What SOn
Around Town
f , $2? Ever had an t.) extraordina '1” day? Q
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Kirstin Innes finds out about a celebrity-studded
project designed to get Scotland writing
efming that old platitudc that everyone‘s got a
novel in them. the Scottish Book Trust launched
their Days Like This project earlier this year. looking for ordinary people's stories of their extraordinary days.
‘Days Like This is really about Scotland talking to itself. you know. people from across the country sharing their experiences.‘ says Marc Lambert. CEO of the Scottish Book Trust. who helped initiate the project. ‘We were inspired by a project Paul Auster had started in New York. which resulted in a wonderful book called True Tales of American Life. I'd come across the book some time ago and it seemed to be such a wonderful idea that we basically just nicked it (he chuckles) and transformed the project so it was relevant and feasible in a Scottish situation.‘
Days Like This is a collection of stories. submitted over the internet by anyone who wants to participate. The only stipulations are that they need to be true. and under 1000 words. Logging on to the website. you can find almost 500 stories by MSPs. school children. BBC presenters and grandfathers. with titles like The Day I Met alt Absolute Jerk, Chi/It'd Popes and Five Finnish Firemen. or even. simply. My Stupid Day at the Office.
At the end of the project. celebrity curators Irvine
Welsh. Hardeep Singh Kohli. Siobhan Redmond.
mountaineer Jamie Andrew. percussionist Iivelyn
Glennie and ldlewild frontman Roddy Woomble (all of
whose extraordinary days can also be read on the site) will pick their favourites. to be read on a series of BBC Radio Scotland programmes and published in a book.
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‘The great thing about Days Like This.‘ says Welsh. ‘is that it simplifies and demystifies what writing is
actually about. When people start from the known or the personal. it gives them the confidence to build up and then explore new issues and forms of storytelling“.
Lambert agrees. ‘We want people to get writing in a way that was non-threatening. We‘re not asking for a
piece of fiction. we‘re asking for something absolutely 1
true that happened to you.‘
And he means you. If you fancy being published
alongside Irvine Welsh. the final deadline for submitting your stories is Saturday 1 November. The
celebrity curators will read their favourite stories out
on Radio Scotland on a series of programmes over the Christmas/New Year period. and. as Lambert notes. you don‘t even have to give your name. ‘You really do get to see the whole of life. working on this project.‘ he says. ‘We had an absolutely fabulous story about cross- dressing in yesterday. Submitted anonymously.‘
To take part, visit www.5cottishbooktrust.com
I LGBT 60
L I Books 33 l Clubs 36 l Music 62 Comedy 42 I Theatre 85 f I Film 44 I TV 94 i l Kids 58 I Visual Art 95 ‘
www.list.co.uk/aroundtown
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I {INTERNATIONAL ARTISTIC THlNGS
* My Africa, My Glasgow The culmination of six months of Afr-I-can workshops and events. this exhibition celebrates African culture and the relationship between Glasgow-based African artists and Kelvingrove. Part of Africa Connects. Glasgow, Kelvingrove Museum & Art Gallery, from Thu 16 Oct.
* Hispanic Festival 2008 Are you ready to rhumba? I Edinburgh’s celebration of j everything Espana returns for a ' third year, with music, dance and theatre from across Spain 5 and Latin America. The
programme is spread across
the Scottish Storytelling
Centre, The Caves, The Lot
and Dancebase. Edinburgh,
various venues, Thu 16-Sun
19 Oct.
* A+E Quiz Hello, sensitive cultural types. Quite like i wielding your massive brain for
an audience, but feel that
there’s just too much of that
baffling sporty stuff in the
average pub quiz? Well, the
Arts and Entertainment Quiz
may well be the event for you. Absolutely no questions about football fixtures or long-dead snooker heroes — just good.
clean culture. All proceeds to Oxfam. Edinburgh, Traverse Theatre, Mon 20 Oct.
* Made In the Shade Top
notch fair of local indie crafters
and designers with a retro feel
and a swinging soundtrack.
Swell, baby! Glasgow, The Lighthouse, Sat 25 Oct.
16—30 Oct 2008 THE LIST 31