Originally posted on the Britsh Art Show 9 Website
Throughout BAS9, Abigail Reynolds has been developing a regular reading hour held at local libraries in each city of the tour called Elliptical Reading, where each reader shares short sections from their favourite book creating an unruly text or word collage over time. In Aberdeen, Elliptical Reading took place at Aberdeen Central Library.
Below are bookmarks created by each reader, explaining their book choice.
Doug Cameron …………………………………… The Mont Blanc Massif by Gaston Rebuffat (2002)
“As a young climber growing up exploring Scottish routes, I never got to climb on Mont Blanc, but I was impressed by the Alpinists. I have shelved this inspirational book containing such beautiful photographs and descriptions in Art, to reflect the art and grace of mountaineering.”
Noon Salah Eldin …………………………………… The Butterfly’s Burden by Mahmoud Darwish (2003)
“I chose this book as its poetically political. Mahmoud was a human rights activist. I find him an inspiration to my poetry work…as my poetry is both political and full of activism. Darwish’s poems are poems of beauty, loss, hope, love, nostalgia, and longing for Palestine. My writings speak about, love, longing, women/human rights and finding oneself away from home as an immigrant. I have always found his writings full of images that makes it easy to feel and live the stories with every poem written.”
Annie Reid …………………………………… Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (1847)
translated into Doric as Jean Eyre by Sheena Blackhall and Sheila Templeton (2012)
“A pucklie year syne, ah hae daen a scrievin course an fun oot that ma hale life ah hid bin uisin Doric/Scots in ma heid but English tae communicate. Spikkin in Scots/Doric his bin discouraged fer generations as nae bein ‘proper’, it noo it’s getting a wee bit mair exposure. Ah hae left ‘Jean Eyre’ in amun Literature Learnin sae fowk can see it’s a braw leid fer aa literature.”
Eleanor Campbell …………………………………… Up the Line to Death: The War Poets 1914-1918 (1964)
“Charles Sorley is, I think, an under -appreciated poet. He was born here in Aberdeen and was killed aged 20, he doesn’t even have a grave of his own. We’re a similar age and I think his poems deserve some serious merit. I want more people to remember him. I shelved the poems in “Local Interest” because he was born here and I don’t want him overshadowed in the “Poetry” section.”
Halina Ficon …………………………………… Dzieci z Bullerbyn (The Six Bullerby Children) by Astrid Lindgren (1947)
“I was a single child so I loved hearing about this gang of children living in a small village. Childhood looks different today; it’s no longer ordinary to be so freely socialising in the natural environment. I have shelved it in Psychology under 158 ‘Happiness’.”
James Tocher …………………………………… Sunset Song by Lewis Grassic Gibbon (1932)
“Sunset Song is the classic Aberdeenshire story. As a farmer, it spoke to me at my level of understanding and the subject is the land. I have shelved it in ‘Life Science’ because the book is a study living organisms, their relationships to each other and their environment.”
Dallas King …………………………………… American Psycho Bret Easton Ellis (1991)
“I am a huge horror film fan and this is a horror story where the humour and social commentary cut as deep as the acts of extreme violence. I have shelved it in the Business section because Patrick Bateman has a similar mindset to how he deals with “murders and executions” as he does “mergers and acquisitions.”
Margaret Forbes …………………………………… Joseph Knight by James Robertson (2003)
“I read this book a few years ago and it stayed with me. For me it resonates with the whole BLM movement following George Floyd’s death. I have shelved it in American History although the story is set in Scotland, because our histories are all intertwined.’
Svetlana Panova …………………………………… The Carrier Bag Theory of Fiction by Ursula K. Le Guin (1986)
“This essay offers an alternative origin story. One that is shaped around generosity, kindness and non-violence. I love that! It makes you think about the act of holding and its significance for the individual and the community. I found the surrounding two books next to each other and I knew it had to fit between them. If you read it, you’ll know exactly what I mean.”
