Sean Connery ( James Bond ) **ONLY SIGNED COPY** Being a Scot : Murray Grigor

BEING A SCOT

By Sean Connery and Murray Grigor

Published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2008. First Edition. Hardback book in an unclipped dust jacket, 311 pages. Profusely illustrated in colour and b&w.

THIS WAS THE ONLY COPY TO BE SIGNED AT THE EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL 2008!!

This copy was specially signed to Scottish journalist and broadcaster, Sheena MacDonald (simply inscribed "For Sheena, A pleasure to catch up with you again, Sean"  . . . . the book is also signed and inscribed by Murray Grigor ("You played a role in all this that you'll never know. Best, Murray") . . both authors signed the book in silver to the front endpapers.

Sheena had originally interviewed Sean Connery for Scottish Television in the 1980s, and was here later invited to chair and hour-long session with Sean and Murray at the Edinburgh International Book Festival (2008).  Tipped-on to the inside of the dust jacket is a typed letter from Sheena MacDonald explaining how this book came to be signed by both authors (She has also signed-off the letter) . . the letter reads:

"I interviewed Sean Connery when I was working for Scottish Television in the 1980s. He was already an international star, and had long departed his native Edinburgh - but he was back in town for the Edinburgh International Festival - possibly for the premiere of CONNERY'S EDINBURGH, a half-hour documentary directed by Murray Grigor, whose work as a writer, artist and filmmaker I already knew. I vaguely remember that during my short time spent with Connery he talked about his love of art.

So in 2008 l was not surprised to learn that he had co-written BEING A SCOT with Murray Grigor - but I was astonished to be invited by the then Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, Catherine Lockerbie, to chair an hour-long session with the writers at that year's book festival, then held in Charlotte Square. And it was a privilege and a pleasure to moderate a sell-out event at which Sir Sean read from the book and answered questions from those lucky enough to get a ticket. The organisers had seated all the members of the press in the same section of the tent, so it was not difficult to evade their potentially more intrusive questions (a somewhat shameful admission from a fellow-journalist!).

After the event, there was no traditional book-signing. Sir Sean and Murray were swiftly whisked away - but they did sign this book, the one I had been given in order to prepare for the session. I am loth to part with it - but I can't take it or any book with me, and it is a little historic relic."

Sheena MacDonald

Sheena Elizabeth McDonald (born 25 July 1954, Dunfermline, Fife, Scotland) is a Scottish journalist and broadcaster. McDonald co-founded the Edinburgh Festival Fringe newspaper Festival Times with Garfield Kennedy and wrote the "Central Belt" column for The List magazine between 1987 and 1989.

CONDITION
A very good copy of the first edition. The dust jacket remains unclipped and in good condition withy no tears. All contents present and pages very clean throughout. Overall a very good signed first edition. A unique item. Most other copies currently on the market have signed bookplates rather than being flat-signed.

(Glass Cabinet 2, bottom shelf)