tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9797333071106241492024-02-07T15:04:23.411+00:00Great BookshopsA Blog all about where to find Britian's best bookshops.Richard Havershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309594787689405779noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-979733307110624149.post-37630241163421890532009-11-21T10:39:00.003+00:002009-11-21T10:43:42.129+00:00The Making of Modern Ireland<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGVdtSIRie7sKeNMi8CZ7W02_SrAFC2Rkhm-GcmnMwF4LRMQgk1unEihHc0lVv2ZcRcceluH5eMnMcjvjdP6LvoF1HvqTmx5n7Njpz3ChvdQw9sIvhA_lhbhxyDAQl5WG0QmDxDdRK832/s1600/MOMI+JK.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 266px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGVdtSIRie7sKeNMi8CZ7W02_SrAFC2Rkhm-GcmnMwF4LRMQgk1unEihHc0lVv2ZcRcceluH5eMnMcjvjdP6LvoF1HvqTmx5n7Njpz3ChvdQw9sIvhA_lhbhxyDAQl5WG0QmDxDdRK832/s400/MOMI+JK.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5406505289282595106" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">“The Ireland I now inhabit is one that these Irish contemporaries have helped to imagine.”<span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-weight:bold;"></span></span></span></span> – Seamus Heaney<br /><br />The history of a nation all too often depends on an admixture of truths, half-truths and mythology; exemplified by the story of Britain and Ireland. Both countries were part of the Angevin Empire that controlled an area from the banks of the Shannon to the Centre of France until after its defeat by the French, in 1399. But Ireland did not experience English rule until her colonisation by Henry VIII in the 16th Century. <br /><br />Basing their story on past ills which resulted in the 1798 Rising by the United Irishmen and the birth of republicanism, together with carefully selected facts, folklore and historically inaccurate assumptions, the Fenians produced a mythology which was in part responsible for the Rising of 1916. Few are aware that this would not have been possible but for the secret connivance of the enemies of Irish freedom, while Ireland gained her independence not by the Rising but as a result of British over-reaction which produced the War of Independence.<br /><br />The Making of Modern Ireland looks at the broad sweep of the nation’s history from the 12th Century, when it was part of the Angevin Empire, right up to 2009 and the government of Brian Cowan. Geoff Robinson’s narrative offers an alternative view, stripped of the half-truths and mythology, that has passed for much of the country’s history.<br /><br />Though born and educated in England, Geoff Robinson is an Irish citizen who has lived in Ireland for over fifty years. An unswerving believer in the rectitude of the Irish cause, he knew many who had been involved in the 1916 Rising and later came to meet others of such divergent political views as the daughter of a Redmondite MP and the editor of the “Bulletin”, a clandestine newssheet published during the War of Independence. Following his marriage in 1966 to Bernadette Tiernan, a national teacher, he developed an interest in Irish politics. His wife’s revelation that no critical examination of the events leading up to the 1916 Rising was contained in the schools curriculum, prompted him to make a re-evaluation of Irish history which has resulted in his book, The Making of Modern Ireland. He lives in Dublin with his wife Bernadette and at 88 years old Geoff Robinson proves that it’s never too late to write your first book.<br /><br />You can buy the book <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Making-Modern-Ireland-Alternative-History/dp/190731105X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258800189&sr=8-1">HERE</a>Richard Havershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309594787689405779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-979733307110624149.post-21176380337497266502009-07-13T11:17:00.005+01:002009-07-13T11:38:19.374+01:00Broughton Street Book Shop – EdinburghThere is a wonderful story in the Daily Telegraph this morning about a book shop in Edinburgh. I can't wait to visit it. Read about it <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/5795952/Who-says-Aspergers-sufferers-are-unemployable.html">HERE</a>. It will warm your heart.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOn-gvZlxN_PezsQMs4Lmv6QzAdmrjMd6mquBF3IW4-GXyG70adbQybhBu3225xc9ffaQPnI3WrK6JXyIc41Xz6RTmDGZ556ra3ODqi6C2Oq9437nxbire5-47HZOFwS9BAfOa2HO9CTjk/s1600-h/Rafferty_1441121c.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 250px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOn-gvZlxN_PezsQMs4Lmv6QzAdmrjMd6mquBF3IW4-GXyG70adbQybhBu3225xc9ffaQPnI3WrK6JXyIc41Xz6RTmDGZ556ra3ODqi6C2Oq9437nxbire5-47HZOFwS9BAfOa2HO9CTjk/s400/Rafferty_1441121c.