Dundee Literary Festival 2010

Dundee

The 2010 Dundee Literary Festival features a range of events, from author talks to workshops, and the awards ceremony for the Dundee International Book Prize. This year the festival also plays host to a Comic Conference on Sunday 27th June. A festival writing school offering two days of writing tuition for just £125 (including food and accommodation).

Most of the events will take place at the Dalhousie Building, part of the University of Dundee's campus. Tickets are available online, from the DCA, and in the Overgate Shopping Centre.

Wednesday 23rd June

5pm: Dundee Arts Café
Dundee Arts Café is a brand new event, introducing the brightest ideas from the University of Dundee and beyond, for a lively discussion and debate. The launch event, The War for Tea: China and the British Imagination, is introduced by Peter Kitson, Professor of English at the University.
6pm: New Writing Dundee Party
A party to launch New Writing Dundee and the start of this year's festival, with wine, readings from the book, and appearances from Christopher Reid, Robert Crawford, Adam Mars-Jones, Vincent O'Sullivan, Elisa Segrave and others.

Thursday 24th

Various times and venues: Apple Pie ABC
Alison Murray will be appearing at a variety of venues in Dundee to sign and read from her delightful picture book Apple Pie ABC.
9am: Livewire
Students of the Creative Writing course at the University of Dundee will be reading and discussing their work.
10am: Jackie Kay
The story of Jackie Kay's life is as fascinating and complex as her literary works, and is explored in her new autobiography Red Dust Road.
11am: An Orcadian Summer
Three different voices from Orkney will be reading from and discussing their works. Join Duncan McLean, John Aberdein and Alison Flett.
12.30pm: Dundee Poets
A poem & a piece event with poetry from Tracy Herd and Gordon Meade, both Royal Literary Fellows at the University of Dundee. They will be introduced by Jim Stewart.
1.30pm: Alan Warner
Join Alan Warner, one of the most innovative Scottish writers of his generation, as he reads from his new novel Stars in the Bright Sky.
3pm: Christopher Reid
The Costa Award winning poet will be in conversation with Catherine Lockerbie.
4.30pm: John Carey
Biographer John Carey will be in conversation with the University of Dundee's Kirsty Gunn as they talk about his new biography of William Golding.
5.30pm: Publishing Panel
Leading publishers will be discussing the new and changing routes to market for authors hoping to get published. The experts will be David Graham of Enhanced Editions, Pru Rowlandson from Granta, Will Atkinson of Faber and Faber, Bob McDevitt of Hachette Scotland, and literary agent Jenny Brown.

Friday 25th

9am: Cynthia Rogerson
The Californian author, now living in Ross-shire, will be talking about her forthcoming novel I Love You Goodbye.
10am: Creating History
See our The Story of Canongate event listing for details.
12.30pm: Andrew Philip
Andrew Philip's first poetry collection The Ambulance Box was shortlisted for an SAC award this year, and he will be reading from his book.
1.30pm: Lesley Glaister
The thriller writer Lesley Glaister will be reading from her twelfth novel Chosen.
2.30pm: Rosamunde Pilcher
Romantic novelist Rosamunde Pilcher is a new Honorary Graduation of the University of Dundee. She will be reading from her books.
3.30pm: Richard Holloway
Richard Holloway will give a lecture on God, suffering and death, and how poetry can help us cope.
6pm: Nick Cave
Musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter and actor Nick Cave will be discussing the inspiration behind his latest novel The Death of Bunny Munro.

Saturday 26th

10am: Alistair Urquhart
Alistair Urquhart, now living in Broughty Ferry, has written the amazing story of his life in The Forgotten Highlander, now a Sunday Times Bestseller. He will be answering questions from the audience.
11am: Local Voices
New writing from two local authors Sue Peebles and Neil Forsyth with their books The Death of Lomond Friel and Let Them Come Through.
12 noon: Stuart Kelly
His name and image are everywhere – from banknotes to the monument in Edinburgh’s city centre – yet who reads Walter Scott these days? Stuart Kelly explores the subject in his new book Scottland.
1pm: Tom Bryan
A poem & a piece event with Canadian-born poet Tom Byran.
2pm: Kenny Reid
Kenny Reid is golf's greatest fan, as he explains his new book A Major Obsession.
2pm: The Nethergate Writers
Dundee’s most prolific writing group are back with a new book – Whodunwhat.
3pm: Dundee International Book Prize
The Dundee International Book prize has established itself as the UK's premier prize for emerging novelists. The winning novel will be published by Birlinn.
4.30pm: Iain Banks
Iain Banks is one of the most original novelists of our time – literary, controversial and enormously popular, and he will be reading from his most recent novel Transition.
7.30pm: Allan Brown
Inside The Wicker Man is a treat for all cinemagoers, exhaustively researched and achieving a near-perfect balance between history, trivia and serious analysis. Followed by a screening of the film.