What did
Gordon do to make Cliff curse?
PAGE 12
Ismail Kadare in front of the Scott Momument
Festival mania sets in
Heavyweights drop in for the capital’s art, books and politics festivals. Wolds: Allan Radcliffe
his .\llgust ill lidinburgh. endless possibilities are
emerging for those seeking a health} dose of
enlightenment. awa} front the hullabaloo and scoot ol. the fringe. as the l’csti\als tln\ei| their big~hitting progralnlnes.
.'\s mm; the International Book l’estixal offers a rich programme of author exents. readings. book signings and proxocathc political dcbatcs against the ci\iliscd backdrop of ('hal‘lotte Square (iardens. liig nalnes include American philosophel alid cconolnist. l‘rancis l-‘tllxtnalna. Man Booker International l’ri/e winner. lsinail Kadarc. octogcnarian literal‘} ltca\_\\\ciglll. |)oris l.cs.siltg. \obel l’ri/e winning ccollottlisl. .loscplt l‘. Sliglill. atitl bcsl till all legendary pla_\\\ right. political campaigner and 2005 Nobel l’ri/e winner. Harold Pinter. 'l‘he redollhtable lr\ inc \Velsh appears again. iii an e\ent sponsored b} The list.
'I he titlietl} beating heart of" the l‘estixals season is the :\rt l'csti\al. which runs across nunlcrous cit} \enues from 27 Jul} 3 September. Major e\hibitions range from a Robert .\lapp|cthorpe e\hibition at the Modern ;\rt (ialler) to the Dean (iallcrs‘s Van (iogh celebration. while the conteniporar} cutting edge is represented b_\ Beck's l5utures winner .\latt Stokes at the (’ollcctixe (ialler) and
exquisite clacket} lilln loops h} l)utch artist Marijke \‘an \Varlnerdaln at the l‘ruitinarket.
Sceptics lnight object to the notion of the men ill gre) sllits lnuscling in on the world‘s biggest arts extl'ax'agan/a. But then. the} do sa_\ that politics is the art of the possible.
so perhaps it‘s appropriate that the lidinhurgh l‘t‘slthll of.
Politics (Wed 23-8111 26 Aug) is holding its own on a crowded l‘c‘sti\';lls stage. Highlights include question and answer sessions with parlialnentar) veterans. Ming (‘alnpbell and lain l)a|_\'e||. 'I'V satirist .-\rlnando Iannucci and folk musician and campaigner. Karine l’olwart. Yet. the runawa} coup of the llohrood-lMsed festival is a session with erstwhile James Bond. Sir Sean ('onner}. Big 'l'ain‘s contribution to Scottish political life has been as colourful as his film career and far more controxersial. from his tallied support for the Scottish National Part). to his support for depri\ ed young people ill lidinburgh arid Scottish film production. to his rather injudicious remarks about pli}'\lL‘illl_\ abusing women. Not to be missed.
www.edbookfest.co.uk, www.edinburghartfestival.org, www.festivalofpolitics.org.uk
EMBARRASSMENT OF RICHES FOR SCOTS AUTHORS I Literary awards season is upon us once again, and typists from North Britain can give themselves a pat on the back. The shortlist for the £10,000 Scottish Book of the Year includes Ali Smith‘s brilliant The Accidental, James Meek’s The People’s Act of Love and Kathleen Jamie‘s Findings. The winner is announced on 19 August at the Edinburgh Book Festival. From the sublime to the porcine, Christopher Brookmyre has had a Gloucestershire Old Spot pig named after his novel All Fun and Games Until Someone Loses An Eye, which won the best comic fiction prize at this year’s Guardian Hay-on-Wye festival. But Scotland's oldest literary plaudit, the James Tait Black Memorial Prize, was bestowed on a sassenach, Ian McEwan, for his novel Saturday. (AR)
I STV crime drama, Rebus, is to be broadcast in 60 countries across Africa and Asia, including South Africa, Kenya and Korea. The programme (pictured), based on the bestselling books by Ian Rankin, has been sold to international channel BBC Prime, and is set to become one of the UK's biggest television exports.
I Edinburgh's first World Justice Festival lS to be launched on Saturday 1 July at the City's Augustine United Church. Sponsored by Fair Trade chocolate producers. Divine. the festival includes workshops alrned at exploring ways in which local peOple can make a real difference to world poverty. topped off with a world mUSlC party at the Left Bank.
I Ernesto Leal, the Chilean-born, Scots- raised arts promoter, questionany imprisoned and threatened with deportation, has been released on bail. This good news is dampened by the arrest and imprisonment of talented athlete Sakchai Makao, a young Shetlander of Thai origin who served time in prison for tire-raising. Once again, Sakchai’s arrest appears linked to the Home Office's efforts to trace 1 ,000 foreigners with a criminal record who have not been considered for deportation. To support a local campaign for his release, email nodeportationfromshetian d0yahoo.co.uk or sign the petition at www.3hetlink. co.uk.
21/ J xii-'3 Jo‘i 23’1") THE LIST 7