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Christmas? New Year?! Distant memories my friends. Who’s up for a party, then? I’m up for a party now, frankly, so here comes Burns Night – the 25th January – and the perfect excuse to eat, drink and make very merry. And don’t worry it’s not complicated, you don’t need a kilt and there’s plenty on the menu for the haggis-phobic. (NB it’s actually very nice and you can get vegetarian ones which, according to some, are nicer than the traditional recipe but keep that under your hat.)
If you’re lucky enough to be invited to a proper Burns Supper you might want to take a gift. This year Birlinn produced a smaller version of our bestselling limited edition Tam o’ Shanter, illustrated by Alexander Goudie. At just £25 this edition it will go down a storm with fans of the bard and you can afford to treat yourself to a copy. And if there are going to be younger folks present, a copy of Allan Burnett’s Robert Burns and All That will go down a treat!
If you fancy hosting a Burns Supper or have been asked to take part in one get your hands on Nancy Marshall’s Burns Supper Companion. In simple terms, who’s who and what they need to say. If it’s a big formal do with dancing you might also want to secrete a copy of The Swinging Sporran about your person so your Dashing White Sergeant doesn’t turn into a Gay Gordon. ‘Nuff said.
The starring role of any Burns Supper is, of course, the haggis but there are plenty of other Scots-positive dishes – have a peek at F. Marian MacNeill’s classic The Scots Kitchen or The Stornoway Black Pudding Bible. And if you’ve decided to make whisky part of the evening (hint: strongly advised) Charles MacLean’s Whiskypedia will help you track down something for all palates.
But Burns Night is all about the fabulous Robert Burns and his work. His fame is world wide, as Andy Hall’s beautiful book Touched by Robert Burns shows, or if you want the last word The Best Laid Schemes is a fantastic collection of poetry and prose, incorporating some previously unknown writings by the man himself. A laid-back rebel, we think Burns would have given New Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect - ‘a sly wink to the master’ from twelve of the best contemporary poets around, including the new Scots Makar Liz Lochhead – a big ‘Like’.
So whether it’s haggis in Helsinki or cock-a-leekie soup in Canterbury, charge your glasses and drink, “To the Immortal Memory of Robert Burns!”
We don't want no '54 convertible nor a platinum mine, we just want fabulous books. And they don't come much more fabulous that Roger Hutchinson's The Silent Weaver: The Extraordinary Life and Work of Angus MacPhee.
Like his bestseller Calum's Road, The Silent Weaver is an amazing story about a truly remarkable man. Angus MacPhee returned from the Second World War bearing, as many young men did, invisible scars. At the age of twenty-four he was referred to Craig Dunain Hospital in Inverness where he would spend the next fifty years of his life. Retreating into his own silent world he created wonderful works of art using organic matter – grass, wool, leaves – which he would allow to decay or even destroy himself. It was only when an art therapist discovered him and his creations did some of them begin to be preserved and for Angus to begin to talk again.
Anna - ahoy matey! - chose The Silent Weaver for her Christmas recommendation:
"This beautiful little book not only tells the intriguing story of Angus MacPhee and his haunting artworks made of grass and leaves but also gives fascinating and unexpected insight into schizophrenia and attitudes to mental health following WWII. It's another gem from Roger Hutchinson and has one of my favourite book covers of all time."
If you’re on the lookout for something to tickle their funny bone, look no further.
If you have email, then you have spam. Not sure what we mean? Have you been offered a Rolex, love, money, ‘a once in a lifetime opportunity’ recently which seemed too good to be true? That’s spam. It’s pretty annoying but one man has adopted it as his raison d’être. Bob Servant, the comedy creation of Neil Forsyth, takes spammers on and strings them along. It’s hilarious. His first volume of online adventures, Delete This at Your Peril, has been joined by Why Me?: The Very Important Emails of Bob Servant. Now something of a celebrity in his native Broughty Ferry, Bob even has his own biography, Bob Servant: Hero of Dundee. (Work of fiction or fantasy might be a better description! – Ed)
It’s another case of balls today in our staff recommendations. Pete – multitalented and multi-job titled – goes for a football book, which is quite surprising seeing as he’s all about the rugby. Ah well, does a man good to cut loose now and again and if there’s one man who can tell you all about that it's the one, the only Dixie Deans.
At this time of year it’s hard to swing a practice ball without hitting some footballer or other using fairground attractions as similes for life in the beautiful game. Rollercoasters and merry-go-rounds are favourites, but you’d need the Pepsi Ride at Blackpool without breaks and some jetpacks attached to get close to the highs and lows experienced by Dixie Deans at Celtic.
Here's Pete to sings his praises: "There's Only One Dixie Deans: The Autobiography lifts the lid on the life of a true Celtic great, part of the legendary team that swept to nine consecutive league titles and dominated a golden era in the Scottish game. A fascinating story – in turns uplifting, heartrending, inspiring and haunting."
And don't forget, it's always a sporting life over at www.birlinn.co.uk/sport.
A novel is an excellent idea for a Christmas present, quite apart from being easy to wrap! Polygon has a pleasing plethora of novels for your delectation, but we've chosen two particular favourites for you today.
Vikki – Sales & Marketing Liaison, a song for every occasion – is especially keen on The Book of Crows by Sam Meekings:
“Sam Meekings’ The Book of Crows is a bit of an epic. It’s the story of five different people, in five different time periods, all linked by their encounters with a mysterious Book of Crows which contains the entire history of the world and everyone in it past, present and future. As Sam is also a very fine poet, it’s no surprise to find he writes beautifully. That he also writes a book so pacy—with many a twist in the tale—and jam-packed with memorable characters, makes it’s an obvious choice for book of the year!”
You heard the lady! The Book of Crows is also available as an eBook.
Laura – Sales Director de Luxe – went for The English German Girl by Jake Wallis Simons:
"I thought I knew a lot about WW2, but I had never heard of the Kindertransport, and what a few brave people managed to achieve despite the worst that humanity could throw at them. Meticulously researched, powerfully written, emotionally compelling – Jake Wallis Simons is a real talent to watch."
Also available as an eBook. And for many, many more suggestions head over to http://www.birlinn.co.uk/.
We were terrible remiss the other day and forgot to expand upon our Christmas pick by Kenny. So, with apologies here are some thoughts for presents for the sports fan this year.
There’s Only One Dixie Deans, a Celtic legend par excellence and a must for all fans of the hoops. Or, if you’re buying for a ‘Ger you might consider Barcelona and Beyond: The Men Who Made Rangers Champions of Europe. If their balls are odd-shaped, we have some of the best rugby books around - Southern Comfort: The Story of Borders Rugby (as recommended by Kenny), or how about Behind the Thistle: Playing Rugby for Scotland. And for the serious rugby aficionado, there’s The Accies: The Cradle of Scottish Rugby, available in hardback or as a signed limited edition.
And if balls aren’t their thing at all – double entendre central here, so it is – there’s the dashing Dario Speedwagon, Scotland’s legendary cricket champions (Dad’s Army) and Graeme Obree, The Flying Scotsman to keep them amused. And there's loads more over at www.birlinn.co.uk.
Line up, line out, kick-off and start your engines for some stupendous sports books from Birlinn!
