Wordplay 2016 Programme

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16 - 27 November 2016 Celebrate the Written Word! www.shetlandarts.org/wordplay

Contents Meet the Author Local Writers Fun Stuff Schedule Workshops Children & Family Guests

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Welcome to Wordplay 2016!

This year we’ve focussed on bringing out the ‘Play’ in Wordplay, with a wide ranging programme celebrating the diversity of the written word. We have an exciting mix of local and national names including the incredible Scots Makar Jackie Kay, much loved children’s author Debi Gliori and island authors Kevin MacNeil, Alison Miller and Roseanne Watt.

We’ll also be exploring the graphic novel with Edward Ross and Film Poems with Roseanne Watt; focussing on novel writing in workshops with Orcadian Author Alison Millar, and songwriting with Carol Jamieson - and for our younger audiences you can explore the world of the award winning Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot, with Horatio Clare and local illustrator Jane Matthews.

Booking Shetland Box Office Mareel & Islesburgh Community Centre T: 01595 745555 www.shetlandboxoffice.org

And, as if all that wasn’t enough, Shetland Library will be running a series of free events throughout Book Week Scotland. This will include a special evening celebrating reading in the Library with local writers, a variety of ‘love your library’ events as well as the popular ‘The Book Group That’s Not A Book Group But Kinda Is A Book Group’, which will also be meeting in the run-up to the festival. The programme of events in Shetland Library has been organised

by Library staff along with their resident Reading Champion Jacqui Clark.

We’ll also be delivering a series of education workshops in schools across Shetland. Shetland Library are supporting visits by children’s author and illustrator Shoo Rayner, while Debi Gliori will visit schools supported by the Live Literature Fund, Shetland Arts and the SIC. This programme has been put together with a steering group made up of stakeholders from the local literary scene and is being held in conjunction with Shetland Library and their Book Week Scotland Celebrations, and we’d like to thank everybody involved for their support and enthusiasm.

So come along and celebrate literature with us!

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Welcome

www.shetlandarts.org

 @ShetlandArts

Jackie Kay:

Horatio Clare:

Scots Makar Crossing Wednesday 16 November the Lines 8pm - 9pm Mareel Auditorium £10/£8

We’re thrilled to open the festival with newly appointed Scots Makar Jackie Kay, an award-winning poet, playwright and novelist of incredible talent. She is much in demand for readings in the UK and internationally, her early drama training having equipped her to be a superb performer of her own work and a very engaging presence. Audiences respond with particular intensity to her readiness to discuss aspects of lesbian life, being black, and being adopted: whether as fiction, poetry or memoir, her words go directly to the heart of a situation and an audience.

She will read from and discuss a selection of her works - an event not to be missed!

Sunday 20 November 7.30pm - 8.30pm Mareel Auditorium £8/£6 This event travels by camel, canoe and container ship.

Having become a travel writer by mistake, Horatio Clare tells stories collected from the Congo to the Tibetan plateau, and from the great oceans.

Voyages and journeys shaped the earliest human societies.

Today, in the form of cargo shipping and migration, they determine the fate of millions, raising questions about identity, resources and human kindness.

Edward Ross:

Filmish Thursday 24 November 8pm - 9pm Mareel Auditorium £8/£6 In Filmish: A Graphic Journey Through Film comic artist Edward Ross sets out to answer some fascinating questions about film. Why is Die Hard the greatest architectural movie of the last thirty years? Why are Disney movies dangerous? And why are movies so afraid of the future? A entertaining and illuminating ride through the history of film, Filmish is a love letter to cinema that will give you reason to go back and watch your favourite movies again. Hear Edward read from his book, and discuss the process of bringing the movies to the comics page.

Meet the Author

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Debi Gliori:

Kevin MacNeil:

Night Shift

The Brilliant & Forever

Friday 25 November 7pm - 8pm Mareel Auditorium £8/£6 Better known as an illustrator and author of picture books and novels for children, Debi Gliori has spent most of her life battling with depressive illness.

Frequently lacking the words to describe what was happening to her, she turned to drawing in an attempt to map the territory of depression and hopefully, find a way out. The drawings form the body of a book to be published by Bonnier/Hot Key in January 2017; this is an opportunity to hear and see Debi’s ‘Night Shift’ before publication.

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Meet the Author

Friday 25 November 8.30pm - 9.30pm Mareel Auditorium £8/£6 Kevin reads from his latest book The Brilliant & Forever, a novel about how everyone has a story within them. One of the main characters is a talking alpaca. The Brilliant & Forever received widespread rave reviews from the Independent, the Scotsman, lovereading and The Guardian, who said ‘it’s a joy to read such an engaging, luminous novel.’ Kevin is known and loved across Shetland due to his previous visits as Writer in Residence, and we’re delighted he is bringing his new novel to us!

