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2011 INVERNESS BOOK FESTIVAL WED 10 – SAT 13 AUGUST
tickets & info: 01463 234 234
www.invernessbookfestival.co.uk
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E v e n t Pa r t n e r
E v e n t Ve h i c l e S u p p l i e d by
Wi t h t h a n k s t o
E d e n C ou r t i s s u p p o r t e d by
Eden Court Highlands (trading as Eden Court) is a company registered in Scotland (company number SC63216) and a charity registered with the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (registered number SCO08237) Design: Emma Quinn Concept by Jeni MacDonald Ewen Weatherspoon Photographer
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Prologue We l c o m e f r o m t h e D i r e c t o r
Welcome to the 8th Inverness Book Festival. This year’s line-up sees a wide selection of authors from around the Highlands and Islands give the event a real local flavour. There are plenty of authors from the rest of Scotland too – talking about land ownership, capturing Himmler and Highland cowboys. Readers’ favourites Louise Welsh and Christopher Brookmyre are here to tell us about about their latest works, and I’m really chuffed that we’ve convinced John Byrne to make his first ever appearance at the Inverness Book Festival with his beautiful new book Donald and Benoit, which dips into a wonderfully imaginative world. It truly is a delight for the eyes. There are more kids events this year, with the enthusiastic Sonsie Music folk providing lively singing and fun to entertain adults as much as kids. There’s also a chance to get the whole family involved in an event encouraging older kids reading to younger ones with the lovely people from Picture Kelpies. I look forward to seeing you in mid August for a few days of happy immersion in books – what better way to round off the summer hols! Brid McKibben, Director
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Sponsors & Supporters
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Prologue : Director’s Introduction
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Tickets & Information
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Historic Scotland : Rob Gibson’s Highland Cowboys
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Historic Scotland : Andy Wightman – The Poor Had No Lawyers
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Historic Scotland : Donald S Murray
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Historic Scotland : Tom Renouf
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Historic Scotland : John Eunson’s Quiz Night
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Historic Scotland : Scottish Book Trust Family Legends
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Tartan Noir : Louise Welsh – Naming The Bones
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Tartan Noir : Gillian Galbraith & Shirley Mckay
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For The Bairns : Bookbug Story Sessions
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For The Bairns : Stinky Stories
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For The Bairns : Kenneth Steven & The Picture Kelpies
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For The Bairns : Star Gazing
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For The Bairns : Lilian Ross
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For The Bairns : Sonsie Music – A Moose In The Hoose & Blethertoun Braes
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For The Bairns : John Patrick Byrne – Donald & Benoit
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Local Authors : Simon Varwell – Up The Creek Without A Mullet
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Local Authors : Brian Denoon – Do You Say Sir To Your Father
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Local Authors : Imagination Book Launch & Reading
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Local Authors : Margot Henderson Workshops
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The End : Christopher Brookmyre & Billy Franks
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Epilogue : Guilty Pleasures – The Mills & Boon Effect
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Great Adaptations – From Book To Film
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Books At Bella
Infirmary Bridge
Contents
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Ti c k e t s & I n f o All main events are priced at £6.00 Full Price / £5.00 for Reduced Rate Children’s events are priced at £4.00, except BOOKBUG events, which are FREE!
Workshops are £6.00 Cinema Events are individually priced. Eden Court Friends receive £1.00 additional discount on all of the above prices The Eden Court Box Office is in the theatre foyer and is open each day from 10.00 until 21.00. You can also book tickets on the web at www.eden-court.co.uk or at www.invernessbookfestival.co.uk. You can also book by phone on 01463 234 234 or in person at Eden Court. We can post your tickets to you for just £1.00 per transaction. You can of course collect your tickets in person at any time from the Box Office. Payment Methods Payment can be made by cash, cheque (made payable to Eden Court), Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, Visa Debit Cards or Eden Court Gift Vouchers. Payment can be made in person, by phone or by post. Please note that we do not currently accept Maestro for payment online.