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5357887635343123522" border="0" /></a>Richard Havershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309594787689405779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-979733307110624149.post-26523120198708858382009-06-28T11:26:00.005+01:002009-06-28T11:31:28.208+01:00The Stones in The Park – Book Signing in Kelso<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78S5s4n5jQEeL1fceX7spXmMKiT4HZ3gxpwYjldB1lRX3lt2q4vxrAP2xeghds-_hph9eWXEbPaIlEkjmTGkPIbfUsZ54Z2HTd-quVlmYUFO81EzgIyX5olUq6WPnmWsNhE8l_ryJuOGR/s1600-h/The+Stones+JK+copy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 170px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh78S5s4n5jQEeL1fceX7spXmMKiT4HZ3gxpwYjldB1lRX3lt2q4vxrAP2xeghds-_hph9eWXEbPaIlEkjmTGkPIbfUsZ54Z2HTd-quVlmYUFO81EzgIyX5olUq6WPnmWsNhE8l_ryJuOGR/s400/The+Stones+JK+copy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5352323355183024898" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0); font-weight: bold;">40th Anniversary Story of the thirty-three days in the summer of ‘69 during which The Rolling Stones changed forever.</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> I'll be signing at <a href="http://www.latimerbooks.co.uk/">Latimer Books</a> in Kelso<br />Saturday 4th July 11 am 'til 1pm<br />5 Mill Wynd<br />01573 225776<br /></div> <span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 255);">The Stones in the Park tells this amazing story as well as featuring many unseen photographs</span><br /><br />For the Rolling Stones everything changed in the summer of ’69. They were no longer the blues band that Brian Jones had put together in 1962, they had stopped being a pop band and had hardly performed on stage since 1967 – and it was live that the Stones always excelled. This is the story of the thirty-three days in the summer of ‘69 during which The Rolling Stones changed forever. Drug busts, fall-outs, at least one album that failed to live up to expectations and uncertainty surrounded the band, they had flirted with psychedelia but were on the cusp of becoming the ‘Greatest Rock and Roll Band in the World.<br /><br />It tells how, on Sunday 8 June 1969 Brian Jones left the band he had founded, and less than a month later he tragically died just days before the band played a free concert in London’s Hyde Park for somewhere close to 500,000 people. Unfortunately, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards both missed their old band mate’s funeral, Mick was in Australia filming Ned Kelly (his performance recorded in numerous unseen photographs).<br /><br />Undaunted, the Stones, who have always been greater than the sum of their parts, recruited Mick Taylor to play guitar in place of Brian, recorded one of their greatest ever singles and played the largest ever concert in Britain to that point, and Mick Jagger, like many pop singers before him, went off to be a film star. They also became – The Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Band in the World and since then the Rolling Stones have gone on to be watched in concert by more people than any other band. They have come to epitomise everything that is excessive, exciting, powerful, lavish and brilliant about rock music. They are dynastic, imperial and majestic... true Rock Royalty.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">“The greatest rock and roll band in the world. They’re incredible; let’s hear it for the Stones!” </span>– Sam Cutler introducing the band on Saturday 5 July 1969 – the first time they were given the accolade<br /></div>Richard Havershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309594787689405779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-979733307110624149.post-89083135451129872352009-06-16T07:42:00.001+01:002009-06-16T07:44:20.063+01:00Judith Miller at Mainstreet Trading in St BoswellsJudith Miller began collecting in the 1960s while a student at Edinburgh University in Scotland. She has since extended and reinforced her knowledge of antiques through international research, becoming one of the world's leading experts in the field. In 1979 she co-founded the international best-seller Miller's Antiques Price Guide and has since written more than 100 books, which are held in high regard by collectors and dealers. Judith Miller appears regularly on TV and radio. She is an expert on the BBC's "Antiques Roadshow" and co-hosts the popular BBC TV series "The House Detectives," ITV's "Antiques Trail," and Discovery's "It's Your Bid". She has appeared on "The Martha Stewart Show" and CNN. She is a regular lecturer and contributor to numerous newspapers and magazines, including Financial Times, BBC Homes & Antiques and House & Garden. She has lectured extensively, including at the V&A in London and the Smithsonian in Washington.<br /><br />Judith will be giving a talk about how she got into antiques in the first place, and looking at the world of antiques and collecting today as it is today.<br /><br />She has also generously agreed to do some valuations on smaller items and answer questions.