What do Frank Zappa, Jack Vettriano and
Futurama have in common? They're all essential components of Ian Rankin’s
cultural life. Our guest editor rakes through his books, DVDs and vinyl to shed light on some of his favourite things
Interview: Mark Robertson
} I5 _\ear old son and I ha\ e a \\ eekl_\ pilgrimage \\ Itere \\ e go into II.\I\'. Virgin. (lame. ( iattte Station and \Vaterstone's. He gets his games and maga/ines and I get m_\ (‘I)s. |)\'l )s. hooks. maga/ines. neuspapers. 'l'hat‘s all I spelltl m_\ mone} on. that and paintings. \\'ith the e\eeptions ot the paintings. it's prett_\ mueh “hat I hottght \xhen I \\as a student.
Books
l'nstirprisingl}. I read a lot ol‘erime Iietion. Stiheonseiottsl} ina_\he I'm keeping an e}e on the lield or looking tor the ne\t hig thing. It's ltard to sa} iI’ \\ riters can aettialh \\\ iteh ol'l~ \\hen the) read. I tr} not to piek hooks apart. I spent sex en )t‘;ti‘s as an Iinglish literature student and it can destro_\ the pleasure it )tttt't't‘ reading \\ ith a hltte editing petteil in _\our mind. I.III;1I\\;I.\s getting reeommendations. l \\as in l.ondon signing in} ne\\ one tor a erime speeialist hookstore. ttlttl the} \\ ere telling me. ‘Ila\ e _\ott read this one and Inn e _\ott heard oI’ so and so‘. I‘\ e eome home \\ ith a hook h) an .-\meriean ealletl latira l.ippman. ealled .\ti (fowl [hm/x I al\\a_\ s hit\ e No UI’ three DI] the go. .~\l the tnoment I'm reading l)a\ id I’eaeeK 'lo/o'o li'tu' Zero. a ne\\ erime noxel .set in Japan in III-Io and the next James Lee Burke hook. [in Roof
10 THE LIST ' \A. ._
' the Tin Boot Itiwdnwn
um ._ ‘ IOIICNHII I uovu '
[Hunt/(inn. set itt \eu ()rleans the night til I lurrieane Katrina. I‘m ahout ()(I pages through and it's reall_\ angr_\ and passionate a staggering hook. I'\ e itist read .\Iargaret .-\tt\\ood's hook ahotit
\\ riting. httt that's teehttieall} \xork. heettthe \he inter\ ie\\ ed me in 'l‘oronto in ()etoher tor an .~\mnest} International Benelit.
I IiUIItt\\ authors: l)enise .\lina. .Iames lilro}. \‘al .\Iel)ermid. Ruth Rendell I hit} merflhing the} \\rite. I also read a lot ol‘ Scottish and lidinhurgh histot'}. and tnusie hiographies as I like to klttm \\ hat's happening hehind the seenes.
When I \\as a kid \\ ith measles or ehieken pt“ I \\ttllltl read :\II\t;tII'
.\Iael .ean no\eIs. I oned them and had no idea he \\as St‘tttttslt. a
nati\ e ( iaelie speaker. III Iaet. I'rtistratingl}. }ott ean’t lind his
hooks an} more. the} ‘re otit oI print.
It makes )oti leel reth htttnhle. You think. 'I might he hig non. htit Ill _\ears Irom no“ I ma_\ he tota|l_\
Ittl'gttllell .
ldusk:
\Vhat \\as the last alhttm I hottght'.’ I got .Iolm ( 'ale Ii\ e. a triple alhttm tor a tenner. ’I‘he Ne“ l’ornographers. .\Iother and 'l'he .\ddiets }ott can't go \\rong \\ itlt an} thing on ('hemikal l'ndergrotmd the next l’aul Ilaig alhttm hadn't a elue uhat to e\peet. it's a Ii\ e alhttm. .~\etualh l preler his stull post—.Iosel' K. I like his eleetronie stul'l' liltn soundtracks I‘or lilms that don't e\ist I Io\e all (it it. l‘\e got l'eist. Northern .\IIianee. King ('reosote's tte\\ otte I\ e\eellent. It‘s a hit Itltit'e upheat. the orchestrations hetter. htit most importantl}. the hries and the \oiee are latttastie. I'\ e also ittst disem ered Daniel Patrick Quinn he's a Ile\\ I'olk singer-song“riter
he stitltttls like Mark I‘. Smith II 'l‘he
I'Iall e\ er turned l'olk_\. I got a eop} ol' Ste\ en I.indsa_\ 's Air/w; I nieked the title ol his lirst alhttm /;ti/ .Ilusit' tor in} last hook.
I like ia// too. I'm not that kittmletlgeahle. htit l kllti\\ \\II.‘tI I like: ('olematt Ilau kins. .Iohn ('olti'alte. Izddie llarris \\ ho was around in the (ills. When I \torked I'or //I' /‘I .\Itieuqilit' )eats ago. I re\ ieu ed ia// alhttms. so I had a lot ol earl} .\Iiles l)a\ ies and sttill.
\\ hieh I tised to stick on e\penses_
[I Ital “as IaIIlaslIe. .\ lot til the sltlII lha\e is still on \in} I. htit ttlllltisl ewrflhing l'\e got on \in}l lixe also got on ( I). l ptit the \ in}l aua} \then the kids eame along as I didn't want them getting scratched.