Books EVENTS
Wednesday 5 Glasgow Word Play Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, 552 4267. 8.30pm. £2. Open mic night with acoustic music, poetry and prose, hosted by experimental writers’ group The Word Factory.
Thursday 6
Edinburgh FREE Crime Panel Event Waterstone’s West End, 128 Princes Street, 226 2666. 6pm. A special crime fiction evening, as authors Tony Black, Russel McLean, Allan Guthrie and Michael Malone discuss their recent books. Tom Leonard and Miriam Gamble Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate, 557 2876. 6.30pm. £7 (£5). Tom Leonard reads from his extensive and hugely influential body of poetry exploring and expressing living languages. He’s accompanied by Miriam Gamble, who performs some of her own haunting and complex work.
Friday 7
Edinburgh FREE Getting Started at NLS National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, 623 3700. 10.30am. Find out how to register and enjoy a lifetime of reading books for free. Booking essential. Caesura The White Horse, 266 Canongate, 557 3512. 7–10pm. Entry by donation. Monthly night of poetry, performance and spoken word. With Glaswegian poet Jim Ferguson, Louie Bhoy of Glasgow rap posse Hector Bizerk, Leith-based poet Fiona Lindsay and Edinburgh’s Stephen Barnaby. Hosted by GS Smith. Dundee FREE GiftED: The Edinburgh Book Sculptures on Tour 2012 Central Library, The Wellgate, 01382 431500. Times vary. Once upon a time in Edinburgh, mysterious sculptures started appearing all over the city. They were made from books, celebrated literature and found in places that were deemed to be ‘in support of libraries, books, words, ideas’. Now you can see them all in one place as the little sculptures go on a tour of Scotland. Watch out for teeny Ian Rankin references nestled between the imaginatively-shaped pages, as well as nods to the locations where the sculptures were found (a cinema screen for the Filmhouse, a papery T-Rex for the National Museum of Scotland). Continues until Tue 25 Sep, before heading to Glasgow, Dunfermline and Edinburgh.
Saturday 8 Edinburgh FREE A Rug of a Thousand Colours Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate, 557 2876. 1pm. Iyad Hayatleh and Tessa Ransford present a creative dialogue performance inspired by the five pillars of Islam.
Stirling ✽ Off the Page Various venues, 01786 432383. Times vary. Prices
vary (£3-£7.50). The libraries of Stirling are full of events for this year’s Off the Page, with workshops and talks for younger readers and a juicy programme of author visits for adults, plus special events like a book swap and literary walk. Confirmed appearances include James Robertson, Mark Beaumont, Alan Bissett, Sally Magnusson, Julia Donaldson and Ian Rankin. Continues until Sat 15 Sep.
Sunday 9
Edinburgh FREE Edinburgh Skeptics Bookgroup and Cafe Social 40 THE LIST 23 Aug–20 Sep 2012
first festival dedicated to crime fiction has picked a good time to start – 2012 marks the 125th anniversary of the publication of the first Sherlock Holmes story, the 35th anniversary of William McIlvanney’s Laidlaw (generally reckoned to be the start of Tartan Noir), and the 25th anniversary of the first publication of Ian Rankin’s Rebus novels. More than 40 crime writers are attending the festival to share their views on the genre. The first day features crime writing masterclasses and a keynote address from Ian Rankin on the distinctive Scottish voice in our nation’s favourite genre of fiction, and the relationship between Scottish crime and its international counterparts.
Saturday 15 Edinburgh FREE Again, A Time Machine Edinburgh Printmakers, 23 Union Street, 557 2479. Tue–Sat 10am–6pm, until Sat 3 Nov. A touring exhibition created by Book Works exploring how artists play with words, the written, the read, the spoken and the published.
Stirling ✽ Bloody Scotland Various venues, bloodyscotland.com Times
vary. Prices vary (£5–£9). See Fri 14. Today Peter James, Denise Mina and Professor Sheila McLean discuss evil and the crime novel, and there’s a headline appearance from William McIlvanney, a debate about the genre’s relationship with the Man Booker prize, events about real-life forensics and the mistakes authors make when they write about them, and thoughtful sessions considering female crime writers and islands as a setting for crime fiction.
Sunday 16 Edinburgh FREE The Golden Thread of Poetry Cornerstone Bookshop, St John’s Church Terrace, Princes Street, 229 3776. 5.30–6.30pm. Readings from Lesley Duncan and Hugh Macmillan.
