Posts Tagged ‘ books ’

Catherine O'Flynn: brutal truths – The Guardian

"Birmingham does have this complicated relationship with its past, where it's always trying to burn photos of itself," she says. "It destroyed all its Victorian heritage and now it's destroying its 60s heritage, without much sense of that being history repeating itself."

Books are easy to wrap up as Christmas presents, you know

I’ve read a couple of brilliant Brum-related books recently, and I thought I’d suggest that you should enjoy them too… The Invention of Air by Steven Johnson is a great book about Joseph Priestley — inventor of carbonated water (and hence fizzy pop), discoverer of oxygen and the first man in Birmingham to have what I fancy as a job (local luminaries paid him to muck about — erm, experiment — in return for hearing the results). His time in Birmingham — yes another Lunar Society member — was quite short, and ended in his house being burnt to the ground by religious zealots, but it was a time that epitomised the open collaboration between peers and the ground-breaking ideas that he had been striving for where ever he lived. The book is to a certain extent focused on his influence on the American founding fathers, Franklin and Adams, but it’s a read that doesn’t shy away from making parallels with the modern day — would that our scientists and engineers were equally at home talking politics and religion. If it whets an appetite for lunaticks try Lunar Men: The Friends Who Made the Future by Jenny Uglow which while...

Birmingham Book Festival

The Birmingham Book Festival is happening at the moment (it runs till the 29th of October at various venues around the city). I’m a big fan of books, I like the look of them, the smell of a new book or a book that’s been loved & cared for. I once even confessed to suffering from a “fake syndrome” called Fictonecrosis (also know as bibliophagia). Some highlights that made me drool: David Edgar- How Plays Work. 13th October. 7.30pm. Birmingham Conservatoire. David Edgar is a leading Birmingham based playwright, best known for his political plays (Pentecost- at the RSC, Albert Speer at the National Theatre and, last year, Testing the Echo at the Birmingham Rep). This event celebrates his new book, How Plays Work, which offers an insight into the process of a playwright. Writing the Archers. 27th October 7pm. Birmingham Conservatoire. I’d be deeply shocked if this hasn’t already sold out, but I’m prepared to offer it as a suggestion in the hope that it’s still available. If you’ve been living under a rock for the last 60 years and haven’t heard of The Archers, it’s a weekday radio drama set in the fictional farming community of Ambridge. It’s a...

Costa Book of the Year award within grasp for Catherine O’Flynn

Having won the Costa first novel award, Catherine O’Flynn’s What was Lost is now in the running for the Costa Book of the Year award. The winner will be announced later today at a posh do in that London. This morning, BBC Breakfast had a feature on Catherine, who talked about her inspirations which include growing up in Nechells and a fondness for gas towers; and also a chat with her Birmingham-based publisher, Tindal Street Press. Fingers crossed for Catherine for tonight’s award!

Lost wins

Congrats to Cath O’Flynn who has won the Costa first novel award. Yay! What Was Lost, was named winner of the 2007 Costa first novel award after being longlisted but not winning the Booker and the Orange prize and shortlisted for the Guardian’s first book award.

Victorian blogging

James Fitzjames Fraser West, is going to start blogging on livejounral in January, only thing is he’s been dead since 1883. James was a surgeon at Queen’s Hospital (later the Accident Hospital, and now a hall of residence for students at the University), who lived in Edgbaston. His diary gives fascinating insights into daily life in Victorian Birmingham, as well as including plenty of information on Victorian medicine and foreign travel along the way – all written up with keen insight and a wry sense of humour. He even undertook a month’s excursion through France and Italy in March-April 1883, courtesy of Thomas Cook and Son. The serialisation is being undertaken to celebrate the publication of a biography of West: A Victorian Surgeon. A Biography of James Fitzjames Fraser West 1833-83, Birmingham Surgeon (which is descriptive if not exactly a snappy title) It is intended to be a kind of Victorian version of pepysdiary, in that one entry will be blogged every day, complete with annotations providing pictures of the people and places mentioned in the diary, and further information about them.

What was won?

Catherine O’Flynn’s What Was Lost (our review, her companion article for us) is now up for the First Novel Award of the Costa prize (better known as the Whitbread). After missing out on the Booker – and currently fourth in the Brummie of the Year Award – is this the one she’ll win? Linky (via Nick Booth‘s links on FB).

Inside job

In a turnaround that a certain type of local paper (or a very particular type of Hollywood movie) would love Catherine O’Flynn – who’s day job is at the MAC – is a featured guest at the very same place for a Meet the Authors evening tomorrow, with Nicola Monaghan another prizewinning author.

Eddie Fewtrell, has book out titled, as he styles himself, King of Clubs. And he has owed a lot of Brum nightlife over the years… Edward’s No.7, Edward’s No.8, the Paramount pub, Goldwyn’s, Barbarella’s and now Subside – although we were always under the impression that there was more money in the less glamorous world of scrap yards. He was to have a book signing at Waterstones, but it’s been canceled (according to The Stirrer) “following threats to staff”, which has left Eddie annoyed and “devastated” wondering “how they are being held to ransom by anonymous people making phone calls I just can’t understand.”. As far as we know the signing at Borders in Touchcloth is still to go ahead. We’re too scared to say that the affair might be a touch ironic.

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