Other Events
2011 Other Events
Beyond Tutti Frutti - in Conversation with John Byrne
John Byrne - artist, playwright, author - is coming to Dundee to receive his honorary degree, before sitting down for a unique conversation, discussing his life and work with David Graham, MD of Aurum Press.
From the early seventies John Byrne’s biography reflects his diverse talents, as a designer of theatre sets and record covers for Donovan, The Beatles, Gerry Rafferty and Billy Connolly. His first play ‘Writer’s Cramp’ (1977) was followed by ‘ The Slab Boys in’(1978) and won him the Evening Standard’s most promising playwright award. In 1983 there was a New York production of ‘The Slab Boys’ with Sean Penn, Val Kilmer and Kevin Bacon. In 1986 John wrote the immensely successful, six-time BAFTA award-winning television series ‘Tutti Frutti’ starring Robbie Coltrane, Emma Thompson and Richard Wilson. This was followed by another series ‘Your Cheatin’ Heart’ with Tilda Swinton and countless other plays and films to the present day.
His work is held in major collections in Scotland and abroad. Several of his paintings hang in The Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh, the museum of Modern Art and the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow.
In 2001 he was awarded an MBE in the Queen's birthday honours list for services to literature and the theatre but returned it in protest at the British Government's joining forces with the US Administration's invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq
Robert Duck - This Shrinking Land: Climate Change and Britain's Coasts
Book Launch and Lecture: Free!
As climate changes due to global warming and sea levels rise, what is in store for the coasts of our island? Britain is a shrinking land. But is it shrinking everywhere around the edges; is it being uniformly eaten away around its fringes? Are we doing anything about it? Are we doing enough about it? Can we do anything about it? Should we be doing anything more about it than we are doing already? Should we abandon vulnerable towns and villages to the sea as did our forebears and relocate such coastal settlements inland?
These are some of the tricky, thorny and indeed potentially emotive questions that will be explored. Rob is Dean of the School of the Environment and Professor of Environmental Geoscience in the University of Dundee - a geologist with interests in the movement and transport of sediment by water on the surface of the Earth and the impacts these have on our environment. This lecture coincides with the launch of his new book of the same title.
An expert on coasts and estuaries, with over 100 published works to his name, Rob has made a career-long commitment to furthering the public understanding of science, as his book exemplifies.
Shorbread Stories Roadshow
The Shortbread Roadshow is an opportunity for members to meet, discuss work, and learn how to prepare stories for publication. This intensive two day course will be an informal combination of discussion, lecture and workshop, culminating in a finished and edited short story. The course focuses on giving the author tools to write, self-edit and prepare a piece for publication. Bring a short story you want to work on or start from scratch. This Shortbread weekend is open to writers of all levels, styles and genres.
The course will be lead by Rachel Marsh, who has been teaching creative writing in the US and the UK for over ten years. Rachel Marsh has an MLitt in Creative Writing from the University of St Andrews, and is the former editor for New Writing Dundee. She is a published short story author, playwright and she is completing her most recent novel. More on Rachel Marsh can be found at www.marshrachel.wordpress.com.
Robin Pilcher will also be on hand to give a lunch time talk on the first day of the course. Author of short stories, novels and the creator of ShortbreadStories, Robin will discuss the act of writing, the importance of editing, and how he balances the two. This will be an invaluable opportunity to meet and chat with one of Britain’s top authors.
Shortbread (www.shortbreadstories.com) is an online community of short story readers and writers. It's free to join. Joining gives you the ability to read, listen and download stories online, participate in the community and if you're an author, showcase your work and enter short story writing competitions.
The first Shortbread Roadshow will be held in Dundee, but we hope to visit other cities soon.
Contact: Fiona Smith: fiona@shortbreadstories.com
Screening at DCA
Dundee Contemporary Arts will soon be screening the life of Allen Ginsberg and his controversial poem Howl.
Directed by documentary filmmakers Epstein and Friedman (The Celluloid Closet, The Times of Harvey Milk), Howl dramatises Ginsberg’s early life and the poem’s famous obscenity trial through a number of characters played by a who’s who of American indie filmmaking.
It will be showing at Dundee Contemporary Arts from Friday 4 to Thursday 10 March.
There will also be a special screening for those with babies under 12 months old on Thu 10 March, 10:30.
Book Launch and Lecture
Jute No More: Transforming Dundee
Edited by Jim Tomlinson and Christopher A. Whatley
Thursday 10th March 2011
The evening will begin with a lecture in which contributors of the book will share highlights from Jute No More.
For more information e-mail dup@dundee.ac.uk or call (01382) 384413.
SPECIAL BURNS NIGHT OFFER - For A’ That - A Celebration of Burns
The words of Robert Burns have crossed hearts, minds, time and the globe, meaning something different to every one of us. As a very special offer to commemorate Burns Night 2011, Dundee University Press' anthology of original short stories, poems, essays and specially-commissioned artwork celebrating Robert Burns’s contribution to Scottish - and world - culture is only £5.00 for all direct orders.
To order this delightful tribute to Scotland's bard just in time for Burns Night, visit DUP webpage, phone (01382) 384413 or visit us at DUP, 5th Floor, Tower Building, University of Dundee DD1 4HN.
Postage & packaging within the UK is free.
Offer ends 5th February 2011.
Dundee Libraries is proud to offer you best-selling and classic audiobooks, and eBooks available 24/7.
With hundreds of popular fiction and non-fiction titles to choose from, the new collection is guaranteed to have something for everyone. You can download best-selling novels, well-known classics, children's fiction, self-improvement guides, and much more.
This new service is free with your DCC library card. To get started downloading audiobooks, eBooks and more, visit dundeecity.lib.overdrive.com.
