Edinburgh Book Festival (EIBF) 2018 Photos

Karl Ove Knaasgard

Freedom to make the stories that shape us

Freedom to travel, the horizons we will know and understand, different landscapes, challenging people, new perspectives…

Many spoke of moving on from divisions – but also about us all having a voice. Activist and business women Gina Miller said these are dangerous times, we cannot afford to keep quiet, with her book 'Rise'. Chelsea Clinton was there to talk about women's voices, with her book 'She Persisted.' 

Neal Ascherson and James Naughtie the 1968 Year of Unrest and freedom spoke of the Paris riots of 68, in France they continue to believe they can make a difference. Greek economist Yanis Varoufakis spoke of the difficulties inherent in Europe but also the peace it has afforded us. 

Brian May

There is such a wide diversity of writers at EIBF – 

the big established names, the aspiring new writers, award winners, celebrities, sportsmen, politicians, academics, poets, musicians, artists, critics, crime writers, comedians, novelists, illustrators, children’s authors, psychologists, medical writers, economics, business people.

Bringing different voices together from across the globe, creates an inspiring place to exchange ideas, renew and interact..

The book festival provides an important balance to the daft comedy or the absurd at the Fringe - everything goes in August in Edina. The backdrop of Charlottes Square puts EIBF at the heart of Edina’s historic Georgian new town: the photographers come here from Spain and Italy. 

Chris Brookmyre

 TALKS EIBF

Paris Riots 68, with Neal Ascherson and James Naughtie

The 1968 Year of Unrest and freedom

Yanis Varoufakis

Karl Ove Knaasgard

Michael Marra: Arrest This Moment

Tom Devine: English in Scotland

Gina Miller; Rise

BOOKS

The Gathering poems – Alexander McCall Smith

Gina Miller

There were problems with several writers gaining visas to attend EIBF. Sadly too this is the last year that Scotland will be in the EU, because of this unwanted Brexit being imposed on us– and this has very serious difficulties for an international festival on this scale. 

Activist and business women Gina Miller said these are dangerous times, and we cannot afford to keep quiet. She spoke of moving on from past divisions – and I agree – but moving past our extreme and feudal wealth divisions will not be so easy. It is the system here that needs changed.

False tribalism and division must end for the sake of our country. But there are differences here. I believe difference and informed different views are essential to reach a realistic consensus. But artificial tribes, around old, ignorant hatreds have no place in a progressive democracy.  It is a total fallacy that ’Brexit’ is about any kind of independence – its about leaving the world’s most successful trading block and stopping immigration. By contrast Scotland needs and desires immigration.  

How can we best protect our civil rights. Maybe if Scotland does this, other parts of England will follow. Recently I saw a map of who owns Scotland recently, and I was shocked by the tiny white sections of publicly owned land. Scotland has the most unequal land ownership in the world. I hope this isn’t all about money and that we can all have an equal voice. We need a culture of equal chances and co-operation, that starts in the early years. of education. 

We must act, and act soon to change all that.  

Chelsea Clinton

Yanis Varoufakis, Maria Alyokhina (Pussy Riot)

**What freedoms do we cherish? Maria Alyokhina fled from Russia to perform in Edinburgh. 

Interesting article on Democracy in Sunday Herald – that into todays world of peer to peer interconnectedness -  this centralised, top down state of government that worked centuries ago is no longer working for us. 

Blue Rose Code and Caledonia Soul Voices, Queens hall

I missed his guitar playing, but the song selection was fab – long live Celtic Soul! .

Tonight’s Fringe show was a celebration of Caledonia soul voices (in association with Made in Scotland)

Blue Rose Code, aka Ross Wilson, played a full on, energetic set of a classy selection of soul-influenced Celtic songs and with a quality line up of Duke Special, Eddi Reader, Julie Fowlis and Hamish Stuart of the Average White band. I first heard Ross last year at my local folk club and became a fan after hearing his authentic and charged soul voice. Born in Edinburgh, Ross has also been south for several years and now returned to his home town, for which he has written his homage song Edina.

Ross showed us his major musical influences tonight, in the perfect surrounding of the Queens hall – in this celebration of soul and Celtic music - and he has great taste! His firm favourites being legends John Martyn, from Glasgow and London, and Van the Man from Belfast (and the deep south influences). Both mix great bass rhythms with perfect expressive soul voices.  

