THE LIST
f—m.
accept that it had been wrong to put it in. ltso happens it didn't matterto me at all. The real criticism olherin the book had nothinglo do with it. I thought this was a kind of triumph.‘
Atterthat came Shame which stunned everyone by not winning the Bookerand no one when it was banned in Pakistan. ‘One can understand that.‘ saysa sanguine Rushdie. ‘lt wasn't tor religious reasons. itwas Iorpolitical reasons. Shame is a critique ot a dictatorship and it was banned bythe dictatorship it is criticising.‘
The situation surrounding The Satanic Verses is ditterent. Conceived on the scale otthe two previous books and written in Rushdie‘s inimitable hyperbolic style it is. as well as being his most tender and English novel. his most Islamic. He accepts that Islamic readers will catch resonances that his English ones won't but that is how he preters itto be. ‘l‘ve always rather enjoyed the lact that my books have received such ditterent readings depending onthe experience at lite the reader brings to the book. lthink this book is no exception. To my mind the novel hasto provodewhatthe reader requires in terms otplot. character and development. That's what people read tor. Speaking as a readerrather than as a writer I always enjoy books that take me into a world | don'tknow about'
But it is notthe novel's resonances that have upset the Indian MPs and Rushdie lound the whole attairsad and depressing. To him it was not the singling out ol his bookthat mattered. though he was upset that Indians who might have lound it ‘pleasurable and stimulating and challenging' will now be denied access to it. No. it was the tact that the country that prides itselt on being the world's biggest
democracy should be dictated to by a minority ol
CONTRIBUTORS
Publisher Robin Hodge. Editors Nigel Billen. Sarah I lemming. Associate Editor Allan Hunter. Design Simon Esterson. Advertising/Circulation Jess Barrow. Rhobat Bryn. Sheila Maclean. Accounts Georgette Renwick. Typesetting Jo Kennedy. Hewer Text Production Editor Paul Keir. Production Co-ordinator Mark Fisher. Production Assistant Nikki lloarejlt Alice Bain. Books Alan
GUEST LIST
religioustundamentalists. 'II shows.‘ he said. ‘the degree to which religious
extremistsentimentisnow capable ol dictating the
political agenda in India.
That it only takesthree religious MPs to say ‘boo‘ and the Government says ‘all rightthen‘. For India it's
; very sad.‘ (AlanTaylor)
The Booker Prim winner
will be announced on 25
Oct on BBC2. See Media.
isrunnr TADAMSON
Two Scottish-based student reporterstook olt tor Moscow last month. thanks
to sponsorshiplrom
' Tennents Live. to reporton
i Big Country's live USSR
concerts. Kane Ruthertord
l caught Stuart Adamson
' unwinding back in his hotel
room atterthe Iirst concert
; on 30 September. and
1 David Millerreports torus on the serious purpose at a
l uniquetour.
I THE BAND‘SIatestalbum
‘Peacein ourTime‘was
; launched in Moscow amidst
massive media hype. But by
playing in the USSR. the band hoped to achieve more than mere record sales.
So whatwere Stuart Adamson‘s hopestorthe Moscow gigs?
‘Rock music is a great proved theircommitment to ‘ world peace and showed thatthey were ready. willing and able to improve links between the East and the West.
Tanya Saitova. a member
' 'rttyior. Kristina Woolnough Classical
_ Music (‘arol Main. Dance Alice Bain. Film Allan Hunter. Trevor Johnston. Folk/Jazz Norman Chalmers. Food Julie Morrice. Sally Stewart. Kids Sally Kinnes. Media Nigel Billen. Hightlite Stuart Raiker. Andy Crabb. (‘olin Steven. Open Sarah Hemming. Rock (Edinburgh) Mab. Rock (Glasgow) John Williamson. Sport Stuart Bathgate. Theatre Sarah Hemming. Travel Kristina
' otthe audience ol 2000 at
the tirsl gig. was convinced that the band would achieve a greatdeal throughthe Moscow gigs.
‘The young people ot the Soviet Union enjoy Western music and the music at their own bands. People will learn more about each other through music and they will way to break down barriers and I hope we have achieved something towards that. Even it nothing comes out otthe concerts. it's still enoughto look into those kids' eyes and know that we have made contact.‘ said Stuart.
During their stay inthe Soviet Unionthe band become Iriends.‘ said Tanya.
Until glasnost. Western bands could only tour inthe USSR it they were invited by the Kremlin. Big Country's request tor an invitation was retused.
In desperation. Stuart Adamson asked Russian rock impresario Stasnamin to organise the tourlrom within the USSR. Stasnamin agreed and Big Country became the lirst bandto tourinthe USSR independently otthe Kremlin.
The concerts were tar lrorn outstanding. butwhat they achieved was unique. and marked a new era in cultural relations.
Asthe audiences lettthe concert venue. they sang and danced. The message otpeace in ourtime had reached the big country.
Woolnough Camera Edinburgh Make-up Services Cover [.es
‘ Patterson Cover Design
Nigel Billen. l’aul Keir.
