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✽ Louise Welsh ✽ Bloody Scotland Only in its third year, The ever-popular Glasgow author delivers Scotland’s crime writing festival has already a lecture entitled ‘Robert Louis Stevenson and evolved into a highlight of the literary calendar. the Theatre of the Brain’. If that wasn’t intriguing Standout guests include Peter May, Louise enough, let us hit you with the event’s subtitle: Welsh, David Hewson and Peter Robinson, as ‘An Exploration of. well as crime queen Sophie Hannah (pictured), who’s just written a new Poirot novel. Various venues, Stirling, Fri 19–Sun 21 Sep.
✽ Louise Welsh ✽ Wigtown Book Festival See preview, The ever-popular Glasgow author delivers a lecture entitled ‘Robert Louis Stevenson and the Theatre of the Brain’. If that wasn’t intriguing enough, let us hit you with the event’s subtitle: ‘An Sun 5 Oct. Explo- ration of.
left. Various venues, Wigtown, Fri 26 Sep–
WIGTOWN BOOK FESTIVAL Scotland’s Book Town hosts its 16th celebration of literature
W igtown Book Festival, the ten-day celebration of books in Scotland’s National Book Town, kicks off its 16th edition on 26 September. One of the key 2014 themes is Lowlands, taking Wigtown’s Borders location as inspiration.
‘Scotland’s so often, at least abroad, seen as a Highland country, clans and kilts and the like,’ says festival director Adrian Turpin. ‘With a quarter of our visitors coming from outside Scotland, we wanted to offer a gentle corrective to that. We’re hoping to take visitors down a few byways they might otherwise not explore – from the work of the Victorian Galloway novelist SR Crockett and readings of classic Lowland novels, to the history of the iconic Belted Galloway cow and the tradition of song that goes all the way to the Border Ballads.’ Among the 200 events packing this year’s
programme, there will also be an emphasis on film adaptations: ‘Mainly it’s an opportunity for us to have fun,’ Turpin enthuses. ‘We’re converting a room into a small, 1950s-style cinema, loosely modelled on the late Rex Picturehouse in Wigtown.’ And this year, ticket-buyers get the option of adding a £1 pot-luck ticket to their order, making it that bit easier for visitors to discover brand-new favourite authors. Turpin explains: ‘We had so many volunteers last year telling us that they would never have thought about going to see something they’d loved if they hadn’t been on the door for it. It’s a bit like browsing in a bookshop: half the fun is serendipity.’ (Paul Gallagher)
Wigtown, Dumfries and Galloway, Fri 26 Sep–Sun 5 Oct, wigtownbookfestival.com
✽ David Nicholls: Us ✽ The author of One Day
an and Starter for Ten presents h his fourth novel, a bittersweet c comedy about relationships a and parenthood. A Guardian r reader event. George Square L Lecture Theatre, Edinburgh, Thu 2 Oct
✽ Aidan Moffat: The Lavender Blue Dress Arab Strap singer Moffat signs
copies of his new children’s book, which tells the story of Mabel, a little girl who wants to wear a beautiful dress to a Christmas ball. Waterstones, Edinburgh, Thu 9 Oct; Waterstones, Glasgow, Fri 10 & Sat 11 Oct.
✽ Neu! Reekie! at The Pleasance Sessions Another stellar spoken word-
poetry-music mash up from Neu! Reekie!. Part of The Pleasance Sessions (see feature, page 21), the lineup features Stanley Odd’s Dave Hook, Scots Makar Liz Lochhead, the Skids’ Richard Jobson, indie poppers TeenCanteen and dance pioneers Fini Tribe. The Pleasance, Edinburgh, Sun 12 Oct.
✽ Kirsty Logan & Friends The former List Books editor and author of The
Rental Heart and Other Fairytales is joined by Hal Duncan, Elizabeth Reeder and Katherine McMahon. CCA, Glasgow, Tue 14 Oct.
18 Sep–16 Oct 2014 THE LIST 45