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 Whispering Swarm by Michael Moorcock
Set in London in the 1950s, Michael Moorcock's The Whispering Swarm blends autobiography and fantasy – aiming, he says, for a sort of book he... Read more »| 03 Aug 2015 -
Book ReviewsUs Conductors by Sean Michaels
We must declare a conflict of interests here. Author Sean Michaels was, once upon a time, a writer for The Skinny, so a sense of solidarity has us willing a ... Read more »| 31 Jul 2015 -
Features
Limmy's Daft Wee Interview
The Skinny braves the dark mind of Glasgow comedy hero Limmy to learn a little more about his new book: the appropriately titled Daft Wee Stories Read more »| 31 Jul 2015 -
Features
Author Yuri Herrera on 'the American problem that Mexico is suffering'
The literary voice of Mexican author Yuri Herrera transcends his native land and tongue, crosses the U.S. border – so significant in his writing – and forces the wider world to listen. We chat ahead of his date with Edinburgh International Book Festival Read more »| 30 Jul 2015 -
FeaturesRhyme and Reasons: Poetry picks for Edinburgh Festival
Looking through the 2015 Festival line-up – including a Skinny sponsored Kate Tempest event – 2015 StAnza Poet in Residence Clare Mulley ponders that elusive theoretical point on the arts spectrum between 'poetry' and what is now known as 'spoken word' Read more »| 30 Jul 2015 -
Events
Northwest Book Highlights – August 2015
As August brings the last of the summer’s festivals, this month’s literature picks focus on all things musical, plus David Mitchell makes an appearance in Liverpool Read more »| 30 Jul 2015
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Features
No Definition Required: Janice Galloway on Jellyfish
Prior to her appearance at Edinburgh International Book Festival, award-winning writer Janice Galloway talks to The Skinny about 'sex and love and parenthood'. All contained in Jellyfish, her dazzling new short story collection. Read more »| 30 Jul 2015 -
Book Reviews
The Bride Stripped Bare by Rachel Kendall
In the second of the 23 short stories of Rachel Kendall’s debut collection, a group of horror enthusiasts who have met on the internet gather to watch ... Read more »| 29 Jul 2015 -
Features
Spoken word nights around the UK and abroad: Live Wire
With the tally of live literature nights growing ever bigger and seeming to cater for every literary taste, the host of Saboteur Award-winning spoken word night Bad Language picks some of the best at home and abroad Read more »| 28 Jul 2015 -
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 ReviewsSilma 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