Portobello
Book Festival
All events are free, but ticketed.
Tickets in advance from
Portobello Library
TICKETS ON SALE FROM 3RD SEPTEMBER
FRIDAY 5TH OCTOBER
11.30–12.30pm TOWERBANK PRIMARY SCHOOL
LARI DON will work with pupils, sparking their imaginations
and showing them how to turn ideas into stories.
11.30 – 12.30pm PORTOBELLO HIGH SCHOOL
EDINBURGH LEAGUE OF COMICS will run a
workshop with senior pupils on the art of comic making.
*** BOTH EVENTS FOR SCHOOL GROUPS ONLY ***
1.00-2.00pm LIBRARY UPSTAIRS
BOOKBUG
Song, rhymes and stories for babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers with
Heather Morrison from Portobello Library. Fun, friendly and free,
8.00-10.30pm LIBRARY
OPENING EVENT: THE LIBRARY AT NIGHT
‘It shone at night; it shone beautifully’ (lines from a poem by Alasdair
Paterson). This year’s opening event will focus on the pleasures and
mysteries of the library at night. Words by friends and supporters of
the Festival with music by Bridget Blackmore and Laurence
Dunn.
Hosted by David Francis *** BAR ***
Donations to Book Aid International
SATURDAY 6th OCTOBER
10.00am-2.00pm OLD PARISH CHURCH
WRITERS’ WORKSHOP
Want to meet local writers of all levels to share tips and ideas? Sign
up for an interactive workshop exploring how and what to write, and
exchange information on contacts, resources and support. Explore
ways to kick-start your writing with a facilitated short-story writing
exercise and practise how to give and receive constructive feedback.
Led by local writer Marianne Paget
11.00-12.00noon LIBRARY UPSTAIRS
Award-winning children’s writer Lari Don reads from ‘Maze
Running’, the latest adventure in her popular First Aid for
Fairies series, and shares the dark legends which inspire her fiction.
Suitable for 8 – 12 year olds
11.00-12.00noon OLD PARISH CHURCH
ELISABETH FRASER
Local author, historian and nonagenarian gives an insight into her life
and times, including being a member of a cult in the 1950s and later
working throughout Scotland as a bookseller and agent.
Chaired by Bill Jameson
12.30-1.30pm LIBRARY UPSTAIRS
FOUR LINKS IN A CHAIN, penned by second year Portobello
High School pupils, tells the story of a group of young friends bound
by slavery. Created in collaboration between Art, Business, English
and History departments, this short novel is the result of a ten-week
course designed to get young people writing.
Chaired by Jane Meagher
12.30-2.00pm OLD PARISH CHURCH
Trevor Royle’s latest book, ‘A Time of Tyrants’, examines
Scotland’s role in the Second World War, when it became an
industrial powerhouse, the nation’s larder and a social melting pot for
European refugees.
Chaired by Donald Bloxham
2.00-3.00pm LIBRARY UPSTAIRS
THE MULGRAY TWINS
Two heads are better than one. Portobello’s own Mulgray Twins talk
about writing novels together and about “Suspects All”, their
latest book in their series of crime with light humour.
Chaired by Caroline Dunford
2.30-3.30pm LIBRARY
A highly interactive and engaging session for all ages with children’s
author and storyteller, Maria Cairnie based on two of her most
popular characters: Blitzy Boy Walker, the flame haired tyke, and the
love of his life, Sassica Spall, a beautiful white Persian cat. Maria
combines her flair for energetic story-sharing with dance, musical
theatre and creative spontaneity.
2.30-4.00pm OLD PARISH CHURCH
THE DEBUT NOVEL
Three novelists discuss publishing a debut novel.
Lisa Ballantyne's 'The Guilty One', Kenneth
MacLeod's 'The Incident' and Christine De Luca's
'And Then Forever'.