<br /><br />Tickets: £5 per head (includes a 10% discount on any Judith Miller titles purchased on the day)<br />To book, please email: info@mainstreetbooks.co.uk<br />Please note that space is limited so it is essential to book in advance<br />Date: Saturday 4th July, 3-5pmRichard Havershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309594787689405779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-979733307110624149.post-49050158380143697122009-06-04T09:48:00.001+01:002009-06-04T09:50:07.458+01:00Book Cafe 8 JuneRadio Scotland's Book Cafe asks the question. What do you do if you can’t get your novel published? You could follow Tim Clare’s example and write about the experience of not getting a book deal, and get that published instead. We’ll be talking about his book ‘We Can’t all be Astronauts’ and finding out from bookshop owners Roz De La Hey and Vanessa Robertson, who both have publishing connections, whether his descriptions of the world of literature are correct. Jen Campbell is another aspiring author but she’s also the creator of a prize winning readers’ group. How do to the online experiences of today’s book lovers compare with library visits of the last century. Tune in to hear one woman’s recollections of the Campbell Library in Pollockshaws. All that plus more from The Book DetectivesRichard Havershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309594787689405779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-979733307110624149.post-50813757886589221732009-05-24T11:11:00.002+01:002009-05-24T11:14:35.400+01:00BBC Book Cafe 25 MayThis week on the Book Cafe we have some interesting stuff, mostly about language. Are our teenagers suffering from ‘word poverty’ despite the fact that a new word becomes part of the language every 98 minutes? Linguist David Crystal gives his thoughts. And are soap operas responsible for pupils describing Shakespearean characters as ‘high maintenance’ who need to ‘move on’? River City’s Libby McArthur takes up the challenge of defending ‘soap speak’. Who do the crime writers turn to when they need advice on police techniques and forensic routines – ex coppers Tom Wood and Karen Campbell reveal the kind of questions they get asked by authors wanting to get their facts straight.<br /><br />I've also just heard from <a href="http://www.ursodeoculos.com/english/">Sarah Kersley</a>, whose <a href="http://greatbookshops.blogspot.com/2009/05/theres-awfully-good-book-shop-down-in.htm">bookshop in Brazil</a> I featured at the start of May, will also be on the show. The power of the t'internet!Richard Havershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309594787689405779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-979733307110624149.post-72989000366235180362009-05-13T11:07:00.000+01:002009-05-13T11:08:15.473+01:00Book Cafe 18 MayRoll out those beach towels…the summer is just about here! But what will we all be reading on the beach & in the airports this year? The Book Cafe will be previewing all the major fiction releases across Scotland in the next few months… What do the large retailers think will be the most popular? Any hidden gems we haven’t previously heard about?<br /><br />Clare English will also chat to one of the world’s top rare book dealers Rick Gekoski – who has been plied with alcohol by Graham Greene, threatened with a law suit by J. D. Salinger, berated by Ted Hughes, and helped J.R.R Tolkien move house… <br /><br />Plus a look at international crime fiction and a report from the Christian Aid book sale in Edinburgh.Richard Havershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309594787689405779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-979733307110624149.post-53917534548679174482009-05-13T07:19:00.006+01:002009-05-13T07:32:25.974+01:00Getting Closer to Buddy Holly<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7SP0AGUMhyphenhyphenwAOuB7rs1PTk43sNeF8XdxjHxPGBrd4x8Ow6Uny4me_vRt0zb__CyH2acM7Q9c8o8-YroVtlDxMJvu9-61rElxWYPzNXANS1CBHjiAxYnR668O4kR-hHBQKdXtaKde7DYH/s1600-h/51YC8NzKAuL._SS500_.jpg.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 279px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7SP0AGUMhyphenhyphenwAOuB7rs1PTk43sNeF8XdxjHxPGBrd4x8Ow6Uny4me_vRt0zb__CyH2acM7Q9c8o8-YroVtlDxMJvu9-61rElxWYPzNXANS1CBHjiAxYnR668O4kR-hHBQKdXtaKde7DYH/s400/51YC8NzKAuL._SS500_.jpg.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5335191945831718226" /></a>Spencer Leigh writes meticulously researched books on music. His most recent title is <i>Everyday: Getting Closer to Buddy Holly</i> and it is a fantastic piece of work that will delight any fan of Buddy and anyone interested in musical and cultural history. Spencer has interviewed countless numbers of people who knew Buddy, worked with him or were simply touched by his music. In the introduction Spencer writes. "In 1984 Ian Dury made an album called 4000 Weeks Holiday. The title scared the hell out of me because I realised that's all the time we've got on earth." Well my advice is to spend part of one of those weeks reading Spencer's book. You can see details <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Everyday-Getting-Closer-Buddy-Holly/dp/0946719314/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242195996&sr=8-1">HERE</a> before popping into your local bookshop to order and buy it.Richard Havershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309594787689405779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-979733307110624149.post-32809709300519358022009-05-07T20:50:00.003+01:002009-05-07T21:01:53.476+01:00Looking for Agnès: a tale of passion and paper trails<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8ZMgBS-6jh4xLE5HYhP_vKmub_bF3RKKe5yXNbQYYPr_2IgUzCY3g6vlvkF_D72h-WMBR14wgvq4b_iBzZcbDUzOBEQsvLdq__WTw_zH3HUiU9m0o4_lTnUbsWJA50t97IdYcZxh4b1p/s1600-h/31ZGsyPI+yL._SS500_.jpg.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 113px; height: 178px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb8ZMgBS-6jh4xLE5HYhP_vKmub_bF3RKKe5yXNbQYYPr_2IgUzCY3g6vlvkF_D72h-WMBR14wgvq4b_iBzZcbDUzOBEQsvLdq__WTw_zH3HUiU9m0o4_lTnUbsWJA50t97IdYcZxh4b1p/s400/31ZGsyPI+yL._SS500_.jpg.