list.co.uk/books COMIC
GRAPHIC NOVEL ALAN MOORE AND KEVIN O’NEILL Nemo: The Roses of Berlin (Top Shelf/Knockabout) ●●●●●
The second spin-off from the pages of Moore and O’Neill’s highly literary, dazzlingly intertextual comic romp The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen once again features steampunk pirate Janni Nemo, daughter of Jules Verne’s original submariner. It’s 1941, and the captain of the Nautilus is lured to Germany following the capture of her own flying buccaneer daughter by Berlin’s warmongering dictator.
This being the gloriously ludic LOEG universe, the
chief villain is Adenoid Hynkel (Charlie Chaplin’s parody of Hitler from The Great Dictator), while the German capital is modelled on the futuristic cityscape from Metropolis. Hynkel’s henchmen include two elderly criminal masterminds, Doctors Mabuse and Caligari, and the latter’s appearance is complemented by an appropriately expressionistic visual style.
The plotting of this romp is fairly straightforward, but the real pleasure lies in the bewildering array of intertextual references and smartly satirical use of literary figures, famous and obscure. Where Moore and O’Neill go from here is anybody’s guess, but they’ve got the whole of literary creation, past and present, to plunder. Long may their reign of terror continue. (Miles Fielder)
FLASH FICTION
THE BOOK PATHOGEN by Lynsey May
It spread quickly, but it took the scientists a painfully long time to work out how. Researchers rattled through risk factors and potential causes as the population choked, fainted and perished, grasping at one straw after another as the allergen ripped through the country. People began to stay home, too scared to even say hello to
their neighbours. Fears of a complete breakdown in society were rife and internet searches for cyanide pills were at an all-time high before the news broke – they’d discovered the culprit. A new flu strain carried by a rare breed of bookworms, found in nearly all books more than a few weeks old.
They firebombed the libraries and condemned secondhand bookshops. The country was declared saved. People began to leave their houses again and public places were soon paper-free and carried certificates of safety, although a trend for tissue-thin white gloves remained long after most readers were digital and the epidemic was considered somewhat academic.
With most news providers now entirely online, radical
presses printed small papers filled with claims of governmental conspiracy. Each bore the notice ‘burn after reading’ on its cover. Non-digital reading was declared a health threat, but books did
not disappear. In fact, teenagers began to flaunt them on park benches, executives invited co-workers home to unfurl the silky paper surrounding a rare first edition and creatives held reading parties complete with candles and incense.
A general fear surrounding books remained for many years. The fear remained long after inquests into the epidemic found that GM wheat and not books were to blame. Writers and publishers stepped forward to denounce the victimisation of the book, but continued to design ever-bigger warnings for their paperbacks: Warning, books can contain dangerous elements. Read with
extreme caution.
Publishing figures had never been higher. ■ Lynsey May is the winner of the Scottish Book Trust New Writers’ Award.
Events are listed by date, then city. Submit listings at least 14 days before publication to books@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Jaclyn Arndt. ✽ Indicates Hitlist entry
Thursday 20 Glasgow Louise Welsh: A Lovely Way to Burn Waterstones, 153–157 Sauchiehall Street, 332 9105. 6pm. £2 (loyalty card holders £1). The Scottish crime literature stalwart releases the first in her new Plague Times trilogy. See review, page 44. FREE Michael Malone: The Guillotine Choice Waterstones, 174 Argyle Street, 248 4814. 7–8.30pm. Malone launches his new novel, based on the true story of a man in the notorious Devil’s Island penal colony.
Edinburgh FREE Christopher Rush: Will – Re-imagining Shakespeare National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, 623 3734. 6–7pm. Rush shares his fictionalised account of Shakespeare’s life. The Golden Hare Literary Salon Golden Hare, 102 West Bow, 629 1396. 6.30pm. £5. An evening of books, macarons and fizz, hosted by Mademoiselle Macaron herself. FREE Uuganaa Ramsay: Mongol Looking Glass Books, 36 Simpson Loan, Quartermile, 229 2902. 6.30pm. Mongolia-born Ramsay launches her memoir.
