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Cancelled Highland book festival starts new chapter with online event

Leonie Charlton
Leonie Charlton

A Highland book festival has entered a new chapter by going online in response to lockdown restrictions.

Organisers of Ness Bookfest 2020 have arranged a virtual read-along for the coming year to celebrate the authors, poets and performers who were due to take part in the event which had to be cancelled due to the pandemic.

Committee member Elaine Downs said: “We were so excited about our fabulous programme for 2020 and so disappointed that we had to cancel due to global pandemic.

”Books and authors are so vital to all us, and never more so than during these stressful times. We wanted to join together, although we have to be physically apart, and celebrate the joy and inspiration that books bring us.

“The team at Ness Bookfest had curated an incredible group of books and events for 2020 that sadly couldn’t go ahead for safety reasons, so we want to create a virtual community of readers and authors throughout the year ahead.”

She said organisers hope by reading together and sharing thoughts on social media it will capture a flavour of the event.

Ms Downs added: “Each month we will share a book on social media and hope as many people as possible will read along with us.

“Since many people are staying close to home and may have a little more reading time now, we have decided to start with not one, but two books in July.

“One is the delightful nature memoir “Marram: Memories of Sea and Spider Silk by Leonie Charlton, and the second is Matt Killeen’s gripping, suspenseful historical novel for Young Adults “Orphan Monster Spy”.”

NessBookFest restarted in 2016 after a break, and support has snowballed to bring it into its fourth year.

All the events are completely free thanks to sponsors and volunteers.

About 40 events will take place throughout inverness, and organisers say there is “something for everyone”.

Ness Book Fest usually takes place in October at venues across the city.

Anyone who would like to help the organisers with a donation should contact nbfinverness@gmail.com to arrange your contribution.