It's always part of the Edinburgh festival experience to walk from Fringe central near George square down the Bridges to the high street, just to savour the atmosphere and colour and sample some of the shows on offer for another year.
SCOTTISH ARTS & MUSIC since 2007. Imagining SCOTIA! Photographer & Blogger - Musicnotes, Poetrynotes, Histories, Celtic Connections, Edinburgh festivals.
Wednesday 10 September 2014
The fringe Edinburgh High Street
It's always part of the Edinburgh festival experience to walk from Fringe central near George square down the Bridges to the high street, just to savour the atmosphere and colour and sample some of the shows on offer for another year.
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PHOTOS at Edinburgh International Book Festival 2014
Game of Thrones George RR Martin arrives |
Kate Adie |
Bonnie Greer |
Alan Massie |
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Thursday 28 August 2014
Huruki Murakami at Edinburgh
There was a
definite hushed awe over Murakami's rare appearance at a book festival. Twenty years ago he started the ‘Wind Up Bird
Chronicles’. He usually writes in the
first person narrative and he said he was uncomfortable with using the third
person - that he didn't want to look down at
people, but to rather stand on the same level as his characters; it was more
democratic he thought. He said his writing has been a long journey.
His first
novel appeared in 1979. He appeared
unassuming and reclusive - he said that he wished to be a quiet person and to live a quiet
life. He wrote about extraordinarily strange people and events though!.
He
appreciated strong interferences to push the story forward. He enjoyed irony he said and many of his stories
are terrifying and scary. He spoke of the bloody histories and the
collective memories of history and he thought
that everybody is cursed and poisoned by the past. The Manchurian history was important for his
writing.
The Well. He
spoke of his lifetime dream to be sitting at the bottom of the well where he
was super heavy. The water might be coming up. He wrote of nightmares and odd
unrealistic coincidences and he said that strange coincidences happened to him.
Questions.
He said that the translation of his books were good.
He said that his stories were not planned and that he had
no idea where the story was going. 'It is not fun to know the conclusions. I
like to think, what's going to happen today. I like to be spontaneous.
'Imagination
is an animal I keep alive.'
He said that
once a book is gone, it is gone.
Why were his
characters so sad? I didn't notice he replied, Everybody is sad.
He said he
liked to write to music that runs through the novel.' I need music to write on
- the harmony and rhythm is important to me to keep the readers reading. I need
music.'
I am always
looking for the right music to help to me write.,
Murakami is
a serene and humble man.
Vic Galloway Jura Unbound, Night of Music and Words
Siobhan Wilson |
A night of
Music and Words. This evening was a highly successful one with Scottish voices.
Galloway has written a book 'Songs in the Key
of Fife.' He spoke of
the creative people and places - was it the coastline of Fife
or that you use your imagination of die he wondered.
Andrew Mitchell
of the Hazy Janes began the evening at the Jura Unbound at Edinburgh International book festival 2014, with a strong set of songs on both piano
and guitar. We were treated to powerful and
moving readings by authors - Anneliase Mackintosh, Kate Tough and Liam Murray
Bell.
Later we had
the beautiful voice of Scottish songstress Siobhan Wilson.
Michael "Vic"
Galloway (born 4 August 1972, Muscat,
Oman) is a DJ on BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Radio 1,
Galloway presents a self-titled show on Radio Scotland (formerly known as Air)
every Monday from 8:05pm-10pm and does the BBC Introducing Scotland Radio 1
programme Wednesday evenings/Thursday mornings from 12:00-2:00am. He presents BBC
Scotland's T in the Park television coverage every summer and
has also presented the station's The
Music Show.
music, gigs, reviews, photos,
Andrew Mitchell,
Anneliase Mackintosh,
Jura Unbound,
Kate Tough,
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Siobhan Wilson,
Vic Galloway,
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Wednesday 20 August 2014
A Bird is not a Stone: Palestinian Voices
Liz Lochhead |
Maya Abu al-Hayyat |
Maya Abu
al-Hayyat, who is from Palestine
and only got her visa to come to the festival a few days before the event, is
an engineer, novelist and poet. There was the shared joy for the writers to be
sharing such a cross border event, exchanging ideas and appreciating our
similarities. Lochhead enjoyment of Maya’s reading of her poems in Arabic was
obvious.
After an
introduction from Liz on how the project came about and of their trip to the camps
and crowded place that is present day Bethlehem,
we were given three very eloquent readings first in English by Lochhead, then
in lyrical Shetlander from Christina followed by Maya’s emotive readings. It
was interesting the different rhythms and feel of the readings and the depth
and beauty of the Arabic voice.
With the
Shetlander voice, Christina said she wished to get the right tone and
earthiness.
The poems
were chosen by the Palestinian poets and then translated by 29 of top Scottish
poets( )
The book
contains a foreword by Lochhead on their experiences. She spoke of the lack of
water for several days and how everyone wanted to reassure them that they were
not terrorists. She said, what else but poetry has the beauty and truth to try
to cross boundaries. The last poem was about the many ways to smile.
