Edinburgh Author Shortlisted for Scottish Children’s Book Awards

Local writer Nicola Morgan is one of 9 authors to be shortlisted for the Scottish Children’s Book Awards 2011, the Scottish Book Trust announced today.

Nicola has had around 90 books published, including home learning books and novels for children and teenagers.  The only Edinburgh-based author on the list, she is nominated in the Older Readers category for Wasted, a story about a boy who decides his actions by flipping a coin.  You can find out more about her work by reading our interview.   Nicola said:

“Thrilled is a bit of an understatement for how I felt when I heard I was shortlisted. It’s a massive honour, especially since there are so many great Scottish writers and the competition is really strong.”

 

The shortlist was chosen by a panel of judges including young readers Daniel Dewar and Lorna Cowan (S2 pupils from Lenzie Academy in Glasgow), Eve Harvey (Waterstones’ Children’s Regional Manager for the East Coast of Scotland), and SLA School Librarian of the Year 2010 Duncan Wright of Stewart’s Melville College.  Mr Wright said:

 

“I thought that being a secondary school librarian I would just be judging the older readers category, so you can imagine my surprise when a box of 50 books landed on my doorstep!  I think all the judges agreed that the hardest category to judge was the 8-11 years, where the quality was outstanding.”

 

Scotland’s schoolchildren now have until January 27 2012 to vote for the winners.  So far over 3438 children in 54 schools and libraries have registered to vote, which teachers, librarians and book group leaders can still do by clicking here.  Young people are encouraged to review and discuss their favourite books as well as voting.

 

Jasmine Fassl, Children’s Programme Manager at The Scottish Book Trust, said:

 

“These Awards are a fantastic opportunity to celebrate contemporary children’s books and young fiction in Scotland, and we are particularly pleased with the hugely enthusiastic participation of children, parents and teachers this year. The number of children taking part continues to grow every year, which is proof of the huge appetite for reading in Scottish schools and libraries.”

 

Winning authors will be presented with a prize of £3,000 and a specially created trophy at an awards ceremony on 23^rd February 2012 at the Lyceum Theatre.

 

The full shortlist is as follows:

 

[caption id="attachment_19950" align="aligncenter" width="574" caption="Some of the shortlisted authors at the Scottish Storytelling Centre today"][/caption]

 

Bookbug Readers (0-7 years)

Dear Vampa – Ross Collins (Hodder)

The Loon on the Moon – Chae Strathie and Emily Golden (Scholastic)

Apple Pie ABC – Alison Murray (Orchard)

 

Younger Readers (8-11 years)

Zac and the Dream Pirates – Ross MacKenzie (Chicken House)

There’s a Hamster in my Pocket! – Franzeska G Ewart (Frances Lincoln)

The Case of the London Dragonfish – Joan Lennon (Catnip)

 

Older Readers (12-16 years)

Wasted – Nicola Morgan (Walker)

The Blackhope Enigma – Teresa Flavin (Templar)

The Prisoner of the Inquisition – Theresa Breslin (Corgi – RHCB)

 

You can watch videos of the authors talking about their work on the Scottish Book Trust website.

Forest Cafe’s Literary Opus

As we type, Edinburgh’s Inky Fingers writing group are holding a 36 hour writing marathon in The Forest Cafe as their mini literary festival comes to a close.  The event, They Shoot Writers, Don’t They? sees twenty local writers shut up in The Forest from 10am today (Thursday 11) until 10pm tomorrow (Friday 12).

Rachel McCrum from Inky Fingers explained,

“In one of our more frenzied, sleep deprived planning moments, Inky Fingers had an idea. An idea as staggering in its genius as it is elegant in its simplicity. Or maybe it’s simply a little sadistic.

Why don’t we get a bunch of writers and make them stay in a room for 36 hours and…you know…write? And see how long they last?

