Word 07
11 - 13 May 2007
Word, Aberdeen's annual writers' festival, takes place between 11 and 13 May in the grounds of the University of Aberdeen and at some of the major arts venues across The Granite City. This year's exceptional line-up is likely to make it the busiest Word weekend yet!
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10,000 visitors are expected for the packed weekend of readings, art exhibitions, film screenings and and music. A Gaelic Festival and a Children's Festival will run throughout the three days, as well as lots of free events, all contributing to make Word 2007 a fantastic family attraction. |
Once again there will be top literary names headlining at the annual Word festival. Louis de Bernieres, Iain Banks, David Lodge, Lionel Shriver and Deborah Moggach, are just five of these headline names. This plethora of literary talent will also be joined by Idlewild frontman, Roddy Woomble, and comedian Rhona Cameron, who'll be reading from her first novel, The Naked Drinking Club. As always it’s a heady mix – the best of the North-East, the best of Scottish, the best from across the UK and beyond.
There are readings, lectures, workshops, film-screenings and exhibitions, with some exciting new developments in the visual arts. The Children’s Festival will once again rampage across the lawn at King’s College, and the Gaelic Festival goes from strength to strength, featuring the launch of an exclusive publication.
Whatever your interest in the word, it’s a great weekend, guaranteed!
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Roddy Woomble
The founding member and lead singer of Idlewild presents Ballad of the Book - a compilation album bringing together the worlds of music and literature with contributions from Ian Rankin, A.L. Kennedy and Alistair Gray. |
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Lionel Shriver
The Orange Prize winning author of 'We Need to talk About Kevin' presents her new novel The Post-Birthday World'.
Rhona Cameron
Presenting her first novel, 'The Naked Drinking Club', top Scottish comedian and TV presenter Rhona Cameron will be contributing to theis year's Word festival. S he will be joined by Heat magazine reviews editor Paige Toon, who will be reading extracts from her debut novel 'Lucy in the Sky'.
Louis De Bernieres
The celebrated author of the internationally renowned 'Captain Correlli's Mandolin' will be in conversation with Festival Director Alan Spence, discussing his work and success over the years.
Kenny Hunter
To commemorate the celebrated north-east writer George MacDonald, Kenny Hunter, one of Scotland's foremost sculptors, will be unveiling a new statue.
Top Scottish Authors
William McIlvaney, Iain Banks, Stuart MacBride, Allan Guthrie and AL Kennedy will be appearing over the course of the weekend.
The Children's Programme
This will take place in the CALA Homes Storytelling Teepee tent and the Imagination Tent on King's Lawn, Old Aberdenn and will feature free events for thechildren including much-loved authors Janey Jones, Jeremy Strong, Linda Chapman and Julie Hegarty.
The Gaelic Events
With a full programme, including poetry, music and storytelling from some of the best-known Gaelic Performance artists, including Sheena Blackhall and Angus Peter Campbell.
The Schools Programme
Running from 8 - 10 May and featuring Julie Bertagna, Debi Gilori and Theresa Brelin.
To coincide with Word 07, the Foyer Gallery, Crown Street, Aberdeen, is exhibiting a body of new work depicting a hybrid of image and text by Stonehaven artist Colin Brown.
A graduate of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art, Dundee, Colin Brown has built up a strong international profile with regular exhibitions throughout the UK, Europe and America. In his current work Colin Brown pulls together random elements, mixed with direct references, to investigate allegory and narrative, memory and purity. Ultimately the work aims to celebrate the spirit of modern culture, the pleasure of finding and using and the dada-ist ideal of looking at society in fragments.
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For the full festival programme and more information, please visit the Word 07 website, or telephone 01224 273874. | |