Literary stars spread the word
Tomorrow, stars of the literary world will be descending on Ullapool, where the fourth annual book festival gets under way. Susan Welsh looks at some of the highlights of the prestigious event
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FOR a small Highland fishing village, Ullapool does pretty well in terms of attracting worldwide fame.
Over the years, the Ullapool Book Festival and Loopallu, the local music festival, have attracted massive stars of the written word and music, and helped put the picturesque village on the shores of Loch Broom well and truly on the celebrity map.
The fourth annual book festival launches tomorrow and, as always, there’s a fantastic programme on offer, with an eclectic mixture of great writers attending.
Organisers are especially honoured that brilliant Canadian author Alistair MacLeod has agreed to fly in to read and lead a writing workshop.
Festival chairman Joan Michael said: “Getting word a couple of weeks ago from Alistair MacLeod that he could come over and join us was the icing on the cake.
“At the end of each festival, audience members have asked us how we would be able to equal the quality of the lineup for the following year.
“But we did, and this year is no different. Alistair is just one of this year’s guests. There’s a dozen others – all of whom are exciting talents.”
Alan Spence will also be there, just a week after organising his own literary festival, Word, in Aberdeen. Other Scottish fiction writers include James Robertson, Zoe Strachan and Luke Sutherland.
Author Louise Welsh will deliver this year’s lecture entitled Robert Louis Stevenson and the Theatre of the Brain, in which she will discuss the effect dreaming had on Stevenson’s creativity.
The festival, which is the most northerly mainland literary festival, continues to be committed to Highland and Gaelic writing and culture.
The Breakfast Stories session on the Saturday morning features Essie Stewart, who is a storyteller with a strong grounding in Gaelic and traveller tradition.
Folklorist, ethnologist, author and singer Margaret Bennett will be also be in Ullapool, where she will talk about her book Scottish Customs From the Cradle to the Grave.
Poetry features strongly at the festival. Gaelic poetry comes from two of Gaeldom’s best, Anne Frater from the Isle of Lewis and Rody Gorman, who was born in Dublin and now lives in Skye.
Lyric poet Richard Price, who was shortlisted for the Whitbread Prize for Poetry in 2005, will be appearing and two poets from opposite ends of the country will be appearing together.
George Gunn, from Caithness, whose new collection, The Atlantic Forest, has just been published, is widely regarded as one of the most vibrant poets of his generation. Joining George will be Sam Meekings, from the south coast, who will be reading from his debut collection The Bestiary.
Tickets for events, which run from tomorrow until Sunday, are available from The Ceilidh Place Bookshop or the Ullapool Bookshop. Because of demand, some events are already sold out, so it is advisable to check with organisers beforehand. The festival number is 0788 0917 532. You can also visit www.ullapoolbook festival.co.uk
