FRI 4th JUNE, GARDENING SCOTLAND

Friday emerged as a bright and sunny day, perfect weather for the crowds of keen gardeners who flocked to Gardening Scotland at Ingliston. Birlinn were delighted to be involved in this fabulous event for the second year running. Last year we launched Ken Cox’s fascinating guide to Scottish gardens, ‘Gardening Scotland’. This year, as we had been invited to participate by the Italian Chamber of Commerce, we decided to continue the Italian theme by promoting Alistair Moffat’s ‘Tuscany: A History’. This is the only complete history of the region available in English; more of a story of the area than a guidebook. Alistair is a total Tuscan fanatic, and you cannot help but be infected by his enthusiasm as you read this beautiful and entertaining book.

It was fantastic fun to meet readers face-to-face, and numerous people took the time to let us know how much they like our books. One of the best comments of the day was “It’s nice to see a Scottish publisher being so active”. Although book sales weren’t quite as high as we were expecting, there was a lot of interest in ‘Tuscany’ and lots of people wanting to pass on good wishes to Alistair. So, all in all, a fun-filled sunny day with lots of lovely positive comments. Thank you to everyone who popped past the stall.

ANNA RENZ

Two early starts in a row and the long journey from Edinburgh to Hay Festival to promote The Dog Who Came in From the Cold (Alexander McCall Smith’s latest novel) proved well worth while this weekend. A 4.30am start on Friday to pick up Alexander and head to the airport, a hugely long security line but an event-free Easy-Jet flight down to Bristol. And then a delightful drive over to Hay, arriving in the picturesque village which straddles the English/Welsh border at 9.30am. Book-tourists, authors, the famous and the infamous were in town, enjoying the early summer sunshine and relaxed atmosphere that accompanies this festival. Alexander’s events both went well. The first was a recording of the Sky Arts Book Show presented by Mariella Frostrup. Alexander’s fellow guests on the sofa were the actress Virginia McKenna (remember Born Free?) and rock legend, Queen guitarist Brian May. You can only imagine the thrill for a mere publicist to find herself in the greenroom sitting with these three greats. Thank you to Brian for patiently listening to me witter on about We Will Rock You and the delightful experience I had in Edinburgh last year as a mother taking her fourteen year old son to this show and getting the opportunity to introduce him to the music of one of the world’s greatest bands. (And then having to fork out for another ticket the following night because he’d loved it so much!)

The second event of the day was Alexander McCall Smith in conversation with his dear friend, Paul Blezard. Both were in fine form and entertained the capacity crowd for just over an hour in the biggest Hay tented theatre. I’m not sure of the exact capacity but it is certainly over 1000. Those walking by outside must have wondered what on earth was going on as the audience was reduced to tears of laughter as Alexander read to the audience about Oedipus Snark, the only nasty LibDem MP and the exploits of Freddie de la Hay, a Pimlico terrier, enlisted by MI6 to spy upon suspect Russian businessmen. A signing queue that lasted over and hour followed before we retired to the main green room for a well-earned glass of chilled white wine.
4.15 on Saturday morning for the return journey home but the driver was very late and we made it to Bristol airport at 6.30am for a 7.10 flight. But the queue for security! Snaking right around the airport. We ran for fast-track, paid £10 for the privilege of getting to a shorter queue and made it to the flight.
Remember – add more time to the schedule for security queues at British airports this summer!
And don’t miss Alexander talking about The Dog Who Came in From the Cold on BBC Radio 5 today. Find it on iplayer.
JAN RUTHERFORD (Publicity and Marketing Director)

Last Wednesday, Daunts Book shop in Marylebone saw the launch of Michael Holman’s new novel, Dizzy Worms, the third title in the Last Orders at Harrods trilogy set in Africa. Michael’s unique knowledge of the continent stems from his many years as Africa editor for the Financial Times and many travels throughout Africa. We were treated to readings of the novel, which sounded as good read out loud as it does on the page. Daunts Marylebone, a travel book, is very atmospheric and was the perfect setting for Holman’s exotic Dizzy Worms. Some people had come from as far as Berlin, as well as Birlinn. The turn out was excellent and the cliental reflected Michael’s fine literary reputation among the great and the good. In fact, among those reading were Sir Edward Clay (British High Commissioner to Kenya) and his wife Ann. I am pleased to report that 64 copies of Dizzy Worms were bought, and then signed by Michael, who was delighted with the evening, as was the highly appreciative audience. We also learned that the title of the book comes from the African joke, “What do you call worms that have been put into a tin can that is then shaken around. Answer - Dizzy Worms.” The title is suggestive of Holman’s observations of a continent he knows and understands as only someone who knows Africa as well as he does could.
BOB SMITH (Sales Manager)

Witness to Rebellion; John Maclean’s Journal of the ’Forty-Five and the Penicuik Drawings.

Today, I am finishing off the design and layout of the new edition of 'Witness to Rebellion; John Maclean’s Journal of the ’Forty-Five and the Penicuik Drawings.

