sylvia Plath and Jackie Kay. Booking essential. Part of Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival. FREE Spoken Word Platform, The Bridge, 1000 Westerhouse Road, Easterhouse, 276 9696. 6–8pm. Open mic night with a film screening. Part of Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival. Writing for The Ninth Art: Workshop and Debate on Comics and Graphic Novels Scottish Writers’ Centre, CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, 352 4900. 7pm. £6 (£3). Gordon Robertson leads a workshop and discussion on graphic fiction.
Edinburgh ✽ FREE Kathleen Jamie Word Power Bookshop, 43 West Nicolson
Street, 662 9112. 6.30pm. The award- winning poet launches her new collection. SPL Scottish Poetry Showcase Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate, 557 2876. 6.30pm. £7 (£5). Check out the diverse literary stylings of Inky Fingers Open Mic, Neu! Reekie! and 10RED, all efficiently showcased on one bill.
Riders on the Storm: A Creation Myth for Scotland Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. 7.30–9.30pm. £6 (£4). Storytellers perform a haunting and mystical creation story for Caledonia. Part of Scottish Mental Health Arts & Film Festival. Friday 12
Edinburgh Feeling Blue: Reflections on the Colour of Melancholy The Augustine Church, 41–43 George IV Bridge, 650 9370. 3.30–4.30pm. £1. Writers Angelika Overath and Manfred Koch read excerpts about the colour blue from art and literature.
✽ John Hegley: Peace, Love and Potatoes Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate, 557 2876. 6.30pm. £7 (£5). Lord of comic verse performing some treats from his new collection.
Saturday 13
Glasgow John Cooper Clarke The Arches, 253 Argyle Street, 565 1000. 7pm. £16.50. Legendary Mancunian punk poet.
Wednesday 17 Edinburgh FREE Ryan Van Winkle and the Poetry of Liz Lochhead Central Library, 7–9 George IV Bridge, 242 8100. 6.30–7.45pm. A session discussing the Makar’s poetry.