The Decoration of Spring

Spring has arrived! The flowers bud, newborn animals lay in the fields; and the sky transforms from the dark grey snows of winter, to the dull grey constant rain that all other seasons in the British Isles consist of.

So to help evoke the more traditional thoughts of spring, we turn to Capital Collections new online exhibition ‘L’ animal dans la decoration’. Merging bold colours with the use of animals, French Art Nouveau artist Maurice Pillard Verneuil, created a collection of prints which show how animals can inspire design and decoration in items of furniture, papers, tiles and even outdoor items such as railings.

So let Edinburgh Libraries bring spring to you, when the rain (or snow!!) prevents you from getting out and experiencing it for yourself.

The ebook everyone is reading

Join thousands of eBook readers around the world by taking part in the first ever Big Library Read of an eBook!

The Four Corners of the Sky by Michael Malone is available all library members to borrow until 1 June. So get together with your friends and family or your book group for a wild ride full of twists and turns, a story of love, secrets and the mysterious bonds of families.

Log on to Overdrive from the 15th to read your copy. The Four Corners of the Sky will be available to download to your ebook reader, use through an app or with Overdrive Read for reading through your internet browser.

Not signed up for Overdrive use yet? Then email your name, Edinburgh address and library card number to informationdigital@edinburgh.gov.uk and we’ll upgrade you.

 

It’s book award season

Lots of activity on the book awards front over the next few weeks. First up is The Orwell Prize for political writing. The star of our most recent Edinburgh Reads event Richard Holloway is in the running with his memoir Leaving Alexandria. Among the other shortlisted books is Raja Shehadeh’s Occupation Diaries.

It seems that if you’ve written a book on sport over the past year you’d be doing well not to be among the runners and riders for The British Sports Book Awards, given the bewildering number of categories and shortlists. Among the more predictable nominees (Clare Balding, Bradley Wiggins) is ex-Chumbawamba band member and keen fell-runner Boff Whalley.

Members of McDonald Road Library’s “Found in Translation” Book Group have been reading through the nominees for the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize, awarded annually to the best work of foreign fiction in translation. The group meets regularly to discuss contemporary translated fiction and is one of a number of specialist book groups we support.

Finally, going up against the all-conquering Hilary Mantel is a formidable task, but Kate Atkinson’s army of fans will be rooting for ‘Life after life’ to triumph in the Women’s Prize for Fiction (formerly the Orange Prize). Kate came to Central Library to talk about the book back in March and it’s been heavily in demand ever since (over 100 reservations at the time of writing!)

Those shortlists in full:

Orwell Prize

The British Sports Book Awards

Independent Foreign Fiction Prize

Women’s Prize for Fiction

Richard Holloway at Edinburgh Central Library

At the end of each of our Edinburgh Reads author events we ask the audience to fill in feedback forms telling us what they thought of the evening.

At last week’s event with Richard Holloway the same words kept coming up: candour, candid, openness, honesty.

People were also struck by Richard’s relaxed style, his sense of humour and thoughtfulness; but it was our speaker’s frankness that seemed to make the biggest impression.

For those of you who missed out, here is a special extended video of the author of Leaving Alexandria talking about his life, his faith and his struggles. Emotional, provocative, and yes, candid.

Help us put Scotland’s women on the map

Catherine Sinclair Monument

The Women of Scotland web site was set up with the intent of locating and mapping memorials to women throughout our country. The site includes a map of over 300 memorials to women who have had some influence on life in Scotland. And what a diverse list it is, including everyone from Flora MacDonald to Anne Frank to Linda McCartney – even Minnie the Minx is in there!

The project relies on volunteers using their local knowledge to track down memorials to add to the list. Interested in getting involved?

Come along to a special training session at Central Library on Wednesday 15th May from 1.30 – 3.30pm where experts from the Glasgow Women’s Library will introduce you to some of the women already featured on the site and also get you started in logging any memorials you know of in your locality.

Book online to register for the session. We look forward to seeing you there!

Mark Douglas-Home at Corstorphine Library

“A classic whodunnit” Allan Massie in The Scotsman

An “always gripping and entertaining mystery” Alan Taylor in The Herald

Going by the reviews Mark Douglas-Home has picked up where he left off with ‘The woman who walked into the sea‘; the sequel to his debut novel ‘The Sea Detective’ featuring crime solving oceanographer Cal McGill.

Mark has very kindly agreed to join us at Corstorphine Library next Wednesday (15th May) at 6.30pm to read from and talk about his new book.

If you’d like to attend please give Corstorphine a call on 0131 529 5506 or email corstorphine.library@edinburgh.gov.uk

 

Long Exposures by Lorenzo Dalberto

This month we are delighted to host an exhibition of photographs by Lorenzo Dalberto.You can see more of Lorenzo’s work up close in the Fine Art Library until 31st May.