Books Events
Events
Events are listed by date, then city. Submit listings at least ten days before publication to suzanne.black@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Suzanne Black.
Thursday 18 Edinburgh FREE Ruth Tittensor Blackwell, 53–59 South Bridge, 622 8206. 6.15pm. From Peatbog to Conifer Forrest is an oral history of the Whitelee Plateau just south of Glasgow, a moorland which was converted to forest and is now the site of Europe’s largest onshore windfarm.
Friday 19
Edinburgh FREE Edinburgh Book History Seminars University of Edinburgh, Main Library, George Square, 650 3384. 1pm. One of a series of seminars held by The Centre for the History of The Book and Edinburgh University Library. Guest speaker Peter Freshwater discusses ‘Edition Bindings 1800-2009: Arrival, Survival, Revival’. FREE Paul Stewart and Ken Murphy Word Power Bookshop, 43 West Nicolson Street, 662 9112. 7pm. Release of We Sell Our Time No More: Workers’ Struggles Against Lean Production in the British Car Industry.
Saturday 20 Edinburgh Nothing But the Poem Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate, 557 2876. 11am–12.30pm. £5 (£3). Removing the pressures of review, criticism and hype, and without relying on
background knowledge, this gentle reading group facilitated by Ryan Van Winkle focuses on the reader’s response to the text. FREE Poetry Olympics! Holyrood Park, 557 2876. 1–4pm. Poetry meets athletics in this afternoon of races, forfeits and prizes. Part of the Carry a Poem Campaign 2010.
Monday 22
Glasgow Creative Writing Class Charlie Reid Centre, 19 Elmbank St, 6–8pm. £6.50 (block of six £30). Workshop entitled ‘Discover the Writer Within’. Booking essential on 07960 823712 or email prism.atic@virgin.net Edinburgh Nothing But the Poem Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate, 557 2876. 11am. £5 (£3). A relaxed and informal look at poetry with Lilias Fraser. Part of the Carry a Poem Campaign 2010.
Wednesday 24
Glasgow FREE Don’t Eat the Mic Tchai Ovna, 42 Otago Lane, 357 4524. 8pm. An evening of poetry performance. Edinburgh FREE Carry a Poem to Blackhall Blackhall Library, 56 Hillhouse Road, 529 5595. 6.30pm. Poetry fun. Bring your favourite along. Part of the Carry a Poem Campaign 2010. Bookshop Poetry Party Night The Edinburgh Bookshop, 181 Bruntsfield Place, 229 9207. 7.30pm. £5 (includes glass of wine). Poems and readings from Scottish poets. Part of the Carry a Poem Campaign 2010.
Thursday 25
Edinburgh ✽✽ FREE Jackie Kay and Aidan Moffat Central Library, George IV
Bridge, 242 8000. 6.30pm. Doug Johnstone talks to poet Jackie Kay and lyricist Aidan Moffat in a City Reads event as part of the Carry a Poem campaign. Booking essential via readerdevelopment@edinburgh.gov.uk FREE Michael Faulkner Waterstone’s, 83 George Street, 225 3436. 7.30pm. A talk and slideshow on Still on the Sound: A Seasonal Look at Island Life, the follow-up to Faulkner’s first book about island living, The Blue Cabin: Living by the Tides on Islandmore.
Friday 26
Edinburgh ✽✽ FREE Alistair Findlay The Canons’ Gait, 232 Canongate, 225
4326. 7.15pm. Alistair Findlay debuts his collection of poetry about social work and workers, Dancing with Big Eunice. Guid Crack Club Waverly Bar, St Mary’s Street, 556 9579. 7.30pm. £3 suggested donation. Edinburgh’s monthly storytelling club welcomes all to listen or contribute to the spinning of yarns. A delightful evening of words and song. FREE Kind of Larkin Central Library, George IV Bridge, 242 8000. 7.30pm. Excerpts from Philip Larkin’s jazz poetry, extracts from his jazz reviews and instrumental jazz from a live band. Booking essential. Part of the Carry a Poem Campaign 2010.
Saturday 27 Glasgow FREE Vampire Event Waterstone’s, 153–157 Sauchiehall Street, 332 9105. 3pm. Blood-sucking fun with the vampire
Sandy pops into Bruntsfield to have a good old muse with his admirers Alexander McCall Smith over his latest bumper-selling book, The Double Comfort Safari Club, the 11th tale in the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency series. Here, Mma Ramotswe is called out to a Botswana safari lodge to carry out a delicate mission on behalf of a former guest. More couthy crime capers await. ■ The Edinburgh Bookshop, Wed 3 Mar. 36 THE LIST 18 Feb–4 Mar 2010
www.list.co.uk/books
name game and copies of Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy books. Edinburgh Getting Into Poetry Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate, 557 2876. 10am–1pm. £10 (£6). A third session this month introducing poetry, this time led by Lilias Fraser.
Sunday 28 Edinburgh Shore Poets The Lot, 4–6 Grassmarket, 225 9922. 7.45pm. £4 (£3). Jamaican- born, Glasgow-based poet and novelist Kei Miller is the headline act, along with Angela McSeveney, Thomas Laycock and music from Mae Shaw. Is This Poetry? The Jazz Bar, 1 Chambers Street, 220 4298. 8.30pm. £4 (£3). Spoken word/performance poetry night hosted by Jenny Lindsay, who this month is joined by Bram E Gieben (aka Texture), Claire Askew, Graeme Hawley and Jed Milroy.
Monday 1
Glasgow Creative Writing Class Charlie Reid Centre, 19 Elmbank St, 6–8pm. £6.50 (block of six £30). See Mon 22.
✽✽ Carol Ann Duffy Mitchell Library, 201 North Street, 0844 847 1683. 7pm. £7 (£6). Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy reads from recent works Love Poems, Rapture and New Collected Poems. Part of Aye Write!
Edinburgh New Books Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate, 557 2876. 6–7.30pm. £5 (£3). Lilias Fraser introduces the library’s newest acquisitions. Part of the Carry a Poem Campaign 2010. FREE Blackwell Book Quiz Blackwell, 53–59 South Bridge, 622 8222. 6pm. Test your literary credentials in teams of up to five members.
Tuesday 2
Edinburgh FREE Simon Varwell Blackwell, 53–59 South Bridge, 622 8206. 6.30pm. Author event with the writer of Up the Creek Without a Mullet, who went on a world-wide adventure after becoming fascinated with the ‘business up front, party in the back’ hairdo. Shakespeare’s Sonnets Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate, 557 2876. 7.30pm. £5 (£3). Seminar led by poet Don Paterson. Wednesday 3
Edinburgh Alexander McCall Smith The Edinburgh Bookshop, 181 Bruntsfield Place, 229 9207. 7.30pm. £5 (redeemable against purchase). Creator of the popular Ladies No1 Detective Agency series, Alexander McCall Smith, introduces his latest novel, The Double Comfort Safari Club.
Thursday 4
Edinburgh ✽✽ FREE The Book That Changed My Life National Library of
Scotland, George IV Bridge, 623 3918. 6pm. Writers AL Kennedy and Sara Sheridan discuss significant tomes in their lives in an event organised by the Scottish Book Trust.
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