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NEWS
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ANNOUNCEMENTS, LINEUPS AND OPINION
S C OT T I S H C O M E D I A N O F T H E Y E A R R E V E A L E D DAV I D M AC L E N N A N C E L E B R AT I O N I N G L A S G OW
Bruce Fummey has been announced as the ninth Scottish Comedian of the Year at a show in Glasgow’s O2 Academy (above). Musical comedian Harry Garrison came second, and Perthshire farmer Jim Smith took third place.
WAV E R L E Y S TAT I O N G E T S T H E S C OT T T R E AT M E N T
To mark the 200th anniverary of the publication of Walter Scott’s Waverley, and the tenth anniversary of Edinburgh being designated the world’s i rst UNESCO City of Literature, Edinburgh’s Waverley Station will decorated with passages from the historical novel throughout October and into November. And there are 25,000 copies of a new book – Great Scott! – being given away at the station. be
E I F F R E S I G N AT I O N Chris Fujiwara has stepped down as artistic director of the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Since his arrival in 2011, he’s been credited with a 33% audience increase. A new artistic director is currently being recruited.
C R I M E B O O K P R I Z E F O R P E T E R M AY Scottish novelist Peter May has won the Deanston Scottish Crime Book of the Year Award for his 19th novel, Entry Island. The award was made at the Bloody Scotland Crime Writing Festival in Stirling.
Gregor Fisher, Liz Lochhead, Bill Paterson and Elaine C Smith are some of the i gures taking part in David MacLennan: A Celebration on 9 November at Glasgow’s Citizens Theatre, marking the career and achievements of the Scottish actor, writer and producer, who died in June. More at citz.co.uk
X M A S BAU B L E S H E A D L I N E R S A N N O U N C E D
Ibibio Sound Machine will headline Kid Canaveral’s seasonal Xmas Baubles Saturday all-dayer on 13 December, it’s been announced. The show runs from 2pm until midnight in Portobello Town Hall, with more performers still to be announced. More details at lostmap.com
C E LT I C C O N N EC T I O N S 2 0 1 5 A N N O U N C E D The traditions and stories behind instrument making, and sounds for the big screen (including music from Craig Armstrong and King Creosote) are just two of the themes of Celtic Connections 2015, whose programme has just been announced. There will also be musical homages to eminent trad i gures including Ewan MacColl and Martyn Bennett, and a focus on Americana, bluegrass, indie rock and folk. Among the visiting performers are Eddi Reader, Angelique Kidjo, Skerryvore and Fairport Convention. The festival takes place from 15 January - 1 February 2015.
BOOK WEEK SCOTLAND 2014 PROGRAMME ANNOUNCED
Free books for adults and kids alike, artworks in libraries, and hundreds of author events across the nation are just some of the highlights of the third Book Week Scotland. It takes place from 24 to 30 November, and its programme has just been announced.
Every Primary 1 pupil in Scotland will receive three picture books free of charge, and for adults, 150,000 copies of the specially compiled Scotland’s Stories of Home will be distributed free through libraries, bookshops and other venues.
Libraries are the focus of a major BWS celebration this year, with i ve large library artworks unveiled in North Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Lothian, Edinburgh and Shetland. And readers will be encouraged to write a love letter to their library, explaining the positive impact that these institutions have had on their lives.
There are other ways to get involved, too. A Reading Pledge offers a choice of online promises – to i nish a book you’ve never got round to, for example, or to read with your children each night – that can be shared on social media and carried out during the week. And you can choose your own favourite from a shortlist of 50 well-loved characters from Scottish books – from Harry Potter to Begbie to Rebus – with the winners revealed on 28 November. Sophie Moxon, acting director of
the Scottish Book Trust, which runs BWS, explained: ‘We will provide opportunities for everyone at every stage of the reading journey to get involved. It is well known that a love of reading brings lasting social and emotional benei ts, helps build families and, at its most powerful, transforms lives. But reading is also just i nding a book that you enjoy and losing yourself in it.’
■ Book Week Scotland, Mon 24–Sun 30 November, scottishbooktrust.com/ book-week-scotland
16 Oct–13 Nov 2014 THE LIST 9