SYMBOLS
Rest . . . . . . . .. Restaurant [D] . . . . . . . . . . . .. Disabled
access/facilities [E] Induction loop for
hard of hearing
I as New Release (Film)
.loyce McMillan. outspoken Scottish theatre critic ol~ 'l'lit' (iuurtlitm. isn't always on the best ol terms with the theatres she has to yisit. Or rather they are not always on best terms with her. At one time or another .loyce. who .St'nllisll iii/lt’tlll't' .Vt'ti's Used it) call Scotland's answer to Dorothy Parker. has been banned I'rom l)undec Rep and The Byre 'l'hcatre. St Andrews. Now l'ollowing her reyiew ol‘ 'I'lit' om (itunt'. she's been told by the management ol' Perth Rep in no uncertain terms that they would rather not be graced with her presence on reyiew nights. Such an action would in l.ondon immediately bring the condemnation ol' l‘ellow critics who would in all likelihood boycott any theatre inposing such a ban. Will l'ellow Scottish critics display such a degree olsolidarity. we wonder'.’
Is this a case at double vision or performance art by the innovative Third Eye in Glasgow? 0n the tront of their latest brochure publicising Theatre at Music. they call themselves the Third Eye Centre Centre. I think we should be told, told.
Welcome to the era of the Scottiin Sunday paper wars. but did the ()hst’rt'ershoot itself in the loot with its £2lltl.lll)ll teleyision adyertising campaign? The paper is anxious to dispel notions that its supplement is merely the uninformed commentary
ol~ a London-based paper. But the TV
ad shows an Arran jumper clad ‘Scot’ in the romanticised setting ol‘ the Scottish islands catching a ferry to get to the paper shop l'or his copy of ()hst'rt't'r Seal/um]. ‘l‘he people of Lewis. up in arms against (‘aledonian .‘slacBrayne's attempts to sail to the
island on the Sabbath are presumably
not amused. The rest oI' us are just amazed that the Scottish advertising agency responsible could appear so out of touch with such a prominent Scottish news story.
George Rosie, editor of Observer Scotland, however, managed to deliver his own body blow to rival Sunday Times Scottish supplement, Sunday Times Scotland and its editor, Andrew Jaspan. Rosie, one time employee at the Sunday Times and till recently a lreelance, was apparently working on a major piece at investigative journalism tor Jaspan's new section when his appointment to The Observer was made. No doubt he's taken his story with him.
While the English quality papers fall over themselves to adopt a Scottish
angle on eyents. the (i/usgmt- Hem/t1 pages seem to be moying in the opposite direction. ‘l‘heir estensiye profile of Ian llolm. the actor who stars as the Mlo agent in l'l‘\"s l.en Deighton adaptation. (iume. Set A'- .\Itl!(‘/l. seemed an odd choice. little pcrl'ormer though he is. what has llolm done to tleserye such in-depth eoyeragc north ol the border? A re there no Scottish actors more deseryingol the attention ol the Herald's feature writer? ( )r is the whisper we heard really the truth and was the whole thing a case ol mistaken identity. An earlier role cast llolm in ( ‘liuriors u/‘l'irt' alongside another lan. A profile ol' lan ('harleson. born in l.eith and brought up in lidinburgh. might that be what the [It’I'H/(l were alter'.’
A tense atternoon at Parkhead's Blackcat studios where Channel 4‘s impressive new Scottish culture programme Hallway To Paradise is put together. With the tourteen piece Reggae Philharmonic Orchestra in to record a couple ol big band roots numbers, the production crew discovered that Glaswegian Al Jolson impersonator Hugh Dempsterwas also due to be tilming at the same time. Some smart talking however. kept the black-laced Scots entertainer occupied in his dressing room until the Rastatarian musicians had linished theirspot. and thus any potential Irissons were delicately avoided.
The annual inllus ol lreshers is not greeted in all quarters with joyl'ul delirium. ()ne nameless lecturer who is a big noise in mediacyal studies at Edinburgh and who bears more than a passing resemblance to the late (‘he (iueyara is particularly put out when eager beaye rs turn up pen and pencil-less. 'But I tell them.‘ he told the Diary. ‘not to worry. In this department we w rite in blood. \Vhich would you prel'cr. yours or ours'."
Is he in heaven? Is he in hell? Elvis Presley is damned elusive these days. One moment in a burger bar in Detroit. the next sighted on Mars. and on 27 Novemberlrom noon to midnight at Edinburgh’s Stakis Grosvenor Hotel. The Memphis Malia. Edinburgh's Elvis Fan Club are staging Scotland’s biggest Elvis event, and promise twelve hours at non-stop Elvis. ‘We don‘t believe any of that stutt about Elvis being alive' says the branch leader. so who is the posturing, pelvis-thrusterwith the sideburns? None other than the UK‘s top Elvis act. Big Jim White. But then again, it might be worth checking that in the
Sunday Spa r1.
WIN £500 0F
WRYGGES
4 The List 14 — 27 October 1988