‘lt’s meant to be subversive,‘ says ; writer Sue Townsend of The Secret . Diary oi Adrian Mole Aged 133/4. ‘It i attacks the status quo, and questions
y M é RDENS ”
TREADING CAREFULLY
03 AND GA
‘ to the curiosity oi walkers in the park.
j has been working a 12 hour day to put
up his parthenon (apt lor classical
. : Edinburgh in time lorthe Spring Fling i . lestivities. Bernard Pages, hailing
irom Edinburgh's French twin town,
16-29 May1986
It you go down to Princes Street Gardens today, you’re in tor a big suprise. Spring Fling with help lrom the Scottish Arts Council and Art in Partnership have organised a sculpture show par excellence which includes a 10,000 tyre parthenon, a bronze crown, a horse on wheels and a piece of rubble. Controversy at the castle. At least live oi the artists have been working on site lor the past week, much
I Issue no 16
David Mach (see photo) notorious around the world tor his tyre sculpture and ill tated in London when his submarine was tragically set alight,
Cover
Grahame Skinner of the Glasgow
SECRET SCRIBBLER
Nice, has been rolling out several 2. s barrels iustalong lrom Mach. Other ' artistsinthis open airgalleryinclude 2 ‘ AllLoehrirom Germany, Frances _ Pelly, Martin Rayner and Doug Cocker H|psway (also across the way at the other I , ‘ ,. ‘ I _. ' . ' . lestival). Will the gardens ever be the Graham“ to Nam” same again. Let‘s hope so. (Alice Bain) ‘ ' 5 Hank Wangtord
‘ .r ' and more enjoyableto write thanthe
first. It was good that he was older, had a widervocabulary. I’m looking torward to writing him again when he‘s
The sincere singer presents his alter ego to Stephanie Billen.
the whole crumbling structure of the British lamily. I’m a political person, a E socialist—and a leminist, I think when
leminism linally gets through to working-class women it'll be a power
in the land. The Mole books rellect I what I see happening to women: Q Pauline Mole represents that
unsophisticatedkind ot leminism that’s just beginning to understand what’s
; going on - she goes to Greenham,
stands up tor herself at the DHSS . . .
. but then she does the contradictory
thing by running oil with the bloke next door, as it that was an answer, which oi
E course it isn’t.
Currently resting alter a mild heart
attack, Townsend — a post-war-boom baby, born, bred and still living in
. Leicester— leit secondary modern
2 school at lilteen and went to work in a
shoe iactory. She married, had lour
; children- ‘I was never a hippy, in the
Sixties l was busy bending over a nappy 3 bucket!’ - and a variety ol jobs lrom , garage attendant to dress shop
assistant.
Publisher Robin Hodge, Editors Nigel Billen. Sarah Hemming. Glasgow Editor Graham Caldwell. Design Simon Esterson. Publications Manager Sally Kinnes. Advertising Eleanor Harris. Circulation Suzie PatersonAccounts Richard Gray. Typesetting Jo Kennedy and Hewer Text, Production Editor Paul Keir Production Assistants Alan Gordon. Toby Porter. Art Alice Bain. Books Alan Taylor. Classical Music Carol Main. Dance Alice Bain. Film Allan
in 1979 she won aThamesTVDursary
' on the strength or her first play,
Womberang, and was told she was a writer.
l ‘Belore that I though I was a
t madwoman. It was very nice to have it
: contirmed that I wasn't. Even as a child 5 I'd always had peculiar sentences
; lorming in my head. You do leel slightly set apart it this happens to
you.’
It was only a year earlier that Sue had had the nerve to ‘come out' and admit that she was a secret writer. ‘It was traumatic,‘ she’s been quoted as saying, ‘Like owning up to being a closet bondage lreak.‘
Contrary to reports, Townsend isn't tired oi Mole although the diaries will be less public tor a while. ‘I enjoyed writing both books. Mole has a distinct voice. As a writer, it’s linding the voice that’s dillicult; once you’ve got it it’s easy. llound the second book easier
Hunter. TrevorJohnston. Folk/Jazz Norman Chalmers. Kids Sally Kinnes. Media Allan Hunter. Sally Kinnes. Open Richard Norris. Rock
. (Edinburgh) Alastair Mabbott. Rock (Glasgow) Andrea Miller. Sport Graham Caldwell. Theatre Sarah Hemming. Photos Chris Hill. Graphics Graham Johnston Dltice
Lynn Spowart Camera Darien
Printing Co.
Cover Design Stephen Coates.
'Theatre, Edinburgh on 2 June.
about 26 and has had a lew adult 6 experiences oi his own.’
Sue has made a lot of money— - reputedly six ligures-lrom Mole, but Biggles
she isn’t greedy to get more of it by exploitative marketing: ‘In my mind “spin-oft” usually means “rip-oil” - i
i As Biggles is launched into celluloid, ' Graham Caldwell investigates.
exorbitant prices lor shoddy stun. My
own kids have been conned like that, 3 7 and I won't agree to it. I'll only endorse ? . - good quality products that might LISths
encourage people to read and write: there’s some simple stationery, with pictures by Caroline Holden who illustrated the books, there’s a pencil
Full guide to events this fortnight.
Theatre 17
tin and, of course, a diary.’ Dance 16 And what is this prolilic writer Classical Music 19 working on now? ‘A novel. About a Folk 20 woman in her late thirties, like mysell. Jazz 22 ldidn’t want to stay with adolescence - Rock 23 you have to move on! It’s a third person Film 26 narrative, very ditlerenttrom Mole. l Art 33 think I’ve got a comlortable tone tor it Sport 40 now. l’ve lound the voice.’Shirley Brown Media 32 The Secret Diary olAdrian Mole Aged Books 42 133/4 opens at the Theatre Royal, Open 38 Glasgow on 26 May and atthe King’s Kids 39
.\l;i_\'le\l Diary 8 Spring Fling Diary l3
41 , Published by The List Ltd. 1-1 High Street. Edinburgh. 5581191 and ' 13 Bath Street. Glasgow 332 3393. ISt James Campbell's new book on SUBSCRIPTIONSHSW x Prtzgns year. £8 ioromonths. payable to The i . . ' -. ' 1 Nightlife List Ltd. - l 45 i Food | 47 : Travel
Printed by Dunfermline Press Ltd
The List is’. 29 May1
l l
band Hipsway. See Feature on page i