Between Islands Saturday 26 November 1.30pm - 3pm Mareel Auditorium £10/£8 Hailing from the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland, join island authors Kevin MacNeil, Alison Miller and Roseanne Watt as they read from their short stories on the theme of Between Islands and discuss the many facets of island living.

www.shetlandarts.org

 @ShetlandArts

Writers in Shetland Tuesday 22 November 6pm - 7.30pm Mareel Auditorium £5/£3 Come along to our networking event for literature enthusiasts, a chance to meet other writers and have a bite to eat while discussing your work.

Play with Words for Wordplay Tuesday 22 November Time: 8pm - 9.30pm Mareel Auditorium £7/£5

Our Library, Our Stories Wednesday 23 November 7pm - 8.30pm Shetland Library Free Join local writers who will share their writing which has been inspired by their local library and stories which inspire them. Evening hosted

by Jacqui Clark, Reading Champion.

Shetland writers ‘Play with Words’ at our showcase of local talent, featuring poetry and prose from writers across the isles.

01595 745555

www.shetlandboxoffice.com

Local Writers

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Bobby the Birdman Book Launch Sunday 27 November Mareel Auditorium 6.30pm - 8.30pm £8/£6 Bobby Tulloch was the son of a crofter in the island of Yell, who through his own extraordinary talents and a certain amount of good luck became a renowned field ornithologist, tour guide, author and wildlife photographer. Join us to celebrate the launch of Bobby the Birdman, a book compiled by Mike McDonnell and Jonathan Wills, which includes memories of Bobby’s life and is illustrated throughout with evocative pictures from those eventful days and Bobby’s wonderful wildlife and landscape photographs.

There will be readings and discussions with some of the contributors, as well as rare documentary footage and a selection of his tunes performed by local fiddlers!

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Local Writers

Roseanne Watt on Film Poetry Sunday 27 November 4pm - 5pm Mareel Screen 1 £7/£5 Filmpoetry. Cin(E)-poetry. Kinetic poetry. Digital poetry. Videopoetry… these are just a few of the terms coined in recent years that attempt to describe the integration of both poetry and the moving image. Through looking at the work of pioneers such as the Orcadian filmmaker Margaret Tait, right through to the ways in which superstars such as Beyoncé have embraced the form, filmpoet Roseanne Watt will discuss the genesis and development of this particularly versatile and varied hybrid artform.

www.shetlandarts.org

 @ShetlandArts

The Book Group That’s Not A Book Group But Kinda Is A Book Group Monday 21 November 6pm - 7.30pm Shetland Library 7.30pm - 9pm Mareel Cafe/Bar Free There’s only 40 days left in 2016 on the 21st of November. Help Shetland’s Reading Champion compile the definitive list of the 40 best things which we’ve read in 2016. One thing’s for sure – it will kinda be fun.

Amnesty International Shetland

Book Sale

Family Day at the Library Saturday 26 November 11am - 5pm Shetland Library Free Join Shetland Library for a special day of discoveries designed for all the family. Lots of fun reading activities including the launch of the new Ooricks book and help our Reading Champ write a story about why she loves the Library.

Wordplay Poetry Slam Sunday 27 November 9pm - 10.30pm Mareel Cafe/Bar Free The hotly anticipated return of the Wordplay Poetry Slam - poets go head-to-head to prove their worth. There can only be one champion...

Sunday 27th November 11am - 6pm Mareel Foyer Come along and browse an extensive collection of books - all proceeds will support the amazing work of Amnesty International.

01595 745555

www.shetlandboxoffice.com

Fun Stuff

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Monday 21 November

Sunday 20 November

Saturday 19 November

Jackie Kay: Scots Makar 8pm - 9pm Mareel Auditorium £10/£8

Thursday 17 November

Wednesday 16 November

Meet the Author Local Writers Fun Stuff Schedule Workshops Children & Family Guests

Jackie Kay: Back and Forth 7pm - 8.30pm Old Library £10/£8

Bonhoga: Childhood Stories 11am - 12pm Bonhoga Cafe Free

Songwriting 1pm - 3pm Mareel Auditorium £7/£5

Shetland Singer Songwriters Extravaganza 7.30pm Mareel Auditorium £15/£7.50

Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot 10.30am - 11.30am Mareel Auditorium £5/£3

Harry Potter Celebration 11.30am - 1pm Mareel Foyer Free

Horatio Clare: Crossing the Lines 7.30pm - 8.30pm Mareel Auditorium £8/£6

TBGTNABGBK IABG 6pm - 7.30pm Shetland Library Free

TBGTNABGBK IABG 7.30pm - 9pm Mareel Cafe/Bar Free

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Play with Words for Wordplay 8pm - 9.30pm Mareel Auditorium £7/£5

