Tae Sup Wi’ A Fifer: Ian Rankin

Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy, September 14

Best-selling author Ian Rankin is looking forward to “disappearing” into his fictional world over the next few months where he can “actually have some control of events that will unfold in a realistic manner” away from the chaos of Brexit.

The Fife-raised writer, who has sold more than 30 million copies of his Inspector Rebus novels, gave Britain’s departure from the EU a brief mention in his last book when two “disaster capitalist” gangsters realised they could make money from the disorder.

But as he prepares to lock himself away to write a new Rebus novel and a Rebus stage play – both due to be completed by June – he admitted it can be difficult to keep content contemporaneous in these fast-changing times.

“It’s difficult,” he said. “I’m not a science fiction writer. I can’t read the future. But whether I’ll get round to tackling it in the new book I don’t know.

“The world’s changing so quickly; politics is changing so quickly. If you wrote something now you’d either get it wrong or the situation would have changed in six months or a year.

“I’m just going to be so happy to disappear into my fictional world where I can actually have some control and events will unfold in a realistic manner.”

Before “disappearing”, Ian has a few matters to attend to. He’ll be getting interviewed by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the Bloody Scotland Festival in Stirling on September 21. He doesn’t know what she’s going to throw at him but knows she reads a lot of books – crime fiction – so thinks she’ll be “pretty well prepped”.

But before all that, he’ll be going back to his roots tomorrow night at the Adam Smith Theatre in Kirkcaldy where he’ll be on the bill with musicians Jane Weaver and Callum Easter at the latest eclectic Tae Sup Wi’ A Fifer.

A big fan of the East Neuk-based Fence Collective, Ian – who grew up in Cardenden – has known Tae Sup organiser James Yorkston for years.

And he was “flattered” to be asked to take part – even if he isn’t 100% sure yet what he’s going to talk about.

“It’s a night of music mostly and I’m not going to be providing any music,” he said, adding that he’s looking forward to hearing the other artists and, as an inveterate merchandise buyer, will probably “end up leaving the gig with half a dozen CDs and LPs”.

“I’m just going to be doing a bit of chat or spoken word. To be honest, I haven’t decided what I’m going to do yet. I did once play the Adam Smith Theatre with an old friend of mine, Jackie Leven – a musician – and we did an album together. I thought I might read a bit of the story out that I wrote for that because of the Fife connection and the Kirkcaldy connection.”

Picture: Hamish Brown. Author Ian Rankin returns to his Fife roots.