Events
Events are listed by date, then city. Submit listings at least ten days before publication to jules.graham@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Jules Graham.
Thursday 7
Glasgow
Rodge Glass ()uakar‘s Bookstore. [hit 6. Buchanan Galleries. Buchanan Street. 353 1500. 6.30pm. Free. Join the author for the launch of his poignant nevv novel Nu Fireworks. See revievv. page 33.
Edinburgh
Quintin Jardine Blackvvclls. 53 59 South Bridge. 622 8222. noon 2pm. Free. The master of suspense signs copies of his latest Skinner novel Let/nil Intent. See My Favourite Scottish Book. page 12.
Iain M Banks The Pleasance ('abaret Bar. 60 The Pleasance. 622 8222. 6.30pm. £1 redeemable against purchase. The hugely successful fiction vvriter vvill be launching the paperback version of T/tt' sl/gehritist. his latest sci-fi drama
vv hich has been billed as a ‘space opera on a truly epic scale‘.
Saturday 9
Glasgow
Sunbeam Street ()itakar's Bookstore. t'nit 6. Buchanan Galleries. Buchanan Street. 353 1500. 10.30am. Free. Join local authors Michelle Shenken and Gloria (‘irossman as they read from their first tvvo books and perform songs. Ages 3 6. Book your tickets early to avoid disappointment.
Edinburgh
Quintin Jardine ()ttakar's. 57 George Street. 225 4495. 7pm. £1. The master of suspense talks about his latest Skinner novel. Let/ml Intent. This is a rescheduled date. so please note change of venue to avoid disappointment and potential embarrassment.
Piranha Poetry Slam (‘al‘e Royal (‘ellar Bar. 17 West Register Street. 557 4792. 9 1 1.30pm. £2. Sixteen slammers battle it out to the bitter bookish end
vs ith one eventual vs inner rising Victorious. All proceeds go to Cancer Research. first come first served and 3011 can email ga/deat11(a‘hotmail.com for further details.
Glasgow
Sunbeam Street Borders Books. 98 Buchanan Street. 222 7700. l().3()am. Free. See Sat 9.
Wednesday 13
Glasgow
Quintin Jardine Borders Books. ()8 Buchanan Street. 222 7700. 6.30pm. Free. See Thu 7.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh University Press Scottish Poetry Library. 5 (‘richton's ('lose. (‘anongate. 557 2876. 6.30pm. Free. ticketed. Help the HT) toast the launch of its nevv test. The lat/inlniigh Book of 'Iii'entieth ('entmjv Scottish Poetry.
Glasgow
Iain M Banks Borders Books. ()8 Buchanan Street. 222 7700. 6pm. Free. See Thu 7.
Crime Fiction Reading Group ()ttakar's Bookstore. {hit 6. Buchanan Galleries. Buchanan Street. 353 1500. 6.30pm. The novel under investigation this time around still be Rosemary Rovve's (ihmts ii/(i/evtint.
34 THE LIST /' Pt .16! 9005)
Edinburgh
Big Word Performance Poetry End of Season Special The Tron. 9 Hunter Square. High Street. 07989 508 436. 9pm. £3 (£2). The last BW instalment of the current term sees one of Sydney's most popular and prolific poets. Benito di i-‘onzo. join Luke Wright. Ha/el Morrison. David (‘ Johnson and compere Jenny Lindsay for more manic vvordplay.
Glasgow
Harry Potter Party Borders Books. Fort Retail Park. 390 Provan Walk. 773 2910. l lam 2am. A vvhole day of Harry Potter festivities to celebrate the launch of the eagerly anticipated sixth hook. with quizzes. readings. movies. competitions and even some owls. The book will be available as soon as midnight has struck.
Midnight Opening ()ttakar's Bookstore. Unit 6. Buchanan Galleries. Buchanan Street. 353 1500.
Midnight 1am. Simply can't wait until morning‘.’ Seize this opportunity to get a copy of Harry Potter and the Hal'fBlmnl l’ri'nee as it goes on general release.
Edinburgh
Harry Potter Countdown Party ()ttakar’s. 57 George Street. 225 4495. 1 1pm. Limited tickets. Potter-mania continues with a pre-release shindig. Midnight Opening ()ttakar's Bookshop. t'nit l6. (‘ameron Toll Shopping Centre. 6 Lady Road. 666 1866. 1 1.30pm. Pity those poor over- vvorked booksellers.
Saturday 1 6
Glasgow
Harry Potter Day ()ttakar‘s Bookstore. l'nit 6. Buchanan Galleries. Buchanan Street. 353 1500. 7am. Yet more Harry-inspired fun vvith a day of fun. games and fancy dress. beginning \vith breakfast from 7am.
Julia Donaldson Borders Books. Fort Retail Park. 39(1 Provan Walk. 773 2910. 1pm. The best-selling author of The Gratin/u tales returns to Borders vvith more fun for your little cheruhs.