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5333174451011292578" border="0" /></a>It looks like there's another enticing event at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Mainstreet</span> Trading in St Boswells, following last week's <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">excellent</span> James <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Runcie</span> talk. This one is on 26 May and details are available <a href="http://www.mainstreetbooks.co.uk/home">HERE</a><br /><br />Barbara Mellor will be talking about her work translating the remarkable WW2 diary, Resistance by Agnès Humbert. Barbara's passion for the history of the French Resistance grew from her love for France, where she has lived on and off for many years, and her work as a translator specialising in books on French art and history. When she stumbled upon Agnès Humbert's original French diary, Notre Guerre, she knew she had found something extraordinary; she took it to an editor at Bloomsbury, and within eighteen months it had been published to acclaim in ten languages. Barbara will be talking about how she found the French diary and unearthed details of Agnès Humbert's remarkable life and family; the experience of translating Résistance and bringing this forgotten voice to a far greater audience; and the continuing story of new discoveries since publication of the hardback edition in 2008.<br /><br />I've read the book – it's brilliant; so I can't wait to hear the story behind its writing.Richard Havershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309594787689405779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-979733307110624149.post-51726809833953261492009-05-07T20:44:00.001+01:002009-05-07T20:46:14.283+01:00Radio Scotland's Book Cafe 11 MayA great show is in store on Monday with the legendary journalist, broadcaster and sixties icon, Dame Joan Bakewell. She's now added novelist to her list of talents. In Monday's Book Café, recorded at Glasgow's Aye Write Festival, she talks to Clare English about her book 'All The Nice Girls' and about her life and career, which included a brief spell as the model for Tampax!Richard Havershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309594787689405779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-979733307110624149.post-75136445741730839532009-05-04T07:43:00.019+01:002009-05-04T10:16:44.490+01:00There's An Awfully Good Book Shop Down in Brazil<div style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Now we all know there's an awful lot of Coffee in Brazil, courtesy of Mr Sinatra, but did you know there's a great bookshop that stocks English language books? Not just English language either; it has new and used books in 15 different languages. I know this because Sarah Rebecca Kersley emailed me from </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Itacaré, in Bahia state in Northeast Brazil to tell me about her shop that opened in 2007. Sarah discovered the blog after listening online to the book café on Radio Scotland...isn't the web wonderful?<br /></span></span></div> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Sarah graduated from Glasgow University and headed south to open the </span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Urso de Óculos</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> bookshop (the name means "The Spectacled Bear"). It is the only bookshop in the town that has a population of 22 000. Since opening in 2007, the space has become increasingly popular as an international meeting point, a local community book exchange and host to regular cultural events. Sarah is a British translator who has lived in Brazil since 2005 and besides the books it also serves espresso coffee (made from the billions of beans down in Brazil no doubt), hot chocolate and Twinings tea (apparently all three are very difficult to find outside big cities in Brazil).</span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">She tells me, "Visitors from Scotland are particularly welcome, with the frequent sound of Eddi Reader playing on the bookshop stereo!"</span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">If you want to know more visit the </span><a href="http://www.ursodeoculos.com/english/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Urso de Óculos website</span></a><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">. If you really want to know more get on a plane, fly south and stand beneath that amber moon. . .</span></span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Sadly it’s been years since I've been to Brazil. The first time I went was in 1976 when I flew to Rio de Janeiro from Miami arriving very early on a Sunday morning; I was working in the airline business at the time. I checked-in at the Copacabana Palace, and as I headed for the lift I bumped into a girl who flew for our airline; like me she was on her first trip to Rio. Like her I wanted to see the sights and were not put off by the fact that it was very overcast. An hour or so later we headed out and took the rickety train up to the statue of Cristo Redentor. </span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">When we got off the train we were bathed in cloud as we walked the last part up to the viewing platform. Arriving at the top the clouds parted to reveal what is still one of the half dozen best views I've ever seen in my life. </span></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">'There's one thing that I'm certain of; return I will to old Brazil.'