The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Birnam Book Festival
Birnam Arts, until November 25
The conjoined Perthshire towns of Dunkeld and Birnam are all set to host their second major cultural extravaganza this month.
Three weeks after songsmith Dougie MacLean’s ever-popular Perthshire Amber concerts returned to the idyllic setting, the inaugural Birnam Book Festival launches today.
Immortalised by Shakespeare in Macbeth, Birnam was also Victorian thinker John Ruskin’s inspiration for his epic fairy tale The King Of The Golden River and the place where Beatrix Potter devised her characters Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail and Peter Rabbit – later to become a global sensation – in the 1890s.
It’s fitting then that the new event’s being pushed as a means of celebrating its host area’s inspirational literary contribution, as well as modern writing in all its diversity.
An official opening and buffet reception with live musical storytelling at Birnam Arts Hall tonight features GP-cum-Canongate prizewinner Peter Dorward and Ayrshire-born chick-lit and sci-fi writer Jenny Colgan, who’s penned a string of Doctor Who tie-in novels.
Tomorrow’s packed programme includes brunch with Scottish poets Don Paterson, Tim Turnbull and Rebecca Sharp, tips from novelist Jamie Jauncey at noon, folk music legend Peggy Seeger discussing her autobiography First Time Ever with broadcaster Fiona Ritchie (1pm), leading tartan noir author Lin Anderson in conversation with forensic scientist Lorna Dawson (2.30pm), and philosopher Robert Rowland Smith (3pm).
Paterson will also be joined at 4pm by rapper and author Darren McGarvey and academic writer Anna Ross for readings, music and discussion on the topic of how art and literature have influenced drugs policy down the decades, with Peggy Seeger, Battlefield Band legend Alan Reid and Irish troubadour Jon Plunkett performing music and poetry at John Kinnaird Hall from 8pm-10.30pm.
Sunday’s hot ticket is Perth-born broadcaster Stuart Cosgrove talking from 4.30pm about his recent trilogy tracking the relationship between 1960s soul music and the black civil rights movement.
For younger readers, the festival starts this afternoon at Birnam Arts Library with a fun discussion aimed at ages five to 11 led by author David MacPhail, whose hit children’s books include Top Secret Grandad And Me and Vikings In Britain.
Tomorrow offers Christmas fairytales followed by reading activities with Meg McLaren, and teacher Victoria Williamson talking about her refugee-themed debut novel on Sunday at 10am.