BOOKS | Events LITERARY MAGAZINE
POETRY & ILLUSTRATION VARIOUS Popshot #9 (popshotpopshot.com) ●●●●●
With crisp presentation, simple text layouts, full-page illustrations and plenty of white space, Popshot – an illustrated magazine of new writing – makes simplicity a virtue, letting the selected works speak for themselves. It’s an effective approach: the friendly font and unassuming design make it easy to think ‘just one more story’, then keep on reading.
This issue’s theme of ‘imagination’ yields some excellent results: Fabian Acker uses a common fantasy – the ability to fly
– as a startling central event in ‘The Twain’, a short story of friendship that’s both down-to-earth and richly metaphorical, while ‘The White Room’ by Michael Hitchins reflects on the danger of living too much in one’s own imagination, and has a killer ending. Maria Apichella’s closing poem, ‘Fire’, which connects imagination with prayer, is particularly well placed, offering a powerful and evocative final image. On the downside, too much of the writing dwells on creativity and
creative processes, leaving one yearning for less self-involvement and more investigation of the world beyond these writers’ interior lives. It is an editorial oversight, but not one of quality; the standard of writing is uniformly high, and on this evidence Popshot looks for the best and finds it. (Paul Gallagher)
FLASH FICTION
IDA KEEPS FALLING by Jenni Fagan
She is to be awake throughout the entire procedure. They’ll slice the top of her head open, saw through the bone (make it like an attic hatch – so they can peer in) and she was told to bring a friend. - It’s important you chat to someone through the procedure, so
we can see which areas of the brain light up.
- This will help you diagnose why I’m falling over all the time? - Yes, we hope so. All they know so far is that it is not a cancer, nor a tumour,
she’s had a CAT scan, been to oncology, it is not Meniere’s disease, nor is it benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, no acoustic neroma, no vestibular neuritis, no herpes zoster oticus. Inner ear fine. - This will be worth it, Ida, if it means you stop falling over. It’s not possible to nod in agreement so Ida blinks. Her friend
blinks back and they are smiling then. It will be. It’s so awkward, falling over in front of everyone, in the office, the water cooler shaking, bruises, arnica, staying home more and more. There is a tugging above her, then the surgeons fall momentarily silent. - Well, Ida, we appear to have found the problem – the reason,
for your balance issues.
- What is it? - It’s a little man, bout as big as your pinky nail. - What? - Yup, tiny little thing he is, and he’s drunk, on a bicycle, cycling
round and around.
- Okay – so, what do we do with him? - Well, with your permission, Ida, we’d like to cut him out. Signing a form then, a disclaimer, a dizziness and the surgeons working quickly so the anaesthesia does not wear off and wondering what he’ll look like, if they’ll let her take him home in a jar. ■ Jenni Fagan’s debut novel The Panopticon (Windmill Books) is available in paperback in the UK, USA, Australia and Europe.
46 THE LIST 18 Apr–16 May 2013
Events are listed by date, then city. Submit listings at least 14 days before publication to books@list.co.uk. Listings are compiled by Jaclyn Arndt. ✽ Indicates Hitlist entry
Thursday 18
Glasgow Aye Write! Glasgow’s Book Festival Mitchell Library, North Street, 353 8000. Times vary. Prices vary. Glasgow’s Book Festival, celebrating Scottish and international writers and writing. Runs until Sat 20 Apr. See list. co.uk/aye-write for full listings. FREE ARIKA13 Episode 4: Freedom Is a Constant Struggle Tramway, 25 Albert Drive, 0845 330 3501. 7.30–10pm. See feature, page 16, and list.co.uk/events/what:arika for full listings. Edinburgh Nothing But the Poem Golden Hare, 102 West Bow, 629 1396. 6–7pm. £5 (£3). Poetry discussion forum with no prep or previous knowledge required. Tonight, an ‘on tour’ venue and Alice Oswald under the spotlight. FREE Rowdy with Hume, Burns and the Enlightenment Boys Blackwell’s, 53–59 South Bridge, 622 8222. 6.30–8pm. To celebrate the launch of Scots Who Enlightened the World, a pack of actors perform live readings. Author Andrew Ferguson is also on hand to sign copies. FREE Thomas A Clark: My Journey Sung Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate, 557 2876. 6.30–8.30pm. The poet reads from his work in celebration of the project ‘Ben Jonson’s Walk to Scotland in 1618’. Maggie O’Farrell: Instructions for a Heatwave Caledonian Brewery, 42 Slateford Road, 228 5688. 7.30pm. £5. The Costa Novel Award-winning author discusses her new book with Sara Sheridan, and signs copies afterwards. Tickets from Edinburgh Bookshop.
