John O’Groats Book Festival organisers already looking ahead to next year
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ORGANISERS of the John O’Groats Book Festival are already looking ahead to next year after the success of the 2019 event at the weekend.
Visiting authors and local writers took part in a packed programme over three days and several local schools were involved too.
Festival co-ordinator Ian Leith said: “It was successful weekend. We enjoyed a lot of interesting discussions and heard some brilliant readings. And, as a lot of the writers have been saying, it was a friendly festival with everyone coming together.
“The dates have been pencilled in for next year. We’re keen to sustain and develop the festival.
“We would still want to see it around two or three days at this stage – we’re not quite at the week-long festival quite yet.
“We learned a lot of lessons from the first festival which we implemented in the second one, and we’ve learned a lot of lessons from this weekend which will be part of our thinking for next year.
“We’re also looking to recruit one or two more people to the organising body.”
Special guests were authors Gerda Stevenson, Bella Bathurst and James Robertson along with illustrator Kate Leiper. The festival also gave a platform to many local and Highland writers.
The Seaview Hotel was the main venue but some sessions were hosted by other locations in John O’Groats.
“We were absolutely delighted with the three guest writers and one illustrator that came along,” Mr Leith said. “They participated fully – there were no prima donnas.
“We talk to these writers and ask them what their experience is of other small book festivals. The general feeling is that we’re new, we’re young, we’re only in our second year, but they’re saying that the numbers we’re getting are as good as some of the more established festivals.
“We basically gave over the Sunday to local writers. In the afternoon we had 12 or 13 local writers participating in different venues.
"We feel it’s important to give local writers a platform, and it’s also important that we include different venues throughout John O’Groats – it’s a community event, it’s not just in one location.”
Kate Leiper and James Robertson – who had collaborated on The Book of the Howlat – ran a session with primary pupils at Canisbay, while Kate also supervised a “draw your own dragon” lesson at Castletown school as well as a workshop with youngsters at Lyth Arts Centre based on selkie legends.
Gerda Stevenson spoke to two classes at Wick’s Noss Primary School, while the Crowvus publishing team launched its book Rosie Jane and the Swodgerump at Crossroads.
