There is a historic relationship between literature and liquor that we, at the West Port Book Festival, are only too happy to endorse. It is not so much the intoxication that we enjoy, although that does have something to recommend it, but the ability to sit round a table and chat about the book festival, pint in one hand and pen in the other.
How transient is life, how vain is human glory, how long and fearful is death: unless of course you're a great Russian scribe, in which case you can join in this year's dance macabre, as you celebrate yet another anniversary from beyond the grave. Cutting the cake and lighting the candles are Nabokov, Chekhov, Tolstoy, and Pasternak, all celebrating anniversaries of theirs births, deaths or publications. The world watches, voices raised in praise or chuntering in dissension. The Russian greats look gaunt and superior, their thin hands gripping quills that dissolved long ago into dust.
It is not often that I break life up into easily digestible bullet points, but for this article I will make an exception. There are certain experiences in life that seem specially designed to turn even the sanest individual into a brainless android. Most of these seem to involve the government, or rather the behemoth called public sector bureaucracy, but at least a chosen few are delivered by the bloated incompetence of private sector ‘solutions’.
From Edinburgh's Soho to Scotland's Poetry Capital! StAnza: Scotland's International Poetry Festival, now in its thirteenth year, began its cracking programme of events on Wednesday and continues until Sunday in St Andrews. If we had an office, it would be missing some people this weekend.
We have invited 15 enterprising, exceptional artists to illustrate new collective nouns that have been collected by All-Sorts.org, a linguistic experiment that is taking the web by storm.
A huge thank you to everyone who has donated money to this year's book festival. Every donation is very much appreciated and goes directly towards our essential costs. We have raised nearly £1.000 so far and with a little more help should be able to programme another entertaining festival this year.
As promised, we're going to start releasing audio extracts from this year's West Port Book Festival. To get you warmed up, here are some audio tweets courtesy of our podcasting guru, Colin Fraser.
Thanks to everyone who took part in our charity raffle. We've now sent READ International a cheque and a rather natty card.
The book festival is over and our raffle is drawn. John Hegley and Tim Turnbull did the honours on Sunday night, although they forgot a few so I also asked William, of Edinburgh Books fame, to draw the remaining prizes on a blustery Monday morning. Here are the winners....