✽FREE JL Williams: Locust and Marlin The Saltire Society, 9 Fountain
Close, 22 High Street, 556 1836. 7pm. Edinburgh-based writer Williams launches her newest book of poetry. Albert Camus lit l’Etranger | REMIX Institut Français d’Ecosse, 13 Randolph Crescent, 225 5366. 8.30pm. Also Fri 21 Mar. £8 (members £5). DJ Pierre de Mûelenaere’s set inspired by The Stranger.
Friday 21
Glasgow FREE Read Aloud! Celebrating Commonwealth Women’s Writing Glasgow Women’s Library, 23 Landressy Street, 550 2267. 2–3.30pm. Also Fri 11 Apr–30 May (not 18 Apr). Help the GWL develop a new Commonwealth Women’s section at the library and gain some new research skills. Edinburgh Kingdom of Fire & Clay: Iran v Israel Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. 7.30–8.45pm. £10 (£8). An Israeli and an Iranian wordsmith combine forces to recount their pasts, cultures and the enmity between their countries. With Raphael Rodan and Sahand Sahebdivani. Rally & Broad Counting House, West Nicolson Street, 07989 508436. 7.30pm. £5. A literary-flavoured cabaret night. Tonight it’s Ryan Van Winkle, Kirsty Law, A New International, Siân Bevan and the Loud Poets.
Saturday 22
Glasgow Leabhar‘s Craic: Gaelic Literary Festival CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, 352 4900. 11.30am–7pm. £10 (£8). Scotland’s only all-Gaelic literary festival. Edinburgh Further with Storytelling Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. 10.30am–4.30pm. £36 (members £30). Build your confidence and individual approach to storytelling, with Daniel Allison. Nothing but the Poem The Saltire Society, 9 Fountain Close, 22 High Street, 557 2876. 11am–12.30pm. £5 (£4). Discussion forum with no previous knowledge required. This month’s poet is
Events | BOOKS
Rita Ann Higgins. Tall Tales Oscar Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. 7.30–10pm. £8 (£6). Listen to ferocious fibs and fables performed live on stage. Sunday 23
Glasgow FREE Kirsty Logan: The Rental Heart and Other Fairytales Waterstones, 174 Argyle Street, 248 4814. 6pm. Glasgow author Logan launches her award-winning debut book.
Monday 24 Glasgow Davysson and Friends Vespbar, 14 Drury Street, 204 0060. 8.15pm. £9–£10 (includes copy of book). Greg Davysson reads from his autobiography, Love You . . . Bye. Part of Glasgow International Comedy Festival.
Tuesday 25
Edinburgh ✽FREE The Istanbul Review Night Looking Glass Books, 36
Simpson Loan, Quartermile, 229 2902. 6.30pm. To launch issue four, titled War Words One, celebrated Turkish author Elif Shafak gives a reading. Booking essential.
Wednesday 26
Glasgow Rally & Broad Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, 07989 508436. 8–11pm. £5. See Fri 21. The Glasgow edition features Kirstin Innes, Colin McGuire, Genesee and special guest, South African slam poet Toni Stuart. Edinburgh FREE Whose Book Is It Anyway? National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, 623 3734. 6–7pm. An investigation of the publication process, comparing Livingstone’s original draft of Missionary Travels with its published version. Alex Gray: The Bird that Did Not Sing Blackwell’s, 53–59 South Bridge, 622 8222. 6.30pm. Free but ticketed. Gray releases her latest DCI Lorimer novel. Followed by a Q&A and signing.
Thursday 27 Glasgow FREE Sick Sick Sick: The Books of Ornery Women CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, 352 4900. 6.30pm. A reading group to get into the nitty gritty of the online Alt- Lit scene, organised by MAP magazine. This month’s discussion is on Katherine Angel’s Unmastered and Anne Carson’s essay ‘The Gender of Sound’. FREE Catherine Czerkawska: The Physic Garden Waterstones, 174 Argyle Street, 248 4814. 7–8.30pm. The novelist and playwright launches her new book.
SciEnce at the HeaRt of... EdiNbUrgh 20 Mar–17 Apr 2014 THE LIST 45