</span></o:p></span></p><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 257px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIETl0ouiNoynlY8jpKP_hYng7pe2_5Rcvkyy2_GwkAG7vrwlV4USIQT_ToA1tMOGlrQ584cX58EPsO1ZGuLXvL_gyRv7iGy9Wz4S13ZzfnqdjGU8HTPbKVv_tl2GHKIduW0HWaNG_ilA7/s400/RJCristo460x296.jpg.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331865134296031026" border="0" /> <!--EndFragment-->Richard Havershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309594787689405779noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-979733307110624149.post-61754935019100054762009-05-01T09:19:00.004+01:002009-05-01T09:30:02.457+01:00James Runcie<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdKXNislKUl_lfPHicr6Fuib64EK1foFdGzhU-wWFfyj15pwpkX9NxX40EhxKj16FHF4N29SI2NDz6Z4dvPhsrSTGGkZhsQS3GgawgPFfbcc9XM2owsoW7dHCZ4Ti5K094kJiq6Kmd664/s1600-h/fortune_cover.jpg.jpeg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 155px; height: 235px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdKXNislKUl_lfPHicr6Fuib64EK1foFdGzhU-wWFfyj15pwpkX9NxX40EhxKj16FHF4N29SI2NDz6Z4dvPhsrSTGGkZhsQS3GgawgPFfbcc9XM2owsoW7dHCZ4Ti5K094kJiq6Kmd664/s320/fortune_cover.jpg.jpeg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5330769558923270258" /></a><a href="http://jamesruncie.com/">James </a><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><a href="http://jamesruncie.com/">Runcie's</a></span> talk and reading at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Mainstreet</span> Trading in St Boswell last night was wonderful. He is a great <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">raconteur</span>, his story, against himself, involving David Starkey was brilliant. James <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Runcie's</span> new book, East Fortune, if his readings and his conversation are anything to go by is a must read – especially if you're a middle-aged male. Actually the issues he writes about affect many of us and I cannot wait to read it (currently Mrs.H has bagged it and started reading it in bed last night).<div><br /></div><div>Mainstreet Trading, as I have said before, is a wonderful book shop, but it's also a lovely space for author events. They have one coming up with <a href="http://www.millersantiquesguide.com/blog/">Judith Miller</a> in July....more news when I get it.</div>Richard Havershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309594787689405779noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-979733307110624149.post-2583607350089380552009-04-30T08:22:00.004+01:002009-04-30T08:29:24.349+01:00St Andrews, FifeI was in St Andrews at the weekend, it has to be one of the lovliest towns in Scotland, and visited J.G. Innes the independent book shop. Interesting selection of titles in a lovely old shop that made me feel quite nostalgic!<br /><br />There are a number of really good charity shops selling books, in particular the Dr. Barnardo's where I picked up a couple of real bargains. Waterstones, was, well it was Waterstones. . .what can I say. There was also a book stall in Market Street on Saturday where I also got a couple of excellant buys.<br /><br />Off to <a href="http://greatbookshops.blogspot.com/2009/04/mainstreet-trading-and-james-runcie.html">Mainstreet Trading</a> in St. Boswell's tonight for the James Runcie event. . I'll report back...Richard Havershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309594787689405779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-979733307110624149.post-53142304636472796712009-04-30T08:06:00.003+01:002009-04-30T08:08:03.005+01:00BBC Scotland's Book Cafe 4 MayNext Monday Chris Dolan is presenting the Book Cafe on BBC Radio Scotland. He is talking to the legendary art loving nun Sister Wendy Becket and best-selling novelist Monica Ali will be on hand to talk about their latest publications. Book dealers Fergus Smith and John Sibbald from Lyon and Turnbull have advice for one listener in our Book Detectives Series. All that plus how would you fancy having a copy of an out of stock book printed out specially for you as you enjoyed a cup of coffee?Richard Havershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309594787689405779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-979733307110624149.post-36796200529528914012009-04-15T15:28:00.002+01:002009-04-15T15:30:50.606+01:00BBC Radio Scotland Book Cafe 20 AprilSteve <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Vander</span> Ark, author of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Lexicon</span> -the first encyclopedia to the entire Harry Potter series - chats to The Book Cafe about having to change his book after <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">JK</span> Rowling took him to court for copyright infringement. She may have won the case, but a revised version of The Lexicon has recently been published. The show will also look at what do commuters read on the train between Edinburgh and Glasgow? And if they don’t read - what do people do?