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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FestivalsUnbound 2016: Music and poetry
From folk to punk and now hip-hop, music has long enjoyed a powerful kinship with poetry: together more than a sum of their parts. We speak to four Unbounders at the forefront of this cross-cultural collaboration to better understand the relationship Read more »| 28 Jun 2016 -
FestivalsUnbound 2016: Poetry tasters
Instead of reading to our words, let's listen to theirs. Here's a selection of sentences and stanzas which have come out of the mouths of our 2016 Unbounders. Read more »| 28 Jun 2016 -
FestivalsUnbound 2016: Liz Lochhead
You can put her on stage but can ye Makar sing? Yes and no. Our ex national Bard updates poet Clare Mulley on her Unbound night of folk, pop, poetry and jazz... Read more »| 28 Jun 2016 -
FestivalsUnbound 2016: Oh, Canada
Canada's history is intrinsically linked with Scotland's, and as the whole world keeps on shrinking, all our futures are tied together. So let’s cram into the Spiegeltent, perhaps pour a whisky/whiskey and let four amazing writers educate and entertain us Read more »| 28 Jun 2016 -
FestivalsUnbound 2016: Highlight Arts Pakistan
Highlight Arts focuses on Pakistan in this year's Unbound – the result of a period of collaboration between artists from Glasgow and Lahore, swapping stories across continents through translation and empathy. There will be words and music and celebration Read more »| 28 Jun 2016 -
FestivalsUnbound 2016: Welcome from Roland
Each August, Unbound offers 16 nights of free literary shenanigans which push performance to the fore. Roland Gulliver suggests you say hello once more to the improper child of the festival proper Read more »| 28 Jun 2016
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Book ReviewsParis Vagabond by Jean-Paul Clébert
A much-needed new translation of one the great post-war French novels, even if it seems to contain little fiction. As one of the best books ever written abou... Read more »| 24 Jun 2016 -
FeaturesThe highbrow humour of Geoff Dyer
'Indescribable' is Geoff Dyer's trademark term. Ranked among Alain De Botton's favourite contemporary writers and dubbed 'the best living writer in Britain' by the Telegraph, his new book captures literal and metaphorical travels with irascible wit Read more »| 23 Jun 2016 -
Book ReviewsNegroland by Margo Jefferson
Margo Jefferson grew up in the late 1940s and 50s, in an area of Chicago she describes as ‘Negroland’. This was a time when her class and lo... Read more »| 22 Jun 2016 -
FeaturesThe North's best indie bookshops
To mark Independent Bookshop Week (18-25 June), we selected some of our favourite independent book stores in the North and suggested some titles you could re... Read more »| 15 Jun 2016 -
EventsLiterary event highlights in the North: June 2016
There's something for everyone in this month's roundup of literary events and readings across the North – whether you're interested in the backstr... Read more »| 10 Jun 2016 -
FestivalsZygmunt Bauman at Leggendo Metropolitano
We popped to Italy for the International Festival of Literature Leggendo Metropolitano 2016, and found Zygmunt Bauman musing on the nature of happiness. Read more »| 10 Jun 2016 -
FestivalsEdinburgh Book Festival reveals 2016 programme
The programme for the 2016 Edinburgh International Book Festival has been revealed, with Jonathan Safran Foer and Stewart Lee among a host of names set for appearances. Read more »| 09 Jun 2016 -
Book ReviewsThree Craws by James Yorkston
They say write what you know, and James Yorkston clearly understands the terrain of his debut novel Three Craws, set in the East Neuk of Fife. Biographical d... Read more »| 08 Jun 2016 -
FeaturesFighting Prejudice on the Page: Women in Comics
The illustrated world is maligned for its depiction of women on the page. Ahead of her appearance at Glasgow Comic Con, celebrated comic author and artist Kate Leth explains what's changing and why Read more »| 08 Jun 2016