Books EVENTS
PREVIEW GARETH PEIRCE Mitchell Library, Glasgow, Sat 12 Mar
When it comes to lawyers who have fought tooth and nail for the underdog, they don’t come much more tenacious than Gareth Peirce. Immortalised on film through Emma Thompson’s performance in Jim Sheridan’s In the Name of the Father, which portrayed her efforts on behalf of the Guildford Four’s Gerry Conlon, Peirce counts the Birmingham Six, David Shayler, the family of Jean Charles de Menezes and Moazzam Begg among her clients.
In her book, Dispatches from the Dark Side: On Torture and the Death of Justice, she argues that the use of torture and the miscarriages of justice that are more often than not the natural consequence of such brutal and futile methods are merely catalysts for further conflict. In recent times, her focus has switched from the innocent Irish men and women who suffered in the 70s and 80s under the cruel hands of a legal system that appeared to be operating in the interests of political expediency rather than truth and justice, to foreign nationals and UK Muslims, many of whom have been locked up here indefinitely and without trial.
Now in her early 60s and with grown-up children, Peirce has lived an
extraordinary life. She’s come a long way from being educated in an exclusive school for girls and studying at the London School of Economics to representing the downtrodden and disenfranchised. There are plenty who see her as the devil incarnate, but without her, British democracy would be in a much more fragile state. (Brian Donaldson)
Tuesday 15
Edinburgh Electric Tales The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £4 (£3). A blend of comedy and storytelling, with Sian Bevan and Susan Morrison. Tonight’s show is headlined by Susan Calman.
Wednesday 16 Edinburgh FREE Border Trouble: ‘World Literature’ and the Case of Scottish Balladry Appleton Tower, University Of Edinburgh, Crichton Street, 650 8445. 6–7.30pm. Professor Maureen N McLane of New York University looks at what makes a ballad a ballad, and what makes a Scottish ballad Scottish. Tickets are free but must be booked, via email. Booking essential.
Tom Morton, poetry and live Gaelic music (5.30pm) and later there’s a special StAnza edition of Edinburgh literary cabaret The Golden Hour (7.30pm). For full listings see www.stanzapoetry.org
Thursday 17
Glasgow The Gathering The Arches, 253 Argyle Street, 565 1000. 7.30pm. £3 suggested donation. A new evening for discovering and sharing stories, poems and songs old and new, all with a folky edge. Edinburgh St Patrick’s Day Celebration Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. 7.30pm. £9 (£7). Traveller singer-storyteller Sheila Stewart crosses the pond from Scotland to Ireland in a musical history of her people. Ages 14+.
Adnan al-Sayegh (2.15pm), Belgian poetry/performance art collective Krikri (2.15pm), Tom Pow (3.45pm) and Pulitzer prize-winner Natasha Trethewey (5pm). You may also want to check out the exhibition at the Byre Theatre entitled Small, featuring tiny artists’ books and poetry pamphlets.
Friday 18
Glasgow FREE The Better Crack Club Tchai- Ovna House of Tea, 42 Otago Lane, 357 4524. 8pm. Regular storytelling club for adults.
St Andrews ✽✽ StAnza: Scotland’s Poetry Festival Byre Theatre &
surrounding venues, 01334 475000. Times vary. Prices vary. Friday’s highlights include a breakfast session at the Poetry Café on the King James Bible (10am), Rab Wilson on miner poet Joe Corrie (11.30am), an intimate round table reading with Paul Farley (11.30am), discussions of the work of Muriel Rukeyser and AE Housman (2.15pm) and a choice of two different open mic sessions: a calmer affair at Zest (6.15pm) and a more raucous, late- night version at the Byre Theatre (10.15pm).
Saturday 19
Edinburgh Tall Tales Oscar Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. 7pm. £8 (£6). Storytellers compete to tell the tallest tale and win the Tall Tales Trophy.
St Andrews ✽✽ StAnza: Scotland’s Poetry Festival Byre Theatre &
surrounding venues, 01334 475000. Times vary. Prices vary. Today you can learn the story behind Oscar Wilde’s lover Bosie Douglas with contemporary poet Gawain Douglas (11.30am), pick up a treat at the Poet’s Market (noon–4pm) or catch a NewYork-style poetry slam with Bob Holman, founder of the Bowery Poetry Club in Manhattan’s East Village (10.15pm).
Sunday 20
Glasgow FREE Monosyllabic Mono, 12 Kings Court, King Street, 553 2400. 8pm. Mono’s spoken word performance evening with open spots for anyone who fancies it – just email verseatye@yahoo.co.uk. Tim Key: Slutcracker Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, 552 4267. 8pm. £10 (£8). Comedy, verse and bizarre meanderings from the standup poet.
St Andrews ✽✽ StAnza: Scotland’s Poetry Festival Byre Theatre &
surrounding venues, 01334 475000. Times and prices vary. StAnza’s final day starts with a discussion of the challenges of translating poetry (10am) and continues with talks on the verse of Norman McCaig and Angus Calder (11.30am), lit-wit from stand-up poet Jenny Lindsay over lunch (1pm) and closing readings from Douglas Dunn and Ciaran Carson (8pm).
Monday 21
Glasgow ✽✽ Sara Paretsky Mitchell Library, North Street, 353 8000. 1–2pm. £8
(£6). The American author discusses crime fiction with Denise Mina. A special, post- festival event as part of Aye Write!
Wednesday 23 Edinburgh FREE Rachel Polonsky Blackwell, 53–62 South Bridge, 622 8222. 4pm. Polonsky introduces her book Molotov’s Magic Lantern, inspired by the library of a Stalinist henchman. FREE Gillian Galbraith Stockbridge Library, Hamilton Place, 529 5665. 6.30–7.30pm. See Thu 3. Poetry Association of Scotland: Stephen Halliwell Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate, 557 2876. 7.30pm. £5 (£3). Halliwell, Professor of Ancient Greek at St Andrews University, talks on ‘Myth Made Present: Sappho’s Lyric Vision’.
Thursday 24
Glasgow ✽✽ Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell Tramway, 25 Albert Drive, 0845 330 3501. 7.30pm. £11 (£6.50). ‘Live autobiography’ written by Gray, and conceived by his window Kathleen Russo and the show’s director, Lucy Sexton. Part of New Territories.
Edinburgh Gliterary Lunch Caledonian Hilton Hotel, Princes Street. Noon–3pm. £55. Literary lunch with writers Allison Pearson and Mary Horlock. Advance booking on sibh@gliterarylunches.com or 01423 873116 essential. FREE Bodysnatchers to Lifesavers National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, 623 3918. 6pm. Tara Womersley and Dorothy Crawford explore the murky practices and morals of the medical industry in Edinburgh over the last 200 years. Friday 25 Edinburgh Guid Crack Club Waverley Bar, 1 St Mary’s Street, 557 1050. 7.30pm. £3 suggested donation. Regular storytelling club involving song and music aplenty. Part of Ceilidh Culture.
Saturday 26 Edinburgh Nothing But . . . April Fools Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate, 557 2876. 11am–12.30pm. £5 (£3). A fun April Fools special focusing on poems about nonsense, tricksters and wildcards. No previous knowledge required.
Sunday 27
Edinburgh FREE Spark! Creativity Showcase The Jazz Bar, 1 Chambers Street, 220 4298. 6–8.30pm. See Sun 6. Shore Poets Wee Red Bar, Edinburgh College of Art, Lauriston Place, 229 1442. 7.45–10.15pm. £4 (£3). The Shore Poets return to a new venue, this month with Pauline Prior-Pitt, Nancy Somerville and JL Williams. Part of Ceilidh Culture.
Tuesday 29 Edinburgh FREE Tom McGrath trust Launch Night Traverse Theatre, Cambridge Street, 228 1404. 7.30pm. Launch night of the trust set up to honour the life and work of the poet and playwright, who died in 2009, and whose play, The Hard Man, opens in a new production at the King’s Theatre on Thu 31 Mar. The event is composed of submitted pieces of work from writers, composers, musicians and artists based in Scotland and admirers of McGrath’s work.
Tuesday 22 Wednesday 30
St Andrews ✽✽ StAnza Byre Theatre, Abbey Street, 01334 475000. Times vary. Prices vary. Scotland’s Poetry Festival features over 80 performances from world class poets, writers, musicians, filmmakers and visual artists across four days. Tonight the festival is launched with guest speaker
St Andrews ✽✽ StAnza: Scotland’s Poetry Festival Byre Theatre &
surrounding venues, 01334 475000. Times vary. Prices vary. Start the day with a poetry walk with former festival director Brian Johnstone (9.45am), and later on choose from events featuring exiled Iraqi poet
Edinburgh FREE Inky Fingers Open Mic The Forest Café, 3 Bristo Place, 220 4538. 8–11pm. Spoken word open mic. Email ahead (inkyfingersedinburgh@gmail.com) for a chance to perform, or just watch and admire. Featured performers this month are Nuala Watt and Zorras.
Glasgow ✽✽ FREE Helen Fitzgerald Ramshorn Theatre, 98 Ingram Street,
552 3489. 5.15pm. The prolific Glasgow- based, Australian novelist discusses her work at this free talk organised by the University of Strathclyde’s English Department.
48 THE LIST 3–31 March 2011