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 Causal Angel by Hannu Rajaniemi
With The Quantum Thief, Hannu Rajaniemi set a new standard for science fiction that dared to imagine a post-human future. With its sequel, The Fractal Prince... Read more »| 29 Aug 2014 -
FestivalsEdinburgh International Book Festival 2014: Reflections on Murakami
As an almost unbearable anticipation grew ahead of Haruki Murakami's Scottish trip, we take a look at the man behind the well-managed mystique and reflect upon his appearance at Edinburgh International Book Festival Read more »| 27 Aug 2014 -
Festivals
Edinburgh International Book Festival: Time to Fight for Feminism
Baxter and Cosslett set up their blog Vagenda Magazine in 2012 to – in their own words – ‘call bullshit' on the mainstream women&rsquo... Read more »| 22 Aug 2014 -
FestivalsSalena Godden: Narrating the Times
The indefinable black, punk, feminist poet, writer and performer; most succinctly termed by Kerrang as ‘Everything the Daily Mail is terrified of’ – Salena Godden talks tears, laughter and the poetry of toilet walls and lovers' whispers Read more »| 21 Aug 2014 -
Festivals
Letters Home: Grid Iron Theatre Company @ Edinburgh International Book Festival
Just a minute or two into the bludgeoning that is Christos Tsiolkas’ Eve and Cain, it seemed as if it might be a gruelling night traipsing around ... Read more »| 20 Aug 2014 -
Events
Neu! Reekie! does Titian @ National Gallery of Scotland
In homage to the Renaissance master, 'monthly headfuck' Neu! Reekie! took over National Gallery Scotland for a night in June bringing animation, poetry and music. The Skinny was there to experience the shame and love, myth and legend, boobs and... hip-hop Read more »| 18 Aug 2014
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Festivals
Edinburgh International Book Festival: Good Low-Cost Food
Food is, and always has been, a political issue. As writers and activists Mike Small and Andrew Whitley address the comfortably full tent at Edinburgh Intern... Read more »| 16 Aug 2014 -
FestivalsEdinburgh International Book Festival: Stuart Kelly on Moby-Dick
It shouldn’t be possible to get the breadth and depth of a Great American Novel into 90 minutes, but with Stuart Kelly at the helm of the seminar, we j... Read more »| 16 Aug 2014 -
Festivals
Edinburgh International Book Festival: William McIlvanney
It's preposterous to imagine the works of William McIlvanney being out of print, yet just two years ago this was the case – before the good people at C... Read more »| 14 Aug 2014 -
Festivals
Edinburgh International Book Festival: Letters Live
It’s the Edinburgh International Book Festival’s opening night, and Shaun Usher and Simon Garfield are delivering either a rallying cry or ... Read more »| 12 Aug 2014 -
Festivals
Hypnagogic Hip: The Work of Haruki Murakami
As Haruki Murakami, aka Japan's greatest living author, travels west to Edinburgh International Book Festival, The Skinny takes a look at this reticent genius whose work often sits in that surreal landscape between dreams and reality Read more »| 11 Aug 2014 -
Festivals
Take a Long Hard Look at your Shelf: Rachel McCrum
Rachel McCrum of Rally & Broad, the Edinburgh cabaret of words, music and lyrical delights, will toast the finale of Jura Unbound on 25 Aug Read more »| 08 Aug 2014 -
Festivals
The Lives in Letters: An Interview with Shaun Usher and Simon Garfield
The lost art of letter writing will brought to life at Edinburgh International Book Festival by Simon Garfield, Shaun Usher and a host of performing friends at their event, Letters Live Read more »| 06 Aug 2014 -
Book Reviews
The Table of Less Valued Knights by Marie Phillips
Everyone’s heard of the Knights of the Round Table, but tucked away in the draughtiest corner of Camelot’s hall is the rarely-mentioned Table of ... Read more »| 06 Aug 2014 -
FestivalsShattering the Myth: Gruff Rhys on his American adventure
Gruff Rhys talks about setting the story straight on John Evans, a legendary 18th-century Welsh explorer and political radical, in his new multimedia project American Interior. He'll speak about his own adventures at Edinburgh Book Festival this month Read more »| 06 Aug 2014