A Bird Is
Not A Stone is taken from George Wiley’s words of the birds that flew over the
Berlin Wall. This event about a project begun in 2012 is very timely with all
the dreadful killings of present day Gaza
Art and
poetry voices may try to carry the silent voices across the world of the
ordinary people’s lives and of the mothers who wish to watch their children
grow up in a world that is not torn in two.
They thought
a Scottish poem we might share would be A Man’s a Man For A That. A thoroughly
enjoyable book festival event.
Tom Devine, talk on the Darien Project, Edinburgh International Book festival 2014
Devine, respected Scottish historian, recently knighted gave a highly informed talk on the Darien Project, relevant to Scotland’s referendum question, at Edinburgh International Book festival 2014.
What went wrong? Major mistakes. Devine said that the Darien disaster of the late 1690s was over blown and exaggerated and his main claim is that the project failed due to poor leadership and that the proposed location for the colony should have first been properly surveyed. These projects required strict military discipline. He also said that at the time many colonies failed in the Caribbean and in the West, including the first English colony.
In 1698 five vessels left Leith with 12,000 passengers and travelled north round Scotland to avoid the Royal navy. It is a story of both courage and risks to the Isthmus of Panama. The Caribbean was then a centre of piracy between France, Spain and England. The company of Scotland wished to trade with Africa and the West Indies. There were vast riches to be made in trade with the Spice Islands and with silks. Denmark acquired a colony there just 3 years before Darien. There was enormous opposition from England and the Bank of England withdrew its investments.
The Darien failure was cost thousands of lives who were burned in pits and included leader Paterson’s wife and son. Yet also at the time there were quite often devastating famines and death rates. The after math of Darien caused a collapse in Scottish confidence and a cold embrace with England in 1707. He said that there were three main layers around the Darien Disaster if you excavated below the myth.
(1) Unionist Myth. The Dominance of Unionist thought. That Scotland was a land of darkness, faction and poverty with religious rigidity and was bankrupt.
(2) Nationalist thought in 1960s and 70s, of historical victimhood – such as the Highland clearances, Glencoe massacre and the Darien Project. .
(3) Modern Spin – which portrays Darien as a mad farce. The Darien project has been distorted. What happened was similar to the banking collapse in recent years. The Discourse of Prebble – victimhood nation, which recycled the feeling of misbelief and Scotland became portrayed as a mass deluded country that was small, poor and helpless.
He said it was wrong to view Scotland as naive and inadequate. In the 13th and 14th centuries Scotland was very active trading with the European continent. There were 125 Scottish colonies set up and we were notorious at under cutting, with trading centres in Holland such as Rotterdam and Amsterdam. He said that Scotland was not naïve or inexperienced.
After the Union of the Crowns in 1603….., the fact that England did not support the Darien scheme proved to the Scottish that when there was a choice the English government would support English interests. The English refused to provide support, food and succour to the Darien project. At the time England and France were battling to control the Atlantic trade and England was desperate to defend its northern territories. Spain was then in decline.
After Darien a few were offered full financially compensation plus 43% interest if they agreed to the union, which was analogous with bankers and the RBS scandal of today – and that they then voted for the Union. However Glasgow and the Scottish people were against the Union. The Scottish Law and Church were left to be run in Scotland.
He called the Act of Union an the Act of Concession and not one of victimhood or biased prejudices.
PS On Saturday Tom Devine made the announcement that he was voting YES in the Scottish referendum vote in September. He gave his carefully thought through reasons that he sees a flowering of the Scottish confidence in recent years. He feels the union has now run its course.
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Friday 15 August 2014
George RR Martins Talk at Edinburgh
"I am a writer who likes to ask questions." He said he
liked to do things that some thought couldn’t be done and he liked to break
the rules.
RR Martin brought
his spirit of fantasy with him to Edinburgh
yesterday. He was spirited in the side gate by his lady helpers to Edinburgh International, Book Festival 2014,and smiled for
his photo shoot on the festival walkway. He has silver white hair and beard and could
be one of the characters in his writing.
.
A younger
than usual crowd packed into his talk, when he spoke of how Scotland and
Scottish history had informed his epic Game of Thrones, now a massively
successful HBO tv series.
He spoke
with Booker prize judge and literary critic Stuart Kelly, of a visit in ‘81 to Hadrian’s wall, on a cold grey October in the late
evening, when he thought of all the Roman legionaries posted there and how it
might have seemed the end of the world to them. This later became his Wall of
Ice, He also spoke of famous Scottish women who were often Queen Regents to 3
year old kings – such as Lady MacBeth, Mary Queen of Scots. Other Scottish
stories have also inspired his writing - the Glencoe Massacre, (the Red wedding)
and the writer Walter Scott. He was particularly interested in medieval history
and its blood thirsty side.
Martin
started out writing science fiction, with a horror twist – such as the Sand
Kings.