Booking Fees A 5% Booking Fee applies to all online and phone sales. Book Festival Workshops do not attract a booking fee. Reduced Rates Reduced rates are offered for most Book Festival events. Only one reduction applies per ticket.Reductions generally apply to under 18s, full-time students, over 60s, people claiming unemployment benefit, people with disabilities, people on income support and parties of 10 or more. We may ask to see proof of reduced rate status. People with disabilities may bring an escort at a reduced rate price if assistance is needed. Eden Court is a member of Highland Council’s Plus One scheme. For further details please contact Highland Council. Changes & Cancellations Eden Court reserves the right to cancel or change the published times of any performance - but will do our best to keep the information on the website accurate and up to date. If you need to double check something, give the Box Office a call on 01463 234 234. Data Protection Eden Court is registered with the Data Protection Registrar and is committed to upholding the Data Protection Act. Should you wish to be removed from our mailing list, please email marketing@eden-court.co.uk
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Chapter One Historic Scotland Our opening chapter looks to the past and celebrates Scotland’s rich and compelling history. Rob Gibson explores the cattle cultures of the Highland Cowboys at home and abroad. Andy Wightman, Scotland’s leading authority on land and ownership in Scotland tells the untold story of how Scotland’s legal establishment and politicians managed to appropriate land through legal fixes. Donald S. Murray captures how the spirit of a community is preserved through his poetry and prose, and Tom Renouf’s personal account is a story of one man’s courage in war and gives an insight into Scotland’s most feared and renowned regiment – the Black Watch.
Rob Gibson Highland Cowboys OneTouch Theatre Wed 10 Aug 2011, 18.30 – 19.30 What did Scots do at the Battle of the Little Bighorn? What drew Highlanders to the cowboy life? From droving to driving, heilan coos to long horns, Highland Cowboys explores the links between the two cattle cultures of Scotland and America. The vast number of Scots, who emigrated to North America – whether through forcible eviction during the Highland Clearances or voluntarily in the hope of a better life, has been well documented. With them they took their culture, their language, their music and their skills. Rob Gibson’s unique exploration of the cowboy culture sheds new light on the everyday life of the cattle communities. Rob is a former teacher, and the MSP for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross.
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Andy Wightman The Poor Had No Lawyers OneTouch Theatre Thu 11 Aug 2011, 17.00 – 18.00
Andy Wightman’s best-selling first book, Who Owns Scotland, revolutionised the debate about land and ownership in Scotland. Now, 15 years on, he is the leading authority on the subject in Scotland and this is his definitive work. From Robert the Bruce to Willie Ross and from James V to Donald Dewar, land has conferred political and economic power. Have attempts to redistribute this power more equitably made any difference, and what are the full implications of the recent debt fuelled housing bubble? The Poor Had No Lawyers takes the reader on a voyage of discovery into Scotland’s history to find out how and why landowners got their hands on the millions of acres of land that were once held in common. He tells the untold story of how Scotland’s legal establishment and politicians managed to appropriate land through legal fixes. Andy Wightman was born in Dundee and gained a degree in forestry at Aberdeen University. He has worked as a ghillie, environmental scientist and an environmental campaigner.
www.andywightman.com Inverness Book Festival Page 9
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Donald S. Murray OneTouch Theatre Fri 12 Aug 2011, 17.00 – 18.00
Donald S Murray is perhaps best known for his book And On This Rock; Italian Chapel – the story of the Italian prisoners of war who built the amazing Italian Chapel in Orkney. However, his prose and poetry in all its various forms have also featured in publications such as The Sunday Herald, Scotsman, Press and Journal, Shetland Times and many other literary magazines His first short story collection, Special Deliverance was shortlisted for a Saltire Award. His non-fiction book The Guga Hunters, about the gannet hunters of Lewis who each year bring back a harvest of birds from a rock some twenty miles from their homes was admired by a number of reviewers including Will Self and Roger Hutchinson. Donald will be in conversation with Kit Fraser, local publican and restaurant owner whose book The Joy of Talk was published in October 2010.
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Tom Renouf Black Watch OneTouch Theatre Fri 12 Aug 2011, 18.30 – 19.30 Tom Renouf was still a schoolboy in Scotland when the Second World War began. Bright and determined, he joined Scotland’s most famous and celebrated fighting unit – the legendary Black Watch, which struck fear into the hearts of the enemy during the trench warfare of 1914 – 18. German soldiers dubbed the kilted Highlanders ‘devils in skirts’ and rated the regiment the ‘most feared of all’. As raw recruits he and his teenage comrades fought in the Battle of Normandy – against fanatical resistance from one of Himmler’s personal creations, the 12th Hitler Youth SS Division. The Black Watch went on to liberate Holland and fight in the Battle of the Bulge, to invade Germany and struggle through the dense Reichswald forest in the last great battle of the Western Front where 33,000 allied soldiers died. Then, among the first to cross the Rhine, Renouf and his friends discovered Himmler’s most shocking creation – the concentration camps. Black Watch tells the story not only of Tom’s regiment but of all the Highlanders who landed on D-day to retake St Valéry, liberate Holland, fight in the Ardennes and invade Germany. Black Watch is both the epic story of the 51st Highland Division and a searing personal account of one man’s courage in war.
