In Memoriam

MEMORIES “Not the least hard thing to bear when they go from us, these quiet friends, is that they carry away with them so many years of our lives. Yet, if they find warmth therein, who would begrudge them those years that they have so guarded? And whatever they take, be sure they have deserved.” [...]

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Tales from (around) Charlotte Square: Chapter 7

Tuesday 24.8.2010 With an hour to spare before meeting Edinburgh-based blogger, Cornflower, for lunch, it s time to stretch the legs and take you on a quick literary tour in the vicinity of Charlotte Square.  Unfortunately it is a grey, overcast day with intermittent drizzle.   (So don’t be too critical of the lighting on the photos.) Exit the book festival, [...]

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Tales from Charlotte Square 2010: Chapter 6

Monday, 23.8.2010. Let’s go backstage.  Meet Zadie, the puddle director and her able assistant, Hilary. Both of whom, like the best managers, have understood the art of delegation.  It was, I noticed, Tom, the puddle supervisor,  at the wettest edge today. Day 10 and the inevitable happened.  The day on which the survival kit became both necessary [...]

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Tales from Charlotte Square 2010: Chapters 3, 4 and 5

I stayed in Edinburgh during the middle weekend.  There were Booker prize winners, Orange prize winners, Whitbread prize winners, Costa prize winners,  James Tait Black prize and Saltire prize winners to see.  Why waste time driving up and down the M8?  Selected highlights follow. Friday 20.8.2010 The day began with Booker winning A S Byatt‘s first appearance ever at Edinburgh.  [...]

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Tales From Charlotte Square 2010: Chapter 2

The big news from Day 5 is that the sun was still shining – not quite as brilliantly as on days 1 and 2, it is true, and it rained a little but not enough to warrant getting the raincoat out or to deter the birds. Prince Albert, who presides majestically over proceedings in the [...]

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Greyfriars Bobby – Eleanor Atkinson

There is so much literary heritage in Edinburgh that I could start our literary tour anywhere and within yards there’d be something to talk about.  We could start at the Writer’s Museum on The Mound devoted to the big 3:  Scott, Stevenson, Burns.  But we won’t because let’s face it,  they’re actually small fry when compared [...]

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Tales from Charlotte Square 2010: Chapter 1

The opening weekend of the Edinburgh Book Festival is always special but this year particularly so. For starters, the sun was shining and the lawn was mobbed. It has been at least 3 years since I saw scenes like this. Ice-creams, sun-bathing and, of course,  pre-requisite noses in newly purchased and signed books.  The Slap [...]

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EIBF 2010 Fun for me, fun for you

Today’s the day.  I am now on the road to Edinburgh for day one of the book festival. 11 visits in the next 15 days – I’ll be going back to work for a rest!  Just how a good holiday should be.  It’s a real extravanga this year.  I realise that one year will be my [...]

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Stevenson under the Palm Trees – Alberto Manguel

Alberto Manguel is probably best known for his essays on a reading life:  A History of Reading, A Reader’s Diary and most recently A Reader on Reading have in their time received many appreciative blog inches.  The man reportedly has a personal library of some 30,000 volumes, so there’s plenty of material for a few more titles [...]

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Literary Pics: Highland Mary

In 1786 a young Scot named Robert Burns, was in love with Mary Campbell, a Highland lassie from Dunoon. He may or may not have been married to someone else at the time and we shall not dwell on that today. Robert and Mary are said to have planned to emigrate to Jamaica. But first he had [...]

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