NEIL GAIMAN
Myth-maker of scary dreams
Neil Gaiman may have adopted America as his new home but his work is still quintessentially British, what with all his fairies, ancient gods and mythology. However that doesn’t stop him indulging in the most American of practises: flying to Hollywood to discuss movie options (with Sony and those nice people
who made Shrek, no less).
‘Much of what has always attracted me to myth is that when you sit down at a keyboard you are god,’ explains Gaiman. ‘You have complete control of life and death.’ His take on America is very much from an inquisitive outsider’s perspective as envisioned in American Gods, his latest award winning novel. ‘When I moved to America everything I wrote was based in England; l was fetishising it. Then I wrote American Gods, which was a way of saying there’s a huge, weird world out there that Americans don’t talk about but take for
granted.’
However, it will always be his work on the multi-award winning comic Sandman that he will be most remembered for. A beguiling tale of old gods and the afterworld that was most defiantly aimed at an adult readership.
‘I did a number of impossible things including writing a 75-issue story and getting the publisher to agree to stop publishing it when it was the number one selling comic at the time. It was the book that people gave to their girlfriends to prove that comics where OK. But the nice thing is that when they broke up the girlfriend would keep the books and hand them to their next boyfriend and so on. So I’ve spent the last decade being sexually transmitted.’
Though Sandman fans (and there are still a lot of us about) don’t despair. To mark DC’s Vertigo imprint’s 10th anniversary, Gaiman is currently working on a new hardback collection of stories about our favourite dreammaster.
(Henry Northmore) I Cons/gnia /' 'ieatre.
Steven lsserlis Spiege/tent.
7.30pm. 538 I5‘3.5()i. Having Felix Mendelssohn in his family tree meant that a career :n classical music may well have been predestined for this top cellist. Here. he imparts knowledge and enthusiasm of his craft to a family audience.
The Pleasures of Translation Children Theatre. 7 .30pm 5T8 i’5.‘(5/. Christopher Whyte and Peter France are speaking about tongues.
Ian McEwan Consignia Theatre. 8pm. 5.78 rFGi. He won the 1998 Booker for Amsterdam which many said was his weakest book in years. while his most recent. Atonement. was widely regarded as a masterpiece. yet lost out again. Funny old world.
David Grossman Studio Theatre. 8.30pm. 5‘8 436/. The most acclaimed contemporary scrzbe in Israel travels well. being loved in too riiany countries to mention. His last one. Be My Knife was a iion—conventional narrative about life's Illusions. To grossly over- simplify.
Henning Mankell Fie/o' and Lawn Marquee. 8.30pm. £8 r5367 Henniiig lvlankell brings his Swedish police inspector Kurt Wallander to the festival. A massive hit at home. his cop is starting to make strides Wliii crime fans over here.
Spiegelbar S;)iege/tent. 9pm, free. See Thursday.
Sunday 18
George Rosie & Allan Massie Spiege/tent. 70.30am. 5‘7 42”». The historical novel is this mom's breakfast drama.
Paul Preston Field and Lawn Marguee. llam. 5‘7 (5‘5). The heights of modern Spain some to (380 as Preston discusses the effects r " the country o‘ their Cl." ‘-.’/ar. That siesta can wait.
Ian McEwan Com/grim Theatre.
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Denise Mina & Manda Scott Studio Theatre. noon. 5‘7 57:3. Two latal females get together ‘or a chatter abs: 1 death and n‘etxe and plot twists and stuff. See Last r"'.’ords. page 1 1.
Per Olov Enquist & Christopher Whyte Field and Lawn Marquee. 2..’3();.>m. 5‘7 15"}. Scotland and Europe come together with these two cosn‘opolitan x.-..rriters ‘.'.’.’l() tackle t“e mites prob'errts past and present. Brendan Simms & Marc Mulholland Cons'grtxa T.’l(}<'t.'."t}. 300?. 5‘7 r5‘5i. More of the Gods and Guns strain with the former Yugosavia and the current Northern lrearid up for debate.
Aminatta Forna & Joseph O’Neill Studio Theatre. (timbre. 57/513,. Faiwlg. histories are the subect for t."- s pair. Saul David & Erik Durschmied Field aria LUV/’7 Marquee. Jar“. 5‘7 Wars aren't ralour of soldiers. Discuss.
Val McDermid Consigrna Theatre. 4.30pm. 5‘7 5‘52. Tl‘e Fife-porn. Manchesterbased crime scrbe may be set for further acc.a.n‘ ‘.‘.'liil the .nrn‘ hent TV showing of her work. Starring Robson Green, no less.
Linda Grant Studio Theatre. :Spm, 5.77 475;. The Et‘.'.’£tT(i-‘.'.’|ltli!tlg autlio and )Otlf.".£iilSi writes about LIVCTUOOI in an honest and unsentimental way ll‘: her latest book. Still Here.
