Scottish authors, past and present, celebrated at Tarbert Book Festival

There are still tickets available to attend the various workshops of the long-awaited Tarbert Book Festival. In its sixth round, the annual programme of literary and poetic expression will run from Friday October 26 to Sunday October 28 and host writers from all over Argyll. On Saturday October 27, Robert Louis Stevenson is the subject of the opening sessions of this year’s weekend with Liz Shaw bringing her historical novel, ‘No Safe Anchorage’, followed by Bella Bathurst talking about ‘The Lighthouse Stevensons’, and Joseph Farrell concentrating on a new account of the final years the Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde author spent in the South Pacific, with his book ‘Robert Louis Stevenson in Samoa’. Closing the Saturday programme is an appearance by Bella Bathurst when she will discuss ‘Sound: A Story of Hearing Lost and Found’, which is her acclaimed account of the experience of going deaf in adulthood and how she eventually recovered. Tarbert Academy will host visits from Scottish poet, Stuart Paterson, and from the creator of the Sandy Seal books, Helen Cormack. Friday evening sees the awarding of the annual writing competition prizes in Loch Fyne Gallery. With entries from across the globe, this year has seen two competitions for writers, an Open Category and a new Novice section. Saturday evening sees the welcome return of one of Scotland’s top crime writers, Denise Mina, to the Stonefield Castle Hotel for an insight into ‘The Long Drop’, her semi-fictionalised account of notorious serial killer, Peter Manuel, and the events of one night in the Glasgow of 1957 interwoven with a portrayal of his trial. Also Olga Wojtas’s novel Miss Blaine's Prefect and the Golden Samovar alluding to Miss Jean Brodie. Refreshments will greet those heading to Tarbert’s Starfish Restaurant on Sunday October 28 for celebrations of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie novelist, Muriel Spark. Brian Morton is in conversation with Alan Taylor, discussing Taylor’s book ‘Appointment in Arezzo’, a memoir of his friendship with Muriel Spark in the 90’s. In the closing session of the weekend, Struan Stevenson will talk about ‘The Course of History: 10 Meals that Changed the World’. With accompanying recipes devised by Tony Singh, this fascinating book looks at how some of the great events of history have been shaped by food and links the menus of the past with the historic happenings.