Tuesday 1 9
Glasgow
Jasper Horde ()ttakar's Bookstore. [hit 6. Buchanan Galleries. Buchanan Street. 353 1500. 6.30pm. Free. ticketed. The ex-Holly \vood film executive and best-selling author reads from his eagerly avvaited nevv comic novel The Big ()i'er [fusv
Wednesday 20
Edinburgh
Jasper Fforde Waterstone‘s. 128 Princes Street. 226 2666. 6pm. £3. redeemable against purchase of the title. See Tue 19.
Brian Edwards and Paul Jenkins Blackvvells. 53 —59 South Bridge. 622 8222. 6.30pm. Free. ticketed. Join the authors as they launch Edinburgh: The .tluking Ufa ('u/n'tu/ (try. their in-depth review of Auld Reekie's development.
Glasgow
Ottakar’s Reading Group ()itakar‘s Bookstore. l'nit 6. Buchanan Galleries. Buchanan Street. 353 1500. 6pm. Free. Sue Monk's children‘s novel Seeret Life (If-Bees is up for discussion at this hook group hosted by Matt Meade.
Comics
HUMOUR JOHNNY RYAN Blecky Yuckerella (Fantagraphics) 000
This collection of Johnny Ryan's weekly comic strips currently running in several alternative papers in the States wallows shamelessly in low—end humour. Each of the simple. black and white four-panel strips features Ryan's gross girl creation. a pot-
bellied. buck-toothed. stubble-chimed little brat with a heart of gold. getting herself or someone else in a mess. In one strip Blecky sets fire to herself and her geeky pal Wedge saves her from (more) serious disfigurement by pissmg on her back. In another. she discovers she's able to fresh water fish — because she's got worms up her ass. And in a third. Yuckerella escapes from the bottom of a dry well by crapping her way to the top.
Rendered in a pleasing retro style familiar from Ryan's regular comics PonaJohnny and Angry Youth Com/x. this is a series of gags designed to make you gag. One to hang by the crapper. Barf. barf. (Miles Fielder)
ANTHOLOGY VARIOUS Book of the Dead (Dark Horse) coo
Dark Horse does these things so well. and this is its third prestige format horror anthology with at least one more on the way. Dark Horse has managed to corral one of the finest stables of writers in comicdom. lts creator-owned titles have brought us such myriad delights as Sin City. Hellboy and Concrete. And here it calls on its talents for a number of creepy shorts
_' singular
with a zombiesque theme. Unfortunater there's no Frank Miller. but names like Kelley Jones. Guy Davrs. Mike Mignola. Bob Fingerman and Scott Allie shOuId strike joy and terror into fans'heans.
The new Hellboy adventure will be the big draw for most readers. as will the prose tale from Conan creator Robert E Howard. Some of it is fairly variable. With only Eric Powell's tale of arctic terror and Jamie S Rich's haunted love story hitting the right notes of fear. (Henry Nonhmore)
SUPERNATURAL MIKE MIGNOLA Hellboy: The Island (Dark Horse) 0000
The first Hellboy comic since the film adaptation was released has been a long time coming. Having left his demonic superhero marooned at the bottom of the sea in 2003's two-part story 'The Third Wish‘, Mike Mignola's follow-up. ‘The Island'. was started. put aside for filmmaking duties. restarted (from scratch). shelved again (for film promotion chores) and re-restarted.
The end result finds Mignola on as fine Supernatural storytelling form as ever. Here he pulls off the trick of telling a relatively complicated tall tale about an em from the past possessing the Hellboy of the present with marvellously
paired-down dialogue and ever more expreSSionistic artwork. It's a shame. then. to read the announcement on the letters page that the second and concluding instalment of 'The Island'. due out this summer. Will be the last drawn by Mignola. From here on in. Hellboy's creator will be prowding the covers and layouts only (to make time for more lucrative film work perhaps?) (Miles Fielder)
FRANK MILLER & DAVID MAZZUCCHELLI Batman: Year One (DC) ooooo
This is a timely repackaging of this quintessential Batman story from the masterful pen of Frank Miller. He'd already written Batman's proposed future imperfect in the Dark Knight Returns. and here he reimagines his foundations. His early pre—costume forays definitely help ground the character in a bleak reality. but It's also as much a story of how a City comes to accept a champion as how Bruce Wayne takes on the mantle of the Bat. Much of the action unfolds via Jim Gordon (soon to be Commissioner Gordon). wrth Batman often confined to the shadows. grasping the humanity inherent in the struggle to be a hero. Gotham has never lived and breathed as a part of our world as much as in this four- issue run. Mazzucchelli's art paints a decaying city that COuld easily be Detroit or New York. with none of the grandiose sci-fi elements other artists have embellished on the metropolis. A near perfect encapsulation of what Batman should be. (Henry Northmore)