Imprisoned Writers Fie/d and Lazw t/farduee. :3..’i’t)pnr, tree but ticketed. Stewart Conn gets a chance to speak up for free speech.
Nigel Planer Consignia Theatre. (5.30pm. 5‘8 «56;. He used to be a young One before being ‘ilthy but here the boy Planer ‘.‘/!H send up the thespian world as high as it can go.
The Writing Business Field and Lawn Marquee. (5.45017). 5‘5 6‘37
n‘erel‘, through the
ISSUEOUT. 2.2: AUGUST
/\(I{2iétll‘.‘€3(i Scots ter Li/ Niven talks L p the process o" writing in yer ain tongue.
Elizabeth MacLennan on John
McGrath Studio Theatre. m 5‘8 15.76.».
As recoiwi‘endeu by Ali Smith last .ssue. Jolt". lvchrath is fondly reri‘en‘bered by ":s .'.'l(i()".'.'.
Can We Trust the Experts? Spiege/tehf. 75‘0an 5‘8 /5__‘(>‘i. Probably l‘f)'.. l-lox'xever. Carl Dierass-. Bill Durodie ar‘d Sue Mayer ‘.'.’|H discuss how far we
can beiiexe what scienttsts are telling us.
Nordic Crime Special Children's
Theatre. 7..’>’()om. 5.2 i5‘t>‘;. See Saturday.
Muriel Gray Cons/gala Theatre. 8pm. .s‘er. The Splk‘, broadcaster. columnist and horror writer delivers this PSA Lecture winch inuses o" the financial aspects t f Sil()‘.’-.’i)!/.
Adam Nicolson Field and Lari/n .".i’arri.iee. 8.30pm. 5‘8 rS‘ei. Sixty years age. N'colson's dad bought the Shiants. a tiny set of 'sles off the coast of Lewzs. for 5‘3100. \‘v’he" the boy became 21.. he azas gixen ititfl" it) enlarge and excite' i‘lS experience. Here. he tells of his love affa r with the jand.
Robert Nigger 8: Andy Miller Studio Theatre. 8.30pm. 5‘8 {536). See preview. page 10.
Spiegelbar Spiege/tent. Qprvi. free. See Thursday.
Monday 1 9
Julian Spalding Consignia Theatre. 10am. 5‘7 (5‘5i. The controversial ex- director of the National Museums steps into the breach With the cancellation of Vanessa Collingridge's event. Tom Pow, Stewart Conn 8. Alan Riach Sp/ege/te/it. 10.30am, 5‘7 (535). Wake yourself up \Vliil poets of distinction. Alanna Knight & Joyce Holms Studio Theatre. 10.30am, 5‘7 (535/. Rankin. Jardine and Johnston may think they have a handle on modern
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swung
‘I’ve spent the last decade being sexually transmitted’
and Holms are giving this important sub-genre a female twist.
Saul David Fie/d and Lawn Marquee, 77am, E 7 (E5). See Sunday. Doris Lessing Consigni'a Theatre.
I 7.30am. £7 (£5). Sci-ff. racial drama. the patriarchal world. nervous breakdown have all been tackled by the grand dame of letters. and pleasingly, there seems to be no sign of her letting up. even in her octogenarian years.
Robert Gildea & Ben McIntyre Studio Theatre, noon, E 7 (535). OCCLipied France is the Subject connecting this pair.
Rachel Billington 8. Liz Jensen Field and Lawn Marquee. 72.30pm. 537 (£75). Life for women during wartime is the Subject for these two. Billington's A Woman '3 Life and Jensen's Wc r Crimes for the Home are the times they will be discussing. Carl Djerassi Consr‘gni'a Theatre. 7.30pm, £7 (£5). The daddy of modern contraception, if that's not too much of an inherent contradiction. disCLisses science.
Giles Waterfield 8. Andrew Crumey Field and Lawn Marquee, 2.30pm. £7 (85/. Art galleries and their place in fiction are at the heart of this duo's thoughts today.
Muriel Gray Cons‘ignia Theatre. 3pm, £77 {535). Today. Muriel will mostly be talking about the supernatural. Instant Books Studio Theatre. 3.30pm, 5‘7 (535). A panel of experts chat about the practicalities and technology of instant books. Nicholas Coleridge & Nicolas Blincoe Field and Lawn Marquee. 4pm. 5‘7 (£5). The two Nictk)s discuss glamour, fashion and high society. With the downsides taking precedence.
Alexander Waugh & Peter Standford Consign/a Theatre. 4.30pm, 5.77 (L23). What is God? Where is heaven? Does the Devil still have
the best tunes?
’r Asa; .‘ ,fl THE LIST FESTIVAL GUIDE 13