Christopher Brookmyre: All Fun and Games Until Somebody Loses an Eye
No, still didn't manage to get tickets to see the world's most famous Scotsman (actually, didn't Groundskeeper Willie from The Simpsons win that nomination a few years ago?), and anyway the event finished quarter of an hour ago. Still, just added a short of Sean Connery and Murray Grigor to the website. There should be some material from the actual event shortly as well.
Well if you're reading this, then that's a start. But this blog is just about what work Wired Nomad has been doing, plus various rambling thoughts from myself.
On the other hand, a blog which was quickly set up using WordPress for client Mainstream Publishing a few months ago is doing fantastically well at representing the amount of interest in the second autobiographical novel by Martha Long, whose first book was a UK bestseller. Just check out the number of readers desperate to see how her life turned out inthe next volume...
Just been adding new podcasts from this year's Festival including Simon Callow, Quintin Jardine, Bill Paterson and Jenni Murray. You can subscribe to the Book Festival podcast series here or listen to individual shows as well on your computer.
The article appeared in today's Times, you can read it online here. No sign of the crutches in the photograph in the printed version!
Off to the Archer's Hall in Edinburgh this morning for the awarding of the Pushkin Prize, a joint Scottish-Russian arts venture. S1 and S2 pupils in every Scottish local authority school are invited to send in their creative writing folios, and 10 from Scotland and 2 from Russia are selected to attend a 5 day creative writing course, this year with author Diana Hendry, at Moniack Mhor, Scotland's National Writing Centre.
So why did we go? Number 2 daughter won from Peebles High School this year (Peebles have a good creative record here) and we were really pleased to find out that she had won the overall First Prize! Much to her embarrassment, her winning short story had to be read out, but also, there will be an article in the Times, tomorrow or Wednesday.
With photographs.
Which is why standing on a rusty nail on Saturday night necessitating a visit to Sick Kids, finishing 15 minutes before the ceremony, was not what was needed. Check out the Times over the next couple of days perhaps for a bashful teenager on crutches...
The author Norman Mailer died on November 10th 2007, and as far as I know his last recorded interview was at the Edinburgh Book Festival on the 12th August.
He only lately gave permission for the audio to be used on the site, and it went live on the 11th November. As news of his death spread throughout the media, you can see the effect on traffic to the website from visitors searching for interviews and news.
The graphic is only from the streaming media server so doesn't reflect any other impact other than demand for audio.
To the Book Festival again this evening, to see Ian Rankin discussing the new (and final) Rebus book that will come out early September. No-one knew what it was to be called, and he kept us waiting until at least half way through before revealing the answer.
He had run a competition on his website after hinting that as many of his titles had musical references, this one would as well. Obvious favourites were the Stones (Exile on Princes Street, perhaps) with people suggesting Not Fade Away and The Last Time. Ian had favoured Beat Surrender, and revealed that he had also contemplated calling it D.I. Rebus and the Deathly Hallows, but had been beaten to it by some other Edinburgh author.
In the end it turned out that no-one guessed correctly. The book will be called Exit Music after a CD by Scottish singer-songwriter Steven Lindsay (ex 80's Scottish band The Big Dish, I seem to recall a good song called Christina's World from my days at Hall Advertising). Probably no surprise no-one guessed it, then. My suggestion to the website had been The Last Waltz...
Anyway, Ian was on good form, particularly on describing how the good inspector copes in the Oxford Bar now that the smoking ban had come into force in Scotland, demonstrating how much exercise he could gain by holding a pint in one hand inside the front door and puffing on a fag outside.
Hopefully this will be one of the talks featured on the Book Festival website, I'll know shortly.
Went with Lucy to see Alan Bennett (follow that link for a streaming audio file) on the first day of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, one of the first shows to sell out (and yes I handle the website but not the booking system in case any of you had first day troubles buying;-) and what a sparkling 73 year old he was.
Personally I would have preferred more questions and answers and less reading, he probably did 15 minutes on his forthcoming "new novel The Uncommon Reader in which HM The Queen discovers literature" and 15 minutes of excerpts from his 2006 memoirs Untold Stories.
However Lucy managed to get a question in about his favourite Talking Head plays and actors/actresses, a series dear to her heart.
The endless rain didn't seem to affect the audience turnout or Edinburgh traffic in August, although we did get parked just outside Charlotte Square Gardens which was a plus!
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