THE FIRST PORT ELLEN BOOK FESTIVAL -  2006

JUNE 17th -18th 2006

 

THE PROGRAMME FOR ADULTS INCLUDED:-

JOAN LINGARD  reading from her book Encarnita’s Journey.

ISLA DEWAR discussing and reading from her book, Getting Out Of The House,

CHRISTOPHER  RUSH talking about his recent  books, To Travel Hopefully -

Journal of a Death Not Foretold.; and A Twelve Month And A Day,

the semi-autobiographical account of his childhood in the East Neuk of Fife.

.ANNE MACLEOD combining poetry, prose and readings from her book,

The Dark Ship; with an insight into her role as a writer.

BERNARD MACLAVERTY reading from, and talking about his most recent volume of short stories Matters of Life and Death.

AGNES OWENS reading one of her short stories

and talking about how she became a writer

 

THE PROGRAMME FOR CHILDREN INCLUDED:-

Sessions with LOUISA YOUNG , who, together with her daughter, wrote

The Lionboy Trilogy under the pen name ZIZOU CORDER.

 Interactive story and drawing sessions with KEITH BRUMPTON,

author of the Kung Fu Pigs Series.

Sessions with KATIE GRANT, author of the de Granville’s Series.

JOAN LINGARD reading from, and talking about some of her many books.

 

At 10.30 on Saturday 17 June, Bernard MacLaverty announced his pleasure at opening the first session of the First Port Ellen Book Festival. At 5.30 on Sunday, after a shared session with Joan Lingard, he praised the Festival Committee for organising such a tremendous weekend. In between these two events our adult audience were treated to sessions which included elements of fact, fiction, poetry and song. Isla Dewar. Joan Lingard, Agnes Owens, Anne MacLeod, Christopher Rush and Bernard MacLaverty treated us to readings of their work, with an insight into their roles as writers and a readiness to answer questions on aspects of both. Stories of murder and bereavement stunned us to momentary silence, while others evoked delighted laughter.

The children listened to stories from Louisa Young (Zizou Corder), Katie Grant and Joan Lingard and watched as Keith Brumpton combined his storytelling with drawing. After each session the children came downstairs to Pat Roy’s book stall, bubbling with excitement, to buy books and have them signed. The Festival was arranged by a dedicated committee who set to work last autumn with the aim of bringing live literature to Islay. It was a challenge and the unequivocal praise we received from everyone who attended was heart-warming. Our authors, in particular, could not have praised the event more highly. Our Islay audience was described by one as ‘the best listening audience’ she’d ever come across. Another, who has travelled to many Festivals from Canterbury to Pitlochry, said that none of the others could touch the complete ‘community buzz’ of ours. Yet another said that the welcome was so warm that she felt she had been woven into the community. The time passed all too quickly and by Monday morning, the last four of our nine authors left on the morning plane, assuring us that we must start planning our next festival.

We would like to thank everyone who helped to make the weekend such a success; especially the generosity of our sponsors, those who made anonymous donations, the members of St John’s Church for the refreshments and the Flower Festival, Ardbeg for the ceilidh, The Family History Group for the fascinating display; and most of all the staff and pupils of  Port Ellen Primary School for the venue, and the beautifully presented artwork.