Friday 28 August 2009

Book Festival - a quick update

Saturday: Ian Jack (former Granta editor) and Sarah Lyall (London-based US journalist) spoke about Britishness. Mrs F&W bought The Field Guide to the British, or rather the paperback edition, which has been changed to The Field Guide to the English. Jack, a London-based Scot, thought that it was actually a guide to the southern English. He's probably correct.

Saturday evening: McCall Smith again. Still excellent value.

Sunday: Matthew D'Ancona cancelled which was just as well as it clashed with a summer party that I wanted to attend. The party went on so well that I bailed out of the Paddy Ashdown event. Got my money back though...

On Sunday evening I went to listen to Quintin Jardine, creator of the Bob Skinner crime novels. Like Jardine, Skinner lives in Gullane (incidentally, McCall Smith champions the "Gillin" pronunciation). Jardine supports Motherwell, as does Skinner. But Jardine insisted that he wasn't Skinner, seeing himself more as a McIlhenney character. Jardine thought that Kenny McAskill was a "national hero".

1 comment:

David Farrer said...

Comments made on previous template:

David Farrer
James, 
 
Yes, it cuts both ways. Jack was very emphatic on the north/south divide within England.

30 August 2009, 16:05:19 GMT+01:00
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james higham
It cuts both ways, this thing, doesn't it, David? Books about the British called the English and books called the English actually about the English. 
 
Even within the country there is the north/south divide and around our way they feel it keenly.

29 August 2009, 11:53:09 GMT+01:00
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David Farrer
Indeed so, Mike. 
 
The audience was amused as well. Ms Lyall acknowledged that she hadn't realised the significance of the difference when she first moved to the UK.

29 August 2009, 07:10:30 GMT+01:00
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Mike
David - "The Field Guide to the British, or rather the paperback edition, which has been changed to The Field Guide to the English." Do you realise how funny this is?

28 August 2009, 19:49:03 GMT+01:00