2007 Festival Resounding Success Hailed
THE THIRD Winter Words Festival took place over four busy, programme-packed days at Pitlochry Festival Theatre. Attendance numbers were up 16% on last year, demonstrating that this Festival is establishing itself as a very special event on the Scottish literary calendar.
The Festival Theatre’s Chief Executive Nikki Axford, and Artistic Director John Durnin, are both delighted and inspired with the continuing success of the Festival – the impact of which is felt throughout the local Perthshire economy, with reports that other visitor attractions and high street shops enjoyed brisk trade over the long weekend. Hoteliers and other accommodation providers reported visitors from as far away as Brighton, Exeter, Portsmouth, and Nottingham, as well as parts of Northern England. This increasing level of interest and excitement bodes well for the future of this Festival. |
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Book lovers were able to rub shoulders with a host of authors over the weekend including William McIlvanney, Nick Thorpe, James Robertson and Maggie Fergusson as well as taking the chance to browse the book fair, soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the free, late night ‘Fearie Tales’ read by PFT actors Martyn James and Helen Logan.
Highlights
Other highlights included Guy Grieve’s thought-provoking Adventures in Alaska, a now rare appearance by Ronnie Corbett, an inspiring evening with Joan Bakewell, as sharp, energetic and beautiful as ever, and the Taste of Scotland event with food guru’s Shirley Spear and Mary Contini (pictured here at her signing session). Young readers enjoyed sessions with Debi Gliori and Jayne Pascoe whilst the Puppet State Theatre’s lyrical tale – The Man Who Planted Trees - was loved by adults as well as dozens of children.
Sunday was dedicated to Highland and Scottish culture and featured some of this country’s finest writing and intellectual talent - the articulate and captivating Kathleen Jamie, the irrepressible Jess Smith and a keen debate between Michael Fry and James Robertson on Scottish identity were just some of the highlights.
Fearie Tales
The penultimate event – a Scottish Any Questions? - was a lively and thought-provoking debate, chaired by Ruth Wishart and featuring Richard Holloway, John Swinney MSP and Joyce McMillan, all in sparkling form.
The Festival ended on a high with the announcement of the winners of the Fearie Tales Writing competition. Over thirty entries were received from writers all across the UK: from Gloucestershire in the south to Lairg in the far north. The four winning entries were announced by John Swinney MSP at the end the Scottish “Any Questions?” event on Sunday. They were:
The Landlord by Andrea Muir of Ross-shire: a moving but disturbing tale of a ghost who cannot leave the Highland croft where his family has farmed for generations.
In Need Of Some Attention by Catherine Young of Broughty Ferry: a genuinely frightening story, written as an online blog, about how past misdeeds are revealed when a tenement flat is renovated.
Just Desserts? by Lari Don of Edinburgh: a quirky, witty story about a PR consultant who is confronted by a dead client, a celebrity chef - who won’t “go” until he finds a very special lost recipe.
A Grim Tale by Mary Black of Sutherland, a gruesome, Gothic and very original retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood story, relocated to a Highlands village full of wolves and witchfinders.
The four stories were read by the regular Fearie Tales team at the final event on Sunday evening and were very well received by the rapt audience. Happily, one of the winning authors, Catherine Young, was in the audience and so was there to hear her story read for the very first time!
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