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The Book Café: 12/12/2011

12/12/2011

BBC Radio Scotland - The Book Café, 12/12/2011

Clare English explores the resilience of the Nativity Story.

Author Carey Morning joins Clare and two parents to examine the resilience of the Nativity Story.

Children's author Jeff Kinney's new Diary of a Wimpy Kid book, Cabin Fever, smashed records a couple of weeks ago, selling over 80,000 books in its first four days of publication. Only JK Rowling and Stephenie Meyer have ever beaten that figure. Clare finds out what this self-effacing author, who isn't even noticed on the streets of his home town in America, makes of the success of his series about the growing pains of his young protagonist, Greg Heffley.


Kamin Mohammadi cut herself off emotionally from her country, Iran, after her family fled to London because of Ayatollah Khomeini's Revolution. In the reserved and orderly surroundings of 1970s Britain nine year old Kamin was ashamed of the image Iran now had in the eyes of the world, one of severe repression, unpredictable violence and religious fundamentalism, and resolved to become 'an English girl'. Years later she returned to Tehran to rebuild her relationship with her large, loving family. She joins us to talk about The Cypress Tree, her moving 'love letter' to Iran.


It's that time of year again when thousands of children take to the stage in their annual Nativity play. What is the enduring appeal of the Nativity Story? Author Carey Morning joins Clare and two parents to we examine how the resilience of this ancient story keeps it relevant to children today.


Bob Dixon reports from Portobello High School where a group of talented S2 pupils have written their own book about the American slave trade with a little help from author Mary Turner Thomson author of 'The Bigamist'.


And we turn our attention to celebrity books for Christmas - showbiz journalist Martel Maxwell joins the Book Café to discuss why celebrities have them published and what makes us buy them.

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12/12/2011

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