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and speakers for adults and children, as well as providing budding authors with advice in ‘How To Get Published’ sessions. This year’s line-up includes Peter Carroll, Jane Harris, Samantha Young and John Fardell. Saturday 7
Glasgow FREE Glasgow Scribes Book Sale Glasgow Caledonian University, George Moore Building, 70 Cowcaddens Road, glasgowscribes.blogspot.com 10am–1pm. A sale of books organised by Glasgow’s resident group of calligraphy enthusiasts. Books supplied by Calligraphity. Edinburgh Flodden 500 Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. 7.30–9.30pm. £8 (£6). Half a millennium on, Tim Porteus tells tales of the Battle of Flodden, which left 15,000 people dead and continues to haunt the Scottish psyche.
Monday 9
After Flodden National Library Edinburgh ✽ FREE Rosemary Goring: of Scotland, George IV Bridge, 623 3748. 6pm. The historical fiction writer commemorates the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Flodden with her latest romance. In conversation with Alan Taylor.
Tuesday 10
Edinburgh The School of Poets Scottish Poetry Library, 5 Crichton’s Close, Canongate, 557 2876. 8–11pm. £2 for taster session; £10 for annual membership. Monthly workshop-type poetry session aiming to encourage and develop writing skills. Remember to bring along 4–5 copies of one of your poems. Electric Tales The Stand, 5 York Place, 558 7272. 8.30pm. £5 (£4). A mix of comedy and storytelling, making for a chilled night of funny yarns and verse. This time round it’s Siân Bevan and Susan Morrison.
Wednesday 11
Glasgow Felix Dennis: Did I Mention the Free Wine? Òran Mór, 731–735 Great Western Road, 08448 264175. 7pm. £20 (£10). Now that we have your attention, join one of Britain’s best-loved poets for an evening of (free!) wine and poetry. Edinburgh Café Voices Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43–45 High Street, 556 9579. 7–9pm. £5. Tonight, it’s ‘Winners & Losers’ with storyteller Bea Ferguson.
Thursday 12 Edinburgh FREE Douglas Jackson: Sword of Rome Waterstones West End, 128 Princes Street, 226 2666. 6pm. Free but ticketed. The writer launches the fourth and final book of his Gaius Valerius Varens series. FREE James Douglas: The Excalibur Codex Waterstones West End, 128 Princes Street, 226 2666. 6pm. Free but ticketed. The author discusses his new historical thriller. Felix Dennis: Did I Mention the Free Wine? The Hub, Castlehill, Royal Mile, 08448 264175. 7pm. £20 (£10). See Wed 11. ✽ FREE Jane Harris: Gillespie and I Central Library, 7–9 George IV Bridge, 242 8100. 7–8pm. Harris talks about her second novel, which follows a young woman who arrives in Glasgow during the International Exhibition.
Events | BOOKS
INTERVIEW GARY GIBSON How would you describe your work?
My work gets compared to writers like Neal Asher and Peter Hamilton but, in my head, I’m trying to write like Greg Bear and other American hard SF writers I grew up reading – but then, Neal and Peter probably read the same stuff. Is your new novel Marauder connected to your previous Shoal Trilogy (Stealing Light, Nova War and Empire of Light)?
Yes, but only peripherally; the more I write in a particular setting, the easier it gets to come up with new ideas for stories set there, plus I don’t have to worry about creating everything from scratch. That in turn lets me focus more on the characters and the story.
How does Marauder compare with your previous works?
It features strong female protagonists, partly because there’s a relative dearth of them in the genre, and partly because that’s a feature of the Shoal books as a whole. It’s space opera, with big spaceships and planetary battles and explo- sions, but thematically it’s about love in all its aspects, from the romantic to the deadly. How far, for instance, will you go for someone you love? Whether it’s set in the present or 500 years from now and halfway across the galaxy, it’s those same human foibles and emotions, failings and triumphs, that fuel my writing. You’re Scottish and write space opera. Are you the new Iain M Banks?
Banks was an influence to some extent, but no more than a thousand other similarly brilliant writers. I’d rather be the old Gary Gibson than the new anyone else, though.
Is there any book you’d really like to write?
Top of the list would be a 1940s noir set around the making of Casablanca, and a novel about Godzilla, monster movies, and North Korea. (Paul Cockburn) ■ Marauder is published by Tor on Thu 12 Sep.
Renfrew FREE Ann Cleeves: Dead Water Waterstones, 47 Braehead Shopping Centre, King’s Inch Road, 885 9333. 6.30pm. Cleeves signs copies of the latest addition to her Shetland series (now a BBC mini-series). Friday 13
Edinburgh Caesura The Artisan, 35 London Road, 07719 481092. 7–11pm. Entry by donation. An eclectic and experimental night of poetry, performance and spoken word. Caesura #16 features SJ Fowler, Tom Jenks, Rob A Mackenzie and Hal Duncan.
Stirling ✽ Bloody Scotland Stirling, bloodyscotland.com Times vary.
Until Sun 15 Sep. £6–£9. An innovative festival drawing on Scotland’s love of the literary macabre and celebrating crime writing by bringing together leading Scottish and international
writers, showcasing debut voices and encouraging new writers. Get sinister with Caro Ramsay, Christopher Brookmyre, Denise Mina, Louise Welsh, Val McDermid and several others.
Saturday 14 Glasgow FREE Jo Nesbo: Police Waterstones, 153–157 Sauchiehall Street, 332 9105. 1pm. The successful Norwegian writer stops by to sign copies of his new Harry Hole thriller.
Monday 16 Edinburgh ✽ Richard Dawkins: An Appetite for Wonder Royal Lyceum Theatre, Grindlay Street, 248 4848. 7.30pm. £12.50. The famous evolutionary biologist and vocal atheist discusses his new autobiography, looking to key moments of influence in his life. In conversation with Aubrey Manning of
Edinburgh University. Wednesday 18
Glasgow FREE Weegie Wednesdays CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, weegiewednesday. org 7.30–10.30pm. A social get-together for anyone with a literary interest. First timers, please contact the organisers via the website. Thursday 19
Glasgow ✽ Gary Gibson: Marauder Waterstones, 174 Argyle Street, 248
4814. 7–8.30pm. £2. The local author launches his new book.
Edinburgh FREE Stranger Than Fiction The Jolly Judge, 7 James Court, High Street, 225 2669. 7pm. Friendly, monthly Edinburgh writers’ group for those interested in writing non-fiction. 22 Aug–19 Sep 2013 THE LIST 43