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FATIMA BHUTTO Mystery still surrounds the murder of Benazir Bhutto in 2007 but while people like her niece Fatima are around to ask questions, there’s always some chance that the puzzle might yet be solved. Not that Fatima has the family blinkers on as she was an arch critic of Benazir’s reign in Pakistan, dubbing her ‘an unscrupulous feudal leader’ with a ‘sheer lust for power’, even suspecting her of complicity in her father Murtaza’s death in 1996. Her story is told within the pages of Songs of Blood and Sword. ■ 15 Aug (solo event), 3pm; 16 Aug (with Fay Weldon), 7pm, £10 (£8). 5QUESTIONS
Hitlist FESTIVAL BOOKS *
✽✽ Unbound The festival’s all- new late-night innovation gets into full swing with the likes of AL Kennedy, Christopher Brookmyre and Willy Vlautin (pictured) involved in a few leftfield literary shenanigans. 15–29 Aug, 9pm, free; 30 Aug, 7pm, £10 (£8). ✽✽ Nicolai Lilin There are few people who could even imagine the mindset Lilin has adopted to get through his crime-infested life. Siberian Education tells the full story. See page 22. 19 Aug, 6pm, £7 (£5). ✽✽ Philip Pullman A thought- provoking event is assured as the His Dark Materials writer lifts the lid on his re-interpretation of Jesus’ story. See page 28. 14 Aug, 11.30am, £10 (£8). ✽✽ Natasha Walter With Living Dolls, Walter has taken her own previous belief to task that sexism was dying out. A raft of powerful stats and painful anecdotes await. See page 26. 17 Aug (with Kat Banyard), noon, £10 (£8). ✽✽ Andrew O’Hagan Writing through the perspective of an animal is never the simplest of literary pursuits, but O’Hagan has handled it with verve and wit. See page 24. 15 Aug, 11.30am (solo event), 5pm (with Bill Clegg), £10 (£8). ✽✽ Debi Gliori The self- confessed ‘wrinkly writer- illustrator’ has been charming children since 1976. Among her works are the Mr Bear tales and Witch Baby series. See page 27. 18 Aug, 1pm, £4. ✽✽ Christos Tsiolkas With The Slap, Tsiolkas has earned an international reputation and a bit of notoriety. See page 23. 14 Aug, 10.15am, £10 (£8). ✽✽ Candia McWilliam After a period of writer’s block, McWilliam discovered she was losing her sight. This will be a moving event from a festival favourite. See page 24. 19 Aug, 8.30pm, £10 (£8). All events are based in Charlotte Square Gardens. The box office number is 0845 373 5888 and the website is edbookfest.co.uk
12–19 Aug 2010 THE LIST 21
James Robertson is one of Scottish contemporary literature’s most vital authors. Here he tackles our Q&A Give us five words to describe And the Land Lay Still? Big. Scottish. Panoramic. Multi-storied. Which authors should be more famous than they are now? Sherman Alexie. John Galt. What do you love about book festivals? Catching up with other authors. Big tents. Informal outdoor encounters with enthusiastic readers. Which dead author do you wish was still alive today? James Kennaway was a daring and original writer who, had he not died in a car accident at the age of 40 in 1968, would now be the grand old man of Scottish letters. It would be fascinating to know how his career turned out. What would you change about the publishing world? I’d want publishers to re-engage with what’s left of High Street bookselling, particularly independent bookshops, and help to build them into oases of civilisation in the arid wastelands of shopping. (Interview by Brian Donaldson) ■ 14 Aug, 5pm, £19 (£8); 28 Aug (kids event with Alexander McCall Smith), noon, £4.
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