I‘m delighted to join so many hardworking and inspiring figures from across publishing on this list. The Bookseller is the Bible for the book industry and it’s great to see so many established and emerging talents recognised for the work they put in and the love they give.
Read MoreYou Will Be Safe Here has been named one of the Books of 2019
Read MoreI love a good story where I also learn something new. And Damian Barr’s historical novel – partly set during the Second Boer War in southern Africa – checks all the boxes. Barr deftly points out how the British scorched-earth policies and development of concentration camps helped inspire the atrocities of Nazi Germany – as well as laid the groundwork for apartheid in South Africa. At times, this book felt like two completely different stories – it’s set in 1900, and also in 2010 at an apparent gay conversion therapy camp. But stick with it and you’ll see how it’s all related.
— Kirk Siegler, correspondent, National Desk
Read MoreThank you from Sarah and Fred and Willem and Victor and me.
Thank you Jojo Moyes and Tayari Jones for choosing You Will Be Safe Here as one of your books of the year.
Read MoreFrom April this year The National Library of Scotland have been producing a programme of online content, public events, and physical displays under the title of Back to the future: 1979-1989. Damian was invited to write a piece for this retrospective. In his short essay, 'Testing Times', Damian looks back at his experience of going for his first HIV test in the 1980s.
Click HERE to read 'Testing Times'.
Read MoreDamian spoke to Barry Didcock at The Herald about The Big Scottish Book Club, the resurgence of the printed word and indie bookshops.
Read MoreThe paperback cover for You Will Be Safe Here has been revealed and you can now pre-order your copy! youwillbesafehere.shortstack.com/kw8p0
Damian Barr’s debut novel, You Will Be Safe Here, uncovers a hidden colonial history in South Africa and tackles present-day darkness - it was a BBC Radio 4 Book at Bedtime and has been shortlisted for the Saltire Fiction Book of the Year 2019.
The Big Scottish Book Club
Sunday 10th November, 10pm
BBC Scotland
If watching in Scotland: Sky 115, Virgin Media 108, Freeview 108/YouView 9 (SD), and Freesat.
If watching outside of Scotland, but inside the UK:
Sky 457 (HD & SD; HD receivers will also have SD on 876)
Freesat: 108 (HD & SD; HD receivers will also have SD on 174)
Virgin Media: 162 (HD)
Damian is hosting The Big Scottish Book Club, a new four-part Salon inspired series featuring the finest names in fiction, non-fiction and poetry - all filmed with a live audience on location in Scotland.
Damian is hosting The Big Scottish Book Club, a new four-part Salon inspired series featuring the finest names in fiction, non-fiction and poetry - all filmed with a live audience on location in Scotland.
The first episode goes out at 10pm on Sunday 10th November on BBC Scotland https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07slz6n). You can watch BBC Scotland anywhere in the UK by tuning your set via Sky, Virgin Media, Freeview/YouView and Freesat. You can catch-up with the show on BBC iPlayer in all the usual ways.
Damian will be boarding the Queen Mary 2 for the inaugural Literature Festival at Sea, in association with Cheltenham Literature Festival and The Times and The Sunday Times. This exclusive voyage will sail from New York to Southampton on a Transatlantic Crossing.
Read MoreDamian's debut novel, You Will Be Safe Here, has been shortlisted for the Saltire Society Fiction Book of the Year Award! Many thanks to the judges Lesley McDowell, Rosemary Ward, Ali Bowden, Ken Cockburn and Alasdair McKillop! And huge congratulations to fellow shortlisted authors Lucy Ellmann, Ruairidh MacIlleathain, Leila Aboulela, Polly Clark and Ewan Morrison. So many fine books!
Read MoreDamian Barr will present Sky Arts Live at Cheltenham Literature Festival alongside Andi and Miquita Oliver. This will be aired on Sky Arts daily from Monday 7th October-Sunday 13th October between 7pm-10pm.
All the action will be brought to you from the onsite Sky Arts pop up studio where Andi Oliver and Damian Barr will be presenting, while Miquita Oliver will be out and about reporting. Damian Barr will be hosting the Book Banquet, in which prominent authors discuss a range of books. Damian will also act as the Book Doctor, diagnosing the reading habits of a variety of festival guests.
Read MoreTo celebrate 100 years of British Airways, High Life Magazine asked ten British authors of the summer’s hottest holiday reads to pick their favourite UK destinations - in exactly 100 words!
Damian chose Brighton, because, “Brighton knows how to have a good time: it’s a city of festivals, freedom and progressive living. I first fell under the spell of the city and all it’s tales during a school trip in 1992. To a boy from small-village Scotland it was like Oz.”
Click here to read more of Damian’s articles and discover more of his journalism work.
Read MoreDamian Barr’s Literary Salon has announced the line-up for the next Salon on Friday 18th October 2019; Kerry Hudson, Jeanine Cummins and Maggie O’Farrell! Avon takes to bed with a fever.
The Salon will be returning to The Lancaster Ballroom at The Savoy Hotel and tickets will be on sale from noon Friday 6th September.
Click here to discover more and to book your tickets.
Read MoreDamian and IWC Media would love to welcome you to a live recording of the ‘Big Scottish Book Club’!
This Salon-inspired show will be filmed at The Byre Inchyra, Glencarse, Perth at 3pm and 7pm on the 24th September and The Tower Digital Arts Centre, Helensburgh at 3pm and 7pm on the 30th September 2019.
Please RSVP to BSBC.audience@iwcmedia.co.uk by 16th September to book your ticket and for more info.
Read MoreHappy publication to Others! This pioneering collection asks us - as all stories do - to walk in the footsteps of others. We've never needed this more!
The contributors are: Noam Chomsky, Leila Aboulela, Gillian Allnutt, Rishi Dastidar, Peter Ho Davies, Louise Doughty, Salena Godden, Colin Grant, Sam Guglani, Matt Haig, Aamer Hussein, Anjali Joseph, AL Kennedy, Joanne Limburg, Rachel Mann, Tiffany Murray, Sara Nović, Edward Platt, Alex Preston, Tom Shakespeare, Kamila Shamsie, Will Storr, Preti Taneja and Marina Warner.
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