Category: edinburgh

enLIGHTened in Edinburgh

Well, after being irritated at not being able to find out when or what was happening with the enLIGHTen Edinburgh project (I eventually found an official blog), I ventured out after work one evening to see for myself what was on display. And it was PRETTY! Unfortunately, I only had my phone camera with me, so the pictures are not quite so pretty…

The most impressive was the one being projected onto the Royal Society of Edinburgh building, with text from Adam Smith:

“Science is the great antidote to the poison of enthusiasm and superstition”

The mapping meant that the images hugged the shape of the building, and fitted perfectly onto the pillars and balconies, with eye-catching colours contrasting with the pale stonework.

And the most confusing one was being projected in the windows above Waterstone’s on George Street…most confusing because it wasn’t turned off overnight, so I looked at the window at one point during the day, and saw a ghostly figure strolling across the glass! These lines came from the work of Robert Fergusson:

“…we aften find
The brawest drest want peace of mind,
While he that gangs wi ragged coat
Is weel contentit wi his lot.”

Much nicer in the dark, than freaking me out during the day!

enLIGHTEN Edinburgh 2012

This looks like a fun, pretty, and literary project: taking famous quotes from the Scottish Enlightenment, and projecting them onto the Edinburgh buildings associated with that period, with animations and audio too. It’ll run from the 1st – 18th March 2012.

The Edinburgh City of Literature site says there’s further news to come, but as it starts in only a few days, I’d quite like to actually know just now what quotes they’ll be using, and when, and where…it’d be quite nice to go for a walk around town to see them, but without details, it’s a bit tricky to plan!

Ah, actually: the non-official source is, in this case, more reliable than the official source! It goes against all Librarian Rules, but here: – trust the unofficial source, for full information on locations, dates, and times:

Edinburgh Reporter event details – although they say it launches on Friday 1st March…Friday’s the 2nd. Does anyone actually know what’s going on with this event?

P.S. Maybe someone at the Edinburgh City of Literature site could…perhaps….y’know…UPDATE IT?

The Phantom Booker returns

Image source

And the fabulous but mysterious maker of lovely book sculptures strikes again, gifting the Edinburgh International Book Festival and the city with two new sculptures, left carefully at the Book Festival venue in Charlotte Square.
The previous possible link to Ian Rankin seems to have disappeared, with new authors books being used, but they’re just as inventive and fun as before!

Edinburgh New Town plans

The excellent Edinburgh Blogger has posted about the fact that the original plans for Edinburgh’s New Town will be returned to display (under special conditions) in the Museum of Edinburgh.

Now, for a girl who often functions as an unofficial tour guide for any friends or acquaintances visiting Edinburgh, I thought I knew quite a lot about my adopted home town. Who the King, Queen and Princes are that the New Town plan is based around. Where the remnants of the old city walls can be found. Where John Knox’s grave is. Why students rub the toe of the statue outside the High Court of Justiciary before exams. Why people spit on the Heart of Midlothian. Where Deacon Brodies workshop is (and the name of the literary character he inspired). Where the most active poltergeist is. What building a mummified cat was found inside the walls of during renovations. Where Jacobs Ladder can be found…

But I didn’t know about the Museum of Edinburgh.
I’ve walked past that building so many times, yet I never knew it was a museum! Right, that’s it, I’ve got to go investigating!