Stirling ✽ Bloody Scotland Various venues, bloodyscotland.com Times
vary. Prices vary (£5–£9). See Fri 14. Consider the future of crime writing on the festival’s last day, with a panel debate featuring Val McDermid and John Rector. Then there’s a lunchtime discussion with Quintin Jardine and Anne Perry, and later on a specially- commissioned dramatisation of a popular Sherlock Holmes story to round things off.
Monday 17
Edinburgh FREE Blackwell Book Group Blackwells, 53–59 South Bridge, 622 8222. 6pm. An evening of friendly reading discussion, this month debating Jerusalem by Patrick Neate. FREE Edinburgh Creative Writers Pulp Fiction, 43 Bread Street, 229 4444. 7–9.30pm. See Mon 27.
Wednesday 19 Glasgow FREE Weegie Wednesdays CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, 352 4900. 7.30pm. Monthly forum for talking about books and publishing.
Edinburgh ✽ FREE Grimms’ Fairy Tales National Library of Scotland,
George IV Bridge, 623 3700. Mon– Fri 10am–8pm, Sat 10am–5pm, Sun 2–5pm, until Sun 18 Nov. A new exhibition of different translations and illustrations of the Grimms’ beloved 200-year-old fairy tales.
BLOODY SCOTLAND Various venues, Stirling, Fri 14–Sun 16 Sep
It had to happen sooner or later. Given the uncanny and possibly disproportionate ability for Scotland to churn out crime writers by the dastardly dozen, someone somewhere just had to suggest inaugurating a festival wholly dedicated to the felonious form. And here it is in the shape of Bloody Scotland, situated in Stirling, deep in the heart of the nation. During the course of three capillary-busting days, more than 40
authors will be showing up for events, talks and masterclasses with Ian Rankin (who else, really?) delivering the keynote speech on the opening night. What makes Scottish crime-writing so distinctive and what is its relationship to crime fiction around the globe, asks the creator of Rebus? You could call it a rude awakening the following morning as Peter James, Denise Mina and Professor Sheila McLean ponder the notion of evil and consider whether the act of writing crime novels can be seen as a moral pursuit.
Across the weekend are events such as Fresh Blood with new writers to the genre (including John Gordon ‘Gregory’ Sinclair) and Forensics: Return to Scene (featuring Lin Anderson). But who was it that started all this fascination with the streets, alleyways and woodlands of Scotland being bathed in made-up blood? In contemporary terms, many reckon William McIlvanney is the man, with the creation of DI Jack Laidlaw setting the benchmark. In an event chaired by Len Wanner, the very roots of Tartan Noir will be pulled at til they bleed. (Brian Donaldson) ■ See bloodyscotland.com for full details of the programme
Counting House, West Nicolson Street, 07896 745991. 2–6pm. Monthly chats about books, usually non-fiction and related to popular science topics, plus tea, coffee, booze and cakes. FREE Rogue Writers Pulp Fiction, 43 Bread Street, 229 4444. 7pm. See Sun 26. Monday 10
Edinburgh FREE Edinburgh Creative Writers Pulp Fiction, 43 Bread Street, 229 4444. 7–9.30pm. See Mon 27.
Books, 36 Simpson Loan, Quartermile, 229 2902. 6.30–8pm. Discussions of a broad range of books, from classic to modern, feature in the meetups of this diverse and friendly group. Thursday 13
Edinburgh FREE 365 Ways To Get You Writing Looking Glass Books, 36 Simpson Loan, Quartermile, 229 2902. 6pm. Jane Cooper takes you through some fun exercises to get you writing, as featured in her new book.
Tuesday 11 Friday 14
Edinburgh The School of Poets Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate, 557 2876. 6–8.30pm. £2. Monthly workshop-type poetry session aiming to encourage and develop writing skills. Beginners and more experienced writers are equally welcome. FREE Scottish Poetry Library Poetry Workshop Hemma, 75 Holyrood Road, 629 3327. 6–8pm. See Tue 28. FREE The Central Edinburgh Monthly Book Club Looking Glass
Edinburgh FREE SPL Young MacDonald Poetry Party Hemma, 75 Holyrood Road, 629 3327. 6pm. Free (donations welcome). An evening of readings, poetry karaoke and gin cocktails, in support of Oxfam’s Young MacDonald campaign to raise money for farms in the Third World.
Stirling ✽ Bloody Scotland Various venues, bloodyscotland.com Times
vary. Prices vary (£5–£9). Scotland’s