Edinburgh FREE Discovering Family History at NLS National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, 623 3918. Noon–3.30pm. Look for family secrets or royal blood in a practical workshop. 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. FREE Blackwell Book Quiz Blackwell, 53–59 South Bridge, 622 8222. 6pm. Test your literary credentials in teams of up to five members. Tuesday 13
Edinburgh FREE Getting Started at NLS National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, 623 3918. 2.30–4pm. Find out how to register, seek out specific books and peek inside the Reading Rooms, then enjoy a lifetime of reading books for free.
✽✽ FREE Sarah Waters Waterstone’s East End, 13–14 Princes Street, 556 3034. 6.30pm. Although it missed out on the top spot, Waters’ third Booker-nominated novel, the gothic The Little Stranger, sits well
among her previous successes like Tipping the Velvet and The Night Watch. Wednesday 14
Edinburgh Storytelling Café Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. 7pm. £4. Storytelling, music and song in a relaxed café atmosphere.
Thursday 15 Glasgow Simon King Mitchell Theatre, 6 Granville Street, 287 2999. 6pm. £5 (family ticket £10). The wildlife guru discusses Wild Life and his newest offering, Shetland Diaries.
Edinburgh Nothing But the Poem Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate, 557 2876. 6–7.30pm. £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 James Kelman Word Power Bookshop, 43 West Nicolson Street,
662 9112. 7pm. Scotland’s only Booker prize-winner talks about his latest collection of short stories, If it is Your Life.
Books Events
Events
Tuesday 6 (block of six £30). See Mon 5.
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 1
Glasgow FREE Poetry Discussion Group Mitchell Library, 201 North Street, 287 2999. 6pm. Lively and informal discussions of poetry on the first Thursday of every month. Edinburgh FREE Stuart McHardy Blackwell, 53–59 South Bridge, 622 8222. 6.30pm. Stuart McHardy is a musician, poet, storyteller and folklorist, and his latest venture is a new history of that mysterious, feared tribe, the Picts. Discussing his new book, he’ll be dispelling a few common myths about our ancestors.
Monday 5
Glasgow Creative Writing Class Charlie Reid Centre, 19 Elmbank St, 6–8pm. £6.50 (block of six £30). A series of workshops entitled ‘Discover the Writer Within’. Booking essential on 07960 823712 or email prism.atic@virgin.net Check out the GreatOffers on page 6
Edinburgh ✽✽ FREE Andrew Greig Blackwell, 53–59 South Bridge, 622 8222.
6.15pm. Ticketed. Greig talks about his latest book At the Loch of the Green Corrie, which is a tribute to his friend the great poet Norman MacCaig.
Wednesday 7 Glasgow FREE Don’t Eat the Mic Tchai Ovna, 42 Otago Lane, 357 4524. 8pm. An evening of poetry performance.
Thursday 8 Glasgow FREE Glasgow Voices CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, 352 4900. 7pm. Peter Robertson, the editor of international Literary Quarterly, introduces an issue featuring Glasgow writers.
Friday 9
Glasgow FREE Reading Allowed Tchai Ovna, 42 Otago Lane, 357 4524. 8pm. A monthly event of storytelling and poetry reading.
Edinburgh ✽✽ Edinburgh Folk Club: Mike Harding The Pleasance Cabaret Bar, 60 Pleasance, 228 1155. 8pm. £8 (£6). The BBC Radio 2 presenter hosts an evening of conversation, song and poetry from his new book. Part of Ceilidh Culture.
Monday 12 Glasgow Creative Writing Class Charlie Reid Centre, 19 Elmbank St, 6–8pm. £6.50
Workk Inn Progress
AA free,, professional,,
anonymous,, criticall readingg servicee forr Scotland’ss writers
Wee read:: fiction,, non-fiction,, poetry,, screenn && radioo plays,, dramaa
andd writingg forr children.. Wee seendd youu aa report. Fulll details::
e-mail:: workinprogress@hi-arts.co.uk www.hi-arts.co.uk/writing/work_in_progress.htmm
36 THE LIST 1–15 Apr 2010
Sarah Waters Ever since she made her debut foray into the literary world with 1998’s Tipping the Velvet (made
into a steamy BBC drama starring Keeley Hawes) Sarah Waters has dipped her toes into the murky, passionate and often chilling past of her characters and settings. As a child in Wales, Waters was a big fan of ghost stories and that fascination reached its peak with the penning of Affinity, the sinister tale of Selina Dawes, an otherworldly, incarcerated medium and the woman who comes to comfort her in prison. Her latest spooky affair is The Little Stranger in which Britain is on the cusp of change (a new Labour government has been elected in the uncertain post-WW2 times) and the Ayres family of Hundreds Hall are about to be disturbed by a series of unexplainable events involving angry dogs, odd markings on walls and bells chiming for no apparent reason. Do not read alone. ■ Waterstone’s, Edinburgh, Tue 13 Apr.