In Cold Ink: On The Writers' Tracks

by David Robinson

Tracing the blurred line between life and literature has taken David Robinson to places as far afield as west Kansas and the edge of the Kalahari. It's also taken him on journeys of discovery into the minds of some of the most gifted writers alive. This beautifully produced collection of essays and interviews is based on his articles in "The Scotsman" newspaper and is a record of those fascinating encounters--a book that starts in a couple of dozen other books and takes the reader on the road to even more. If you've ever found yourself enthralled underneath the canvas of a book festival tent--or if you've only wished for the chance--"In Cold Ink" is the perfect recreation, taking you straight to your best-loved authors and helping you discover new favorites

188 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

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Reviews

[Katy Wheatley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Literary critic for the Scotsman newspaper, David Robinson takes us through a selection of his favourite interviews with his favourite authors. This is sandwiched between an account of a kind of pilgrimage that Robinson takes to see the setting of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood and in so doing, track down some of the people in the book to interview them himself. Each interview is a short vignette that gives just a snapshot into the writer's work and life. I was delighted to see Ali Smith and A.L. Kennedy here and equally delighted to meet other, less well known to me authors. It's an affectionate look at both writers and the act of writing itself.

[sisterimapoet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the structure Robinson used to collate these pieces. It gave the book a coherence, and I spent many a pleasant afternoon in the company of him and the authors he encountered. I was introduced to a few people I'll like to check out further, and had deeper insight into writers I already knew.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This collection of interviews by the book editor of the Scotsman provides some interesting insights into the lives and minds of contemporary writers. As these interviews span a number of years quite a few are inevitably out of date with regard to the writers' most recent publications but nevertheless I enjoyed them.
I would say that quite a number felt too short and only skimmed the surface but I assume this was due to the editorial constraints of the newspaper.
I have been inspired by this book and intend to investigate some new books because of it.