Literature Festival

[Draken]

Durham has a literary festival every year, but I've never bothered getting involved in the past.

This year though there's a reading of the entire Beowulf legend AND a chance to meet my favourite author, Iain Banks. So I've bought my tickets already!

Anyone else go to this sort of thing? What are they like? This will be my first.

[Draken]

Well the reading of Beowulf was fantastic. The setting (a medieval hall) helped! Actually it wasn't a reading, the guy knew it all off by heart. Was the Seamus Heiney translation, which I'll have to look out for.

[BeardofPants]

Oh wow.... I'm so jealous... Just finished reading Beowulf myself... what a treasure it must have been to have someone recite it (which is the way it is meant to be absorbed).

[The Gaffer]

Did you get to meet the inestimable Mr Banks? Do you prefer him with or without the "M"?

[Draken]

Mr Banks is on the 19th - it's quite a long-running event.

Well I like both his 'mainstream' and sci-fi stuff, but as 'Use of Weapons' is my all time favourite I guess I'll go for the M. His last non-M novel was frankly a disappointment. I haven't read his new M story as I want to buy it and get it signed on the night, so I'll suspend judgement till then.

[The Gaffer]

Do you mean "Dead Air"? If so, agreed. I'm a bit out of date on his latest stuff. Use of Weapons is tremendous; plot twist to end all plot twists. I think my favourites of his is the non-M "Crow Road".

You've reminded me that I've still not read Walking on Glass or The Bridge. * runs off to the library *

[Draken]

Yep and before that A Song of Stone wasn't great.

Walking on Glass and The Bridge are great, the latter features the famous Scottish Barbarian!

[Draken]

Oh wow.... I'm so jealous... Just finished reading Beowulf myself... what a treasure it must have been to have someone recite it (which is the way it is meant to be absorbed).

Yep, it was pretty damn memorable. Plus the setting was wonderful: it fitted in perfectly with Hrothgar's feasting hall, and you could just picture Grendl's severed arm hanging from one of the beams...

[Earniel]

Well the reading of Beowulf was fantastic. The setting (a medieval hall) helped! Actually it wasn't a reading, the guy knew it all off by heart. Was the Seamus Heiney translation, which I'll have to look out for.
Ah, what I wouldn't give for such a festival in my neighbour hood!

I have the Seamus Heiney translation BTW, do look out for it, it's perfect for making you picture the story in your mind.

[Draken]

Well I finally met Mr Banks! Was a very entertaining hour and a half. He read a bit of "The Algebraist", had a discussion with a local author hosting the evening then took questions from the audience. I got to ask mine!

Said he's working to a one book per 18 months schedule now, alternating mainstream with sci-fi. His next one will be mainstream but the one after will be sci-fi and is "99% certain" to be a Culture novel, as he has the beginning planned out already. Reaffirmed his insistence that none of his books will be continued as he has an extreme hatred of trilogies!

Afterwards bought "The Algebraist" and got him to sign it, along with my well-travelled copy of "Use of Weapons". Told him to keep up the good work, wished him well and walked home happy!