 It could be a beautiful hothouse of concentrated creativity and intense fervour. That or we could end up with a room resembling apocalypse in the asylum…”

Participants have to produce a new piece of writing every hour.  Work may include poetry, prose and scripts.  Prizes will be awarded to the person with the largest number of pieces begun, the largest number of pieces completed, and to the last person standing.  They will also have to use paper for all their work, as there are no laptops allowed in the competition.

Not to be outdone, Kevin Cadwallender of Red Squirrel Press has organised a poetry and spoken word marathon, No Sleep in Bristo, also be taking place in The Forest from 10am today until 7pm tomorrow.  The aim is for 100 poets to read for 15 minutes each, and members of the public can listen for free.  Performers include Greener Leith’s Emily Dodd and Scottish Slam Poetry Champion Young Dawkins III.

For further coverage starting later today see the 12 Books in 12 Months blog.

Royal Wedding Photo Special

We asked our Twitter followers if they had any photos from Saturday’s royal wedding in the Canongate Kirk, and Dai Lowe got back to us with these snaps of the window display in The Old Children’s Bookshelf (175 Canongate).

You’ll notice that all the books feature the names of people who attended Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall’s big day, including Princess Anne, Prince Harry and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall.

We spoke to shop owner Shirley Neilson about the display.

“The thing that clinched it was when somebody sold me a book called ‘The Middletons Make Good’,” she explains.  “When I got that I couldn’t not use it!”

“We have had a lot of nice comments, but unfortunately it hasn’t boosted takings particularly.  Our sales were actually decimated by all the crowd restrictions on the Royal Mile on Saturday.”

Still, The Old Children’s Bookshelf has been in the Canongate for around thirteen years, so hopefully one bad day won’t do too much damage.  It grew out of a hobby, and now stocks children’s fiction from across the 20th century as well as a selection of old annuals, comics, magazines and story papers.

They specialise in illustrated books and prints, and stories set in girls’ schools – such as Queen of the Abbey Girls (left).

SSA Search For Scottish Films of Last 40 Years

The Scottish Screen Archive (SSA),  a part of the National Library of Scotland, is looking for films and videos shot in Scotland over the last 40 years that may be gathering dust in attics and forgotten cupboards.

The SSA wants to collect the films and videos now as there is a danger they could be lost forever.  The films will be added to the national collection of film held by the SSA which provides a wonderful and unique record of Scotland in the 20^thcentury.

Since the 1980s, most individuals, organisations or community groups have used video to capture ordinary life, local events, changes to their neighbourhood or to promote local interests.  However, as video is becoming increasingly obsolete tapes are being thrown away, and these unique visual records from the last few decades could be lost forever. The SSA is appealing to the public for help in saving these films to ensure the most complete record of life in Scotland from the 1970s up to the present day is preserved.

In particular it is looking for film / video / digital media material, fiction or non-fiction from:

• Video workshops / community groups / action groups
• Cine / Video Clubs
• Promotional films for local industries / charities / tourism
• Sport and leisure
• Footage depicting significant changes in local communities
• Special local community events. eg. Gala Days ; Millennium Celebrations

Kay Foubister, SSA Curator who is working on this project said: “The advent of cheaper video cameras in the 1980s and 1990s made it much easier for people to record local events. However, video has been replaced by newer technology and there is a real danger that these tapes will just be forgotten about and discarded. We want to prevent that happening.”

The SSA is looking for films from 1970 onwards and anyone who can help is asked to contact Kay by completing an online submission form at www.gla.ac.uk/cams or by emailing ssaacquisitions@nls.uk . Alternatively, they can telephone on 0845 366 4608.

The SSA is also interested in films that were made by children in the same period. It is working with a team at the University of Glasgow who are researching aspects of childhood and the development of children making their own movies. This team in interested in hearing from anyone who

• Made their own movies as a child
• Were part of a group that ran video workshops for children
• Participated as a child in movie making during the 1970s – 2000

Further information can be found on the project website www.gla.ac.uk/cams or by writing to the research team, Dr Karen Lury and Dr Ryan Shand.

