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 Folded Man by Matt Hill
Matt Hill's debut novel – a dystopian satire in the sharp, graphic style of transgressive fiction, with a central character who thinks he's a mermaid &... Read more »| 03 Jun 2013 -
Book ReviewsDirty Work by Gabriel Weston
Dirty Work follows the tribunal of young doctor Nancy after performing an abortion leaves her frozen and unable to help the patient bleeding to death before ... Read more »| 31 May 2013 -
Book ReviewsThe Professor of Truth by James Robertson
In The Professor of Truth James Robertson again proves himself to be one of Scotland’s best writers and one of the best writers in the world at explori... Read more »| 29 May 2013 -
Book Reviews
Unhappy Go Lucky by Ian Pattison
Years ago the fact that Rab C. Nesbitt had to be subtitled in England made quite a few folk smile. From the writer of all ten series of that programme, Un... Read more »| 28 May 2013 -
Book Reviews
A Wolf in Hindelheim by Jenny Mayhew
Frau Ute Koenig gave the horizon a searching look with her cool green eyes. Nothing ever happened in Hindelheim, because it was a fictional village in interw... Read more »| 27 May 2013 -
Book Reviews
Anywhere's Better Than Here by Zöe Venditozzi
Shortlisted for the 2010 Dundee International Book Prize, Anywhere’s Better Than Here is the story of Laurie, whose life has met a dead end at jus... Read more »| 27 May 2013
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Book ReviewsThe Home Corner by Ruth Thomas
The Home Corner is the story of a young woman cut loose from the airless confines of school and drifting almost imperceptibly from adolescence to adulthood. ... Read more »| 23 May 2013 -
Book Reviews
Bear Witness by Mandy Haggith
One of the central themes of this novel – Mandy Haggith’s second with a bear in the title – is independence. It’s dealt with on a sli... Read more »| 22 May 2013 -
Book Reviews
Gutter 08
Gutter is a leading Scottish journal of prose, poetry, and review. The latter comprise a small wedge in the centre of the magazine, offering a nice round-u... Read more »| 21 May 2013 -
FeaturesIain Banks: Till The Space Cows Come Home
Following the tragic news that Iain Banks has terminal cancer, we asked Andrew Wilson, who has known Banks for over 20 years, to reflect on the life and work of one of Scotland's greatest authors Read more »| 09 May 2013 -
Book Reviews
Granta Best of Young British Novelists 4
Once a decade, since 1983, Granta has compiled a list of the 20 best British novelists under the age of 40. Accompanying the announcement is a volume featuri... Read more »| 03 May 2013 -
Features
Hassan Blasim: Once Upon a Time in Iraq
Hassan Blasim is touring the UK to promote his new collection of short stories, The Iraqi Christ. He talks to us about censorship, the surreal and violent imagery in his work, and the future of Arabic literature Read more »| 02 May 2013 -
Features
Ned Beauman: Granta Best of Young British Novelists
We sat down with Ned Beauman, the youngest author on Granta's once-a-decade Best of Young British Novelists list and chatted about inclusion, his work and the international appeal of 'coke rap' Read more »| 01 May 2013 -
Features
Writing on the Wall: Pressure Points
Tackling issues of class, division, and protest, this year's Writing on the Wall literature festival combines a timely theme with opinionated speakers Read more »| 01 May 2013 -
Book Reviews
Indian Nocturne by Antonio Tabucchi
Indian Nocturne follows a nameless man as he searches for his lost friend Xavier among the squalid streets and luxury hotels of India. At just over a hundred... Read more »| 01 May 2013