February 2008
The after-effects of Burns Night are still being felt this week. Days afterwards, weary writers are still returning from far-flung destinations after delivering the Immortal Memory address. Publishers and booksellers had to kick their heels and make their own arrangements without the Scottish biennial book trade Burns extravaganza. Canongate notched up a hit with the widespread coverage of Seamus Heaney’s new poem A Birl for Burns from their new edition of Burns’ poetry – Heaney read the poem on the Today programme, and several newspapers printed the text in full. Lidl supermarkets round the country reported that their offer of the week, kilts in three different tartans and priced at £24.99, had sold out within an hour of going on sale. Haggis sales everywhere went through the roof - everywhere except America that is, which prohibits the import of the stuff as it contains offal, considered by the States as an “adulterated food item”. So, Burns supper attendees on the other side of the Atlantic sat down to the American equivalent, a premium product compared to the “warm-reekin’, rich” original – it’s made with 100% Choice sirloin beef and beef liver, along with oats and beef suet. Maybe next year they should make the trip over here for a taste of the real stuff. Well, that‘s the hope of the Scottish Government which has its eyes fixed on the Burns celebrations a year hence. As the 250th anniversary of the Bard’s birth, 2009 has been designated the Year of Homecoming. The Scottish diaspora are being invited to return to the fold to celebrate. According to the website, the Homecoming Scotland programme “will involve a calendar of exciting and inspirational events and activities throughout 2009”. Reading the small print, it turns out that Burns will have to share the limelight with other notable Scottish exports, such as golf, whisky, innovation and the Enlightenment.
General dismay and bewilderment has greeted the announcement of Penguin Scotland shutting up shop. Judy Moir had a very successful run in the four years since she became Penguin’s editor here. One of her first triumphs was Bill Duncan’s book The Wee Book of Calvin, followed by the award-winning and Richard & Judy pick, The Testament of Gideon Mack by James Robertson. Her most recent published title was Scotland: An Autobiography by Rosemary Goring, which did brisk business over Christmas. Moir is highly regarded by writers and fellow publishers as having a keen eye, and astute editorial skills. Penguin’s office here, and her presence, will be missed.
Another departure was also announced the same day, only this one planned: Lorraine Fannin is to step down as Chief Executive of Publishing Scotland in the summer. She has brought unique qualities to the post - powerful advocacy for publishing (and literature in general), astute strategic thinking to position Scottish presses, effortless networking to develop links with the wider world, mentoring those new to the industry - and an infectious sense of fun. There will be time to properly pay tribute to her reign, but suffice to say now that the publishing scene has changed out of all recognition since she started work twenty years ago.
This month Edinburgh readers will be getting to grips with Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale of dualism, Jekyll and Hyde, in the second city-wide reading campaign. The author of the new graphic novel version was speaking earlier this week in the city. Alan Grant gave a lecture this week under the title “Writing Tomorrow Yesterday – How Fiction Became Reality”. He revealed that researching the talk had made him distinctly uncomfortable as he found real life had become alarmingly close to the Judge Dredd comics of the early 1980s. He cited old stories dealing with an obesity epidemic, overcrowding in cities - and a total ban on public smoking.
Meantime in Glasgow, readers will be picking up a very different book: From Saturn to Glasgow: Fifty Favourite Poems by Edwin Morgan is a new collection of poetry by Scotland’s makar, edited by Robyn Marsack, director of the Scottish Poetry Library, and Hamish Whyte, poet and publisher. The cover illustration and design are by Alasdair Gray. The poems have been chosen by fellow writers, politicians, musicians, and Herald readers, and 15,000 copies of the book will be given away free at libraries around Glasgow in the run up to Aye Write! which takes place 7-15 March.
Posted on Feb 29, 2008 - 04:20 PM