Book Talk

This month, host Sasha de Buyl is joined by Graphic Scotland's Ariadne Cass-Maran and Scottish Book Trust's own Michael Merillo to discuss Neil Gaiman's latest novel for adults, The Ocean at the End of the Lane. But is this book, about a man who looks back on his childhood haunts and adventures and his friendship with a very unusual girl, really meant for adults, or is it a children's book masquerading as something for the older crowd? The question is a surprisingly complex one, as the novel deals with many dark themes in a fairly delicate manner, while touching on the magic and whimsy of childhood and employing a structure -- two children meet and have fantastical adventures -- that frequently appears in children's fiction.

The novel's audience isn't the only matter up for debate. Other discussions that arise include:

* Is the narrator too unreliable or too much of an empty vessel to be interesting on his own, or does his emptiness signify something important (and devastating) about him?

* Did the grim relationship between the narrator and his father hit home and bring up any (less traumatic, hopefully!) memories from your own childhood?

* Is the book worthy of the praise that's been heaped upon it since its publication?

Hear what our panel thought about these and other questions!

At the end of August, Book Talk packed its bags and made its way over to the white-tented confines of Charlotte Square, for the Edinburgh International Book Festival.

While there, we had the chance to have a quick catch up with award winning author and storytelling behemoth, Neil Gaiman.

As we only had a few minutes, we chatted a little about Neil’s new book, The Ocean at the End of the Lane, and then asked him some serious hard hitting questions including ‘Do you have a favourite rodent?’ and ‘What is your favourite stop on the underground?’. Intrigued? Listen in above to hear Neil’s answers!

The book Neil speaks about is You Are What You Speak by Robert Lane Green.

For anyone interested in the ‘Legs or Hot Dogs?’ internet phenomenon, please see this website.

Keep your ears at the ready, as we will be discussing Neil Gaiman’s new novel in full in September episode of Book Talk! Watch this space!

Summer may be winding down but Book Talk is heating up with a lineup of inspiring (and inspired!) authors who join host Ryan Van Winkle to talk about their upcoming books, how they work humour into even the most harrowing stories, their admiration for flawed characters and how jazz wakes up the mind.

Genre-defying Helen Fitzgerald gets things started with a discussion of The Cry, her latest novel, which is available on e-readers now and will be released in paperback in September. The Cry, like many of her other books, follows two people who find themselves in an unimaginably awful situation and end up making perhaps the worst possible decisions. Find out more about the book, and the surprising connection Helen has found between writing and her former career in criminal justice. Also, check out her list of five books her fans will like that don't necessarily fit into the crime fiction genre.

New Writers Awardee Pippa Goldschmidt is also celebrating the release of a book, her first, The Falling Sky. This tale of a young astronomer who makes an extraordinary discovery that not only shakes the foundations of science itself, but also has her questioning her entire life and delving into her painful past manages to mix complex family drama with science and dark comedy, as she reveals the cutthroat underbelly of academia. As an academic herself, it's a world she knows well. But beyond campus politics, this is also the tale of a woman dealing with her demons, as well as a meditation on how we tend to see and understand other people.

Finally, Ryan catches up with Naomi Alderman, one of Granta's Best Young British Novelists, who recently collaborated with jazz band The Moss Project to write a story based on one of their songs. According to Naomi, after listening to the song over and over, the story suddenly just came, the inspiration doubtless assisted by the fact that, according to her, 'Moss's music makes interesting things happen in my brain. Jazz in general does--it wakes up your brain.' Discover how music has wound its way into her writing in the past, and hear the story and the song that inspired it.

Book Talk host Paul Gallagher is joined by science fiction author Ken MacLeod and editor and literary events organiser Oisin Murphy-Lawless to discuss The Quarry, the final novel from the greatly loved and respected Scottish writer Iain Banks, who sadly passed away in early June this year, just days before The Quarry was published.

The Quarry is narrated by Kit, a socially awkward, mildly autistic 18-year-old who lives with and looks after his cancer-stricken father Guy. The story involves a last weekend reunion of Guy’s old uni pals, before the house he and Kit live in is demolished to make way for an expansion of the adjacent quarry: an event that Guy is unlikely to live long enough to see. As the weekend progresses Kit observes the old friends hanging out, talking and arguing, and also becomes aware of a particular video tape that they are all keen to get their hands on for reasons none of them are willing to explain – a tape that Guy may have hidden somewhere in the house. 

Here's some of the questions the panel discuss:

The Quarry initially seems a uniquely difficult read - is it a challenging book?

The narative voice is self-aware, analytical and removed. What does that do to our understanding of The Quarry's cast of characters?

How much, or not, should we interpret The Quarry as a personal statement from Banks about his own life?

Where does The Quarry fit in Banks' body of work?

BookTalk is produced by Colin Fraser of Culture Laser Productions, with music by Sam Gallagher.

