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The pick of the best books / films / writers of 2007 from this site's regular contributors and other guests
Best Book - ‘No One Belongs Here More Than You' by Miranda July
Best Film - ‘The Lives of Others'
Best TV Programme - Californication
Best Album - 'Children Running Through' - Patty Griffin
Best Gig - Siouxsie Sioux at the Roundhouse, London
© Melissa Mann
Reproduced with permission
Best Book - To my shame I haven't read anything published this year. I wanted to read 'Last Stop Salina Cruz' but have been preoccupied with 'The Russians'. My book of the year is 'Heart of a Dog' by Mikhail Bulgakov.
Best Film - The documentary 'Rock my Religion' by Dan Graham, as part of The Barbican's Punk Cinema season was just as good the second time around. Especially when the audience roared with laughter at Jim Morrison. Apart from that 'The Lives of Others' was incredible, and is the best film I have seen in a long time.
Best TV Programme - As always. 'The Sopranos'. No contest.
Best Writer - Ben Myers and his Missing Kidney
Best Album - 'White Chalk' by PJ Harvey.
Best Gig - British Sea Power at The Amersham Arms.
Best Literary Magazine - Paris Bitter Hearts Pit.
Best Writing Website - 3am
Best Publisher - Social Disease
Best www.laurahird.com Showcase Fiction Writer - I can't choose. It's between Zsolti Alapi, Joe Ridgwell, Mark Colbourne, Mark Safranko and Steve Ely - I enjoyed all of their stories and think they all deserve a big box of chocolates.
Best www.laurahird.com Showcase Poet - Tony O'Neill and Rob Plath have both had excellent poems on Laura Hird.
Who/what to look out for in 2008 - Ford Dagenham. He's the British Bukowski from Basildon with unique style, themes and inspiration. Definitely my top tip for 2008.
Moment of 2007 - Eating a banana on the top of Silbury Hill - not realising that I could have sank 300ft into a burial tomb if I put a foot out of place.
Person of 2007 - Gilly Singh Mundy (1971-2007) - Freedom fighter, activist, campaigner, revolutionary, man of the people.
2006 in 12 Words - Enlightening - Surprising - Arty - Peaceful - Poverty - Graveyards - Ramshackle - Apiary - Exploration - Fulfilled.
© Adelle Stripe
Reproduced with permission
Best Book - 'The Damned Utd' by David Peace. While reading it I was Brian Clough for 3 days. Brilliant stuff. I also really enjoyed 'Redemption Falls' by Joseph O'Connor, Ewan Morrison's 'Swung', Cormac McCarthy's 'The Road' and Laura's 'Hope and Other Stories.'
Best Film - Unfortunately I didn't see too many. '300' was silly and over the top but very enjoyable, especially Gerard Butler yelling "this is Sparrrrtaaaa" in a Paisley accent. 'American Gangster' was beautiful to look at but the story was a little baggy in places.
Best TV Programme - 'The Office' (US). The UK version was my favourite comedy show of all time, but the American version has now bettered it in my estimation. Series 2 and 3 were absolutely brilliant. The "70% of attacks come from behind" scene with Dwight and Jim has to be one of the funniest moments in TV history.
Best Writer - Alasdair Gray, for still going strong.
Best Album - 'I'm Not There' - Official Sound Track; 'A Brighter Beat'- Malcolm Middleton; 'Boys and Girls in America' - The Hold Steady
Best Gig - I only went to one, Frank Black in Paradiso Amsterdam. Last time I saw him he was going country, this time it was full on heavy metal.
Best Literary Magazine - : Amsterdam's very own 'Versal'.
Best Writing Website - laurahird.com
Best Publisher - Canongate
Best www.laurahird.com Showcase Fiction Writer - Robert Ewing
Best www.laurahird.com Showcase Poet - Tony O'Neill
Best www.laurahird.com Reviewer - Peter Murphy
Who/what to look out for in 2008 - : Two writers who are evangelical about publishing their brilliant fiction online- Sean Murray and Steven Augustine.