<br /><br />American writer Wells Tower is putting the short story back on the map - his debut collection <span style="font-style: italic;">Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned</span> has won him many adoring fans, and it's receiving rave reviews on both sides of the pond. There's also s piece about how writers cope with a deep involvement or emotional attachment to their subjects. Does writing a diary or going clubbing keep you sane when your subject matter becomes over powering? Finally Gillian Philip chats about her new compelling teen drama, <span style="font-style: italic;">Crossing the Line.</span>Richard Havershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309594787689405779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-979733307110624149.post-51985358446386320172009-04-02T07:58:00.001+01:002009-04-02T08:00:53.292+01:00Mainstreet Trading and James Runcie<a href="http://www.mainstreetbooks.co.uk/home">Mainstreet Trading</a> in St Boswells have an author event on 30 April, we've already got our tickets! It's with James Runcie, whose fourth novel, <span style="font-style: italic;">East Fortune</span>, is his first set in Scotland, where he has now returned to live. The son of the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Robert Runcie, James is an award-winning television documentary maker as well as an acclaimed novelist. His recent work for television includes J K Rowling: A Year in the Life, Anger (with Griff Rees Jones), The Joy of Motoring and Ten Days that Made the Queen.<br /><br />Intense, humane, humorous and subtle, East Fortune is a moving story about lives at crossroads; about life and love, chance and hope - and how families survive. James will be interviewed by The Scotsman's Literary editor and author of In Cold Ink: On the Writers Tracks, David Robinson.<br /><br />"This gripping novel has only one major flaw - it was far too short. I wanted at least another 200 pages with these people and their lives." Victoria Hislop, author of The Island<br /><br />Tickets are £5 (includes a glass of wine), please email info@mainstreetbooks.co.uk or ask in-store.Richard Havershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309594787689405779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-979733307110624149.post-58523332038004783362009-04-02T07:53:00.003+01:002009-04-02T07:55:18.872+01:00Buy A Friend A Book WeekThanks to<a href="http://www.farmlanebooks.co.uk/"> Farm Lane Books</a> I found this interesting idea. It's called <a href="http://www.buyafriendabook.com/">Buy A Friend A Book Week</a>. Having decided who you're to buy a book for all you have to decided to do is from which bookshop you will buy it!Richard Havershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309594787689405779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-979733307110624149.post-6972722372517995132009-04-01T12:46:00.002+01:002009-04-01T12:49:02.186+01:00The Book Detectives on The Book Cafe on BBC Radio ScotlandNext Monday the Book Cafe on BBC Scotland launches ‘The Book Detectives’ giving their listeners the chance to find out how to track down lost books. They’<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ve</span> the heart warming tale of three generations of women who wanted to find the sequel to a children’s book and how they managed to find a copy in time for Mother’s Day. But just who was the author and why did he disappear without trace? Children’s writer Shirley Hughes will bethere to talk about her latest volume which is aimed at graphic novel loving adults and Jayne <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Ramage</span> of the Watermill will be on hand to explain how she’s made children’s book groups such a success in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Aberfeldy</span>. You can e mail The Book Detectives with your queries - thebookcafe@bbc.co.ukRichard Havershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309594787689405779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-979733307110624149.post-91954669790852581842009-03-31T10:14:00.002+01:002009-03-31T10:17:30.669+01:00Not a Book Shop But a Blog. . .<a href="http://www.cornflowerbooks.co.uk/">Cornflower Books</a> is a wonderful blog about books, it's well worth a visit; as is <a href="http://beccaandbella.typepad.com/becca_bella/">Becca & Bella</a>.<div><br /></div><div>We're off to St Andrews for the weekend so I'm looking forward to checking out the bookshops in the town. I shall be blogging about them next week. </div>Richard Havershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309594787689405779noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-979733307110624149.post-85613101166851568642009-03-23T08:23:00.002+00:002009-03-23T08:28:32.845+00:00Loch Croispol Bookshop, Restaurant and GalleryMidlothian publisher Lang Syne and Durness based <a href="http://www.scottish-books.net/">Loch Croispol Bookshop</a>, Restaurant & Gallery are working together to ensure that Lang Syne products have a wider distribution in the Northern Highlands.