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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NewsScottish Book Trust unveils Journeys project
The Scottish Book Trust and National Theatre of Scotland have launched a call for submissions for Journeys, a new project exploring the various voyages, excu... Read more »| 25 Mar 2015 -
Book ReviewsGirl in a Band by Kim Gordon
Chiefly famous as the bass player and co-vocalist for defunct New York post-punkers Sonic Youth, Kim Gordon wrote this memoir in the wake of her split from T... Read more »| 11 Mar 2015 -
Features
Creature Creators: The Critter Shed publish their first comic
The founders of The Critter Shed publishing collective explain why they decided to put out their first comic Read more »| 06 Mar 2015 -
EventsNorthwest Book Highlights – March 2015
The beginning of spring brings some anarchic spoken word, an interactive storytelling experience and the return of a great novelist Read more »| 06 Mar 2015 -
FeaturesUtopian Thinking: News from Nowhere on the Power of Literature
As the general election approaches, it will be impossible to avoid the ambush of political soundbites and slogans. The Skinny talks to radical bookshop News from Nowhere about the link between politics and language – and the fate of independent bookstores Read more »| 06 Mar 2015 -
Features
The Shame Game: Jon Ronson on his divisive new book
We chat to the award-winning writer Jon Ronson about his new book So You've Been Publicly Shamed, and discuss the need for empathy in our increasingly perilous digital landscape, where the unwary are lynched in 140 characters or less Read more »| 04 Mar 2015
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BooksMark Ellen: Pop Court Chronicler
Mark Ellen has documented late 20th century pop music's biggest moments in his memoir Rock Stars Stole My Life! Here he regales us with tales of those times and offers a lament on why modern day stars just don't cut the mustard (or anything else) Read more »| 04 Mar 2015 -
Book Reviews
The Well by Catherine Chanter
The Well opens with a woman under house arrest. Ruth, our protagonist and narrator, is restricted to her farm in Wales. Named The Well, it is beautiful, lone... Read more »| 03 Mar 2015 -
Book Reviews
Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera
This is a gorgeous, crisp little thing. And although Signs... is no epic – accounting for chapter breaks it clocks in at under 100 short pages&nbs... Read more »| 02 Mar 2015 -
Book Reviews
The Adventure of the Busts of Eva Perón by Carlos Gamerro
Ernesto Marroné is a corporate warrior, a sales samurai who takes How to Win Friends and Influence People as his Bushido code. Even as his countrymen ... Read more »| 02 Mar 2015 -
Book Reviews
Ghettoside by Jill Leovy
Ghettoside, that wonderful neologism, forms the title of this dark and murderous LA noir. The only problem being that it’s 100% real. LA Times reporte... Read more »| 27 Feb 2015 -
News
Book News: Summerhall to host Writers Return event, Novella Award entries open
The line-up has been confirmed for this month’s Writers Return event at Summerhall in Edinburgh, with Alan Bissett and Anne Donovan among those set to ... Read more »| 19 Feb 2015 -
Music
Neu! Reekie! announce #UntitledLive line-up
Spoken word, music and poetry night Neu! Reekie! has announced details of one of its biggest shows to date, featuring Fini Tribe, Andrew Weatherall, and SAY ... Read more »| 13 Feb 2015 -
Features
A Wordy, Weighty Challenge: How possible is 100 books in a year?
As we begin to regret those New Year resolutions of gyms and sobriety, spare a thought for Oliver Gaywood, who had aspirations of reading 100 books during 2014 as he travelled the world. Here he tells his tale and lays down the challenge to you. Read more »| 13 Feb 2015 -
Features
Station Approach: Jenn Ashworth and Richard Hirst on an interactive e-book inspired by Preston's Brutalist bus depot
As Jenn Ashworth releases her latest book, an interactive text co-written with collaborator Richard Hirst, The Skinny chats to the two authors about the notorious bus station behind its inspiration and why every story is unreliable Read more »| 10 Feb 2015