Moment of 2007 - Visiting my Great Uncle Wullie's grave in Singapore's war cemetery. He was one of my heroes growing up and it was very emotional to finally get a chance to pay my respects.
Person of 2007 - James McFadden, for that goal.
2006 in 12 Words - Carbon Footprint, China, Smeaton, YouTube, Superfood, Sarkozy, Facebook, Blackwater, Obama.
© Neil Cocker
Reproduced with permission
Best Book - 'Matters of Life and Death', by Bernard MacLaverty
Best Film - 'Hallam Foe'
Best Writer - Laura Hird
Best Album - 'Hallam Foe' soundtrack
Best Writing Website - laurahird.com
Best Publisher - Two Ravens Press
Person of 2007 - Roger Hutchinson, because he made me laugh a lot.
2006 in 12 Words - A roller coaster year.
© Cynthia Rogerson
Reproduced with permission
Best Book - 'Rant' by Chuck Palahniuk. The best novel I have read in years and years... a fake biography done in the style of a documentary, mixed with a kind of whodunnit. That doesn't really do it justice though. One of the best writers alive, I think. Really brave, and weird, and ambitious, and unique.
Best Film - 'Control', by a mile. I don't even like Joy Division, but that didn't matter when I was watching the film. Brilliant direction by Anton Corbijn. And Samantha Morton is one of very few truly great actresses around.
Best TV Programme - I liked 'The Blair Years'. That look in Blair's eyes at the end of the documentary, when he considers his legacy...priceless. He knows he fucked up in Iraq. Deep down, he knows.
Best Writer - Norman Mailer will be missed. Writers should be angry. Great ones always are.
Best Album - 'Boxer', by The National: beautiful, subtle, perfect sad music. My favourite band. Does the new Radiohead album count yet? In Rainbows is pretty special.
Best Gig - Regina Spektor at Connect Festival. Sun going down. In front of a rich man's castle. In the mud. Listening to that voice sing the first song on her own, no music.
Best Literary Magazine - The Drouth
Best Writing Website - Oh, Laura Hird of course.
Best Publisher - Canongate again
Who/what to look out for in 2008 - The same old shit.
Moment of 2007 - Man United winning the league south of the border...after Mr Abramovich, I really thought I'd not see it again.
Person of 2007 - Damilola Ajagbonna, an articulate, generous, inspiring young man from London, a model citizen who the British government are currently trying to kick out of the country for no reason at all.
2006 in 12 Words - 365 days of happiness and sadness and everything in between....
© Rodge Glass
Reproduced with permission
Best Book - 'April In The Moon-Sun' - Gary Cummiskey
Best Film - 'The Devil And Daniel Johnston'
Best TV Programme - As always. 'The Sopranos'. No contest.
Best Writer - E. M. Cioran
Best Album - Michael Gira - 'Angels Of The Light'
Best Gig - Zim Ngqawana at the Ziimology Institute
Who/what to look out for in 2008 - TIK
Person of 2007 - My daughter
2006 in 12 Words - got mugged got married having a baby need more money
© Aryan Kaganof
Reproduced with permission
Best Book - 'Scotland’s Books: The Penguin History of Scottish Literature'. – I saw author Robert Crawford at the Wigtown Book Festival and he sold me the whole deal.
Best Film - : Believe it or not I have failed to make my way to the nearest cinema at any time this year, but the two films on my Christmas list are; Gaelic film shunned by BAFTA, 'Seachd' and Icelandic film 'Heima'
Best TV Programme - Sorry to be predictable but for sheer tension it must be 'To Hell and Back', the account of climber Dave Macloed’s first accent of a death climb in the Cairngorms crag Hell’s Lum
Best Writer - Tawona Sithole, a young performance poet and the man behind the Urban Poetry group ‘Seeds Of Thought’
Best Album - KT Tunstall ‘Drastic, Fantastic’
Best Gig - Louis de Berniere and the Antonius Players at the Wigotwn Book Festival. Louis’ Mandolin playing leaves a lot to be desired, but the whole event was great fun. Also, National Theatre of Scotland’s production of Venus as a Boy. Tam Dean Burn’s performance was mesmerizing.
