The REALIST
P H O T O :
A L E X A N D E R S C H N E D E R
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BOOKS Aye Write!
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MUSIC Nils Frahm
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VISUAL ART Rachel Maclean
This year’s Glasgow literary festival (incorporating Wee Write for the bairns on Sat 3 & Sun 4 Mar) has a superb lineup, with Maggie O’Farrell (pictured), Sayeeda Warsi, Brett Anderson and Jackie Kay among the picks. See previews, pages 49 & 66. Various venues, Glasgow, Thu 15–Sun 25 Mar.
As he launches All Melody, his new collection of glorious soundscapes, the Berlin-based musician, composer and producer drops into Glasgow to prove that his 2017 hibernation was well worth it. See album review, page 76. Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, Thu 1 Mar. The Scottish video artist’s 2017 Venice Biennale work makes its UK premiere: Spite Your Face tackles the rather prescient story of Pinocchio in the era of fake news and constant public lying. See Highlights, page 93. Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh, Sat 24 Feb–Sat 5 May.
P H O T O
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E M M A K A U L D H A R
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FILM Glasgow Short Film Festival
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DANCE The Little Mermaid
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MUSIC Django Django
Celebrating emerging talent within Scottish and international film, the GSFF once more offers an annual platform for cinematic innovation and transgression to take place. See Highlights, page 63. GFT, Glasgow, Wed 14–Sun 18 Mar.
Set to a score by Sally Beamish, Northern Ballet’s take on the Hans Christian Andersen fairytale will be a delight for adults and children alike. See preview, page 88. Edinburgh Festival Theatre, Thu 22–Sat 24 Mar. On the back of new album Marble Skies, the rock quartet who formed at Edinburgh College of Art will be seeking to prove the credentials that led to a Mercury Prize nomination. See feature, page 70 and review, page 77. SWG3, Glasgow, Thu 1 Mar.
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CHOSEN BY BROADCASTER AND AUTHOR STUART COSGROVE Scottish Snowdrop Festival
At least once a year we should do something that does not come naturally. For me it’s the annual Scottish Snowdrop Festival, a symphony of small white flowers which stretches from Castle Kennedy Gardens in Dumfries to the Abriachan Nurseries near Loch Ness. Festivals and events are supposed to be culturally stimulating but they can also act as personal therapy. Imagine that you work day and night in a call centre fielding the grievances of irate consumers. Or you have a job in industrial waste management that does nothing for your self-esteem. Or imagine, even more horrifically, that you co-present a radio show trapped in weekly communion with a friend whose endless reservoir of jokes would struggle to make the script of Carry On Up the Khyber. If you can imagine that particular torture then you will forgive me for recommending a quiet stroll through the fauna and flora of old Caledonia. Stuart Cosgrove & Tam Cowan: Off the Bawl, King’s Theatre, Glasgow, Thu 15 Mar (part of Glasgow International Comedy Festival); Stuart Cosgrove: Memphis 68, Glasgow University, Fri 16 Mar (part of Aye Write!); Scottish Snowdrop Festival, various venues, nationwide, until Sun 11 Mar.
1 Feb–31 Mar 2018 THE LIST 7