Tom will be in conversation with Robert Taylor, Editor of The Inverness Courier, whose career to date includes covering the bitter 1980s miners’ strike, being one of the first news reporters on the scene of the Hillsborough Disaster, spending several hours in an Austrian jail and helping launch Scotland's first new national newspaper for a century Inverness Book Festival Page 11
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Quiz Night The Maclean Room Fri 12 Aug 2011, 20.15 – 21.15 Supported by The Inverness Courier The Book Festival Quiz has become a landmark event in the festival diary, and to tie in with the Scottish(y) theme this year we have decided to mix it up a little. This year’s host will be none other than author John Eunson who will be using his new book, Caledonia Dreaming: 100 Scots Who Changed the World, Not Always for the Better! as inspiration for the questions (available in good bookstores for those of you who wish to do a bit of prep!) Whereas most of us can reel off our Alexander Fleming or John Logie Baird knowledge, how many of us actually know about Scotland’s contribution to banking, sanitation or breakfast? Hmm – thought not. Well that’s settled then, get swotting and join us as we collectively compete to be crowned the Inverness Book Festival Pub Quiz Champions 2011. The winners will take home a prize kindly donated by The Inverness Courier.
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Scottish Book Trust Family Legends The Maclean Room Sat 13 Aug 2011, 18.30 – 19.30
During 2010 and 2011, the Scottish Book Trust ran a national story project entitled Family Legends, designed to get people writing and sharing family stories. More than 700 people took part, and a selection of the stories were selected to be published in a book Scottish Family Legends by Luath Press and broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland. As part of the project, Willie Robertson led free public writing workshops for people who wanted to write about their life experiences. Join Willie and some of the contributors who will look at their family legends and talk about their involvement in the project.
www.scottishbooktrust.com Inverness Book Festival Page 13
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Infirmary Bridge (istock)
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C h a p t e r Two Ta r ta n N o i r Our Tartan Noir section celebrates the latest novels from authors whose work has seen them turn to crime! The works of Louise Welsh, Gillian Galbraith and Shirley McKay are set in different times and cities, yet each make use of language that creates the colour and flavour of Scotland almost 400 years apart. We will be investigating what it is about Scotland that lends itself so well to crime fiction.
Louise Welsh Naming the Bones OneTouch Theatre Wed 10 Aug 2011, 20.15 – 21.15 Louise Welsh’s 2002 novel The Cutting Room saw her chosen as one of Britain’s Best First novelists by the Guardian, as well as winning the Crime Writers’ Association John Creasey Dagger. Louise believes a well written thriller should bring readers a rush of endorphin; that it should always be completely engaging, hard to put down, even addictive. Her latest novel Naming the Bones sees English lecturer Murray Watson journey from the calm of the National Library of Scotland to the mud of an ancient burial ground. Join Louise to hear her talk about her writing and other projects – from musicals to arts collaborations. Louise will be in conversation with Nicky Marr; columnist for The Inverness Courier and co-host of the MFR Breakfast Show.
www.louisewelsh.com Inverness Book Festival Page 15
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Galbraith & McKay OneTouch Theatre Thu 11 Aug 2011, 18.30 – 19.30 Gillian Galbraith & Shirley McKay are skilled crime writers. Gillian’s latest novel No Sorrow to Die is the fourth in her DS Alice Rice mysteries. The book sees DS Rice investigate the murders of two terminally-ill men. Is it just a coincidence? Or is there a serial killer out there with a mission to get rid of the sick and infirm? Shirley’s new book Time and Tide is the third in a series of historical crime novels set in St Andrews during the reign of James VI and featuring young lawyer, Hew Cullan. In the swell of a storm, a ship is wrecked in the harbour. The cargo of the ship appears a welcome windfall but soon brings devastation to the town as petty squabbling turns to rage and in-fighting. Gillian and Shirley will be in conversation with Eden Court’s General Manager, Paul McLaughlin.