Best Literary Magazine - Room and Granta
Best Writing Website - laurahird.com (of course)
Best Publisher - Penguin, because Judy Moir was so encouraging when I phoned her to enquire about submission guidelines and also because they consistently churn out class books
Best www.laurahird.com Showcase Fiction Writer - 'Floater', by Melissa Mann - great voice
Best www.laurahird.com Showcase Poet - Marc Pietrzykowski
Who/what to look out for in 2008 - The growth of the Federation of Writer’s in Scotland.
Moment of 2007 - Sitting on a beach in Islay.
Person of 2007 - Still my husband Colin.
2006 in 12 Words - hard work, novel completion, numerous rejections, Hope and Joy.
© Moira McPartlin
Reproduced with permission
Best Film - 'Pan's Labyrinth'
Best Literary Magazine - Dublin Quarterly
Best Album - The National - Boxer
Moment of 2007 - The Democratic Race in US.
Person of 2007 - Ron Paul or Dennis Kucinich.
2006 in 12 Words - Enlightening - Surprising - Arty - Peaceful - No Idea What To Do or Everything Blows Up.
© Chris Davis
Reproduced with permission
Best Book - Haven't read many new books hot off the presses but I'd go for a bilingual (English-Galician) edition of poetry called 'Little Theatres/Teatriños' by Canadian poet Erín Moure and also 'Nocilla Dream' by Austín Fernández Mallo. Not because he comes from the city where I live (A Coruña) but because I relate to some of his ideas about the modern novel and the role of popular culture - if not his deep understanding of scientific matters.
Best Film - Can't think of a good new film I've seen this year. Due in part to being disillusioned with commercial cinema and because I refuse to watch dubbed films. I want to see 'Control' and the last David Lynch film.
Best TV Programme - 'Saxondale'
Best Writer - Lots of good writing around but no single individual stands out.
Best Album - Grinderman although Amy Winehouse isn't far behind. The great John Fogerty deserves a mention too.
Best Gig - The only two gigs I can recall seeing were the Happy Mondays (well, it was free) and a Neil Young tribute band. (I don't get out much.) There wasn't a lot in it but I'd plump for the latter as they looked like they were enjoying themselves more.
Best Literary Magazine - Haven't read many in traditional format but there is an ever increasing number online that have their merits.
Best Writing Website - Don't want to crawl so I won't mention this one. Generally, I prefer websites that combine literature with other stuff. Two that I like very much are Three Monkeys Online and Guernica.
Best Publisher - It's DC Thomson every time for me.
© Steven Porter
Reproduced with permission
Best Book - - 'After Dark' by Haruki Murakami, not his best but an nice short novel which revisits Murakami's preoccupation with isolation and the general randomness of modern life.
Best Film - 'Control' excellent biopic about Ian Curtis from Anton Corbijn with another great performance from Toby Kebbel as the mercurial Rob Gretton
Best Writer - I've been consistently impressed by everything I've read by Simon Friel
Best Album - Tough. In a year where I have more or less shunned new music but I will have to say as a huge mark for Blur and the Clash that my favourite album this year has been The Good, the Bad & the Queen's self titled debut which stands up well alongside 'Modern Life is Rubbish and 'London's Calling'.
Best Gig - Brand New's Reading Festival set. It was a hauntingly intimate performance in a crammed tent full of a few thousand people. I had fire in my eyes, warm Fosters in my bladder and the hairs were standing erect on the back of my neck. Wow.
Best Literary Magazine - Paris Bitter Hearts Pit.