More than 1000 films or film clips depicting community life in Scotland throughout the 20^th Century can be viewed on the SSA’s website at www.nls.uk/ssa. The website has just been recognised by List magazine as one of the top 30 webites in Scotland.

Emergency preparations win recognition for Council

The City of Edinburgh Council has become the first urban local authority in the UK to gain a quality standard for its emergency preparation.

The ‘business continuity management’ accreditation, awarded by the British Standards Institute, recognises the Council’s efforts to ensure it can continue to maintain its critical services during an incident or emergency affecting the Council.

The Council underwent a rigorous audit of the continuity processes and resources it has in place to keep its essential services running earlier this year, following two years’ intensive work to prepare the organisation for threats to its business continuity.

Councillor Jenny Dawe, Council Leader, said: “We provide a huge range of vital services to the people and businesses of Edinburgh, so it’s incredibly important that we take steps to maintain ‘business as normal’ despite events beyond our control. Inevitably, situations occur that disrupt life in the city, but the preparations we have taken will minimise that and provide reassurance that we are able to provide the most essential services.”

The Council’s actions have included training, emergency exercises and creating ‘battle boxes’ of key equipment in case staff have to relocate. It has also put in place back-up arrangements for information sharing, IT and essential supplies.

More information on the standard (BS2599) is available from the British Standards Institute. The Council also urges other organisations to follow business continuity advice to ensure that they have their own plans in place.

Scary Gorgeous at Fringe Festival

[caption id="attachment_16618" align="alignleft" width="298" caption="Photo by Sammy Sewell"][/caption]

2010 Fringe First award winners RashDash Productions return to the Bedlam Theatre this summer with a new show, Scary Gorgeous.  The show was co-commissioned by The Development Lab and Hull Truck Theatre, and was deemed good enough to win additional funding from arts charity Ideas Tap as we reported in May. 

Artistic directors Abbi Greenland and Helen Goalen have put together a show they describe as being about “being young, female and living in a world saturated with ‘raunch’ culture and pornography, where our sexual proclivities and relationships are dictated by the images that surround us.”

Greenland and Goalen worked on Scary Gorgeous in collaboration with Brighton based psychedelic pop band Not Now Bernard, explaining:

“They were a three piece band with seven instruments between them – we couldn’t resist!  But because the budget was tight the three boys had to live with us for the six weeks we developed the show, in our little two up two down terraced house in Leeds. So it was cozy, and we had to get on… But we knew we could.” 

As a result of this close working relationship, performances of the show include singing and dancing sound tracked by a live band.  You’ll have to get in quickly though – Scary Gorgeous is only in Edinburgh for two weeks because its stars start work on a production of Two Gentlemen of Verona at the end of August.

And why should you see it?

“Because it’s alive. It’s messy and funny, and troubling and all embracing. It’s full of difficult thoughts and ideas, scary images, gorgeous images. It’s full of very noisy, very exciting music. We hurl ourselves around, we dance. It’s about now – it’s about raunch and porn. It’s about sex and love and the difference. But it’s not for people under 16 and it’s not for people who don’t like loud noise. We don’t want people to hate it for the wrong reasons.”

Venue: Bedlam Theatre (Venue 49)
Date: Previews 5 & 6 August, then  8– 20 August (not Sundays)
Time:  9pm (1hr 30mins)
Ticket Price: £10 (£8 concessions)
Box Office: 0131 2259893
www.bedlamfringe.co.uk
Suitability: 16+

Music Industry Recognises Skoog Potential

Back in April we spoke to Dr Ben Schogler about the skoog, a colourful musical instrument he invented that enables people of all ages and levels of ability to make music. 

The skoog has been taken up by school music departments across the country, but Dr Schogler told us the team was keen for the professional music world to try it out as well.  He said:

“I’m really excited to see what people will do with it.  There’s no Hendrix of the skoog yet, but it has so much potential.  What we’re looking for, basically, is the first skoog virtuoso playing the Albert Hall.”