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C h a p t e r Th r e e Fo r Th e B a i r n s The Inverness Book Festival wouldn’t be complete without a load of events for little ones. We’ve got stinky stories, ‘wunnerful and weird’ characters, live music, storytelling, song and dance. So, if you and your bairns love the eccentric and magical read on…
Highland Libraries BookBug Story Sessions The Maclean Room Wed 10 – Fri 12 Aug 2011, 10.00 – 11.00 Age 0 – 3 yrs What better way to start the day than with a brilliant story from the gang at Bookbug... Every day of the Festival, bring your little ones along to one of the Highland Libraries Service’s brilliant Bookbug Story Sessions. They’re fun, free, friendly and for parents and children aged birth to three, incorporating books, rhymes, singing and play. The Bookbug Programme encourages parents and carers to enjoy books with children from as early an age as possible. Scottish Book Trust in partnership with Highland Libraries and other partner organisations gift free books to Highland children at around sixteen weeks, 18 months and three years old. While the Bookbug Packs are designed to be enjoyed at home, Bookbug Sessions are a fun and social occasion for babies, toddlers, parents and carers. These events are free but ticketed – places are strictly limited. Inverness Book Festival Page 17
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Stinky Stories The Maclean Room Wed 10 Aug 2011, 12.00 – 13.00 Age 6+
Aren’t kids just so lucky! Remember how nice it was to be read to? Let’s face it, a Kindle or an E-Book just isn’t the same as when someone reads to you and makes the characters come alive. Well, there’s good news all round because we’ve got a treat for little ones, with a fantastic hour of story-telling and sock puppet making! Join us as one of our fabulously enthusiastic (and talented) Arts Education Team reads Kristina Stephenson’s hugely popular tale Sir Charlie Stinky Socks. This fun interactive craft and storytelling session will blow your stinky socks right off! Inverness Book Festival Page 18
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Kenneth Steven Picture Kelpies The Maclean Room Thu 11 Aug 2011, 12.00 – 13.00 Age 3 – 6 Yrs Picture Kelpies are a new range of children’s picture books with a Scottish theme, from Edinburgh-based publisher Floris Books. One of the Picture Kelpie authors, Kenneth Steven, will be kicking things off by reading from his new book Fergus Finds a Friend. It’s time for the young otter Fergus to leave home, and on his journey along the riverbank he meets all sorts of new creatures. Most are friendly but a few are scary and Fergus begins to feel alone and afraid. However, all ends happily as Fergus finds a new home and a new friend. Other titles from the Picture Kelpies series include Lari Don’s How to Make a Heron Happy and The Big Bottom Hunt, which proved a great hit at last year’s IBF. Older children will be on hand to read to little ones under 6, or you can bring your own family to read and take part!
www.picturekelpies.co.uk
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Star Gazing The SGL Board Room Thu 11 & Fri 12 Aug 2011, 14.00 – 15.00 Families
One of the hits of last year’s Book Festival is back by popular demand! Join Eden Court’s Arts Education gang in the Eden Court Planetarium for a stellar stack of star-mazing stories from across the Galaxy (and beyond!).
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Lilian Ross The Maclean Room Fri 12 Aug 2011, 13.30 – 14.30 Age 8+ Story-teller, native Doric speaker, ballad singer and poet Lilian Ross has been sharing the joy of Scots songs and stories with children for many many years. Often dubbed a “Tradition Bearer”, Lilian uses hand puppets, language games, percussion instruments and song to bring her imaginative and engaging stories to life. Introduce your children to the rich heritage of story-telling and share in Lillian’s love of songs and rhymes in both Scots and English.
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Sonsie Music A Moose in the Hoose & Blethertoun Braes OneTouch Theatre Sonsie – adj. Scots; cheerful, good-natured, lucky, fortunate, happy, thriving, jolly, fun.
Sonsie Music are a music and storytelling group who work especially with primary and nursery school children. Their shows are written and directed by clarinettist Joanna (Jo) Nicholson, who will be joined by the lovely Simon Rennard (a fine bassoon player). Expect lots of fun with Jo and Simon as they bring two well-loved Scots books to life with music, stories and rhymes.