Best Writing Website - White Chimney, I think Chishimba Chisala is on to something good there.
Best Publisher - Winamop is a decent read
Who/what to look out for in 2008 - Musicians will put the final nail in the coffin of the record industry as a nu - DIY revolution goes into full flight
Moment of 2007 - Steve Mclaren standing pathetically with his umbrella on the Wembley touchline
Person of 2007 - David Cameron who became the best of a bad bunch
2006 in 12 Words - A year with an awful lot happening in the last three months
© Richard Wink
Reproduced with permission
Best Book - 'Dear Laura: Letters from a Mother to her Daughter', by Laura Hird and June Hird; 'Lounge Lizard', by Mark SaFranko (very different books, but both great for very different reasons)
Best Film - 'Eastern Promises'
Best TV Programme - Weeds
Best Writer - Mark SaFranko
Best Album - Bruce Springsteen’s 'Magic'
Best Gig - Launch of Writing at the Edge in Montreal (Sept. 1, 2007)
Best Literary Magazine - The Savage Kick
Best Writing Website - Laura Hird's showcase
Best Publisher - Murder Slim Press, Canongate
Best www.laurahird.com Showcase Fiction Writer - Lee Rourke
Best www.laurahird.com Showcase Poet - Tony O'Neill
Who/what to look out for in 2008 - Tony O'Neill
Moment of 2007 - The long awaited publication of Mark SaFranko’s 'Lounge Lizard', sequel to 'Hating Olivia'
Person of 2007 - Heidi James and Social Disease Press
2006 in 12 Words - “A book is a suicide postponed,” -Cioran
© Zsolt Alapi
Reproduced with permission
RICHY CROSS
Best Book - Khaled Hosseini - 'The Kite Runner'. I know it is older, but I got an updated edition this year and loved it so much, I read it twice. Beautifully written book, haven't read anything as good all year.
Best Film - 'The Lives of Others' - just brilliant. No other words to describe it.
Best TV Programme - The 'Extras' - Christmas show. Bitter-sweet, cringe-worthy, poignant... everything was there. Top notch performances in a refreshing show. It's a shame that it'll not be on our screens again.
Best Writer - Not sure - far too difficult. It would be great if Charlie Brooker won, but I think Ian McEwan might.
Best Album - 'Back to Black' - Amy Winehouse. Wasn't sure how to take her at first. You can't fault her music, even if she is annoying as a public figure. Shame it puts people off listening to her.
Best Gig - Sex Pistols, Brixton Academy. It formed part of a brilliant weekend. One of the only bands left I hadn't seen live. Flawless performance from a band who 'can't play or sing'.
Best Writing Website - I only read Laura's from time to time. Pulp.net is good and BBC Writers room.
Best Publisher - Tonto Press in Newcastle. Been following them for a while although haven't read everything they've put out, I think they are doing a hell of a lot for writing and for their home town.
Who/what to look out for in 2008 - Hate to sound biased as I know them, but Tonto Press (Tonto Books as of January 2008) are really making waves. I think that they show a lot of courage and are flying the flag for the independents.
Moment of 2007 - Turning veggie!
Person of 2007 - Chrissie Glazebrook
2006 in 12 Words - Up and down, but can only get better. I think.
© Richy Cross
Reproduced with permission
Best Book - 'The Yage Letters Redux' by William S Burroughs
Best Film - 'Hated' (GG Allin doc DVD rerelease).
Best TV Programme - : 'The Soup' with Joel 'Sarcy Vicious Bastirt' McHale. Smash all that dumbrain televisual garbage up, Joel boy!
Best Writer - Nobody in particular; Eugene Hutz of Gogol Bordello.
Best Album - 'Super Taranta' by Gogol Bordello - NO FUCKING CONTEST.
Best Gig - The Dwarves in January, where one punch in the balls from me, and one kick to my head from singer Blag Dahlia, ended a six-year correspondence with that children's entertainer.
