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 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 FREE Simon King Waterstone’s George St, 83 George Street, 225 3436. 1pm. See above. 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 Santiago Roncagliolo Central Library, George IV Bridge, 242 8000. 6.30pm. The Peruvian author talks about his work.
✽✽ 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.
Friday 16 Edinburgh FREE nick-e melville Word Power Bookshop, 43 West Nicolson Street, 662
9112. 7.30pm. Fellow poets Tom Leonard and Rodney Relax join the lower-case loving melville for the release of Selections and Dissections, which continues his work in the concrete tradition.
Monday 19 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
Edinburgh FREE Blackwell Book Group Blackwell, 53—59 South Bridge, 622 8206. 6pm. The second instalment of this new book group turns its attentions to God’s Own Country by Ross Raisin. Email events.edinburgh@blackwell.co.uk to register for the group and get a discount on the chosen book.
✽✽ FREE William Nicholson Scottish Book Trust, Sandeman
House, Trunks Close, 55 High Street, 524 0160. 6pm. Ticketed. William Nicholson in conversation with Keith Gray for the launch of his new book, Rich and Mad.
Tuesday 20
Glasgow Conversation Pieces: Craig Murray Royal Concert Hall, 2 Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. 1pm. £6 (£5 in advance). The human rights activist discusses his book, Murder in Samarkand, which was recently broadcast on BBC Radio 4 featuring David Tennant. Edinburgh FREE Bill Coles Blackwell, 53—59 South Bridge, 622 8222. 6.15pm. Dave Cameron’s Schooldays takes an entirely
William Nicholson Perhaps best known for his Oscar- nominated Hollywood scripts, Shadowlands
and the co-written Gladiator, Nicholson is in town to discuss his new, tenth novel (a figure which includes six fantasy tales for kids), Rich and Mad. This one features a young couple, Maddy and Rich, in the throes of a passionate and dangerous first love. ■ Scottish Book Trust, Edinburgh, Mon 19 Apr.
36 THE LIST 15–29 Apr 2010
fictional look behind the ink-splattered desk at the Tory leader’s days at Eton. Wednesday 21
Glasgow FREE Don’t Eat the Mic Tchai Ovna, 42 Otago Lane, 357 4524. 8pm. An evening of poetry performance. Edinburgh Poetry Surgeries Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate, 557 2876. noon—4.30pm. £35 (£25). Kona Macphee tries to make the creative process as painless as possible. Contact Paul McGrane to book a slot on 020 7420 9881.
Thursday 22
Edinburgh FREE Inspired? Get Writing! National Gallery of Scotland: Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, The Mound, 624 6200. 5.30—7pm. Hear winning entries from the National Galleries of Scotland, English-Speaking Union and Scottish Poetry Library Creative Writing Competition that was based on artworks from the National Galleries. FREE Border Trouble: Literature & Balladry St Cecilia’s Hall, Niddry Street, 668 2019. 6pm. Ticketed. A lecture with music by Prof Maureen N McLane, New York University. Email awatson7@staffmail.ed.ac.uk. for tickets. FREE Gerald Urwin Blackwell, 53— 59 South Bridge, 622 8222. 6.15pm. Following his earlier, meticulously- researched book, Feat of Arms, about the 1548 siege of Haddington, Urwin takes a fictional leap into the lives of Haddington’s inhabitants in Within these Walls. FREE A Night in the Gutter National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, 623 3918. 8pm. Alan Bissett presides over the first in a series of evenings of spoken word and performance from Gutter magazine. FREE Tom Pow: Dying Villages Residency Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate, 557 2876. Tom Pow gives a tour of the poems, stories and artefacts he has collected in the declining villages of Europe. Anstruther FREE Andrew Greig Anstruther Public Library, Easter Town Hall, 35 Cunzie Street, 01333 310122. 7.30—8.30pm. Greig talks about his latest book At the Loch of the Green Corrie, a tribute to a great poet and his friend Norman MacCaig. Followed by a signing session.
£5 (£3). See Thu 15. FREE Tom Pow: Dying Villages Residency Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate, 557 2876. See Thu 22. Sunday 25
Edinburgh Is This Poetry? The Jazz Bar, 1 Chambers Street, 220 4298. 7.30pm. £4 (£3). Spoken word/performance poetry night hosted by Jenny Lindsay with JL Milliams, Jem Rolls, The Chemical Poets and music from Alistair Findlay. Shore Poets The Lot, 4—6 Grassmarket, 225 9922. 7.45pm. £4 (£3). This month’s Shore Poets is an open night led by Brian Johnstone with music by Trio Verso to cover up the jangling of your nerves. Book your slot early.
Monday 26
Glasgow ✽✽ Conversation Pieces: Alistair Urquhart Royal Concert Hall, 2
Sauchiehall Street, 353 8000. 1pm. £6 (£5 in advance). Hear about The Forgotten Highlander: My Incredible Story of Survival During the War in the Far East, in which Alistair Urquhart tells of his inspiring survival after being made a prisoner of war. Creative Writing Class Charlie Reid Centre, 19 Elmbank St, 6—8pm. £6.50 (block of six £30). See Mon 19.
Falkland Poetry Walk with Anna Crowe: A Conversation with the Landscape Falkland Centre for Stewardship, The Stables, Falkland Estate, 01337 858838. 2—4pm. Donations welcome. Be inspired by the landscape on this guided poetry walk up Maspie Den to the Yad. Bring stout shoes and a notepad and pen. Booking essential.
Tuesday 27
Edinburgh FREE Inspirations at NLS: Janice Galloway National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, 623 4675. 6pm. The well-respected Scottish author talks about the many influences on her work.
Wednesday 28
Glasgow ✽✽ Jodi Picoult Royal Concert Hall, 2 Sauchiehall Street, 0844 249 0467.
7pm. £12. Popular and prolific author Picoult talks us through her latest book, House Rules. Tickets from SHE magazine on 0844 249 0467.
Stirling FREE Tom Leonard Stirling Centre of Poetry, Room A7, Pathfoot Building, University of Stirling, 7.30pm. Get acquainted with the work of the politicised Glaswegian poet. Edinburgh FREE Kevin Cadwallender Blackwell, 53—59 South Bridge, 622 8222. 6pm. Cadwallender launches his new collection of poetry, Sagrada Familia, through Red Squirrel Press.
Friday 23 Thursday 29
Edinburgh FREE Tom Pow: Dying Villages Residency Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate, 557 2876. See Thu 22. Montrose [Brilliant Poetry] Presents Links Hotel, Mid Links, 01674 671000. 7.30pm. £5 (£4 in advance). An evening of verse with local poets Don Paterson, Helena Nelson, Andy Shanks and Rachel Fox. Tickets available from Hogg’s, High Street, Pucci’s, Murray Street and the Hillside Village Shop.
Saturday 24 Edinburgh Nothing But the Poem Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate, 557 2876. 11am—12.30pm.
Glasgow FREE Three Mexican Poets CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, 352 4900. 7pm. Coral Bracho, David Huerta and Victor Teran and their translators get together in an event organised by the Scottish Writers’ Centre, St Mungo’s Mirrorball and the Poetry Translation Centre for an event to mark the 100th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution. Edinburgh FREE Continuity and Change in Ideas of Nationhood in Scotland Blackwell, 53—59 South Bridge, 622 8222. 6.15pm. Three of Scotland’s experts on Scottish History get together to discuss their forthcoming titles with Blackwell and Edinburgh University Press: Ewen A Cameron’s Impaled upon a Thistle and James E Fraser and Roger Mason’s From Caledonia to Pictland.