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BOOK WEEK SCOTLAND A test of (Scottish literature) character
A s part of Book Week Scotland, a countrywide celebration of reading with events and free books galore, Scottish Book Trust is out to find the nation’s best-loved character from a Scottish book. Head online to choose from the panel’s picks, a satisfying selection of 50 lovable characters ranging from Badger to Begbie and Harry Potter to Katie Morag.
You’ll find many of Scotland’s finest authors (and creations) on the poll, with genre defining classics such as Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr Jekyll, Mr Hyde and Long John Silver facing up to competition from modern comics superstars like Mark Millar’s Hit-Girl. Looking at the list, the first thought that springs to mind (just before ‘oh, I should really read that’) is how lucky Scotland is to have such a rich vein of literary figures to choose from.
Of course, in the task of whittling down fictional Scotland’s excellent crop of
46 THE LIST 13 Nov–11 Dec 2014
characters, it’s inevitable that one or two favourites will be conspicuous in their absence (Aileen Paterson’s Maisie or the eponymous Ivanhoe from Sir Walter Scott, for example). And so it should be, because one of the most wonderful things about books is the sheer breadth of characters we can identify with. Who doesn’t enjoy occasionally rooting for the underdog or even the villain? Captain Hook rather than Peter Pan, say, or Jean Brodie’s erstwhile students instead of the lady herself. That said, don’t worry if you have the burning desire to see a cherished character get the recognition they deserve: the poll also gives you the option to nominate your own. Even better is the fact you can vote more than once, so none of your most treasured companions need be left out. (Lynsey May)
Book Week Scotland, Mon 24–Sun 30 Nov. See page 49 for the Top 5 events. Vote at scottishbooktrust.com/vote
HITLIST THE BEST BOOKS, COMICS & EVENTS
G R E G G O R M A N
✽ #RLSDay The City of Literature celebrates Edinburgh’s famous son, Robert
Louis Stevenson. See cityofliterature.com for more details. Various venues in and around Edinburgh, Thu 13 Nov.
✽ John Waters: This Filthy World Vol 2 (pictured, top) Bad taste reigns supreme as the Pope of Trash tells all. Part of Glasgay!, see interview at list.co.uk. O2 Academy, Glasgow, Fri 14 Nov.
✽ Marilynne Robinson The Pulitzer Prize winner chats about her new novel, Lila, at a
special, out-of-season Edinburgh International Book Festival event. See review at list.co.uk Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh, Sun 16 Nov.
✽ Book Week Scotland Annual celebration of all things bookish, with
free books and fun for adults and kids. See previews, left and page 49. Scotland-wide, Mon 24–Sun 30 Nov.
✽ Previously… Lots of great local authors appear as part of Scotland’s history festival
this year, including Catriona Child, Quintin Jardine and Elizabeth Laird. Various venues, across central Scotland, until Sun 30 Nov.
✽ David Shrigley: An Evening of Words
and Images The artist talks about his great new book, Weak Messages Create Bad Situations: A Manifesto, which contains over 400 new drawings. Glasgow Film Theatre, Thu 27 Nov.
✽ Neu! Reekie! The End of Year Bash Neu! Reekie! celebrate the end of a super
year with this sure-to-be-awesome shindig. The lineup’s still to be announced but expect plenty of music, spoken word and art action. Pilrig St Paul’s Church, Edinburgh, Fri 28 Nov.
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