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‘BIOLOGICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY, WE'RE STILL HUNTER-GATHERERS'
Through rigorously exhaustive research, Margaret Elphinstone has written a new novel about Mesolithic Scotland. Doug Johnstone grunts his appreciation
argaret lilphinstone has carved out a fine career as a purveyor of excellent historical novels. but for her latest offering she‘s done something a bit different and gone prehistoric. The Gathering Night is set in Mesolithic Scotland. somewhere between l().()()() and 3()()() B(‘. and tells the story of a group of hunter—galherers. the Auk people. and of what happens when some strangers from a rival tribe. the Lynx people. come into their world. It‘s a brilliant fictional evocation of a time that‘s usually given short shrift in history books. a situation that drew her to the period in the first place. ‘I was initially thinking about Neolithic.‘ she says. ‘Then I found out there were thousands of years before that when Scotland had hunter-gatherers. 7()()() years of history that nobody ever speaks about.‘
Doing meticulous research into Scottish prehistory and other hunter-gatherer groups around the world. Elphinstone discovered that. far from the club- wielding. grunting caveman cliche. Mesolithic Scots had complex societies. a well-developed moral and spiritual sense. and practical skills we have long since lost. ‘That image of cavemen is still with us and we all know The Flintstmws.‘ Elphinstone laughs. “But these people were very sophisticated with language and had their own form of technology. We‘d be defeated in their world. they were far more skilled than we are.‘
Studying the likes of the Inuit and African Bushmen. Elphinstone gradually developed a picture of what early hunter-gatherers on Scottish shores would have been like. The author has a reputation for
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painstaking rescarclt. bttt like all her work. The (hither/rig Night wears its expert knowledge lightly and never lets superfluous detail overwhelm the narrative. ‘You can‘t get bogged down when you‘re writing a book. I actually really enjoy the endless research. btit you don‘t want to get it all into the book. Sometimes when you‘re very fond of a fact and it took a long time to get hold of it. you want to get it in. but if it‘s not relevant then it must go.‘
lilphinstone estimates that she leaves out about 90’; of her research. which makes you wonder if she has ever thought about channelling it all into a non—liction work. ‘.\‘ot really. becatise for me it all l‘octises around characters.‘ she says. ‘Right back to history at school. I could only make sense of it by centring it on a character. then it would all start to work.‘
At the core of The Gathering Night is a very human story. a complex tale of love. revenge. tnurder and honour. a book that manages to be both gripping in terms of plot. engaging with character psychology and a hugely evocative exploration of time and place. What strikes you most is that our ll).()()(l-year~old ancestors had all the same concerns and worries that we do today. ‘(ienetically' we‘re no different from these people. we've got the same emotional make-up. i think one of our problems today is that we‘re biologically and emotionally still hunter-gatherers. only now we‘ve got to take charge of a whole planet and we haven't got the equipment to deal with that.‘
The Gathering Night is published by Canongate on Thu 21 May.
* Colm Tolbln The Irish author's sixth novel is a beautifully-written and poignant epic set in New York and 19508 rural Ireland. See review, page 33. Viking.
* Margaret Elphlnstono See preview, left. Canongate. '0' Stuart Machde The beardy crime novelist leaves the trail of bodies behind him in the Granite City as he comes down to promote the latest outing for Grampian Police Force's finest. dashing detective Logan MacRae. Blackwell, Edinburgh, Thu 14 May; Borders, Glasgow, Fri 15 May.
1' The Golden Hour: Reel Iraq Prominent Iraqi authors and poets (including Sinan Antoon and Betool Kheidari) take over the Forest's Iouche, loose cabaret night as part of the Reel Iraq festival (see preview, page 29). We've got absolutely no idea what's going to happen. Forest Cafe. Edinburgh, Wed 20 May.
* David Aaronovitch Journalist Aaronovitch gets stuck into popular recent conspiracy theories with gusto. and also takes a look at the psycho-social conditions in which they exist. See review. page 33. Jonathan Cape.
'3 Burns an’ a’ That Ayrshire's annual festival of the Bard has swollen, encompassing even more music. song, poetry. art and, er, coarse fishing competitions to celebrate Robert Burns' 250th birthday. Rhona Cameron, Hue & Cry and Vladimir McTavish are amongst the performers getting their tammies on. Various venues, Ayr, until Sun 24 May.