A Moose in the Hoose Sat 13 Aug 2011, 10.00 – 11.00 Under 7 Yrs Yin rich moose in his coontin hoose, Nine bubblyjocks washin oot their socks, Fowerteen braw partans dressed in bonnie tartans. A Moose in the Hoose is a musical version of the well-loved Scots counting book by James Robertson and Matthew Fitt, with beautiful illustrations by Karen Sutherland. Learn numbers in Scots from 1 to 20, then hunners and thoosans too, and the Scots names for all the animal characters In a traditional-style storytime setting… the bairns won’t be sat on their bahookies for long, as Jo and Simon need help bringing their musical story to life – holding up numbers, dancing a partan jig and other antics.
Blethertoun Braes: Manky Mingin Rhymes Fae a Scottish Toun Sat 13 Aug 2011, 11.30 – 12.30 7 – 11 Yrs Blethertoun Braes features original musical settings of a selection of modern poems in Scots from Matthew Fitt and James Robertson. With its daft laddies and gallus grannies, its bletherin barber and greengrocer that cannae sing, the worst fitbaw team in the country, not to mention a few scabby dugs and a Hieland coo on a bike, there’s never a dull moment in Blethertoun Braes. So come along and enjoy a day oot wi the whole family in Blethertoun.
www.sonsiemusic.co.uk Inverness Book Festival Page 22
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John Patrick Byrne Donald & Benoit: The Story of a Cat and a Boy OneTouch Theatre Sat 13 Aug 2011, 14.00 – 15.00 The stories of Donald & Benoit all begin ‘when Benoit’s dad, Jean-Kiki, swapped some coins with the skipper of a passing tramp steamer for a wee, scrawny kitten with big googly eyes’. Based on the bedtime stories Byrne made up for his own children, Donald & Benoit: The Story of a Cat and a Boy is just the kind of quirky, mischievous and unpredictable stories a parent would improvise for their children. Set in Finisterre, a small Scottish seaside town, Donald & Benoit do what they can to help each other while they anxiously await the return of their seafaring papa, who has set sail for the treacherous waters of Finisterre in search of fish. The two friends shake things up by raiding the library, taking drum lessons, and befriending the coolest troupe of dancing dogs this side of Glasgow… John Byrne was born in Paisley, is an award winning artist, designer and playwright and is best known for his breakthrough stage hit The Slab Boys and the much loved TV series Tutti Frutti. By turns funny, unsettling and touching Donald & Benoit becomes the kind of book that could inhabit a young imagination for decades. John will be in conversation with Bryan Beattie. Bryan has written for radio, TV and the stage, and was a newspaper columnist for many years. He recently established the Big Sky Press whose first publication, ImagiNation, is launched at the Book Festival. Inverness Book Festival Page 23
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C h a p t e r Fou r Local Authors One of them is on a worldwide hunt for “mullets” and the other is responsible for James Finlayson’s entry in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Although perhaps polar opposites, one thing connects both these talented writers; they’re oor ain folk... Local Lads.
Simon Varwell Up the Creek Without a Mullet OneTouch Theatre I Wed 10 Aug 2011, 17.00 – 18.00 Simon Varwell is a mullet maniac on a quest to visit every place in the world with the word “mullet” in its name, a project borne of wanderlust, boredom and curiosity. His journey so far as seen him meet clowns, farmers, politicians and journalists on a trail that has taken him from Albanian villages to the Californian desert, via remote creeks and bays in Australia and New Zealand. The early days of his adventure are the subject of Up The Creek Without a Mullet, and he’s currently writing a follow-up. When not hunting mullets, Simon is a keen writer and photographer, and as a day job he works in the university and college sectors. Don’t spend too long “mull(et)ing” it over – book tickets now.. Follow Simon on Twitter @simon_varwell Simon will be in conversation with Kit Fraser. Kit is a local publican and restaurant owner. His own book The Joy of Talk was published in October 2010.
www.simonvarwell.co.uk Inverness Book Festival Page 25
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Brian Denoon Do You Say ‘Sir’ To Your Father? OneTouch Theatre Thu 11 Aug 2011, 20.15 – 21.15 Local author Brian Denoon is cited by his former pupil and hugely successful novelist, Ali Smith, as teaching her, “respect for the power of books and reading, appreciation for the imaginative energy of literary voice, and (to paraphrase William Blake) the eternal delight of that energy.” High praise indeed for the former English teacher, who has also turned his hand to historical research, radio broadcasting, and a stint as the shinty correspondent for both The Scotsman and Scotland on Sunday. Brian’s first novel, Do You Say Sir To Your Father? is a collection of stories based on growing up in Abriachan and Fort Augustus, featuring some well-known characters from Glenurquhart. Brian will be in conversation with Kit Fraser.
