Books and Anna Millar

The Hot 100 2011: 100-50

The definitive list of Scottish creative talent

16 Dec 2011

100: Gordon Ferris. Kilmarnock crime author makes good. The already packed Scottish crime writing field has finally found a bit of elbow room for another burgeoning talent. Joining the likes of Rankin, Brookmyre, McDermid and co is this Ayrshire-born…

Hot 100 2011 - No. 49 to 1

The definitive list of Scottish creative talent

16 Dec 2011

The Hot 100 is the definitive list of Scottish creative talent. From fashion designers to performance artists, everyone who has made a sizeable splash in 2011 has a place in this countdown. It’s for people who’ve created a buzz, but it’s also about…

Caitlin Moran set for Edinburgh Book Festival appearance

A self-deprecating take on womanhood

9 Aug 2011

With Germaine Greer’s recent Newsnight debacle dragging the feminist cause kicking and screaming back to the dark days, it’s time to hail the new messiah: Caitlin Moran. Not for nothing has this Brighton-born writer impressed. Aged just 15, the young…

The best upcoming events in Scotland in 2011

Highlights of the 2011 cultural calandar from Film, Music, Comedy, Theatre and Visual Art

3 Jan 2011

Huge gigs, inspiring theatre productions, comedy legends and two cute little waving bears – just a few of the things coming up in ‘11 that we can barely contain our excitement about

Edinburgh Book Festival's Unbound invites fresh approach from DisComBoBuLate, Irregular and Gutter

7 Jul 2010

Here at List Towers we love a bit of innovation, and this year’s festivals appear to be bringing it in spades. Case in point, the Book Festival’s all-new Unbound. Taking a refreshingly out-of-the-box approach, over 18s are invited to a nightly free…

Ewan Morrison and Mall Tales want your shopping centre stories

14 May 2010

The highs, lows, and occasional misfortunes of the everyday take centre stage this fortnight as part of a unique new storytelling initiative concerning the world of shopping malls. Inspired by author Ewan Morrison, in conjunction with award-winning…

What the Dog Saw and Other Adventures - Malcolm Gladwell interview

29 Apr 2010

It takes a certain kind of man to pen a highbrow yarn about tomato ketchup. But then Malcolm Gladwell is no ordinary man. Part super geek, part pop psychologist, Gladwell has gained considerable kudos for smarting up in a dumbed down world with his…

Liam McIlvanney - All the Colours of the Town

23 Jul 2009

In an age in which the sins of our politicians provide regular column inches and minimal shock value, Liam McIlvanney successfully delivers a powerful thriller, rich in colour and skilfully imagined. Jobbing political hack Gerry Conway is in a bind when…

Jane Bussmann - The Worst Date Ever

25 Jun 2009

‘You know you’ve arrived when Britney Spears snubs you and Nicole Richie congratulates you.’ Journalist and comedy writer Jane Bussmann is smiling as she peruses the LA stomping ground, which so mercilessly provides fodder for her memoir, The Worst Date…

United Press poetry competition

27 Nov 2008

Poets are being asked to lift their pens in a bid to pocket a £1000 prize, as part of an initiative by United Press. ‘It’s free to enter, and the aim of the competition is to encourage more people to try writing poetry,’ said Peter Quinn, managing…

Great expectations

Programme announced at Wigtown Book Festival

4 Sep 2008

Book lovers have little reason to be disappointed following the launch of this year's sizeable Wigtown Book Festival programme. Taking place over ten days, the event will boast over 130 talks, debates, theatre, film and activities, organiser's revealed…

Festival frenzy as Edinburgh gears up for August

3 Jul 2008

With just three weeks until Edinburgh officially takes its place in the spotlight as one of the world's greatest cultural playgrounds, festival news and views have been coming in thick and fast. Perhaps most contentious is the news that after capturing…

Edinburgh International Book Festival programme announced

19 Jun 2008

Festival fever continued apace last week following announcements about the Free Fringe Festival, The Edinburgh Interactive Festival and – most anticipated of all – the Edinburgh International Book Festival. Book Festival organisers said this year's…

One Book – One Edinburgh

17 Jan 2008

The Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust launches its second One Book – One Edinburgh citywide reading campaign next month, which this year is based around Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The initiative aims to…

Fleming centenary

17 Jan 2008

Details of 007 creator Ian Fleming’s centenary year celebrations have been announced. As part of the festivities, acclaimed Birdsong writer, Sebastian Faulks, has written new James Bond tome, Devil May Care, due for publication this Spring. Penguin will…

Compton Mackenzie - Whisky Galore (1947)

100 Best Scottish Books of all Time

1 Jan 2005

Compton Mackenzie's timeless text is a triumph. Inspired by the real events of 1941, when a cargo ship ran aground in the channel between Eriskay and South Uist, Whisky Galore! is the gentle, comical story of how the booty on board became appropriated…

Kenneth Grahame - The Wind in the Willows (1908)

100 Best Scottish Books of all Time

1 Jan 2005

As satirical works go, novels exporting the animal instinct have enjoyed a certain longevity, from George Orwell's Animal Farm to Pierre Boulle's Planet of the Apes. While more upbeat in temperament, Kenneth Grahame's cleverly imagined exposé of late…