Authors go up town and Off The Page
Alan Bissett and James Kelman join 12th line-up
Libraries, staff and partners last week launched the programme for this year’s Off the Page Stirling Book Festival.
Festival authors Alan Bissett, who will perform The Moira Monologues for the first time in Stirling, and the Stirling Makar Clive Wright, who is appearing at poetry events throughout the week, were also along to help launch the programme at the Tolbooth.
The festival is organised by Stirling Libraries and is in its 12th year, with an exciting line-up of events taking place from May 4-15.
Highlights this year include James Kelman talking about Dirt Road accompanied by Neil Sutcliffe, a musician from Stirling and The Dirt Roadsters. The Off the Page family Ceilidh also makes a comeback this year with music from the Riverside Ceilidh Band and poetry and music from Owen Sutcliffe in Gaelic and English. Organisers are working with partners such as the Cycle Hub, University of Stirling and the Smith Art Gallery.
Off the Page will also offer a variety of events for children with writers including Ross Collins, Alex Scarrow, with popular family days continuing to feature this year with a special Adventure Time Party in Cambusbarron Library and a Comickids event in the Tolbooth Theatre featuring Gary Erskine and Chris Mitchell. Bookbug sessions will again feature throughout the week.
Stirling Council’s director of communities and enterprise, Stacey Burlet said: “Off the Page has once again a strong programme which gives everyone the opportunity to hear great authors in their own community but also in the centre of Stirling.
“It is one of the many cultural events that make Stirling unique, and we look forward to welcoming those living in and visiting Stirling along to our events.”
Keep up to date with what’s going on at www.culturestirling.org/ offthepage.