The author of The Cutting Room tells us her favourite novels set in Glasgow.
Alasdair Gray: Lanark It has to be top of the list. A compelling combination of social realism and the fantastical which takes the reader on a sometimes bewildering, always stimulating. journey through time and space.
James Kelman: How Late it was How Late Sammy loses his sight and enters a Kafkaesque world of disability benefits agencies. Angry Jim surpasses himself.
Iain Banks: Espedair Street Ex- rock musician Daniel WeirNVeird has turned his back on success and lives incognito in a monumental decaying church in Glasgow's city centre. He's considering suicide but . . . A good intro to a great novelist. Jackie Kay: Trumpet Joss Moody arranges to meet his sweetheart at the corner of Union Street and Hope Street. A beautiful novel which could only have been written by a poet. Zoe Strachan: Negative Space A portrayal of 21 st century Glasgow. It's still a dark city punctuated by pubs, but that‘s not what's depressing Stella. She knows you’re a long time dead and throws off any Presbyterian inhibitions with unpredictable results.
I Alan Bissett, Laura Hird & Louise Welsh, Spiegeltent, 22 Aug, 10.30am, £7 (£5).
Thursday 22
Alan Bissett, Laura Hird & Louise Welsh Spiege/tent. 70.30am, £7 (£5). Three of this country‘s most vibrant yOung talents with a debut novel apiece. Bissett's Boyracers. Hird's Born Free and Welsh's The Cutting Ftoom are all modern. witty and tough. And very good. See Bissett and Welsh Top 55. Rachel Holmes 8. Patricia Duncker Field and Lawn Marquee, 778m, £7 (25). Two writers who have taken on the legend of James Miranda Barry.
Blake Morrison Consignia Theatre, 77.30am, £7 (£5). Over the last year. the renowned poet. novelist and commentator has written evocativer about the attacks on the USA and being in Japan for the World Cup.
Jim Crace Studio Theatre, 72pm, [‘7 ([5). Nominated for the Booker in 98 with Quarantine. Crace is now
ALAN WARNER
Oban author on the perils of memory loss
Alan Warner is a worried man. He’s not concerned that fame will engulf him in the light of Morvern Callar’s seemingly assured film glory or that he has writer’s block or he’s suddenly started to care what critics think of him (a lot and not much in fairly equal measure). No, he’s upset because he actually appreciates his most recent
noveL
‘The Man who Walks is the only one I’ve liked when I’ve finished it,’ he insists. ‘Normally I detest them because you’re stuck in a room for a year and a half with characters who don’t exist for company, wondering what they would and wouldn’t say, and how they’d walk. You live with these phantoms and then suddenly it’s all between two covers and you’re so sick of them that maybe you’ll read it again in six
months. But this one I like.’
The Man who Walks, Warner’s fourth full-length novel, concerns the theft of a World Cup kitty and the journey of the felon’s nephew to seek out the man and
the truth, on the way encountering a grotesque gallery of rogues. It’s hard to see Lynne Ramsay or any other
contemporary director getting their editing scissors too easily into this one, but Warner is probably amazed that they managed such a good job on his debut.
‘l reread Morvern Callar around the time they were filming in Scotland and I was shocked that the guy couldn’t write. But it did have a power in it that was quite moving. A lot of writers totally disown their early books, which I find very hard to understand.
There’s a fantastic story about Agatha Christie that I didn’t believe before I was a writer. She couldn’t remember writing
one of her books, had no recollection of it being published, and I thought “bullshit”. But if you write so many books and live to a ripe old age, I can imagine you’d think: “What decade did I write that one in?”’ (Brian Donaldson) I Studio Theatre. 23 Aug. 8.30pm. £38 (lib).
gaining the reputation he has deserved since leaVing the BBC to write fiction almost 30 years ago. Maggie O’Farrell 8. Emily Perkins Field and Lawn Marquee. 72.30pm, 577 (5‘5). O'Farrell has had a busy life. having lived in all of the Home Nations at some point while Perkins was a soap star in her native New Zealand before turning to fiction.
Alice Thompson 8. Nancy Huston Field and lawn Marquee, 2.30pm, 5‘7 (575). The spookily spiritual is evident in these two writers' prose. Thompson haying taken on myths and ghosts in Pharos and Justine while Calgary- born Huston's biggest success is arguably Instruments of Darkness. Laurence Rees Consignia Theatre. 3pm. £7 (£5). The BBC producer chats about the horrors of war in Japan.
Rose Collis, Rachel Holmes & Paul Bailey Studio Theatre. 3.30pm, £7 (85). Sexual identity and the urge to live as a member of the opposite sex are at the heart of this debate.
Bernard MacLaverty & Michael Redhill Field and Lawn Marquee. 4pm. £37 (£35). There are Irish tinges all over this event with the Belfast— born. Glasgow—hung MacLaverty and the Canadian Redhill who writes about Dublin. Confused? [Don't be.
40 THE LIST FESTIVAL GUIDE 1/? Aug 5) Sep you?
Richard Weight & Nick Clarke Consignia Theatre. 4.30pm, 5‘/’ (5‘3). How (lid World War II help shape the Britain we know today?
Rick Moody 8: Gwendoline Riley Studio Theatre. Spin, 5‘/' Ill-5i. The American author of The Ice Storm and a new confessional lhe Black Veil has tipped Riley for big things after her debut about bar room drifters. Cold til/.‘rter. Which she has to be chuffed about. Imprisoned Writers field and lawn Marquee. frail/iii). tree but ticketed. Jackie Kay and Jon Honson speak out for the persecuted. Claudia Roden Cons/gnia Theatre. (5.30pm, SIB ($36). Born and raised in Cairo. this acclaimed food writer has published books about the Middle East. coffee. JeWish cuisine. the Med and Italy.
The Writing Business Field and Lawn Marquee. 6.45pm. £5 (£3). Paul Johnston offers tips on getting your literary career started.
Patrick Dillon Studio Theatre. 7pm. £78 (96). It may be mother's mm but it's lovely With a slice of lemon and a touch of tonic. Or even on its own. The history of gin is discussed. Melvin Burgess, Celia Rees 8. David Almond Children's Theatre. 7.30pm. $13.50. Young readers: don't you Just love ‘em’? This trio do Willi Burgess haVing gained some fame for Junk and B/()()(/{l(lt). Rees
‘I detest being stuck in
:1: a room for a year and a half with phantoms
for company’
haying written Witch Child and Almond able to put Skel/ig on his
John Sulston Cons/gala Theatre. 8/)!7). 5‘8 rl‘o‘i. lhis seltprofessed 'child of the (30:; has been at the forefront of human genome research. lléiVlllt) spent ($0 years of his life studying a onemillimetre—lotig worm. Jackie Kay & Bernard MacLaverty Studio lheatre. 8.30pm. 5‘8 (3‘6). Glasgow plays a big part in this pair's works. even if the former lives in Manchester and the latter was born in Belfast.
Jon Ronson field and Lawn Marquee. 8.30pm. 5‘8 4‘6). See the Write Stuff. page 39.
Friday 23
Colm Toibin 8: Zoé Strachan Sprege/tent. 10.30am, £7 (£5). Probably the event With the biggest number of sguiggles above the authors names. this features two strong Celtic talents. Strachan has been praised for her debut Negative Space and is so good With a camera that Louise Welsh trusts her to take publicity shots while Colm made the Booker shortlist \‘Jllll The B/(IC/(l’t/(UOI' Lightship.
Alistair MacLeod Consrgnra [heat/e. 71.30am, .“/' r5‘:')i. The Highlands meets Cape Breton in the short stories of this bunneted legend.