And now the first contender for this title has appeared.

Rob J Madin, also known as Leeds based internet star Brett Domino, is a musician with over 8 million Youtube views.  Aged just 25, Madin has appeared on Britain’s Got Talent and Chris Moyles’ Radio 1 Breakfast show amongst others, and according to his website is currently working with Rich Fulcher of The Mighty Boosh and Snuff Box fame.

As far as we are aware Madin is now officially the first person to use the skoog in a cover of André 3000 and Outkast’s 2003 hit single Hey Ya, although we assume he has now opened the floodgates for countless other musicians.  Watch it below, and leave a comment if you’ve got any songs you think would sound better on the skoog.

Interview: Cancel the Astronauts

[caption id="attachment_16385" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="l-r: Matthew, Kieran, Neil, Chris, Michael"][/caption]

In this audio interview, Kieran McCaffrey and Michael Craig from Edinburgh-based indie pop band Cancel the Astronauts spill the beans on being asked to play T In The Park, people describing them as ‘zany’, being Edinburgh’s best-kept secret, and of course that long awaited prog rock side project…

Cancel the Astronauts play T in the Park’s T-Break stage at 8.20pm on Saturday July 9.

Cancel the Astronauts by periwinklewine

You can find out more about them on their blog, or by following them on Twitter @canceltheastros

Edinburgh Bands On TV Tonight

Several local bands will grace our screens tonight in an hour long BBC documentary about the South by Southwest Festival, which took place back in March in Austin, Texas.  Called Artworks: Scotland Rocks at SXSW, the programme sees DJ and presenter Vic Galloway follow the many Scottish acts picked to play at this year’s event to see how they got on.

Fourteen Scottish artists were amongst the 2000 bands from across the world hoping to make their mark on the music industry’s biggest festival, and the Creative Scotland website reports today that it worked for Glasgow based Admiral Fallow, who secured a deal with a US booking agent off the back of it.

Tonight’s show includes interviews with familiar faces such as KT Tunstall and Franz Ferdinand, as well as clips of up and coming new Edinburgh artists Kid Canaveral (who not only played their own shows but doubled up as King Creosote‘s backing band, all the while blogging their experiences for The Skinny) and Withered Hand (whose visa difficulties meant he nearly didn’t make the trip at all, inspiring hundreds of fans to sign an online petition to the US embassy).  It promises to give an insight into the trials and tribulations of getting from the point of being picked to play at a festival in America to actually arriving, not to mention an overview of some of the best music coming out of Scotland at the moment.

This show comes highly recommended for anyone who enjoyed the SXSW coverage on the Song By Toad or Peenko blogs; and for music fans in general.

Artworks: Scotland Rocks at SXSW airs tonight (July 5) at 9pm on BBC 2 Scotland.

Watch a taster of the programme on the BBC website.

Magic Festival review: Michael Neto – Imagination… yours or mine?

By David Kettle

From the minute Michael Neto walks on stage, you get the feeling anything could happen. He jumps from trick to trick like an over-eager puppy, pouncing on audience members to help with his stunts, and posing apparently random questions to bewildered victims – although there’s an astonishing pay-off at the end of the show.

Portuguese-born and now resident in Glasgow, Neto is a born entertainer and manages to turn even the simplest stunt into something profound through the sheer force of his personality. Telling us about the first time he saw a magician as a young boy, he creates a sense of childlike wonder in a basic coin trick; and uses a sequence reassembling the torn segments of a length of thread as a metaphor for the fragility of love.

He even attempts a Who Wants to be a Millionaire take on a card-identification trick: a bemused audience member is asked to phone a friend on stage to prove there’s no cheating going on.

Neto’s tricks are often mesmerising, and his close-up work is slick and polished. But it’s his personality and volatile humour that really bind things together, taking his show to a completely different level.

Michael Neto: Imagination… yours or mine? Mon 4-Fri 8 July, 8.30pm, The Vault, Merchant St

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