CHRISTOPHER BROOKMYRE
Scotland's premier comedy thriller writer on top form
While some Scottish writers spend their time worrying about literary kudos. Christopher Brookmyre is happy to write belting. entertaining. r.)age-turning thrillers which. as a result. absolutely fly off the shelves. His latest. All Fun and Games Until Somebody Loses an Eye. is his ninth novel in as many years. the unlikely hero of its Bond style tale of international espionage is an Fast Kilbride granny.
‘I wanted to contrast that mundane exrstence With this extraordinary escapist world and show the sacrifices and horoism that are unsung in millions of ordinary people.' says Br‘ookmyre. ‘l'he heroine of the story is as brave in everyday life before she starts getting involved in anything exciting'
Havrng already finished his next novel. Brookmyr‘e is currently writing a screenplay about some typically bloodthirsty shenanigans in the north of Scotland, although he admits to finding writing for screen tricky. ‘lt's such a different discipline. the great fieedoiii of Writing prose fiction is if I want to blow up a mountain I can do it. I don't need to work out the logistics'
Recommended reading: James Bond meets East Kilbride in A// Fun and Games Until Somebody loses an Eye. (Doug Johnstonei
I IS Aug. 6.30prri. 519015;.
CAROL ANN DUFFY Brilliant poet kicks off the Book Festival
If there were such a thing as a household name among contemporary British poets. Carol Ann Duffy would be it. Ironically. it was the fuss surrounding her being overlooked for the position of Poet l aureate in favour of traditionalist Andrew Motion that really propelled Duffy onto the letters pages of [he Guardian and into the public arena in 1999. But the Glasgow-born poet. playwright and critic is also rightly feted for her outstanding 2i) year body of work. Duffy's thematic scope is ‘.'./|(J(). In Mean lime she applies her sharp eye to past experiences and the unreliability of iiiemor'y. while The Other Country proVides poignant snapshots of ordinary lives. Her work can be at once playful. funny and accessible. as well as movrng and thought provoking. this is most strongly evidenced in collections such as Hie World's Wife. in which Duffy
for BOOKS REVIEWS see non-Festival magazine
14 THE LIST FESTIVAL MAGAZINE l 1
, 9" ‘h
14‘ P . r o" ‘ ' r. ‘ 9 i ‘I ‘ 4- .J ‘ 1 lo z," ' " 'r' r/. .- ‘ o, J, , .. -. .
Doris Since her debut novel, The Grass is Singing, was published in 1950. Lessing has written challenging, individual and innovative works, dealing with everything from politics, race and gender to the environment and the individual’s role in society with an intelligence that remains as acute as ever at the age of 86. She has always taken risks, refusing to be pigeonholed, and her latest publication is typical. The Story of General Dann and Mara ’s Daughter, Griot and the Snow Dog is a deceptively complex futuristic table which deals with environmental destruction and the loss of human knowledge in typically subtle fashion. (Doug Johnstone) I l/Aug. i..’i()prii. .V/ 15");
argitirruits; for Yl‘trl 1:}, nastin- "art!" Recommended Reading: til/lit; am: ass: 4" [4/ the "1st Century. for
tl‘e 'tagis:;'i:iit; behind the soundbites.
w". global flexe'cr ~ii‘r;r1'. ape ‘. .’ Ho"
’ttllit‘l tl‘ar‘. "rilita', ttglgflt'flfliill‘ lJoili lil:'stias'.r: a'itt (tl,l:ir.tl'lltl (lacoriio Hibisi. Yiithltll‘. IiN: '. Ti) 'l '1:':I Tl‘ llli'ttfttl I
ablxoval :rr Sm,”
' /",l\(;. i.)1,/./.‘ 5&3) I; f".{l(}. ‘r\".t)llll tr‘a" ill War”, 37 If‘fix.
\.'\.’asl\ notori.
JAMES MEEK
War, love and Siberia
lt.li K.» 4.1 (:‘1
‘ a‘ot a"
l)tf(,£ttit;(:ll‘fl ;,<~t;' trielautm.
