Books
The Skinny book guide – bringing you book reviews, features, events, reviews and author interviews. Find previews and on the ground reporting from festivals of literature and poetry in Scotland and beyond.
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Book Reviews
Diary of a Hyperdreamer Vol. 2, by Bill Nelson
A musician’s autumn years are seldom as interesting as their first flush of success, with all the pitfalls that go with it. Now that Bill Nelson, maste... Read more »| 28 Jul 2015 -
Book Reviews
Silma Hill by Iain Maloney
Following the well received First Time Solo, Iain Maloney’s second novel Silma Hill centres on a remote Scottish village during the 18th century. When ... Read more »| 13 Jul 2015 -
Events
Poets Assemble: New Scottish poetry collective SHIFT/
We update you on the exciting new Scottish spoken word collective SHIFT/; a gang of seven performing an individual show for each night of the week during the Edinburgh Fringe this August Read more »| 10 Jul 2015 -
Tech
Ready Novel Two: Ernest Cline on Lucas, Spielberg and Armada
Ahead of his second novel Armada, we spoke to author Ernest Cline about back-slaps from George Lucas, competing with Adam Sandler and pissing off Steven Spielberg Read more »| 09 Jul 2015 -
Features
Simon Napier-Bell on the unscrupulous history of the music business
The ultimate observer of the music business, Simon Napier-Bell talks us through its pharmaceutically fuelled history as chronicled in his all-encompassing book Ta-ra-ra-boom-de-ay Read more »| 03 Jul 2015 -
Festivals
White Van Man: John Darnielle brings his novel to Jura Unbound
John Darnielle, the mind behind The Mountain Goats, graces Jura Unbound under his novelist guise – with Mull Historical Society's Colin MacIntyre adding melody. We ponder the gaps his work explores: between childhood and adult life; reality and fantasy. Read more »| 02 Jul 2015
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Festivals
The Skinny is Ten: Theremin Lies the Truth
Over ten years The Skinny has grown into Scotland’s cultural barometer, so we will throw our hands in the air and throw a party. Author Sean Michaels witnessed our very beginnings so brings his magical and melodious new novel to our gathering Read more »| 02 Jul 2015 -
Festivals
Poetic Justice: Spoken Word takes Centre Stage at Jura Unbound
Find out how and where to get your word fix on these upcoming summer nights Read more »| 02 Jul 2015 -
Festivals
Jura Unbound: From Cutting Teeth to Cutting Edge
Six years ago, the improper child of the Book Festival proper was born. So to celebrate an eventful journey and introduce 2015, we share some wine and words with Roland Gulliver, the man we must all thank and blame Read more »| 02 Jul 2015 -
Festivals
Ryan Gattis brings Sounds of the City to Jura Unbound
Ryan Gattis hollers the sound of one famous city - LA - engulfed by fear and fire in '92. Here he discusses his novel All Involved and the visceral vignettes he will bring to Jura Unbound, alongside fellow authors Marlon James and Lisa McInerney. Read more »| 02 Jul 2015 -
Festivals
What's On at Jura Unbound 2015
Your guide to the late night events of Edinburgh International Book Festival, starting at 9pm every night in the Spiegeltent, Charlotte Square Gardens. And they're all free! Read more »| 02 Jul 2015 -
Book Reviews
Wolf in White Van by John Darnielle
With his debut novel, John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats fame takes the soft, melancholy lyricism of his music and draws it out into a strange, sad novel. ... Read more »| 02 Jul 2015 -
Book Reviews
101 Detectives by Ivan Vladislavic
'How toxic are you?' is the formidable question raised by South African author Ivan Vladislavic in his latest short story collection. Vladislavic commentates... Read more »| 01 Jul 2015 -
Book Reviews
S.N.U.F.F. by Victor Pelevin
In this farcical utopia, esoteric Russian writer Victor Pelevin fast-forwards our current culture – where the lines between fact and fiction are i... Read more »| 01 Jul 2015 -
News
Comma Press launch new literary platform MacGuffin
Comma Press has launched MacGuffin, a new self-publishing platform for fiction, essays and poetry. The Manchester-based imprint – who specialise in sho... Read more »| 30 Jun 2015