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 ReviewsThe Tree That Bleeds
In 2001 Nick Holdstock travelled to Yining, a city in China’s largest province – the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region – to ‘teach En... Read more »| 22 Sep 2011 -
Book ReviewsThe Darkest Walk, by Malcom Archibald
The workers are revolting – and not just because they haven’t had a wash. Insurrection is in the air, and only one man can save the respectable... Read more »| 22 Sep 2011 -
Book ReviewsGood Offices by Evelio Rosero
Evelio Rosero won his first literary award in 1979, and it would come as no surprise if he were given another honour for new novel Good Offices. Set in Ros... Read more »| 22 Sep 2011 -
Book Reviews
Gioconda by Lucille Turner
Gioconda – a study of the life of Leonardo da Vinci – is a first novel by Lucille Turner, imagining thelife of the artist, from his humble beginn... Read more »| 22 Sep 2011 -
Book Reviews
Ragnarok: The End of the Gods by AS Byatt
One of the most distinguished contributors to Canongate's 'Myths' series, AS Byatt has long been fascinated by the nihilistic glamour of Ragnarok, where, in ... Read more »| 22 Sep 2011 -
News
Hot Off the Comics Press: Villains, Pigs and Nerve
It's going to be incredibly tough for the next few weeks to look past 'the new 52' titles DC has on offer each and every week - which is a far too long a lis... Read more »| 14 Sep 2011
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NewsHot off the Comics Press: First Issues
New titles and old heroes Read more »| 12 Sep 2011 -
Festivals
Wigtown Book Festival
The Wigtown Book Festival, 23 Sep - 2 Oct, features high-profile authors Max Arthur, Maggie O'Farrell and Alan Bissett among many others Read more »| 12 Sep 2011 -
Book Reviews
Turf by Jonathan Ross and Tommy Lee Edwards
Turf is Jonathan Ross’s debut as writer of a comic series, and this collection of the first five issues, which form a complete story, is a winn... Read more »| 08 Sep 2011 -
Festivals
Curmudgeonly Critic: Mark Kermode @ The Edinburgh Book Festival 2011
The good doctor, Mark Kermode, entertains his devoted fans at the launch of his new book, The Good, The Bad and The Multiplex, at the closing weekend of Edinburgh Book Festival 2011 Read more »| 02 Sep 2011 -
Book Reviews
Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon
This earthy tale is set at a 1970s Virginia racetrack, in the deeply unglamorous, chancy world of claiming races. A ragtag band of characters survive... Read more »| 01 Sep 2011 -
Book Reviews
Hot Off The Comics Press: The DC Reboot
Is it really the end of summer? It may very well be, as the sunshine begins to dissipate and the big events come to an end. Of course for one particular publ... Read more »| 31 Aug 2011 -
Features
Alan Bissett: "It does get harder"
Alan Bissett is the author of four novels, beginning with Boyracers ten years ago, as well as plays, short stories and other pieces. The characters in Boyracers are revisited in his upcoming novel Pack Men, as they travel down to Manchester in 2008 to watch Rangers play in the UEFA Cup Final Read more »| 29 Aug 2011 -
Features
Zoë Strachan: “The freedom to try things out”
Scottish author Zoë Strachan talks about her latest novel, Ever Fallen In Love, and why writing gets more difficult with every book Read more »| 29 Aug 2011 -
Book Reviews
The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai
On face value, The Borrower is a story about a librarian, a small boy and the primacy of the written word; on second thought it is a political satire... Read more »| 25 Aug 2011