Best Literary Magazine - No Idea
Best Writing Website - www.realitystudio.org
Best www.laurahird.com Showcase Fiction Writer - Gordon Legge
Who/what to look out for in 2008 - 'Paint A Vulgar Picture,' the Smiths-songs-based short story anthology edited by Peter Wild.
Moment of 2007 - The birth of my beautiful amazing heartbreaker daughter Fiona Leah Rae in July.
Person of 2007 - My wife Ellen for the above-mentioned incredible lifechanger gift she gave me.
2006 in 12 Words - My daughter was born healthy and happy and that's all.
© Graham Rae
Reproduced with permission
Best Book - 'Writing At the Edge' edited and passionately brought to life by my hero, Zsolt Alapi, Cynthia Rogerson’s ‘Love Letters from My Death-Bed,’ Kate Holden's 'In My Skin,' Kevin Williamson’s long-awaited poetry collection, ‘In a Room Darkened,’ and Michael Palin’s ‘Diaries 1969 – 1979: The Python Years’ which made an excellent travelling companion over the Autumn. Oh, and ‘Maw Broon’s Cookbook’ was a real trip down memory lane and made choosing Xmas presents this year very easy. Oh, and Mary Gaitskill's 'Bad Behaviour.' Only discovered Gaitskill this year after a journalist asked me if I was influenced by her and I became intrigued. What a revelation!!!
Best Film - Got to be 'The Lives of Others.' not only film of the year but one of the finest films I've ever seen. Also enjoyed 'Shortbus,' 'Shut Up and Sing,' 'The Blooming of Maximo Oliveros,' 'Away from Her,' 'Venus' and 'Little Children.'
Best TV Programme - The year I discovered 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' and have subsequently been watching the first 5 series of dvd ever since. Seen a couple of series 6 though and a bit disappointed so far I'm sad to say. Also Stephen Fry's 'The Secret Life of a Manic Depressive,' 'Extras' Xmas and 2nd series, 'Wife Swap,' and, for my sins 'Deal or No Deal'
Writer of 2007 - Geetanjali Shree
Best Album - Have to say, 'Ballads of the Book,' even though I was involved with it myself. I've not looked forward to hearing an album so much for years. Really loved the fusion of Scottish writers and songwriters. A totally unique project that I can't believe no-one thought of years ago. Good on Chemikal Underground for being the ones to do so. And a soft spot for The White Stipes, 'Icky Thump' which I played to death (it was the only cd I had with me) during an idyllic 3 month residency at Cove Park last summer.
Best Gig - Ballads of the Book night at Crossing Borders, The Hague. Plus the quite astounding LaXula at the same festival. Ditto breakfast with Patti Smith!
Best Literary Magazine - The Stinging Fly
Best Writing Website - 3am, Barcelona Review with special mention to Kevin Williamson's blog, The Scottish Patient (writing, politics, life....)
Best Publisher - Siren Song, Canongate, Tonto Press, Two Ravens Press, Social Disease, London Books....
Best www.laurahird.com Showcase Fiction Writer - I've loved everyone I've published this year but was particularly chuffed to be the lucky one to publish Gordon Legge's first piece of new writing in a long time.
Best www.laurahird.com Showcase Poet - Again, I published all of them because I liked them. Special mention for Steve Ely's amazing prose poems though.
Who/what to look out for in 2008 - Emer Martin plus Stephen Shieber's debut short story collection which Tonto will be publishing later in the year.
Moment of 2007 - The 'Dear Laura' event at the Edinburgh Book Festival
Person of 2007 - Chrissie Glazebrook, my brave, lovely friend. I miss you loads.
2006 in 12 Words - Dear Laura, Cove Park, Arvon, Ballads of the Book, Chrissie Glazebrook.
© Laura Hird
Reproduced with permission
© 2008 Laura Hird All rights reserved.
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