I'm meant to be doing some drawing and finishing the third plate for 'Last Words of the Human Race,' but it's gone so overcast in the last twenty minutes that it is now too dark to draw with both the main light and my lamp on. Guess, I'll just blog instead.
It's the last few days of the Edinburgh Book Festival and I've had a good old go at it this year. Tuesday I got to see Shaun Tan, the artist and writer behind such illustrative works as the haunting 'The Arrival,' and the dream ladened 'Outer Suburbia.' He's a clever, witty talker and was able to make the most of the situation, as the interviewers seemed extremely nervous at talking in front of an audience.
Wednesday I watched a debate hosted by the masterful Joan Bakewell, on the future of the city. The poet Miles Glendinning was an engaging speaker, thoughtful and considered in his appreciation of the urban 'out lands,'. The other guest, (who I won't name) seemed to prattle on about nothing of any consequence, neither able to answer any questions nor say anything insightful. He might be a leading thinker, but I guess that doesn't make you a speaker.
Thursday night it was Amanda Palmer, hitting all the right notes with her new band. She played four new tracks - which were brilliant guitar led rock punk numbers - from the unreleased album, along with all her classics, ending on the high of 'Leeds United.' Mr. Palmer put in an appearance.
During the course of events I was able to meet up with @Lumpinthethroat, also know as the poet Mairi Campbell-Jack, to put a little more flesh on an idea called 'Scrawling Forth.' I'm not going to mention too much about it yet (as I don't want to jinx it), but I'm very, very excited.
****
From the boards:
It's the last few days of the Edinburgh Book Festival and I've had a good old go at it this year. Tuesday I got to see Shaun Tan, the artist and writer behind such illustrative works as the haunting 'The Arrival,' and the dream ladened 'Outer Suburbia.' He's a clever, witty talker and was able to make the most of the situation, as the interviewers seemed extremely nervous at talking in front of an audience.
Wednesday I watched a debate hosted by the masterful Joan Bakewell, on the future of the city. The poet Miles Glendinning was an engaging speaker, thoughtful and considered in his appreciation of the urban 'out lands,'. The other guest, (who I won't name) seemed to prattle on about nothing of any consequence, neither able to answer any questions nor say anything insightful. He might be a leading thinker, but I guess that doesn't make you a speaker.
Thursday night it was Amanda Palmer, hitting all the right notes with her new band. She played four new tracks - which were brilliant guitar led rock punk numbers - from the unreleased album, along with all her classics, ending on the high of 'Leeds United.' Mr. Palmer put in an appearance.
During the course of events I was able to meet up with @Lumpinthethroat, also know as the poet Mairi Campbell-Jack, to put a little more flesh on an idea called 'Scrawling Forth.' I'm not going to mention too much about it yet (as I don't want to jinx it), but I'm very, very excited.
****
From the boards:
- How to write a great novel - top authors discuss their writing habits.
- What to bring to a publishing conference, with regards one sheets. I've never been to one of these. I thought about it, but not really sure how successful hounding publishers and agents at such venues are. I might, if I get desperate.
- The way we publish now - a good overview of the changes in publishing both pre and post Kindle. Hopeful for the future, which makes a change.
- Are books dead, and can authors survive - a debate from the Guardian at the EBF on the changes in publishing, with a response from 12 Books in 12 Months.
No comments:
Post a Comment