Ross was clearly up for enjoying this packed show and he was sporting new look longer hair and no beard!  He was backed by a full 14-piece band with a string section. He performed some of his own songs, as well as his soul selection. He finished the first set with John Martyn’s, I Only Want to Know About Love. Then in the second set his well loved song, Edina morphed into the Proclaimers ever popular, My Heart.  

Eddi Reader treated us to an upbeat Perfect. It was another joy to hear accomplished guitarist Hamish Stuart, who performed My Fathers Son and a memorable No More Days. While Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis sang, I Just can’t Get Over You (from the film Garden State) and she knows how to take a song on an emotional and intimate journey.  

BRC spoke of John Martyn’s ‘killing it’, and how seeing him live inspired him to be a soul singer too. Ross said, for him the best Van Morrison album was his live 1975 one and his Caledonia soul orchestra. Ross has an ear for the deep emotion of a song, that catches your breath. And none other than Martyn’s double bass player Danny Thompson played on his album.

For the full encore line up finale we enjoyed the cool vibes of renowned Edwyn Collin’s hit song, I Never met a Girl Like you Before, and an inspired version of Van Morrison's Crazy Love - and of course an exhilarating version of the Average White Band’s Pick up the Pieces! 

What a fun night!  Top marks. Thanks Ross.

Postscript: 

A few nights later legendary queen of soul Aretha Franklin died, sadly BRC hadn’t included any Aretha songs!

Van Morrison grew up listening to his dad’s collection of blues and R & B records.  – and mixed his Celtic and soul influences to create a unique soul genre and fusion: when the poignant Celtic moods and stories mixed with the riffs, vibes and relaxed R & B. Along with the improvisation and instinctiveness of the live musicianship of jazz.  

Ross has worked with renowned Gaelic singers Julie Fowlis, Kathleen MacInnes, BBC Folk Award Winner, Ross Ainslie, 2017’s Scottish Jazz Awards’ instrumentalist of the year Konrad Wiszniewski, leading violinist Seonaid Aitken and three of Scotland's finest jazz musicians; John Lowrie, Colin Steele and James Lindsay. His album ‘THE BALLADS OF PECKHAM RYE’, was nominated for SAY awards 2014 (Scottish Album Of The Year) and featured Danny Thompson, Karine Polwart, John Wetton, Aidan O’Rourke and Kathryn Williams.  He can be heard on BBC (TV and Radio), STV, Alba, TG4, Virgin Radio. He has toured the length of the UK to sold out venues and to festivals Celtic Connections, Edinburgh Fringe, Looe, Summer Isles, Lindisfarne, Southern Fried, Underneath The stars.

Art Freedom without Borders

This years theme at the Edinburgh International book festival 2018 is "freedoms". It is important we are free to have our VOICE. Its important for culture, sense of identity, artistic creativity, truth, heritage, communicating, collaborating and so much more. 

At a talk on the highly respected Scottish singer songwriter Michael Marra, a Canadian asked - 'why did we not hear of Marra on the Scottish radio or tv, and how can we have a Voice here in Scotland, if we have no way of expressing it freely and widely? ..The answer is that Marra went to London for a while, but the London music industry wanted to change him and take away the essence of what makes him a great artist. ........ And I wonder often why Scotland is not free, and unlike other nations has no media of its own....

An artist must be true to their art...

Creatives not only require freedom of expression, it’s the life blood they draw on for their creativity. Any artist who tries to stick inside boxes is stifled. I remember a Russian art exhibition at the Tate modern – all were identical, raising arms to the heavens.  

JD Fergusson

The Scottish painters JD Fergusson on modern Scottish painting is his plea for artistic freedom. "Scotland should have an independent art," Artists must challenge assumptions and take a sledgehammer to totems. 

Artist Alexander Moffat and poet Alan Riach , in a new edition of Scottish artist JD Fergusson Modern Scottish Painting, in which he questions the need of artists to conform to market forces. If arts motivation is economic it is not usually successful. Then as now, there was what Moffat and Riach call "the tyranny of academic authority in taste, practice and artistic social priorities". Oddly there have been significant problems with Creative Scotland’s large umbrella organization (which includes film, Games, music, literature, arts) being controlled by the accounts men.  There was the need for artists to conform if they wanted to be embraced by the kind of organisations and institutions who view art as the conduit to boosting the economy and encouraging an ever-growing influx of tourists. 

