Seriously Sassy & Seriously Funny

There's a thread that runs through Magi Gibson's work linking the lives of girls and women from Seriously Sassy young teen to Wild, Wild Woman!

As Maggi Gibson, children's author, she will present the prizes to the Young Writers who have gripped her most in their poems about Adventure. 

2.00 pm Orkney Library & Archive

And she will also be doing an interactive reading from her Seriously Sassy series of books for young teens - 2.30 pm Orkney Library & Archive 

Suitable for boys and girls, the books feature the adventures of Sassy Wilde, who harbours not so secret ambitions to be a pop star and is also passionate about saving the planet. She has a gang of best friends too and you can read about them here.

And on Sunday evening, 14 April 7.30 pm, in the Stromness Hotel for Bemused Magi will shed a 'g' and read from her poetry collections, Graffiti in Red Lipstick and Wild Women of a Certain Age.

The Scotsman said of her Wild Women:
'A collection for anyone who imagines that sensitively wrought lyric poetry cannot also be tough and pungent.' 

Seriously Funny/Funnily Serious

Ian MacPherson is a comedian and writer who penned the hilarious The Autobiography of Ireland's Greatest Living Genius by Fiachra MacFiach. 

(Don't try and say that name with your mouth full of scone!) 

He will be reading from this and other work at: 

Bemused
Sunday 14 April 
7.30 pm
the Stromness Hotel.

And on Sunday afternoon, Ian will offer Orkney writers the chance to learn from him how to write funny. Seriously!

Comedy Writing Workshop
2.00-4.00 pm
Stromness Library

To sign up for Ian's workshop please contact:

pamela.beasant@virgin.net

And come along to the readings - they will be fabulous!

Be there or be a sad excuse for a festival-goer!

Tickets at the door.

Or get your Whole Festival Pass from Orkney Library. £20 gets you into all the events

ORKNEY BOOK FESTIVAL: Full Programme

 

Orkney Book Festival

11-14 April 2013

The second Orkney Book Festival features writers and speakers from Canada, Scotland and Orkney. The Festival celebrates Orkney filmmaker and writer Margaret Tait, and the bi-centenary of Arctic explorer John Rae as part of the year-long programme of events, John Rae 200.

Events include film nights, a book fair, readings and workshops, the results of the second Young Orkney Writers’ Prize, and the annual George Mackay Brown Memorial Lecture. This year’s featured writers are:

Struan Sinclair novelist and academic from the University of Manitoba, Canada; Orkney Writing Fellowship Resident in 2004

Magi Gibson poet and writer for adults and children, current Reader-in Residence at Glasgow Women’s Library

Ian Macpherson acclaimed comedian, performer and writer for adults and children

Gerda Stevenson actor, musician and poet, who starred in Margaret Tait’s only feature film, Blue Black Permanent

Sarah Neely from Stirling University, editor of Margaret Tait: Poetry, Writings, Stories, who will deliver the GMB Memorial Lecture

Sarah Forrest filmmaker and first holder of the Margaret Tait residency at the Pier Arts Centre, attending courtesy of the Glasgow Film Festival 

Alison Miller novelist and current Reader-in-Residence at Orkney Library & Archive

Brian Murray writer and co-editor of many books by George Mackay Brown, and of Robert Rendall: Collected Poems

John Flett Brown Geologist, and co-editor of Robert Rendall: Collected Poems

Bryce Wilson Orcadian writer and historian, whose forthcoming book on the history of Stromness Harbour will be published later this year

Entry to all events is £5 (£4 concessions), payable at the door, except for Friday evening's event at the Pier Arts Centre (see below), for which booking is essential. Please telephone 01856 850209.