<br /><br />Lang Syne, owned and run for 30 years by Ken Laird, produces a series of popular clan and family histories which include most of the more famous Scottish and some Irish names, as well as an extensive range of inexpensive Scottish non-fiction. Its list includes collections of folk tales and oral history from different parts of Scotland, histories and biographies and reprints of classic works such as Alexander Mackenzie’s “Highland Clearances”, John Buchan’s “Massacre of Glencoe” and “Prophecies of The Brahan Seer”. Lang Syne also produces an extensive range of DVDs and quality Scottish-themed gifts, including fine art clan prints, watches, boxed mugs, crest coasters, teddy bears and a wide range of popular souvenirs.<br /><br />Kevin Crowe of Loch Croispol said: “In the ten years we have been in business in Durness, we have gradually expanded. Five years ago we were founder members of an on-line co-operative of independent booksellers, called World Book Market, a co-operative that now has over 50 members in ten countries and four continents, and the internet is now a major part of our business, with us mailing books every day to all corners of the world. Two years ago, we moved to new and larger premises, enabling us to stock more books, serve more customers in the restaurant and have a small art gallery. We have always sold Lang Syne books, and know how popular they are, so this is a natural extension of our business.”<br /><br /><iframe width="425" height="350" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&q=IV27+4PT&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF8&hl=en&ll=58.590804,-4.747124&spn=0.168824,0.253029&z=12&output=embed"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&q=IV27+4PT&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF8&hl=en&ll=58.590804,-4.747124&spn=0.168824,0.253029&z=12&source=embed" style="color:#0000FF;text-align:left">View Larger Map</a></small>Richard Havershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309594787689405779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-979733307110624149.post-57603592636793462552009-03-15T22:10:00.005+00:002009-03-16T08:01:39.192+00:00Brown Mouse by Frank JennensTo say I've been delinquent in posting would be an understatement. All I can offer in my defence is the fact that I've been busy trying to write books to fill the bookshops we love so much. I'm prompted into action by <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radioscotland/features/the_cafes">BBC Scotland's Radio Ca</a>fe who have a new feature starting on April 6 which I think we can all relate to.<br /><br />It's called the Book Detectives and it's going to be a search for books that people have read and now cannot find. The first is a book by Frank <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Jennens</span>, a children's book illustrator and author in the 1920s and 30s who wrote 'Brown Mouse'. A friend of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">show's</span> producer even <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">thinks</span> there may have been a sequel. She thought she had tracked down a copy to a bookshop in Australia but it subsequently turned out that they didn't have it.<br /><br />So does anyone out there know where to find a copy of <i>Brown Mouse</i> by Frank <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Jennens</span>? If you do get in touch or leave a comment.Richard Havershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309594787689405779noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-979733307110624149.post-46630957298986802232009-02-05T08:01:00.005+00:002009-02-06T19:55:43.640+00:00The Strathmore Fish Restaurant (Angus)The Strathmore Fish Restaurant in Forfar is not only a splendid fish and chip shop but they sell second hand books in aid of the Rachel House Children's Hospice in Kinross. So there's two reasons to make a visit to Forfar! You'll find them at 90 Dundee Road, click on the map for directions. It was featured on Radio Scotland's Book Cafe on Monday and you can hear all about it <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00h9bg9">HERE</a><br /><br /><iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF8&q=Strathmore+Fish+Restaurant+in+Forfar&fb=1&split=1&cid=9093345596754539427&li=lmd&ll=56.636623,-2.89487&spn=0.006295,0.006295&output=embed&s=AARTsJo9BVvRUnucctbGUaS35zSKuvVxRw" frameborder="0" height="350" scrolling="no" width="425"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF8&q=Strathmore+Fish+Restaurant+in+Forfar&fb=1&split=1&cid=9093345596754539427&li=lmd&ll=56.636623,-2.89487&spn=0.006295,0.006295&source=embed" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF8&q=Strathmore+Fish+Restaurant+in+Forfar&fb=1&split=1&cid=9093345596754539427&li=lmd&iwloc=A&ll=56.636623,-2.89487&spn=0.006295,0.006295&source=embed" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;"></a></small>Richard Havershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309594787689405779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-979733307110624149.post-89622980915433223912009-02-05T07:58:00.002+00:002009-02-05T08:00:36.485+00:00Great New Scottish Ancestry Book<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQxaz8mREnewc5_nns8dBDskpAH_rPyQaz-v7bMTK8vog-hSmAn9lAzSd3UXJC4HXM4xELDXAulU9-1wNNQvDnkW6Q8zq7VJ78WOewZEPdbvmU6pehma1uDgwDTJZ1oobe0FcA6z2zBOa2/s1600-h/51QYKm6RIgL._SS500_.