The need to conform to be embraced by established art institutions. Fergusson's approach to art was embedded in political philosophy and he was convinced of the need for independence. He questioned why "the Glasgow School" faded out. "Was it Scotland's feeling of inferiority? Was it the lack of sympathy or financial support?" 

Nick Barley

**Edinburgh book festival director Nick Barley claims culture and the arts is being adversely affected by the hostile attitude at the UK home office.  
“We’re putting culture at risk, ironically the theme of this years EIBF this year is freedom!  

The UK Home office refusals from Syria are up from 18% to 68% in 2017.  -"Our relationship with authors is being damaged because the system is completely unfit for purpose. They’ve jumped through hoops – to have their applications refused.”  The UK Home Office has refused visas for authors invited to Edinburgh book festival. Festival director Nick Barley says ‘humiliating’ application process will deter writers and damage cultural life in UK. A dozen writers, from African and Middle East countries have had their visa applications refused, amid a process that requires 3 years of bank statements. 

Michale Marra, Arrest this Moment

JD Fergusson was drawn like so many other Scottish artists of the day, to Paris. (Samuel Peploe, Francis Campbell and Boileau Cadell). He writes of the impact that the French capital had-. “Paris was a place of light, freedom, intellectual challenge, learning and research. It allowed me to be Scots as I understand it, and has made me so Scots that I am leaving it and coming home." 

Fergusson’s book is a cri de coeur for artistic freedom and he is always passionate..
Some of the greatest art happen when we challenge the boxes – as when French impressionisms challenged the Paris Salon.

Modern Scottish Painting, by J D Fergusson, published Luath Press, http://www.heraldscotland.com/arts_ents/13415574.J_D_Fergusson_on_modern_Scottish_painting/

Music and Art Edinburgh festival

Mogwai

*ART

Scottish Photography at the City Arts Centre -  charting the development of fine art photography in Scotland. The exhibition features work by a range of historic and contemporary artists - Hill and Adamson, Thomas Begbie, Joseph McKenzie, David Williams, Maud Sulter, Wendy McMurdo, Calum Colvin, Christine Borland and Dalziel + Scullion. https://edinburghartfestival.com/whats-on/detail/in-focus-scottish-photography

Rembrandt at the National galleries Mound. 

Victoria Crowe: Beyond Likeness– Scottish Portrait gallery - https://edinburghartfestival.com/whats-on/detail/beyond-likeness (also A Certain Light at the Scottish gallery)  #edartfest

https://edinburghartfestival.com

*MUSIC on offer at Edinburgh festival caters for every taste – from guitar blues, live folk sessions,, grand opera, lively musicals, fun acapella choirs, exciting live shows, intimate concerts Queens hall - Blue Rose Code, Lindisfarne, Blazin Fiddles; and impressive classical orchestras – which include Scottish and international artists; long term favourites such as Tom Jones and Brian Wilson; contemporary performers such as Paloma Faith, Rag n Bone Man; progressive rockers Mogwai at the Leith theatre; folk artists. 

Blue Rose Code

There is the Summer Nights at Princes street gardens- 

Monday 6th August: Tom Jones, with Into The Ark 
Thursday 9th August: Bastille, and The Vaccines, and Retro Video Club 
Tuesday 14th August: Rag n Bone Man, with Grace Carter, and The LaFontaines 
Friday 17th August: Paloma Faith, with Ward Thomas 
Saturday 18th August: Kasabian, plus special guests
Sunday 19th August: Brian Wilson presents Pet Sounds, with Al Jardine + Blondie Chaplinand Beat Root Revival.

#edfringe

#edmusicfest

COMEDY is of course the main event with many respected and well known comedians appearing – Pleasance venue, Underbelly and many more.

VENUES – Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh Festival theatre, George Square theatre, Pleasance, Lyceum, 

Make time for a walk up the Royal mile and down the Mound to Princes street to savour the unique, colourful and often very obscure street entertainment!  Well worth it. Hope the weather holds…..