Emeli Sande wins the Brits Critics' Choice award 2012

I saw Emeli Sande gig at the Oran Mor Glasgow for her first EP launch in December 2006. I saw her again four years later at King Tuts in 2010. She has had a busy time since then!  In 2011 she has had The Mobos and her debut single Heaven reached No 2 in the UK charts. Her album, Our Version of Events, will be released early in 2012. Emeli spoke of how wonderful the past year has been for her and of her present number one song with Professor Green titled 'Read all about It.

Her music is rocky and the edge of our joys and sorrows - soul with a questioning edge. I had a chat with Emeli backstage at King Tuts December 2010, where she kindly sigend prints for me, and she said her music was influenced by the likes of Portishead, Massive Attack and Joni Mitchell. I am now excited for her album and I expect it to be a smash success!  Emeli attended Glasgow medical school and after obtaining a medical degree in Neuroscience, she decided to focus on her music.  http://www.emelisande.com/

NEWs Dec 2011 - Emeli Sande wins the Brits Critics' Choice award", which rewards up-and-coming talent. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts

Alan Bissett Edinburgh International Book Festival 2011

Alan Bissett is an author and playwright. Alan Bissett’s Pack Men is surely the first novel to be written about the Manchester riots at the 2008 UEFA Cup Final, as old friends gather up to face the unfolding violence and their own personal tensions.  After the publication of his first two novels, Boyracers and The Incredible Adam Spark, he became known for his different take on Scots dialect writing, suffused with popular culture references and socialist politics.  Bissett used to lecture in at the University of Leeds.

Bidisha Edinburgh International Book Festival 2011

Bidisha interviewed the author Sapphire on her new book "The Kid" her follow up to Oscar-winning "Precious".  Bidisha is a feminist, critic, broadcaster and writer. She began writing professionally for arts magazines such as i-D, Dazed and Confused and the NME at the age of 15 and published her first novel at 18. Bidisha is also a radio and TV arts critic and presenter.  She was a regular guest on BBC Two's Newsnight Review. She has written for The Guardian, Financial Times, The Observer, and the arts magazine The List.

Karin Altenberg Edinburgh International Book Festival 2011

Copyright Pauline Keightley
Karin Altenberg gave a talk at the Edinburgh International Book Festival 2011.  She is originally from Sweden and moved to Britain to study in 1996. She holds a PhD in Archaeology from the University of Reading. Her thesis, which was published in 2001, won the Nordenstedska Foundation Award. She is currently senior advisor to the Swedish National Heritage Board and is a Fellow of the Linnean Society of London. Her 'powerfully imagined debut' novel (Independent), Island of Wings, is a rich and vivid account of the harsh realities of life on a remote Scottish Island in the 1830s.

Alex Salmond Edinburgh International Book Festival 2011

It was a thrill for me as a lifelong supporter of Scottish Independance to shake hands with Big Al and take his photo! 
Alex Salmond MSP is a Scottish politician and First Minister of Scotland. He became Scotland's fourth First Minister in May 2007. He is the Leader of the Scottish National party (SNP), having served as Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for Gordon. Salmond was re-elected SNP leader in 2004.  In 2006 he stood for the 2007 Scottish Parliament in which the SNP emerged as the largest single party. Salmond was voted First Minister by the Scottish Parliament on 16 May 2007. 

Neil Gaiman Edinburgh International Book Festival 2011

--> --> Neil Gaiman is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, and films. Including the comic book series The Sandman.  Gaiman's writing has many awards, including Hugo, Nebula, Bram Stoker, Newberry meal and 2010 Carnegie Medal in Literature. He gave a talk at the Einburgh Book Festival 2011.

John Byrne Edinburgh International Book Festival 2011

Byrne was certainly a character! 

John Byrne was born in Paisley and attended Glasgow School of Art. He is a Scottish playwright and artist.  Byrne is best known as the writer of  Tutti Frutti, a 1987 television series starring Robbie Coltrane, Emma Thompson and Richard Wilson, which he later turned into a play. He also wrote the six-part series Your Cheatin' Heart in 1990.  From 1964 until 1966 he designed jackets for Penquin Books. Byrne has also designed record covers for The Humblebums with Gerry Rafferty and Billy Connelly, Donavan, and the Beatles.  His work is held in major collections in Scotland and abroad. Several of his paintings hang in The  Scottish National Portrait Gallery.

John Hartson Edinburgh International Book festival 2011

 
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I was impressed with footballer John Hartson's during his photo shoot in Edinburgh. 
John Hartson gave a talk at the Edinburgh International Book festival 2011 on his memoirs and discussed his story with broadcaster Stuart Cosgrove. He is a former Welsh international footballer who played as a striker, best known for his spells with West Ham and Celtic. Hartson also featured prominently for Wales, earning 51 caps until his international retirement in 2006. He retired from professional football after being released by West Bromwich Albion in January 2008, ending a career also spent at Luton town, Arsenal, Wimbledon, Coventry City and Norwich City. In July 2009 Hartson received chemotherapy after being diagnosed with testicular cancer which had spread to his brain. It was later reported the cancer had spread to his lungs and that he remained in a "critical condition" following emergency surgery. The treatment was successful and by December of that year it was reported that the cancer had been virtually eradicated from Hartson's body although he would have more surgery and treatment to come.

Leo

--> LEO performed by Tobias Wegner and directed by Daniel Briere, has won the Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award, and will receive a full NYC production at Theatre Row in January. The award is the Edinburgh Festival Fringe's highest honour, and was presented at the festival's closing ceremonies on August 26.
The production is from the acclaimed German company Circle of Eleven, and considers what happens if the laws of gravity suddenly change. Leo combines stage design and video projections, to create an unexpected environment in which our hero is forced to adapt to this surprising situation. The Carol Tambor Theatrical Foundation was established to bring excellent dramatic work to the New York audience by funding the New York run. The mission to support artists in their desire to be seen and produced is carried out with no financial or commercial involvement in their future success. 

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Edinburgh

A few Edinburgh scenes, my hometown. I now live north of Glasgow.

Edinburgh Festival 2011

This is the Big Event for me each summer. Millions descend on Edinburgh and this is one of the oldest and biggest world festivals, started after world war. I have less time on the High street and at the shows, and I now spend most of my time there at the Book Festival Charlotte Square.   
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2,500 shows at 250 venues over 3 to 4 weeks, over one million visitors.  

What makes some few people charismatic in photographs?

When actors go for screen shots some 'jump out' on the screen and simply hold your attention.  Good examples are Robert Redford, George Clooney, Tom Cruise, Audrey Hepburn, Julia Roberts, and Grace Kelly. 

I noticed when taking photos of the Gathering march by hundreds up the high street in Edinburgh a few years back, that some people 'respond' to the camera - they have an energy and fun about them. Some simply smile quietly and others simply walk past and are 'wooden'  - perhaps they are fearful of the camera as if they feel it may steal their souls?).

For me the camera captures a moment in time and I hope says something about the people in the image. I often take music - and these images are also about the shared love of music.

Grace Kelly  -

'All photogenic people have square faces [Grace's] mouth, the tip of her nose, her nostrils - all are extremely sensitive. Their beauty is effective, against the ragged background of the square face' In his book. In his book 'The Face of the World' photography Cecil Beaton explained why the camera was insane for Grace Kelly. 

Robert Richardson theatre director on Grace Kelly. 

'When you looked at that picture, you were not looking at her. You were looking at the illusion of her. The camera was insane about her - just like I was. When I looked at that photograph I knew that her future would have to be in pictures.'

Glasgow Westend Festival Kelvingrove