Word: The Aberdeen Writers Festival

University of Aberdeen

The seventh Word festival, the University of Aberdeen's Writers Festival, runs from 11th to 13th May 2007. There is also a Gaelic and a Children's programme, and we have highlighted the best of the Scottish events this year.

• 1.30pm - David Robb on George MacDonald. David Robb is the foremost authority on the writings of George MacDonald.
• 1.30pm - Both Bernard MacLaverty and Joan Lingard were born in Belfast but have long been associated with writing in Scotland. The authors will be reading from their latest work.
• 2.45pm - New fiction from début novelists Jenny Turner, from Aberdeen, and Alison Miller, from Orkney.
• 3pm - Afternoon Story with The Herald literary editor Rosemary Goring.
• 5.15pm - Professor Douglas Gifford delivers the 2007 Times Higher Linklater Lecture on Scottish novelist Neil Gunn.
• 6.30pm - William McIlvanney reads from his latest novel.
• 7.45pm - Alan Spence, Artistic Director of this festival, will be discussing Scottish-Japanese fiction with writer Michael Gardiner

• 1.30pm - Scottish Crime Writing with Allan Guthrie and Stuart MacBride
• 2.30pm - Poetry readings from Stewart Conn and Tom Pow
• 8pm - Saturday Night Word, an evening session with leading Scottish writers Alan Warner, A.L. Kennedy and John Burnside

• 12pm - Three poets read from their work: Tessa Ransford, Pauline Prior-Pitt and Anne MacLeod
• 1.30pm - Alistair MacLeod, author of No Great Mischief, returns from Canada for this event
• 2pm - Janey Louise Jones discusses the challenges of writing and publishing Children's books
• 2.45pm - 100 favourite Scottish poems with Stewart Conn
• 5.30pm - Christopher Rush will be reading from his latest memoir.
• 7pm - Iain Banks will be reading from his latest novel.

This is just a sample of the events taking place during the three-day festival