Friday 19
Glasgow Aye Write! Glasgow’s Book Festival Mitchell Library, North Street, 353 8000. Times vary. Prices vary. It’s the final weekend of the eighth instalment of Glasgow’s Book Festival. Runs until Sat 20 Apr. See list.co.uk/ aye-write for full listings. ■ ARIKA13 Episode 4: Freedom Is a Constant Struggle Tramway, 25 Albert Drive, 0845 330 3501. 9.15–9.45pm. Festival pass £14; day pass £6. See feature, page 16, and list.co.uk/ events/what:arika for full listings. Edinburgh FREE Edinburgh Reads Central Library, 7–9 George IV Bridge, 242 8100. 7–8pm. Turkish writers Ahmet Ümit and Murat Mentes discuss their respective crime/thriller genres. Rally & Broad The Bongo Club, 66 Cowgate, 07989 508436. 7pm. £5. A literary-flavoured cabaret night, boasting spoken word, music and dancing. Hosted by Jenny Lindsay and Rachel McCrum, with guests Teen Canteen, Ewan Morrison, Jim Monaghan, Liz Cronin and Alice Tarbuck
Saturday 20 Glasgow Aye Write! Glasgow’s Book Festival Mitchell Library, North Street, 353 8000. Times vary. Prices vary. It’s the final day of the eighth instalment of Glasgow’s Book Festival. See list.co.uk/ aye-write for full listings. FREE ARIKA13 Episode 4: Freedom Is a Constant Struggle Tramway, 25 Albert Drive, 0845 330
3501. 2.30–6pm. See feature, page 16, and list.co.uk/events/what:arika for full listings. Nothing But the Poem Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate, 557 2876. 11am–12.30pm. £5 (£3). See Thu 18. Sunday 21
Glasgow ARIKA13 Episode 4: Freedom Is a Constant Struggle Tramway, 25 Albert Drive, 0845 330 3501. 5–9.30pm. Festival pass £14; day pass £6. See feature, page 16, and list.co.uk/events/ what:arika for full listings. Edinburgh FREE Rogue Writers Pulp Fiction Café Bookstore, 43 Bread Street, 229 4444. 3.30–5.30pm. Informal meet-up and sharing of work for writers, followed by a pint or two. Weekly on Sundays.
Monday 22 Glasgow FREE Gaelic Writing Group Scottish Writers’ Centre, CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, 352 4900. 7pm. Series of workshops for writing in Gaelic or Scots and English.
Lochinver ✽ Bear Witness Glencanisp Lodge, 01571 844100. 5pm. Launch of
Mandy Haggith’s environmental novel. See review, page 45, and cybercrofter. blogspot.co.uk for details of activities throughout the day.
Tuesday 23
Glasgow FREE World Book Night with Glasgow Women’s Library Glasgow Women’s Library, 23 Landressy Street, 248 9969. 6.30–8pm. Enjoy some bookish chat amid the library’s shelves as part of the UK-wide World Book Night. Remember to bring along your free World Book Night books by women. See preview, page 44. In Process with Aonghas Macneacail Scottish Writers’ Centre, CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, 352 4900. 7–8.30pm. £6 (£3; members free). The Isle of Skye poet and songwriter talks about his process, and the differences between writing poetry and songs. Edinburgh FREE World Book Night with Blackwell’s Blackwell’s, 53–59 South Bridge, 622 8222. 6pm. Blackwell’s celebrates with readings and chat from a host of its favourite authors, including Richard Holloway, Sara Sheridan, Ron Butlin and Karen Campbell. Booking essential. See preview, page 44. FREE Andrew Greig: Found at Sea Blackhall Library, 56 Hillhouse Road, 529 5595. 6.30pm. Grieg’s mini epic recounting his journey by dinghy from Stromness to Cava, told through music and poetry. A World Book Night event chaired by Ryan Van Winkle. FREE Bond is Back Central Library, 7–9 George IV Bridge, 242 8100. 6.30–8pm. Alexander McCall Smith hosts a 007-themed party to coincide with World Book Night. See preview, page 44. FREE Edinburgh Zoo – Celebrate 100 Years Central Library, 7–9 George IV Bridge, 242 8100. 6.30–7.30pm. To celebrate the centenary of the zoo, Professor Andrew Balmford talks about his book Wild Hope: On the Front Lines of Conservation Success. FREE Marsali Taylor: Death on a Longship Stockbridge Library, 11 Hamilton Place, 529 5665. 6.30–7.30pm. The author reads from her Shetland-set crime novel. Neil Faulkner: A Marxist History of the World Word Power Bookshop, 43 West Nicolson Street, 662 9112. 6.30pm. Donations welcome. The