!(}t‘(,'l‘.(?(t ‘Sfl()"l. sa,:; l >r‘.a:::
:"(:‘.:‘.'.(i(:l}17(‘l‘;l‘.;"il/tfli.'l( -‘.lt(i | sec 'l'le r‘;:i'=-:‘,- .Jai‘ir-s Meek lllii‘ t)?
creates vibrant wo:ct:s for llltllh, ct
fair-liar ti, readers ‘or irioie thar‘. one inc-l .' tiri has .riil;resse<l iifr‘.(}l'f§ of lift? late 19896;. filth
as .r’".'r'(‘/(1/lt'i'.‘t? [ions f’le
Sea and [)rixetzrrie. while his iicrerlible
liislor‘, and iiiytlioiog',':; mos? laiiious liiropt- o'ii, tlli’. .vi/es. ll(,'l‘. Mrs Rip Van ‘-.".':r‘.klc to thr- Kia, limiters
po=.vr,-i'fti. lea. :-
ori‘ii‘giitioie
littlueitt union horn, Dundee
Duffy .sacrzriiriellrigaud After fll(:5)litt"‘tt‘\lli'lrfsfitlt’of lSos'ia. '.:|:u;:tl .'
v' at Pier o.'.'.'i .'.<)r'r\' ls l‘(: explaii‘s llt).'. .'.a.' trr:1.'.t;t:'i t 'ri luffitl‘ illl‘ail‘:
aplrropiiatuthai '.":s'iit,sti::.:t:/,trt.a'i(l statesisr‘os. .l‘fifilll€:I.ttl)lr'.:"ll"fi.'.. "Uni-'8 suci‘.
insightful of poets .'.’|Il be fling fix;- the make o' ii‘t' l ()lltll in
starting gun of merits at tlti‘; year's
t)-.)."ll)-tt(_l5;. .'.r.— silo-aid "one! tit." stor‘. stcr cs flaxe hecit f5'lt)‘.'.’(l£i‘_;(3(l in
B()()kti:‘)1lvéti. i/\llanltadcilfei blessings. 'lt:l'()'.‘$l'i1¥; Yiiu't’lil , We linseuri‘ of Horror and Rebel Inc's I lgf/lug. ill Harri. 3‘ Tl.(_)l‘1(:ltlll(llLtlf :::..'i‘:::a'-_-:i it: N‘s-fli'lni’. ":iljf$llll) collisgticr‘. (Ill/:i'rw‘ o‘Xi’brerl
l’t’.;'.e,':; ()‘.er t'lir: last 1);) ,ears. Meek Pulsarso car\.<:doat {t'1<?(ttl;rl|‘,
f‘ré }‘~.'."f3[ Xi; )(El
()f’llfliitfii.’ .'.£tl l)t:’..'.‘i’?i:’i/\'l2t:'-(I{lftllil MARK LEONARD Why Europe rules
Hassia. ‘.'.'<;- {feti'ii.-:~,
optiiiiisr'i.' saigtestz‘ul career as a
rervr'ttr recently picking up (th'lltltif;
It scarcely registered as air ssue ‘or *‘ s .'.r.'.iigs all the lrati .‘Jétl and
during the ceiieral €:|(r(l7.i()l‘ but Mark ;2...:rtfariar'i;‘ Hay. As the l‘ltllii
leonaid l)(:'l(}‘.'(}T; that l uropc. and not newt-z: :;r:' l)!’ expla lt:;_ his career Aiiiei‘ica or (Iliirza. .vill rui‘ the 71st f”-;~:;'“‘ Te”? so l“;l(f.". f§lilll.r’(ll)"‘.l(?lil(1 as cer‘tury. the man .'."’i(/ (.4;th tl‘e l liar l
e r‘azt To take on
he says.
l)liiase ‘(Lool t-lrita':i‘.ia arirl t:,t.i‘<l<::t .(Lf'llfllr
....iv\ 3., pan t,’ laIs.
illllun. itillh ti? ~ ‘ESaT. vat cari'se. :I's also an incredible
the l oreigii Pol; the age of 2.1 no.7 (li'er‘tt, lo'r:iti'i policy at the (lentil,- for l iiroriea'. it) be able to report on
.x lilli merits and ‘.‘."iltt3
“ilk-lisp? Hetoirii. .‘Jliicli looks as (full a :lllllilltttllt Hill I eoiaitt a a -ii
"til (t '::l,' '
sounds
published Illllll'.(:i. " ate-sf Villas f’eo.’r"e':; Ac!
making coriiiilex bureaa rav “as t~"r,’.>\.s‘-,l a :lecade of
understanttable and engrossing. ills. titmtttir ~i‘ .Ii‘t’fk’.’ trinigs tentl to brew
tfr Aug will: