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S E E E D I N B U R G H F E S T I V A L . L I S T . C O . U K I N F O F O R M O R E
TAM DALYELL The scourge of Maggie finishes off a trio of events at this year’s festival with a debate about the positive influence of spies to avert nuclear annihilation back in the Cold War days. See online interview at list. co.uk/festival ■ 23 Aug, 5pm, £10 (£8). ✽ HITLIST
Zadie Smith With her new book, the author of White Teeth draws the various tales of four Londonders together to paint a vivid tale of metropolitan life, in what is another inspired piece of writing. See review of NW, page 38. 25 Aug, 8pm, £10 (£8). Will Self The never-dull raconteur chats about his Booker-longlisted novel featuring a munitions worker falling into a coma. Is her disease a microcosm of the technological revolutions of the 20th century? See review of Umbrella, page 38. 25 Aug, 9.30pm, £10 (£8).
David Walliams Little Britain helped make him a household name, with Walliams putting plenty back doing all that charity work. And he’s found a spare minute or two to write some top kids books. See Top 5, page 94. 17 Aug, 5pm, £4.50.
John Gordon Sinclair You’ll remember him from Gregory’s Girl but JGS will soon be known for something altogether different now that he’s penned a crime novel, Seventy Times Seven. See preview, page 102 for more. 26 Aug, 7pm, £10 (£8).
Richard Milward Apples brought the young Middlesbrough author attention from the likes of Irvine Welsh and with his new novel, Kimberly’s Capital Punishment, he’s upped the ante with an experimental epic. See preview, page 102. 27 Aug, 3pm, £7 (£5).
Robert Macfarlane The world of nature writing has stepped up its game in recent times, thanks mainly to the likes of Macfarlane, whose new book tells of The Old Ways. Lovely stuff. See preview, page 104. 27 Aug, 5pm, £10 (£8).
James Meek A new book from the author of The People’s Act of Love is becoming an event in the literary calendar and with The Heart Broke In, we are expecting big, big things. You heard it here i rst. See preview, page 103. 27 Aug, 6.30pm, £10 (£8).
Q&A
In his latest novel, STUART MACBRIDE writes of the chase for a serial killer, made more complicated by the fact that the pursing policeman’s daughter is one of the victims. Here he takes on our festival Q&A
Give us i ve words to describe Birthdays for the Dead? Dark, Dark, Dark, Dark, and Dark. Seriously, it’s a very dark book in the classical noir tradition, rather than the ‘Tartan Noir’ marketing sense.
Which author should be more famous than they are now? Allan Guthrie certainly deserves to be a lot better known. He’s a great writer (and I’m not just saying that because he’s a friend) with beautifully twisted characters, really inventive stories, and a subversive sense of humour to go with it. I can’t recommend him highly enough. What do you love about book festivals? Writing is a very solitary occupation, so festivals are a great excuse to meet up not just with readers, but other writers too. Especially if there’s a bar involved.
Which dead author do you wish was still alive today? RD Wingi eld was, for me, the greatest crime writer Britain ever produced and it’s a huge shame that he only i nished seven novels before he died. He was a great inspiration to me, and if I ever manage to become half the writer he was I’ll be very proud indeed.
What was the last book you read? Whispers Under Ground by Ben Aaronovitch. It’s an inventive take on the police procedural revelling in the supernatural with a cast of wizards, faeries, gods, and ghosts. (Interview by Brian Donaldson) ■ 25 Aug, 7pm, £10 (£8).
16–23 Aug 2012 THE LIST 101