Portobello Book Festival 2014 Programme

3rd – 5th October 2014

All events are free, but ticketed

Tickets in advance from Portobello Library

Twitter   @portybookfest

Tickets for all events can be collected in person from

Portobello Library from 8^th September. Some tickets

available at venues 15 minutes before events.

PORTOBELLO HIGH SCHOOL BOOK FESTIVAL

Monday September 29th – Friday 3rd October

***THESE EVENTS ARE FOR SCHOOL GROUPS ONLY ***

This year the school is running its own Fringe book festival. Events include author visits from Keith Gray, Cathy MacPhail, Christina Banach and others. They’re running a graphic novel session, book quizzes, storytelling, an illustration event with input from Edinburgh College of Art and lots more. The festival is co-ordinated by Lauren Thow, Portobello High School Librarian.

Friday 3rd October

12.30-1.15pm                                                            LIBRARY UPSTAIRS

ON THE TRAIL OF JOHN MUIR

Drawing for inspiration on local hero John Muir’s ability to capture a sense of place, storyteller Beth Cross explores the stories and memories that give us a sense of place – places we’ve made home and places that mark turning points and mile markers in our lives.

55+ Local transport provided: contact library

8.00-10.30pm                                                                                    LIBRARY

OPENING EVENT – A SENSE OF PLACE

Join host David Francis for our opening event, which focuses on performance poetry in all shapes and forms, including material written by the general public. Masters of poetry, storytelling and the spoken word Michael Pedersen, James Spence, Max Scratchmann and Josie Pizer of Portobello Poetry Circus and a whole lot more will join musicians Mairi Campbell and David Francis.

***REFRESHMENTS***

SATURDAY 4th OCTOBER

10.00am-12.30pm                                                         LIBRARY UPSTAIRS

WRITING WORKSHOP: OPENING LINES

Mairi Wilson and Louise Kelly explore how to write a beginning that hooks readers and makes them want to read on. Bring your ideas for poems, short stories, novels and work on them with us. Or come and write your own first opening line!

11.30am-12.00noon                                                                          LIBRARY

BOOK BUG

Half an hour of fun songs and rhymes for under 5s and their parents/carers with Karen and her special guest….

The Bookbug!

11.00am-12.15pm                                                 OLD PARISH CHURCH (L)

UNDERSTANDING DEMENTIA

Many of us will have experience of dementia, close to home or in our community. It is a complicated condition that is on the rise.

Hazel McHaffie, author of Remember Remember, John Killick, poet and author of Dementia Positive, and campaigner Tommy Whitelaw, who ran a global merchandising operation for the Spice Girls, Kylie and U2 until his mum Joan needed his care, discuss dementia in a panel event followed by an informal discussion.

Chaired by Alison Summers

11.00am-12noon                                                   OLD PARISH CHURCH (S)

AULD REEKIE: NEW NOVELS

Two local authors discuss their debut novels, both set in Edinburgh.

Angela Jackson’s award-winning novel The Emergence of Judy Taylor explores the key theme of change, and poses questions about what it means to really live. Vicki Jarrett is a novelist and short story writer from Edinburgh. Her novel Nothing is Heavy was shortlisted for the Saltire First Book of the Year 2013.

Chaired by Marianne Paget

12.15-1.15pm                                                        OLD PARISH CHURCH (S)

MOVING MINDS

Moving Minds is an anthology of work, edited by Michelle Lloyd and Peter E Ross, by Gypsy/Travellers across Scotland. In an open, honest and often humorous way, contributors share their memories, poetry and photographs and reflect on the impact prejudice can have upon wellbeing.

Chaired by Jo McFarlane

12.45-2.00pm                                                                LIBRARY UPSTAIRS

PICTURE THIS!

Book design is much more than just creating a good cover – designers have the skill to bring the written word to life.  Jim Hutcheson and Stephen White are well known in the publishing trade and are in very high demand as illustrators, cartoonists, typographers and graphic designers.  Jim and Stephen share the secrets of their art, news of an exciting project and present a live working example to show the various stages of illustrating a book.

Chaired by Tim Chalk

12.30-1.30pm                                                         OLD PARISH CHURCH (L)

MEET THE AUTHOR: JENNI FAGAN

One of Granta’s Best Young British Novelists, author of The Panopticon, poet, teacher and writer, Jenni Fagan discusses reading, writing and everything in between!

Chaired by Lynsey May

1.30-2.30pm                                                           OLD PARISH CHURCH (S)

FACING THE PAST

Portobello-based artist Robin Baillie discusses how his historical portraits have been inspired by Ian Duncan’s book Scott’s Shadow: The Novel in Romantic Edinburgh, which examines how Sir Walter Scott’s historical fiction responds to the crisis of identity in early nineteenth century modernity. Robin’s portraits reference both the naturalist style developed by Sir Henry Raeburn and John Kay’s caricatures.

2.00-3.00pm                                                            OLD PARISH CHURCH (L)

WAY BACK HOME

Multi-award-winning Scottish crime writer Catriona McPherson reveals how she conjured a 1920s Banffshire fishing village from her base in California (Dandy Gilver and the Reek of Red Herrings) and a new problem in The Day She Died – killing people in real places without getting sued (yet).

Chaired by Louise Kelly

2.00-4.00pm                                                                                     LIBRARY

KNIT YOUR OWN SCOTLAND!

Come along and hear Jackie Holt and Ruth Bailey talk about what inspired them to write their book of knitting patterns for classic Scottish characters. There will also be an opportunity to let your creative side out and have a go at one of the characters during the session. Places limited to 20.