Chaired by Alice Thompson
3.30-4.30pm LIBRARY UPSTAIRS
HIDDEN GARDENS OF THE ROYAL MILE
JEAN BAREHAM of Greenyonder Tours talks about her recent
book ‘Hidden Gardens of the Royal Mile’ and the unexpected
green gems in Edinburgh’s Old Town.
Chaired by Alastair Cameron
4.00-5.30pm OLD PARISH CHURCH
Two of Scotland’s top crime writers in conversation about their craft,
their characters and their readership. They also read from their latest
work.
6.00-7.30pm LIBRARY
James Robertson reads from his novel ’And the Land
Lay Still’, winner of the 2010 Saltire Scottish Book of the Year
award. A fictional journey of intertwining lives, the novel charts six
decades of political, social and cultural change in Scotland from
1950. This event may be of particular interest to Portobello's book
groups, but is open to all. Wine and nibbles provided.
Chaired by Francis Bickmore
8.00-10.00pm LIBRARY
BOOK QUIZ
£1 entry per person - no ticket required. ***BAR***
SUNDAY 7th OCTOBER
11.00am-12.30pm LIBRARY
SCOTLAND’S RADICAL HERITAGE – THEN AND
NOW
PAT KELLY and GREGOR GALL.
Pat Kelly, former President of the STUC, is the author of
‘Scotland’s Radical Exports’ , which shows how Scots helped to
shape trade unionism and working-class politics across the world.
GREGOR GALL, Professor of Industrial Relations at the
University of Hertfordshire, has recently written ‘Tommy
Sheridan: From Hero to Zero? A Political Biography’.
What do their books tell us, in both historical and contemporary
terms, about the distinctively Scottish contribution to radical
politics?
Chaired by Ian Martin
11.00-12.00noon LIBRARY UPSTAIRS
AN EXPERIMENT IN HONESTY
PAUL STORY is the author of ‘Dreamwords’ . He discusses
his work and how he markets his novels by leaving copies on city
streets and remote Scottish locations, relying on the finder’s honesty
to fund his writing.
Chaired by Lynsey May
1.00-2.00PM LIBRARY UPSTAIRS
RUNNING BEYOND LIMITS: THE ADVENTURES OF
AN ULTRA MARATHON RUNNER
ANDREW MURRAY started running seven years ago and has
run in locations as exotic and wild as the North Pole, the Himalayas
and Outer Mongolia. In 2011 he ran 2660 miles from John O’Groats to
the Sahara Desert. He works as the Scottish Government’s Physical
Activity Champion, promoting regular exercise as the best thing you
can do for your health.
Chaired by Christine Hoy
2.00-3.30PM LIBRARY UPSTAIRS
THE HOLY BOOK
Christian, Jewish and Muslim leaders talk about the holy scriptures of
their respective faiths. What do they have in common? How do they
differ? How can faith communities come to understand each other
better?
Chaired by Rev Andrew Patterson
In collaboration with Edinburgh Inter-Faith Association
3.30-5.00pm LIBRARY UPSTAIRS
DO LIBRARIES MATTER?
Public libraries are under threat – apparently easy victims of
spending cuts. What do they contribute to community life? Why
should we cherish them? How can we defend them? These questions
will be discussed by Cleo Jones, Information and Learning
Resources, City of Edinburgh Council, Heather Morrison,
Portobello Library , Nicola Morgan, Author, and Peter
Fraser, Library User.
Chaired by Kenny MacAskill MSP
VENUES:
PORTOBELLO LIBRARY
14 Rosefield Avenue
EH15 1AU
PORTOBELLO OLD PARISH CHURCH HALL
Old Parish Church
Bellfield Street
EH15 2BP
BLACKWELL’S BOOKSHOP
at both venues
OLD PARISH CHURCH CAFE
Open on Saturday 6th from 10.00 am to 4.00pm.
Come along and enjoy tea, coffee, snacks and home baking!
Tickets in person from Portobello Library from
mid-September, and also at venues 15 minutes
before events.
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
Photographs by Heather Morrison
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