It has been a fairly arduous process, for although I designed the first edition back in 1996, recovering and assembling the old digital files has proven difficult (the first printer having gone out of business). It would indeed have been easier to start again from scratch. Still, it is almost done now and is looking very handsome (if I do say so myself).

The Journal of John Maclean is the first-hand account of the experiences of an officer of Prince Charles Edward’s army from August 1745, through Prestonpans and the taking of Edinburgh, the march into England to Derby, the withdrawal to Scotland and the final retreat to Drummossie Moor near Inverness, where Maclean was killed in the Battle of Culloden. It is the most poignant telling of the events of the '45 rebellion that I have come across.

I addition, a remarkable series of drawings from the Clerk Collection at Penicuik House offers a unique view of the participants on both sides of the ’Forty-Five: a Rising for some, for others a Rebellion. No other comparable collection of images is known. These sketches were made in part as a factual record, but more so as an exercise in caricature, perhaps as a diversion from the very real dangers and disasters of the time. The result is an insight on the ’Forty-Five that is both telling and humorous.

JIM

Putting on the glad rags. . .

A chance to pull out the old frock, give it dust down and hit the town with the very cream of Edinburgh society. The occasion? The UK premiere of Okavango Macbeth, an opera written by one of the world’s most popular authors, Alexander McCall Smith and the Edinburgh composer, Tom Cunningham. The hour-long performance of the opera was part of a glittering fund-raiser for Save the Children, held in the Dovecot Studios in Edinburgh. And raise funds it certainly did. The evening was a magnificent occasion from the early evening champagne reception, sponsored by Moet & Chandon, through the opera and dinner, to a charity auction finishing off the night.

The opera, The Okavango Macbeth, is set in Botswana. Alexander was keen to write an opera set in that beautiful country and wanted to create opportunities for local singers there. He created the Okavango Macbeth after reading a book entitled Baboon Metaphysics and  a chance meeting with its author, a primatologist in the Okavango Delta. He observed that Baboon society has strong female figures and it occurred to him that this was the perfect  setting for the plot of the famous Shakespearean  tragedy.

So last night, soloists from Glasgow’s Royal Academy of Music and Drama and a chorus from Edinburgh Studio Opera, took to the floor and entertained the audience of 250 with a moving  performance. The energy of individual members of the cast was quite astonishing and the entire performance a celebration of nature. Nicholas Ellengbogen, one of the world’s most distinguished theatre producers, had transformed the Dovecot Studios (an old victorian swimming pool, now refurbished as a beautiful gallery and performance space – well worth a visit) with minimal staging and the performers took on the roles of animals with a great deal of grace and good humour.

After the performance, the standing ovation and a lavish dinner, I have to confess that I sat on my hands as I watched thousands of pounds being raised through bids at the charity auction. Lots which included a silver sculpture inspired by the opera and created by the renowned artist Patrick Mavros, a childhood friend of Alexander’s; a week behind the scenes with Bonhams in London or Edinburgh; a week in a chalet in Verbier and many other top notch gems – raised almost £40k. All just a little beyond my credit card but fascinating to watch.

What an opportunity, to be at the first UK performance of such a piece. An opportunity for which I will always be grateful.

Jan

Alexander McCall Smith grounded

A strange week with many travel plans disrupted including those for publishers heading to the London Book Fair. Colleagues report a much quieter fair than anticipated and now they have the struggle of getting home to Scotland.
Volcanic ash has brought preparations for Alexander McCall Smith’s planned speaking tour in the USA to a shuddering halt. Sadly, the decision had to be taken to abandon what would have been a sell-out tour taking in New York, Cincinnati, Greenville, Washington DC, Raleigh, Minneapolis, Houston,  South Hadley, and Boston before travelling on to Toronto in Canada. Alexander now plans to use the time to do transcontinental interviews by phone and on the internet and to concentrate on his writing. He is hoping that his American reader’s will understand that the situation is out of his hands. He was looking forward to his conversations with them but both sides will have to wait a little longer.

Animated Corduroy

I wonder how many folk have seen the animated sequence on our website, promoting the two books from the author Alexander McCall Smith? The first was 'Corduroy Mansions', and the second, due to launch shortly, is 'The Dog Who Came In From The Cold' which follows on. Click the Flying Battery on the right to view!

After the huge success of the 44 Scotland Street series, Alexander McCall Smith ‘moved house’ to a crumbling four-storey mansion in Pimlico – Corduroy Mansions. It is inhabited by a glorious assortment of characters: among them, Oedipus Snark, the first ever nasty Lib Dem MP, who is so detestable his own mother, Berthea, is writing an unauthorised biography about him; and one small vegetarian dog, Freddie de la Hay, who has the ability to fasten his own seatbelt. (Although Corduroy Mansions is a fictional name, the address is now registered by the Post Office.)

We would love to have some feedback from you about the animation and hear what you think of the site overall -

www.birlinn.co.uk