2.15-3.30pm                                                                   LIBRARY UPSTAIRS

CASTLE CULTURE

Find out why Scotland loves the drama and diversity of its castles from medieval to modern times with authors Audrey Dakin of Scottish Historic Buildings Trust and Aonghus Mackechnie of Historic Scotland.

Chaired by Emma Griffiths

2.45-3.45pm                                                           OLD PARISH CHURCH (S)

WRITING FOR TEENS

Join Simon Radcliffe in conversation with novelists Cat Clarke and Keith Gray. Cat has written children’s non-fiction and now writes young adult novels. Her first novel Entangled won the Redbridge Teenage Book Award and was long listed for the Branford Boase Award. Keith writes reviews and edits YA fiction. His novel Ostrich Boys was shortlisted for the CILIP Carnegie Medal, the Costa Children’s Book Award and won the Scottish Children’s Book Award for Older Readers. Simon is Children and Young People’s librarian for Edinburgh City Libraries and co-runs the Teenage Book Group in Portobello.

3.15-4.15pm                                                           OLD PARISH CHURCH (L)

MEET THE AUTHOR: MEAGHAN DELAHUNT

Meaghan Delahunt has won international acclaim for her three novels. At this event she will read from her third novel To the Island, and her recent Saltire pamphlet The Artist and Nationality.

Chaired by Jane Meagher

3.45-4.45pm                                                                    LIBRARY UPSTAIRS

A LIFE IN BOOKS: ISLA DEWAR

Edinburgh-born Isla Dewar has been described by the Times as ‘observant, needle sharp and very funny’.  Following a career as a journalist, she published her first novel Keeping Up With Magda in 1995 and her second novel Women Talking Dirty was made into a film starring Helena Bonham Carter. Isla now lives in Fife where she continues to write a string of best sellers.

Chaired by Marianne Paget

4.00-5.00pm                                                           OLD PARISH CHURCH (S)

WALKING IN THE DARK

Take a look at Scotland’s mountains from a totally different perspective with Alan Rowan, journalist, nocturnal Munroist and author of Moonwalker: Adventures of a Midnight Mountaineer.

Chaired by Rona Gray

5.15-6.15pm                                                                                      LIBRARY

SCOTTISH BOOK TRUST PRESENTS…

Scottish Book Trust introduces three previous recipients of the New Writers Awards. Hear their stories, join a conversation and enjoy a glass of wine with Wayne Price, Marion McCready and Catherine Simpson.

Chaired by Claire Marchant-Collier

8.00-10.00pm                                                                                  DALRIADA

BOOK QUIZ

£1 entry per person

No ticket required

SUNDAY 5th OCTOBER

11.00am-12.30pm                                                           LIBRARY UPSTAIRS

FACT AND FICTION INSPIRED BY SCIENCE

Emily Dodd writes poetry, scripts, stories and science shows including BBC’s Nina and the Neurons. Her debut picture book Can’t Dance Cameron: A Scottish Capercaillie Story was published this year. Pippa Goldschmidt, who has a PhD in astronomy, penned The Falling Sky, a science-inspired adult novel that was runner-up in the 2012 Dundee International Book Prize. Anna Claybourne writes non-fiction for children, specialising in science, nature and wildlife. Her award-winning 100 Most Dangerous Things on the Planet was shortlisted for the Blue Peter Book Award.

Chaired by Louise Kelly

12.45-1.45pm                                                                  LIBRARY UPSTAIRS

WITNESS

Robert McNeil MBE has worked with forensic teams exhuming and identifying victims of war, ranging from World War One to Bosnia. He discusses how this harrowing experience motivated him to return to a lifelong interest in art. An exhibition of his paintings will be in the library.

Chaired by Grahame Howard

2.00-3.15pm                                                                    LIBRARY UPSTAIRS

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN PUBLISHING?

In literary, technical and commercial terms, publishing is going through a period of rapid and radical change.  The implications of this are charted by three experts who bring different perspectives to bear on the subject: Francis Bickmore, Publishing Director at Canongate Books, Allan Guthrie, author, editor, literary agent and e-publisher, and Eleanor Collins, Senior Commissioning Editor at Floris Books.

Chaired by Marion Sinclair

3.30-5.00pm                                                                    LIBRARY UPSTAIRS

NOW LOOK WHAT WE’VE DONE!

Now that the referendum is finally over, the big question is so what – and what next?  Three distinctive responses to this question are offered by the distinguished journalist, critic and commentator Joyce McMillan, the artist Sandy Moffat, co-author with Alan Riach of Arts of Independence, and the political scientist James Mitchell, co-editor with Gerry Hassan of After Independence and author of The Scottish Question.

Chaired by Ian Martin

This year’s festival is dedicated to the memory of

Heather Neal:

colleague, reader and friend of Portobello Book Festival.

VENUES:

PORTOBELLO LIBRARY

14 Rosefield Avenue EH15 1AU

PORTOBELLO OLD PARISH CHURCH HALL

Old Parish Church, Bellfield Street EH15 2BP

DALRIADA

77 Promenade, Portobello EH15 2EL

BLACKWELL’S BOOKSHOP

Books by participating authors will be available

at both venues

OLD PARISH CHURCH CAFE

Open on Saturday 4th from 10.00am to 4.00pm.

Come along and enjoy tea, coffee, snacks and home baking!

PORTOBELLO BOOK FESTIVAL

is organised by local enthusiasts and Portobello Library.

If you have ideas or would like to be involved please contact

portobellobookfestival@gmail.com