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 218px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQxaz8mREnewc5_nns8dBDskpAH_rPyQaz-v7bMTK8vog-hSmAn9lAzSd3UXJC4HXM4xELDXAulU9-1wNNQvDnkW6Q8zq7VJ78WOewZEPdbvmU6pehma1uDgwDTJZ1oobe0FcA6z2zBOa2/s320/51QYKm6RIgL._SS500_.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5299220050838874130" border="0" /></a>Did you know that about 28 million people worldwide can claim Scots ancestry? It means if they all turned up during the year of homecoming we'd be in deep trouble! I know this fact because I've just heard about a fascinating new book to be published next month called Scottish Genealogy by Bruce Durie. Check it out next time you're at your local book shop<br /><div><br /></div>Did you also know that Scotland has possibly the most complete and best-kept set of records and other documents on the planet? Given the extraordinary worldwide Scottish diaspora, there's clearly a need for a thorough guide to Scottish genealogy; Bruce <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Durie</span>’s book brings authority to the subject and is firmly based on established genealogical practice. Bruce disabuses the reader of the many canards which have accompanied the recent upsurge in interest in family history, notably that it’s ‘all on the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">internet</span>,’ that there is such a thing as a ‘family coat of arms’ and that everything written down must be true (just check out the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">blogosphere</span>!).<br /><br />Bruce is the Course Director in Genealogical Studies at the University of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Strathclyde</span> and was formerly a biochemist, pharmacologist and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">neuroscientist</span>; he is also Archivist and Historian to the Chief of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Durie</span> Family and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.Richard Havershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309594787689405779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-979733307110624149.post-73661835700532262582009-01-23T14:49:00.001+00:002009-01-23T14:49:40.771+00:00Radio Scotland's Book Cafe (26 January)On this week's Book Café, we find out if traditional fairytales are just too scary, sad and un-PC for little children - or do they in fact stimulate emotional intelligence? And why has Russia taken our national poet to their hearts - two Scottish teens compare their Burns experience to two teenagers in Russia. Also, as the Kolkata Book Fair approaches, we find out why they've put Scotland in such a pivotal position. Kathleen Kent travels back 9 generations telling Clare why the witch hunts of Salem had such personal resonance…and we take a look at Mexican writer Roberto Bolano who has found literary acclaim with the epic 2666 after his death.Richard Havershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309594787689405779noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-979733307110624149.post-80481437923600459962009-01-22T09:59:00.004+00:002009-01-22T10:08:33.321+00:00The Watermill at Aberfeldy<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfLivneEpt0BeneqhGJA6NgoaDdr6PwM5roJIAKxfS2rSoqaMG4U5gQ40toBloIWBfI6WXkLsyhmvvM756nc4r2nzWweilokMvw-dMZY5ceJnFleQXEK0viqv6WKXMoY03DvNrsAltJ1zl/s1600-h/homepage1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 294px; height: 202px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfLivneEpt0BeneqhGJA6NgoaDdr6PwM5roJIAKxfS2rSoqaMG4U5gQ40toBloIWBfI6WXkLsyhmvvM756nc4r2nzWweilokMvw-dMZY5ceJnFleQXEK0viqv6WKXMoY03DvNrsAltJ1zl/s320/homepage1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5294057544759867282" border="0" /></a>Stuart Kelly is not only an author of impeccable taste, but as his suggestion for the Great Bookshops blog proves he has his finger on the pulse of what makes a good one! <a href="http://www.aberfeldywatermill.com/">The Watermill at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Aberfeldy</span></a> has won the UK Independent Bookshop of the Year Award so what better recommendation could there be? As the Rough Guide to The Scottish Highlands and Islands says. ”An inspiring bookshop, art gallery and cafe located in the superbly restored mill."<br /><br />Check out Stuart's wonderful <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Lost-Books-Stuart-Kelly/dp/0141016744/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232618594&sr=8-8">Book of Lost Books</a>; it's a treat.<br /><br /><iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&q=PH15+2BG&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF8&split=0&ll=56.664529,-3.834229&spn=0.364186,0.53627&z=11&iwloc=addr&output=embed&s=AARTsJqFVqeLRtLxb_D_yIDlDpUy1i2dAg" frameborder="0" height="350" scrolling="no" width="425"></iframe><br /><small><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&q=PH15+2BG&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF8&split=0&ll=56.664529,-3.834229&spn=0.364186,0.53627&z=11&iwloc=addr&source=embed" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">View Larger Map</a></small>Richard Havershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15309594787689405779noreply@blogger.com0