BOOKS | Events
Edinburgh Janet Brennan-Inglis: Scotland’s Castles – Rescued, Rebuilt and Reoccupied Blackwell’s, 53–59 South Bridge, 622 8218. 6.30pm. Free but ticketed. Launch of an illustrated book from Brennan-Inglis, who bought and restored Barholm Castle over seven years. FREE Stranger Than Fiction The Jolly Judge, 7 James Court, High Street, 225 2669. 7pm. Friendly writers’ group for those interested in writing non-fiction.
Friday 25
Edinburgh Guid Crack Club Waverley Bar, 1 St Mary’s Street, 557 1050. 7.30pm. £3 suggested donation. Storytelling club involving song and music aplenty. Tonight, Frances Logan shares ‘A Common Wealth of Stories’. Sunday 27
Glasgow FREE Jim Murphy and Archie MacPherson in Conversation Waterstones, 174 Argyle Street, 248 4814. 3pm. Murphy and MacPherson discuss iconic moments in football, as captured in Murphy’s book The 10 Football Matches that Changed the World: . . . And the One that Didn’t
Monday 28
Glasgow FREE Gaelic Writing Group CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, 352 4900. 7pm. See Mon 14. Edinburgh FREE Golden Hare Book Group Golden Hare, 102 West Bow, 629 1396. 6.30pm. Get your book on with some fellow bibliophiles.
Tuesday 29
Glasgow Commonwealth Poetry Slam Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, 552 4267. Also Wed 30 Jul. 9.15pm. £5. Cabaret duo Rally & Broad present talent from across the Commonwealth. There are heats on Tue 29 and the final on Wed 30. Culture 2014.
Wednesday 30
Edinburgh Alan Cochrane and George Kerevan: Scottish Independence – Yes or No? Blackwell’s, 53–59 South Bridge, 622 8218. 6.30pm. Free but ticketed. Two of Scotland’s leading political commentators examine both sides of the issue, as laid out in their new book.
Newton Mearns ✽FREE Caro Ramsay: The Night Hunter Primavera Bistro, The
Avenue Shopping Centre, 639 8092. 7pm. The Glasgow author launches her latest Anderson and Costello thriller. Tickets from Waterstones, Newton Mearns.
Saturday 2
Glasgow An Evening of Poetry with Liz Lochhead Tron Theatre, 63 Trongate, 552 4267. 9pm. £5. See Thu 24. Edinburgh FREE Literature Tour – Language and the Land The Scottish Parliament, Horse Wynd, 0800 092 7500. 2.30pm. See Sat 12.
Monday 4
Edinburgh ALOUD – Inky Fingers Minifest Various venues, inkyfingers.org.uk Until Fri 8 Aug. Times vary. Prices vary. Grassroots performance poetry maestros Inky Fingers bring their minifest back for a fourth year, with a programme 64 THE LIST 10 Jul–21 Aug 2014
Word Power Bookshop, 43 West Nicolson Street, 662 9112. 7–8pm. Taking place in radical bookshop Word Power, the Book Fringe brings together writers and activists from around the world for a host of daily readings and discussions, all of which are free. Part of Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Saturday 9
Edinburgh Edinburgh International Book Festival Charlotte Square Gardens, Charlotte Square, 0845 373 5888. Until Mon 25 Aug. Times vary. The world’s largest public celebration of the written word takes place in the first UNESCO City of Literature in the beautiful Charlotte Square Gardens.
Monday 11
Glasgow Laydeez Do Comics Pearce Institute, 840 Govan Road, 445 6007. 6.30–9pm. £2. A worldwide graphic novel forum led by women, open to all, with a focus on topics of the domestic and the everyday.
Wednesday 13 Glasgow FREE Linda Huber: The Cold, Cold Sea Waterstones, 174 Argyle Street, 248 4814. 7–8.30pm. Huber launches her powerful new novel about coping with loss. FREE Weegie Wednesdays CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, 352 4900. 7.30pm. See Wed 16.