Comic Creation with Edward Ross 5.30pm - 7.30pm Mareel Green Room £7/£5

Edward Ross: Filmish 8pm - 9pm Mareel Auditorium £8/£6

Debi Gliori: Night Shift 7pm - 8pm Mareel Auditorium £8/£6

Kevin MacNeil: The Brilliant & Forever 8.30pm - 9.30pm Mareel Auditorium £8/£6

Debi Gliori: Goodnight World 10am - 11am Mareel Auditorium Free

Family Day at the Library 11am - 5pm Shetland Library Free

Between Islands 1.30pm - 3pm Mareel Auditorium £10/£8

Short story with Kevin MacNeil 3.30pm - 5pm Mareel Meeting Room £7/£5

Amnesty International Shetland Book Sale 11am - 6pm Mareel Foyer

Aspects of the Novel: Alison Miller 2pm - 3.30pm Mareel Meeting Room £7/£5

Film Poetry 4pm - 5pm Mareel Screen 1 £7/£5

Bobby the Birdman 6.30pm - 8.30pm Mareel Auditorium £8/£6 Poetry Slam 9pm - 10.30pm Mareel Cafe/Bar Free

Wednesday 23 November

Tuesday 22 November Thursday 24 November Friday 25 November Saturday 26 November Sunday 27 November

Writers in Shetland 6pm - 7.30pm Mareel Auditorium £5/£3

Our Library, Our Stories 7pm - 8.30pm Shetland Library Free

Songwriting with Carol Jamieson Jackie Kay:

Back and Forth Thursday 17 November 7pm - 8.30pm Old Library £10/£8 Back and Forth, a poetry workshop with the incredible Jackie Kay, will explore journeys from islands to mainlands and back again, and journeys from the present to the past and back again. How do poets leap across water, across time? This workshop will look at the stanza - a wee island in itself - and the space between stanzas, the sea…

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Workshops

Saturday 19 November 1pm - 3pm Mareel Auditorium £7/£5 The wonderful Carol Jamieson will lead an afternoon of songwriting. You will spend time developing lyrics, structure and melody and combining these elements to create a song.

And songwriting fans, remember to come along to the amazing Singer/Songwriter Extravaganza later this evening.

www.shetlandarts.org

 @ShetlandArts

Comic Creation with Edward Ross Thursday 24 November 5.30pm - 7.30pm Mareel Green Room £7/£5 Join Edward Ross, creator of the graphic novel Filmish: A Graphic Journey Through Film, for this comic book creation masterclass. Learn how to create interesting and memorable characters, how to tell exciting stories with them, and how to get your comics out into the world. No experience necessary, anyone can make comics!

Aspects of the Novel with Alison Miller Sunday 27 November 2pm - 3.30pm Mareel Meeting Room £7/£5

Short story with Kevin MacNeil

First or third person? Whose point of view? Past or present tense? Some of the dilemmas faced by every fiction writer. This workshop will focus on these aspects and explore the benefits and drawbacks of the different approaches.

Saturday 26 November 3.30pm - 5pm Mareel Meeting Room £7/£5 Learn how to write a short story and improve your fiction skills generally. In this effective, encouraging workshop you’ll learn how to master the elements of narrative such as plot, character, dialogue and tension. Kevin has taught creative writing skills to people of all ages and backgrounds and invites anyone with an interest in writing to come along.

01595 745555

www.shetlandboxoffice.com

Workshops

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Bonhoga: Childhood Stories Saturday 19 November 11am - 12pm Bonhoga Cafe Free The Book Group That’s Not A Book Group But Kinda Is A Book Group are bringing their favourite childhood books to Bonhoga. Come and listen to some brilliant tales for children, and take along your own favourites to share!

Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot Sunday 20 November 10.30am - 11.30am Mareel Auditorium £5/£3 Recommended age: 7 - 12, children must be accompanied by an adult Aubrey is a rambunctious boy who tries to run before he can walk, but when his father, Jim, falls under the horrendous spell of the Terrible Yoot, everything changes, and Aubrey must set out to break the spell. Funny and fearless, Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot is a prize-winning modern-day fable that mixes real family life with fantastical woodland creatures and a more than a touch of myth and mystery, to tackle the theme of depression head on. Join author Horatio Clare and illustrator Jane Matthews as they explore Aubrey’s world with words and pictures. An event for all creatures great and small.

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Children & Family

www.shetlandarts.org

 @ShetlandArts

Debi Gliori:

Goodnight World Harry Potter Celebration

Saturday 26 November 10am - 11am Mareel Auditorium Free

Sunday 20 November 11.30am - 1pm Mareel Foyer Free

Recommended age: 4-8 years, children must be accompanied by an adult

All ages welcome In celebration of the release of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, we’re having a Harry Potter festival in the foyer! Drop by and meet your favourite characters, snack on some magical treats, get sorted into your Hogwarts house, and much more.

