festival Books
CULTURE WARS/TEATIME TALK CULTURAL ID a unique literary experience,’ he says of historical account. ° the stories‘ significant appeal. The book‘s achievement is to send a Elke morr'son A'COhOI And (“Rural From the height of the Viking age, gesture of understanding across the 4’" Identity the tales were passed down through generations. ‘Anybody who has lived generations, describing the ancestors any sort of life in Scotland knows that Scots stoashing around the streets in and exploits - not of a single royal line harsh ideological truths often break wet troos. English lager louts. Russians - but of all Icelandic families. ‘One can down in the face of the reality,‘ chucking down neat vodka between stand today at the sites where the saga O‘Hagan explains. naked dips in icy pools. What is it events are said to have occurred, and As well as reading from his novel, he about the collectives we live in that recognise every detail of the will also participate in discussions on makes us look for answers in the landscape,‘ says Magnusson. the urban landscape in fiction and on bottom of a glass? And do we drown Go along and listen to Icelandic-born democracy. 'The good thing about the our national insecurities hoping for Magnusson recount enduring tales of Book Festival is that it continues the oblivion or a flash of brilliance? his forbears. Even if you have to fight debate. The novel was part of a In Alcohol And Cultural Identity, a the temptation to ask him to utter continuing discussion we are having panel of three funny writers who have those other immortal words. about Scotland - events like this keep I confess. Blake Mormon undoubtedly sampled a dram or two (Alison Chiesa) that going.‘ (Moira Jeffrey) themselves will attempt to conclude I Imprisoned Writers, Napiers I Scottish Writers 0n Democracy Poet, critic and literary journalist Blake whether or not liquor weakness can be Herbalists Lifestyle Tent, 16 Aug, (Discussion) Post Office Theatre, 19 Morrison has been credited with the defined by nationality. 5.30pm, free tickets; Magnus Aug, 7.30pm, £7 (£5); Andrew revival of a genre that seems to have Tom Morton, armed with charm and Magnusson (Teatime Talk) Spiegeltent. O’Hagan & Chris Dolan (Scottish dominated the books of the 905: the a cruel wit, exposes the New Scots 16 Aug, 6.30pm, £6 (£4). Writers For Breakfast) Spiegeltent. 22 confessional. Since the publication of loading their shopping trolleys with Aug, 10.30am, £6 (£4); Will Self & his book And When Did You Last See booze. Vitali Vitaliev, a Russian who DISCUSSION/SCOTTISH WRITERS FOR Andrew O’Hagan On Urban Landscape Your Father?, the nation's bookshelves fled with his family to forge a new life BREAKFAST/ARCHITECTURE In Fiction (Architecture) Gap Studio have been bombarded with all manner travelling and writing, should provide a d , Theatre, 23 Aug, 5.30pm, £7 (£5). of memoirs. He is amused at the dark ironic twist and a first-hand A“ few 0 Hagan suggestion, but not prepared to take knowledge of collapsed communist In his novel Our Fathers, Andrew LUNCHTIME READING/LECTURE/ either the credit or the blame. 'I think states, while Huddersfield's finest poet O‘Hagan fuses universal themes of NUTS AND BOLTS/CULTURE WARS that Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch, not to Simon Armitage, may well be the family conflict with the emotional .r P k mention St Augustine, got in there sober stooge. (Ally Hardy) landscape of a particularly Scottish "n ar 5 before me.‘ . Alcohol And Cultural Identity machismo. Set against the Glasgow Tim Parks likes grounding his reader Morrison, whose new volume (Cultural ID) Gap Studio Theatre, 19 tower building programmes and the in concrete experience. In Adultery Selected Poems has just been Aug, 7pm, £5 (£3). building of the new towns, O‘Hagan And Other Diversions we have a published by Granta, is quick to point reveals a Scotland of high idealism and out that in poetry, autobiographical IMPRISONED WRlTERS/TEATIME TALK energy that, because of its ultimate content is often a given. ‘No one is M agnus Magnusson failure, had somehow got lost in the Continued over page worried about poetry being confessional,‘ he says. 'lt's assumed Erstwhile Keeper of the Black Chair, g _. ‘ you can cross your personal experience Magnus Magnusson has been busy . ' " A t h t with national experience. People since abdicating. He has recently g. , g u 0 a expect that you'll be talking about edited a new version of The Icelandic "' " yourself.‘ (Moira Jeffrey) Sagas, tales once heralded by Ted 5 I Canon Fodder (Culture Wars) Hughes as ‘great marvels of world i e t O n e S Spiegeltent, 17 Aug, 4pm, £6 (£4); literature’. ‘They were the outcome of '55 -" 5 Blake Morrison (Teatime Talk) a long process of cultural ’ . A s i I m, 18 AU I o 0 ' . t , _ . p ege te g 5 3 pm £6 (£4) development the ultimate flowering of Waterstone S | n u g u
Edinburgh
EAST END
IAIN BANKS
Iain Banks will be reading from and talking about his new novel The Business (Little Brown £13.59) and will sign copies afterwards.
£2/£1 conc. Redeemable against The Business
EAST END
TIM ROTH
Tim Roth will be signing copies of War Zone (Macmillan £7.99) the film of which is his directorial debut. The Cameo are hosting the premiere that night as part of the Film FesfivaL
no tickets needed 83 George Street. Edinburgh tel: 0131 225 3436 West End. 128 Princes Street. Edinburgh tel: 0131 226 2666 East End, 13-14 Princes Street. Edinburgh tel: 0131 556 3034/5
The Icelander cometh: Magnus Magnusson
12-19 Aug 1999 mums