He thought
since Tolkien that most were writing in a Disneyland
style of fantasy. He liked to explore the grittiness of history.
One of his
main motivations Martin said, was strong characters who wrestle with the issues. He asked what are
their motivations, what is their culture?
Writing about a villain can be fun and looking at their dimensions and motivations.
His books are infused with moral realism and he said that he enjoyed writing about
broken things – outcasts, bastards as there is more drama and that conflict is the
heart of drama.
He
was asked about the locations in his books. He spoke of growing up in New Jersey, between 1st street and 5th street
and of how he escaped in fantasy to Gotham,
Middle Earth and with HG Wells. He said, I lived a thousand lives in the pages of books.
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Saturday 9 August 2014
Small Beginnings are what bring about Changes
I believe it is only in small beginnings that change can occur. Some think they can bring about changes through some trickle down effect via the big London machine – can we believe this? I think not. It is only through small places that real changes can be made.
When the Union occurred Scotland kept its Church and Law as its two most important institutions. Then the main domestic policies were then decided by the courts. With the advent of more democracy the Parliaments became more important.
This Scottish independence referendum is NOT about boundaries, nationalism or religious divides.
It is about self determination and autonomy and devolving power and better governance that works for Scotland and for local communities. London's economic policies are NOT in Scotland's best interests. We have one of the highest levels of child poverty and the divide between the rich and the poorest is only widening here.
The change Scotland seeks is similar to the autonomy that has seen both Norway and Finland flourish since they both broke away form Swedish control and became independent a hundred years ago. Both countries continue to trade and work with other countries worldwide.
Scotland is much older than the UK – over 900 years! The UK is a newer country so they will need to apply to be members of the EU!
Scotland WANTS to work with and to welcome its neighbours. The reason Scotland should be independent is because the UK system and Westminster is not working. We can do better!
I hope we can have a better relationship and a more equal partnership with the other parts of these British Islands. The Unionists are not silent either - over 90% of the media is controlled by Unionists. It is therefore hard for the Yes believers to get their voice heard.
In the 70s there was a great deal of bad feeling in Scotland – some of it due to the Scottish oil money being lost. Since then we have been allowed a Scottish Parliament (in 1997; even though we voted for a devolved government in 1979)- which I believe has made Scottish people feel somewhat better and we are now able to decide if we want to be able to offer all young people the chance of university education …. and not just the privileged few. .
We might believe that governments in London will offer improvements? Well I've waited decades for that.................My belief is that change usually happens in a small way – I cannot see how any changes can happen in Westminster that will then flow to the rest of the country. There is no desire for change in the south of England that I can see. Why should there be? In a centralised country and it suits the south of England to have things stay the same; with its corruption and its tiny favoured elite.
To have confidence in our future matters hugely. As Nick Barley director of Edinburgh International book festival writes, " We hope that this year's Book festival will help readers and writers of all ages to think about and discuss how to act positively upon the understanding generated by dialogue. The future of Scotland is in our hands."
In such a forum, admissions of uncertainty are acceptable.. Changes of mind are encouraged. Imaginative leaps are recommended.”,
In such a forum, admissions of uncertainty are acceptable.. Changes of mind are encouraged. Imaginative leaps are recommended.”,
The important issue is that we are able to air different views in a way that we are not shouted down. Also – that the discussions are not about celebrities on artificial pedestals, but rather about the grassroots where everyone should be free to have a voice. For me the Scottish questions are one of confidence in our future and in shaping our future country.
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Thursday 7 August 2014
Edinburgh Book Festival 2014
It is about the spoken and written word and the Edinburgh International book festival this year will host ‘Dialogue’ events. Director Nick Barley wants the festival to be an impartial platform for discussion and to encourage free speech.
There are events on the questions in the trouble middle east region today, as well as the imminent Scottish Referendum in September.
The
important issue is that we are able to air different views in a way that we are
not shouted down.
Also – that
the discussions are not about celebrities on artificial pedestals, but rather about
the grassroots where everyone is free to have a voice. For me the Scottish questions are one of
confidence in our future and in shaping our future country.
For several
years the festival has offered a place for writers who are unable to be heard
and prevented from speaking by their government – the Amnesty International Imprisoned
Writers Conference.
Having confidence in our future matters hugely. As Nick Barley writes, " We hope that this year's Book festival will help readers and writers of all ages to think about and discuss how to act positively upon the understanding generated by dialogue. The future of Scotland is in our hands."
Having confidence in our future matters hugely. As Nick Barley writes, " We hope that this year's Book festival will help readers and writers of all ages to think about and discuss how to act positively upon the understanding generated by dialogue. The future of Scotland is in our hands."
Scottish
poets have linked to Palestinian voices for the book ‘A Bird is not a Stone’
and Liz Lochhead chairs this event at this years festival.
Often
artists can offer images much stronger than mere speeches – through the soul of poetry….
Last year beautiful paper sculptures were given to the festival was a gift.
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