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Book Launch and Reading Imagination: Stories of Scotland’s Future Maclean Room Sat 13 Aug 2011, 16.00 – 17.00
Cynthia Rogerson, Raman Mundair and Donald McKenzie with Gerry Hassan What values should shape a future Scotland? The question was put to novelists, poets, playwrights and comic artists. Their responses are brought together in Borrowed Landscape – Stories of Scotland’s Future – a new anthology to be launched today. Three of the contributors will read from their work, and the project’s originator, the political commentator and journalist Gerry Hassan, will be joined by the book’s editor Bryan Beattie for an open discussion with the audience on the theme of the collection – Scotland’s future. The book is part of A Scottish Wave of Change – a national project led by Gerry that encourages people and communities to think about what kind of Scotland they would like to see and how they can influence change. It is also the first publication from a new Highland-based publisher, Big Sky Press – so come along and enjoy a double celebration! The 33 contributions to the book include the winners of a national writing competition held in conjunction with the Sunday Herald. One of them, Inverness very own Donald McKenzie will also be reading. The collection also features established writers such as James Robertson, Alan Warner, Allan Massie, Rona Munro, Ronald Frame, David Greig and Angus Peter Campbell. This event will be chaired by Bryan Beattie Inverness Book Festival Page 27
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Workshops with Margot Henderson £6.00 / Eden Court Friends £1.00 off Join Scots-Irish poet, storyteller and community artist, Margot Henderson in two workshops celebrating our connection to the natural environment. Multi-talented Margot leads creative writing workshops for LAPIDUS Words for Wellbeing and currently teaches Expressive Writing at Maggie’s Highlands as well as practising mindfulness meditation in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh.
Walking the River, Writing the River SGL Boardroom Wed 10 Aug, 15.00 – 16.00 This engaging writing workshop combines walking, writing and mindfulness: simply walking, simply writing and reflecting on the life of the river. Expand your mind and explore various meditative approaches such as haiku and renga to wake up your senses and creative flow. Come prepared for the unpredictable Invernessian weather.
Heron Zen SGL Boardroom Sat 13 Aug, 15.30 – 16.30 Access your creative side and embrace your imagination as Margot selects some poems from her latest collection, Heron Zen, as inspiration for you to begin writing from nature.
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Infirmary Bridge
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C h a p t e r Fi v e Th e E n d Join us for the final event of this year’s festival - a mouth-watering evening in the company of one of Scotland’s premier crime writers, Christopher Brookmyre and former front man of The Faith Brothers, Billy Franks.
Christopher Brookmyre & Billy Franks OneTouch Theatre Sat 13 Aug 2011, 20.15 – 21.15 Brookmyre’s debut novel was the brilliant Quite Ugly One Morning, which won him the First Blood Award for the Best First Crime Novel of the year. Since then, his star has risen steadily, earning him an enviable reputation as one of Scotland’s most popular writers. This summer sees the release of Christopher’s fourteenth novel, Where the Bodies are Buried. In recent years, Billy has been performing mostly in the USA, but he returned to the UK with his new band to play to a packed house at Shepherd’s Bush Empire. After the gig he met up with Christopher Brookmyre who (lucky for us!) persuaded him to venture north of the border to make this an event to remember. Billy’s career as a song-writer has seen him support U2 and REM as well as carving a successful career stateside. So what’s the connection between the two men? Well, The Faith Brothers’ 1985 hit Country of the Blind provided the title for Brookmyre’s second novel. Billy’s lyrics are also quoted liberally throughout Christopher’s work. So it seems to us, and we hope you agree that an evening spent in their company enjoying conversation about stories that inspired songs and performing songs that inspired stories looks to be the perfect end to another fantastic festival. Inverness Book Festival Page 31
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Epilogue Guilty Pleasures The Mills & Boon Effect Cinema Sunday 14 August, Cinema 19.15 Every four seconds, someone buys a Mills & Boon novel. Guilty Pleasures shows us the world wide appeal of this extraordinary publishing sensation through the eyes of it’s unlikely authors, unlucky in love cover stars and those that believe in the power of romance over everything. This is a wonderful, humour filled documentary that never pokes fun at its subject and never takes itself too seriously. We are hopeful that the director, Julie Moggan will join us for a post screening Q&A.
