Tricks and Treats
Put a Spell on You
It's good to spoil yourself at any time of the year, but especially so when the weather turns. So, we will say these magic words: treat yourself to this marvellous selection of memoir, film, cookery, children's books and fiction of every kind, all from brilliant storytellers . . .
Graeme Macrae Burnet’s Case Study has been one of the most anticipated novels of the year, and with good reason – we thoroughly recommend you get a copy as soon as possible! We caught up with Graeme to talk about the books that have inspired him and his work.
Case Study By Graeme Macrae Burnet Published by Saraband
The book as . . . memory. What is your first memory of books and reading?
I think it’s of a picture book, Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Wildlife or something like. On one page was a full colour photograph of the wide open mouth of a snake. This terrified me and I remember throwing the book across the room. But I kept sneaking back to take another peek.
The book as . . . your work. Tell us about your latest book Case Study. What did you want to explore in writing this book?
Well, the only things I set out to explore when I’m writing a novel are the characters and the milieu. In the case of Case Study the central character is a rather unworldly young woman who believes that a radical psychotherapist named Collins Braithwaite has driven her sister to suicide, so she presents herself as a client to Braithwaite under an assumed identity. Collins Braithwaite is a charismatic, somewhat monstrous figure, who inhabits the London counter-cultural scene of 1960s London.
The book as . . . inspiration. What is your favourite book that has informed how you see yourself?
In preparation for writing Case Study, I re-read R.D. Laing’s The Divided Self. It’s a book that I find tremendously insightful, in particular in relation to the way we present different personas (or false selves as he would have it) to the world. I recognise a lot of myself in ...
Deep Wheel Orcadia by Harry Josephine Giles is a magical first: a science-fiction verse-novel written in the Orkney dialect – packed full of treats, and beautiful on the page. Here, we introduce two of its characters: Astrid, uneasy about coming home, and Darling, a martian who wants to discover more about place and people.
Extracts taken from Deep Wheel Orcadia By Harry Josephine Giles Published by Picador
Astrid an Darling settle in
Astrid aets wi her fock. “Thoo’ll wirk?” speirs Inga ower the protein soup. “A’m here tae draa,” says Astrid. “Tae work at me art. A’m needan ideas fae haem.”
“Yass,” says Inga, “grand that. Thoo’ll tak a job or twa fae the rotas forbye.” Øyvind touches Astrid’s airm. “Hid’s grand thoo’re haem. Thir plenty time.”
Halfweys roond the ...
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
‘She heard of talking chickens, eagles with sparkling, vibrant feathers and a magic needle to whom the rainbow willingly surrendered her colours.’
‘But it was ‘Tam o’ Shanter’ that really captured my imagination, and I found the story of witches at Halloween both spellbinding and spine-chilling all at the same time.’
‘Did we kerry oan ravin jist tae challenge authority? Nahhh. We never saw oorsels as rebels. We wur young. Daein the hings thit ye dae whin yur young. It wis 1990. Our Summer a Love.’
‘She’s a hell raiser, star chaser, trail blazer Natural born raver, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah’
The Spellbinding Adventures of Avery Buckle
‘She leapt into the night sky, an arched silhouette against the white full moon.’
The Girl, The Crow, The Writer and the Fighter
‘The paper, turned up and dry around the edges, felt fragile, as if it was not long for this realm.’
‘There is a prevailing idea that the werewolf is thematically limiting, something of a one-note monster that solely functions as a manifestation of the ‘beast within’ (or the id run rampant).’
‘The aromas and flavours, the company and location, can all add to the dreams and storytelling; it is, after all, a drink of friendship and hospitality.’
‘I revisit myself sat playing with a rosy-cheeked infant. I paint it in my mind as a warm and happy time, all together.’
‘For several years I conducted these experiments, increasing their sophistication.’
‘”We need a better story.” Suddenly all eyes were on Peter, and he looked at Babs defiantly.’
‘”Our world is about to change, my dears. We will have to survive as best we can.”’
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The Hollow Tree by Philip Miller
‘The man turned around. His hands were dark with blood.
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David Robinson Reviews: All Before Me by Esther Rutter
‘This then is a book about recovery, about regaining self-confidence and rediscovering joy.’
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QuickFire, Slow Burning by Janette Ayachi
‘Things are shed when people listen to poetry.’
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‘But best of all it is dead silent: no sound of greetin’ weans, no shouting staff, no screaming- dru …
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‘If readers enjoy what you’ve written, they’ll keep on coming back for more.’
FEATURED AUTHOR:
Anders Frang
Anders Frang is a freelance illustrator from Denmark. He studied at the Danish Design School in Copenhagen as well as Edinburgh College of Art. He is currently based in Edinburgh, Scotland.
FEATURED PUBLISHER:
Curly Tale Books
Curly Tale Books was launched in May 2013 with the publication of author Alan Grant’s first story for young children The Quite Big Rock. We publish illustrated children’s books with a focus on Scotland and in particular the Belted Galloway breed of cat …