Summer is heating up, and we have a sizzling edition of Booktalk to go with the rising temperatures. First up, host Ryan Van Winkle sits down with Ruth Ozeki, whose novel, A Tale for the Time Being, has been longlisted for this year's Booker Prize. The book, about a diary written by a 16-year-old Japanese girl that washes up in British Columbia, inspires a spirited discussion of such wide-ranging subjects as reader-writer relationships, how major world events can impact on a work-in-progress (and how said work can provide a sort of therapy for the writer), and bullying in both children and adults. It's also inspired a soulful tune from Bath-based The Bookshop Band, a trio of literary songwriters who were commissioned by the owner of Mr B's Emporium of Reading Delights to liven up authors' readings with some original songs. Though nerve-wracking (they do have to perform the songs for the authors themselves, after all!) the Band has taken up the project and run with it magnificently. They now have nearly 100 tunes covering folktales, classics, bestsellers and even a dictionary! Have a listen to their song, The Paris Wife, and catch them in action at the Guardian Spiegeltent at the Edinburgh International Book Festival.

If all that's a bit too tame for you, then brace yourself for the Literary Death Match, also coming soon to a Spiegeltent near you! Just what is the Literary Death Match, you ask? No, it does not involve any bloodletting, and no novels are harmed in the making. It's a fun evening that sees four writers perform their work for three judges (and the audience, of course), who provide hilarious commentary before picking two of the writers to move on to a a round of wacky hijinks, like pinning a moustache on Hemingway or chucking cupcakes at a poster of George Saunders, to ensure things don't get too serious or competitive. Learn more about the Death Match's past, present and exciting future from founder Todd Zuniga and find out where you can see one yourself!

Are you ready? It's going to be a scorcher!

Ghana Must Go, the much-anticipated debut novel of writer, photographer and designer Taiye Selasi, is the subject of this instalment of Book Talk. Host Danny Scott is joined by Ali Bowden, head of Edinburgh City of Literature, and SBT's Writer Development Manager, Will Mackie. Together, they attempt to peer through the clouds of hype surrounding this cross-continental family saga focused on the Sais, a clan of Ghanaian and Nigerian descent that tries to build a new life in Boston.

Among the topics of discussion: does the book live up to the marketing frenzy? Does Selasi's lyrical and poetical style serve the story well? Is this a book to pop into your bag as you go on holiday, or should you shut yourself up with it for a few days?

Find out how our panel felt about these questions and more, then join the discussion in the comments below or by tweeting us your thoughts @scottishbktrust or leaving a message on our Facebook page.

Summer has started, and there's lots to look forward to! Host Ryan Van Winkle takes a few moments to sit down with Irish author Kevin Barry, whose most recent collection of short stories, Dark Lies the Island, was published last year on the heels of his critically lauded novel, The City of Bohane. Barry is as much a poet in speech as he is on the page as he discusses where he finds his inspiration, how he got into writing short stories, how they've improved his writing and what we can expect from the dizzying, brutal world of Bohane. Then it's off to Charlotte Square to hear what this year's Edinburgh International Book Festival has in store. Find out what has Janet Smith, director of the children's programme, and Nick Barley, the festival director are most anticipating this year. Finally, hear from Richard Holloway, who reads his Treasures story--a touching saga of a painting that represents everything that's important to him. Have a minute, check out more stories from celebs and the public here.

Downloads of Icelandic pop bands as inspiration, the joys of graphic novels, a glimpse into the future and the beauty of birds--it's all here, and more!

Guest host Sasha de Buyl is joined by screenwriter, poet and Leith Library's Reader in Residence, Emily Dodd, and Rachel McCrum, performance poet and co-founder of Stewed Rhubarb Press to discuss R J Palacio's bestselling children's novel, Wonder. Wonder tells the story of 10-year-old August Pullman, a boy with a severe facial deformity who faces going to a mainstream school for the first time in his life. The book manages its difficult subject matter with a healthy dose of humour, but does its depiction of pre-adolescent life ring true? And does it fall into the trap of using August merely to teach kids a moral lesson?

Where do writers find their inspiration? As Ryan Van Winkle discovers in this edition of Bookmarked: pretty much anywhere, and not necessarily where you'd expect. Denise Mina found it in a commonplace object that nobody else wanted, spinning a Treasures tale of surprising emotional depth around a battered tea tin that once belonged to her grandmother. For Damian Barr, author of Maggie and Me, it was in memories so powerful he felt he needed to write the book 'or burst'. For her novel Bear Witness, Mandy Haggith was inspired by nature, an ancient myth and the slow re-introduction of once-indigenous species.

Hear Mina read her Treasures story and talk about what tea means to her; learn how Margaret Thatcher and her policies impacted a young Barr (for better and for worse) and learn what makes bears so fascinating and so necessary to the world and why we should be welcoming them back to Scotland.

As the new film version hits cinemas, revisit our discussion from May 2012 about the enduring appeal of F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel and what makes a book particularly re-readable.

In this edition of Book Talk we focus on a classic, which many people would call the classic: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Paul Gallagher is joined by two avowed Gatsby fans - Books critic Keir Hind and Scottish Book Trust’s Head of Programme Sophie Moxon.

Later in the podcast the discussion opens out to asking what makes a book particularly re-readable, which books we like to go back to and read again, and why. 

Podcast contents:

00:00-02:40 Introduction02:41-19:30 The Great Gatsby review discussion19:35-23:35 Thoughts on Gatsby film adaptations; Gatsby computer game!23:40-30:50 Discussion on re-reading and what makes us return to particular books30:52-32:00 Conclusion; next month's books