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Great Adaptations: From Books to Film From great novels come great movies. To celebrate some of the best big screen adaptations, our Cinema Programmer Paul T will be screening a selection over July and August. See the Eden Court website www.eden-court.co.uk for more info.
All the President’s Men (15) SAT 23 JUL I 20.30 DIRECTOR: ALAN J. PAKULA STARRING: DUSTIN HOFFMAN, ROBERT REDFORD
Based on the 1974 non-fiction work by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward. Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman happen upon the story of the century when they investigate a routine break-in at the Democratic Party Headquarters at the Watergate Building.
Les Diaboliques (12A) SAT 27 JUL I 19.00 (IN FRENCH WITH SUBTITLES) DIRECTOR: HENRI-GEORGES CLOUZOT STARRING: SIMONE SIGNORET, PAUL MEURISSE
Based on Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac’s novel, She Who Was No More, Les Diaboliques tells the story of both the wife and mistress of a sadistic boarding school headmaster who plot his murder. Having drowned him in the bath, they then dump the body in the filthy school swimming pool. But when the pool is drained, the body has disappeared – and subsequent reported sightings of the headmaster slowly drive his 'killers' crazy. Inverness Book Festival Page 34
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Vertigo (PG) SUN 31 JUL I 17.00 DIRECTOR: ALFRED HITCHCOCK STARRING: JAMES STEWART, KIM NOVAK
Also based on a novel by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac, but this time D’entre les morts. Vertigo is the story of a retired, acrophobic police detective who is hired as a private investigator to follow the wife of an acquaintance to uncover the mystery of her peculiar behaviour…
American Psycho (18) THU 04 AUG I 20.15 DIRECTOR: MARY HARRON STARRING: CHRISTIAN BALE, REESE WITHERSPOON
Christian Bale stars as Bret Easton Ellis’ psycho yuppie in this disturbing adaptation of the cult novel. Bale is terrifying as Wall Street spiv Patrick Bateman, whose mental instability and blood lust leads him to commit a series of increasingly brutal and bloodthirsty murders.
The Colour Purple (15) SUN 07 AUG I 13.30 DIRECTOR: STEVEN SPIELBERG STARRING: DANNY GLOVER, WHOOPI GOLDBERG
Based on Alice Walker’s novel, Spielberg’s interpretation of The Colour Purple is an uplifting story spanning 40 years of an African American woman’s life. She has faced poverty, racism and sexism, but through her friendships with two strong female companions she is transformed and begins to understand the meaning of self-worth.
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Inverness Castle
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Books at Bella
We are delighted to be working in partnership this year with our chums down at The Belladrum Festival – they’re almost as keen as we are on books and reading. If you’re planning a trip to Scotland’s favourite festival this year, pay a visit to the Prose Bed Tent beside The Verb Garden to hear from authors such as Justine Picardie, Roger Hutchison, Mairi Hedderwick, Jason Goodwin, Patrick Bishop and Roddy Martine.
www.tartanheartfestival.co.uk
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Inverness spires
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INVERNESS BOOK FESTIVAL
MORNING
AFTERNOON
WEDNESDAY 10
THURSDAY 11
FRIDAY 12
SATURDAY 13
BOOKBUG STORYTIME
BOOKBUG STORYTIME
BOOKBUG STORYTIME
SONSIE MUSIC
STINKY STORIES
PICTURE KELPIES: KENNETH STEVEN
LILIAN ROSS
MARGOT HENDERSON WORKSHOP
STARGAZING
STARGAZING
JOHN BYRNE
MARGOT HENDERSON WORKSHOP IMAGINING SCOTLAND: BOOK LAUNCH
EVENING
SIMON VARWELL
ANDY WIGHTMAN
DONALD S MURRAY
ROB GIBSON
GALBRAITH & MACKAY
TOM RENOUF
FAMILY LEGENDS
LOUISE WELSH
BRIAN DENOON
QUIZ WITH JOHN EUNSEN
BROOKMYRE & FRANKS
tickets & info: 01463 234 234 www.invernessbookfestival.co.uk