Grab your warmest pyjamas and your favourite teddy to join Debi Gliori as she puts the world to bed. And there’ll be an opportunity to help her draw some special beds for your favourite bedtime creatures and animals too!

This event is supported by Scottish Book Trust’s Live Literature Fund.

Once you’ve been sorted, come along to a special screening of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Prize for the best dressed witch or wizard (or other fantastic beasts)!

Tickets for the film will be available through the box office.

01595 745555

www.shetlandboxoffice.com

Children & Family

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Jackie Kay

Jackie Kay was born

and brought up in Scotland. The Adoption Papers won the Forward Prize, a Saltire prize and a Scottish Arts Council Prize; her debut novel Trumpet won the Guardian Fiction Award and was shortlisted for the IMPAC award; and her memoir Red Dust Road won the Scottish Book of the Year Award. She is Chancellor of the University of Salford and Professor of Creative Writing at Newcastle University, and was named Scots Makar—the National Poet for Scotland—in March 2016.

Roseanne Watt

Debi Gliori

Debi Gliori is a much loved and bestselling author/illustrator of over 75 books for children, including the bestselling No Matter What (Bloomsbury) and the Mr Bear series (Orchard). Debi lives near Edinburgh and has twice been writer in residence in the Shetland Isles. Her favourite colour is blue or, more precisely, four different shades of blue: cerulean blue, cobalt blue, Mediterranean turquoise blue and warm ultramarine blue. She has sold over 522,500 books in the UK alone.

Kevin MacNeil

Roseanne Watt is a writer and filmmaker from the Shetland Isles, currently based in Edinburgh. She is undertaking an AHRC funded project, titled ‘Aa My Mindin’, at the University of Stirling, which is supervised by Kathleen Jamie and Sarah Neely. Roseanne was the 2015 winner of the Out-Spoken Prize for Poetry in Film. Outside of academia, Roseanne is poetry editor for the online literary magazine The Island Review, and one half of Edinburgh-based band Wulver.

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Guests

Kevin MacNeil was born and raised on the Isle of Lewis. A novelist, screenwriter, playwright, poet and editor, he has won numerous awards, including a JB Priestley award and the Tivoli Europa international poetry prize.

Kevin has taught creative writing at the universities of Edinburgh, Uppsala and Kingston. His work is published internationally, and includes such delights as The Stornoway Way, A Method Actor’s Guide to Jekyll and Hyde, and his newest novel The Brilliant & Forever.

www.shetlandarts.org

 @ShetlandArts

Edward Ross

Alison Miller

Alison Miller is Orcadian and has recently come back to live in Orkney.

Her novel, Demo was shortlisted for the Saltire First Book Award in 2006. She has had poetry and prose published in anthologies and stories broadcast on BBC Radio Four.

As a member of the George Mackay Brown Fellowship, which promotes writing in Orkney, Alison compiled and edited That Bright Lifting Tide: Twelve Orkney Writers, highlighting the literary heritage of the islands. Alison is currently working on a novel and short story.

Jane Matthews

Jane Matthews juggles drawing with her role as Exhibition Manager at Shetland Arts. After studying Fine Art at Oxford and Art History at the Courtauld Institute in London she worked for years in the film and TV industry as a scenic artist and prop maker, before escaping to the remote Welsh Island of Skomer where she monitored seals for a living, wrote a book and lived off grid. She moved to Shetland in 2007 to expand her portfolio of adventures.

01595 745555

www.shetlandboxoffice.com

Edward Ross is an Edinburgh based comic artist, writer and illustrator. A movie fan from a young age, Edward was always fascinated by the inner workings of his favourite films. His debut graphic novel Filmish: A Graphic Journey Through Film brings his passion for comics and movies together in one entertaining book.

Horatio Clare

Horatio Clare’s first book, Running for the Hills, an acclaimed account of a Welsh childhood, won a Somerset Maugham Award, was longlisted for the Guardian First Book Award and saw Horatio shortlisted for the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year. His subsequent books include Truant, A Single Swallow (shortlisted for the Dolman Travel Book of the Year), The Prince’s Pen and the best-selling travelogue, Down to the Sea in Ships (winner of the Stanford-Dolman Travel Book of the Year). Horatio’s first book for children, Aubrey and the Terrible Yoot, illustrated by Jane Matthews, was awarded the Branford Boase Award for Best Debut Children’s Book 2016. His essays and reviews appear regularly in the national press and on BBC Radio.

Guests

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“The Wordplay programme may be the best thing I've read in 2016.”

Jacqui Clark, Shetland's Reading Champion