NEWS
For more news go to LIST.CO.UK /NEWS
ANNOUNCEMENTS, LINE-UPS AND OPINION
M U S I C I N PA R A D I S E Paradise Palms, Edinburgh’s much-loved slinger of cocktails and tasty Ninja Buns, now has an in-house record store. The Palms Record Store is open on Saturday and Sunday (or by appointment), and vends secondhand albums, 7” and 12” records. Meanwhile, the venue has also launched a record label, which aims to unearth some of the city’s grassroots talent, and will take on all aspects of music promotion, from management and touring to licensing and distribution, with the key focus remaining on the artist and their development. T H E C I T Y O F B L I N D I N G L I G H TS This year, Edinburgh’s Christmas is stepping it up a notch, with the Virgin Money Street of Light: an architectural installation featuring over 60,000 lights, stretching along the Royal Mile, set to music from a selection of Edinburgh choirs. 100,000 free tickets were snapped up in a matter of days, which if nothing else, proves that people really do enjoy pretty, twinkly lights at Christmas time.
H O M E A RTS D E P OT The venue that was once the Meridian bar on Leith Walk is set to be transformed into a new independent restaurant and mixed arts venue. The Leith Depot is set to open in the near future (no exact date as of yet), and will feature a dedicated events space for 60-70 people, as well as a dining and drinking area. G E T W E L L S O O N , B O B The November and December dates of Vic ‘n’ Bob’s 25 Years of Reeves and Mortimer: The Poignant Moments tour have been cancelled, as Bob Mortimer is recovering from a triple heart bypass operation. According to a spokesperson for the funny man, ‘Bob very much hopes to be i t and well enough to perform the second leg in January next year.’
AU T H O R M U L L S W I N OV E R Mull Historical Society musician and author author Colin MacIntyre has won the Edinburgh International Book Festival’s First Book Award, for his debut novel, The Letters of Ivor Punch,
published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson. The book tells the story of Ivor Punch, a former policeman from an unnamed Scottish island, who sends letters to public i gures, most notably Barack Obama. G L AS G OW G E TS M O D FO R 20 1 9 2016 still seems far away, but we’re looking ahead to 2019: the year that Glasgow has been selected to host the Royal National Mòd, which will make it 29 years since the festival was last held in the city. 2016’s event will take place in the Western Isles.
F LY I N G T H E L I T E R A RY F L AG The shortlists for the Saltire Literary Awards have been announced, and it includes Irvine Welsh, Michel Faber, Kate Atkinson, Janice Galloway (pictured) and Andrew O’Hagan, amongst others. The awards date back to 1937, and there are six categories, including First Book of the Year, History Book of the Year, Research Book of the Year, Poetry Book of the Year and Fiction Book of the Year. Each winner goes on to compete for the overall Saltire Scottish Book of the Year title. 5 Nov 2015–4 Feb 2016 THE LIST 15