Thursday 14 Edinburgh FREE The Other Tongues Summerhall, 1 Summerhall, 0845 874 3001. 7–9pm. Celebrate the launch of Scots and Gaelic anthology The Other Tongues.
Friday 15
Glasgow Review Writing Glasgow Women’s Library, 23 Landressy Street, 550 2267. 1–3pm. £2 (free). Writer and GWL Reader-in-Residence Magi Gibson helps you craft a lively and engaging review in your own voice. Edinburgh Jimmie McGregor: An Illustrated Talk The Brunton, Ladywell Way, 665 2240. 7.30pm. £11.75 (£9.75; under 18s £6.75). Radio presenter McGregor talks about John Muir and his own travels
Tuesday 19
Glasgow In Process: John Menaghan and Andy Jackson CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, 352 4900. 7–8.30pm. £6 (£3; SWC members free). The two poets regale you with their work and speak about the ups and downs of being a professional writer.
Wednesday 20 Glasgow FREE Ross King and Shari Low: Taking Hollywood Waterstones, 174 Argyle Street, 248 4814. 7–8.30pm. Los Angeles-based writers King and Low launch their jointly-authored novel.
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ANNA CALTABIANO Seventeen-year-old Californian Anna Caltabiano self-published her first novel, All That Is Red, when she was just 15, gaining her a massive teen audience and an enormous Twitter following. But, she says, she’s no different to the average teen: ‘I wouldn’t call myself famous. It’s been wonderful to have all this social media and press attention, and it’s such an exciting thing for me to see a stranger on the street with a copy of my book. I walk back and forth in front of them trying to see if they will look up and recognise me from the back cover. They usually don’t!’
It is the perception and maturity of Caltabiano’s writing that makes her notable; she is an astute observer of her own generation. ‘I think growing up in the 21st century, you can have a thousand Facebook friends but not be able to talk to them, save for one or two people, on a personal level,’ she says. ‘So that’s scary because it provides this illusion that we’re really connected and talking to diverse people, when in fact we may be seeking out people who are very similar to us, more so than we were a generation ago.’ Of her own status as a teen Twitter celebrity, she is equivocal: ‘As a
teenager, it’s a time in your life when you’re not sure about things, and it’s kind of like having 124,000 people looking over your shoulder at that time. But it’s also a support group!’
Her major publisher debut The Seventh Miss Hatfield, the first in a trilogy, is out this month and Caltabiano has sound advice for young writers keen to emulate her success. ‘I used to think that good, effective writing was describing the world and reality as it actually is,’ she says. ‘It took me a long time to realise that that essentially doesn’t do anything, because it’s almost impossible; describing the world the way you see it is a lot more fun, a lot more effective and a lot more meaningful.’ (Paul Gallagher) ■ Anna Caltabiano’s The Seventh Miss Hatfield (Gollancz) is out on Thu 31 Jul. She tweets at @caltabiano_anna
Edinburgh Northern Idyll: New Poetry and Fiction from Europe’s Northern Islands Summerhall, 1 Summerhall, 0845 874 3001. Until Sun 10 Aug. 9.30– 10.45pm. £10. Work from contemporary northern voices, translated from Scottish Gaelic, Irish Gaelic, Faroese, Icelandic and Norwegian. Tarfika Europe presents.
Friday 8 Edinburgh FREE Edinburgh Book Fringe
that celebrates the spoken word in all its forms. FREE Blackwell’s Book Quiz Blackwell’s, 53–59 South Bridge, 622 8201. 6pm. Test your literary credentials in teams of up to five members. Booking essential. North Berwick Fringe by the Sea Various venues, 01620 890787. Until Sun 10 Aug. Times vary. Prices vary. With a spot of sea air and an entertaining line-up, North Berwick’s multi-arts festival offers a respite from the madness of Edinburgh in festival season. Authors booked for this year include Alex Gray, Caro Ramsay, Roy Gill and Carina Contini.
Tuesday 5 Glasgow In Process: Anne Donovan CCA, 350 Sauchiehall Street, 352 4900. 7pm. £6 (£3; SWC members free). The Canongate- signed author (Hieroglyphics, Buddha Da) talks about the writing life.