There will be a book fair at Orkney Library and Archive on Friday 12 and Saturday 13 April. Local publishers and booksellers are welcome to display and/or sell their books. To book a space, please contact Lucy Gibbon at Orkney Library & Archive, lucy.gibbon@orkney.gov.uk

Programme

Thursday 11 April

7.30pm    Film night    West Side Cinema

That Now by Sarah Forrest, first Margaret Tait Resident 

Blue Black Permanent by Margaret Tait, introduced by Sarah Neely

Followed by discussion with actor Gerda Stevenson, filmmaker Sarah Forrest and writer Sarah Neely

                                                              

Friday 12 April Orkney Library and Archive

12-5pm    Book Fair      

including local booksellers, publishers, and a special exhibition of Margaret Tait material from the Archive

2pm          Young Orkney Writers’ Prize     

2.30-4.00 Seriously Sassy               

Session for young people with Maggi Gibson

Friday 12 April Pier Arts Centre, Stromness

(booking essential, please phone 01856 850209)

7pm        GMB Memorial Lecture  

Margaret Tait: filmmaker and writer

Dr Sarah Neely, including short films by Margaret Tait

Followed by

Margaret Tait: Film Poet, by Marissa Keating and Michael Thomas Jones, commissioned by the Glasgow Women’s Library

Introduced by Magi Gibson, and a selection of readings and short films by Margaret Tait, from the Pier Arts Centre collection.

                 

Saturday 13 April Orkney Library & Archive

9.30-5     Book fair 

10.30       Beating the Blues Various Orkney Writers                            

11.30am  John Rae in Canada                 

Struan Sinclair, University of Manitoba

2pm  Books that changed our lives        

Magi Gibson and Alison Miller

4pm          Brian Murray and John Flett Brown                           

on Robert Rendall, with Orkney readers

Saturday 13 April Kirkwall Hotel

7.30pm    Readings with music                

Struan Sinclair, Gerda Stevenson, Alison Miller, hosted by Ian Macpherson

Sunday 14 April Stromness Library

11-12        Stromness and John Rae        

                  Bryce Wilson

2-4pm       Workshop – comedy writing        

                  Ian Macpherson

Sunday 14 April Stromness Hotel

7.30pm      Bemused                                   

                  A special evening with Ian Macpherson and Magi Gibson

The Orkney Book Festival is run by the George Mackay Brown Fellowship, funded by Creative Scotland, with the support of Orkney Library and Archive, Reader-in-Residence, the Pier Arts Centre, West Side Cinema, and the Glasgow Women’s Library. The support of the Glasgow Film Festival and the British Film Institute is also gratefully acknowledged.

Orkney Book Festival 11-14 April 2013

I've had a great time being involved in the planning for Orkney Book Festival with the George Mackay Brown Fellowship.

Orkney Book Festival 

11-14 April 

I mentioned all the Margaret Tait events in yesterday's blog. Today I'll tell you about some of the other stars of the festival.

Magi Gibson

Magi Gibson, as well as presenting Glasgow Women's Library's film, Margaret Tait: Film Poet, will be playing several other roles in the festival. She will be reading her work, running a workshop for school children, judging the finalists and presenting the prize to the winner of the Children's Writing Competition. She will also be appearing with me, her fellow Reader in Residence, in a joint session, yet to be devised!

In 2009, Magi became Stirling's first Makar for 500 years. Her poetry collection, Wild Women of a Certain Age, attracted critical acclaim and enthusiastic reader appreciation, a magical combination not always enjoyed by poets.

With another hat on - and another 'g' in her name - Mag(g)i Gibson has written a successful series of children's books featuring Sassy Wilde - her name says it all - called Seriously Sassy. Check it out by clicking the link left.

Like me, since October last year, Magi has been one of Scotland's five Readers in Residence. While I am based in Orkney, Magi's residency is at Glasgow Women's Library. Also like me, she has been writing a regular blog. Have a look, but remember to come back here!

Ian McPherson

Ian MacPherson is a writer and comedian of note - who nevertheless didn't buy himself a goat! Instead he's written several funny books and has been awarded the Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship which allowed him to be flaneur-in-residence in Grez-sur-Loing in France - lucky fella!

He is currently dining out on the stories from The Autobiography of Ireland's Greatest Living Genius which may or may not be about himself.

In the Orkney Book Festival he will be reading from his own work and teaching local writers how to coax a chuckle out of their writing in a Comedy Writing Workshop. He will also be playing host to a cabaret style event where he and the budding comics - and maybe some others - will have a chance to read their work.

And rumour has it that Magi and Ian are an item. If this photo's anything to go by, I think the rumour may be true!

Poetry, Film, Stories, Music, Comedy

an Extravaganza of Delights 

at the Orkney Book Festival

11-14 April 

Don't miss it!

More about the Festival anon. Next time - the John Rae connection.