This is a past event
For lovers of the Word Festival, missing their annual fix, here's something to keep you going.
Three short story events featuring the best of contemporary talent from Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales (with a strong Aberdeen connection). Books will be on sale, and there may even be some music to help the festival atmosphere.
Don't miss out!
There will be 3 events held over 3 nights - all held in the Linklater Rooms, King's College Campus:
Sheena Blackhall and Shane Strachan Wednesday 2 May, 6.30pm North East voices (and the Toulmin Prize)
Sheena Blackhall is one of Scotland's best loved and most prolific writers, publishing poetry and prose in English and Doric. She is also an illustrator, storyteller and traditional ballad singer. In 2009 she was appointed Makar for the North East. Her most recent publications are The Chimaera Institute, The Honey that came from the Sea, and Three Cats Flying.
Shane Strachan is completing his PhD in Creative Writing at the University of Aberdeen. He is working on a collection of short stories rooted in the decline of the fishing industry in the North East. He won the University's Bobby Aitken Prize for Creative Writing in 2010. He has published academic work in Scottish Language, and fiction and poetry in Causeway / Cabshair, which he now edits.
This event will also see the culmination of the annual short story competition run by the Elphinstone Institute, commemorating the work of David Toulmin, one of the finest exponents of written Doric. The winner will be announced and the winning story read by Sheena Blackhall.
Claire Keegan and Wayne Price Wednesday 9 May, 6.30pm Celtic connections: Ireland and Wales
Claire Keegan is simply one of the finest short story writers at work today, with a worldwide reputation based on her two collections Antarctica and Walk the Blue Fields, and her novella Foster. She has been compared to some of the greats – John McGahern and Alistair MacLeod – and has won a host of awards including the William Trevor Prize, the Francis MacManus Award, the Davy Byrnes Award and the Rooney Prize for Irish Literature.
Wayne Price has just published his first collection of short stories, Furnace, drawing comparisons to Raymond Carver and Paul Bowles. He has twice been runner up in the Bridport Prize and has also won many awards for his poetry, placing in the Edwin Morgan International Poetry Competition and Poetry on the Lake. He teaches Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Aberdeen.
Alan Spence and Helen Lynch Wednesday 16 May, 6.30pm Two multi-talented writers
Alan Spence is an award-winning poet and playwright, novelist and short story writer. Awards include the People's Prize, Macallan Short Story Prize and McVitie Prize for Scottish Writer of the Year. His last novel, The Pure Land, was translated into 19 languages and his latest book is a poetry collection, Morning Glory, with illustrations by Elizabeth Blackadder. He is Professor in Creative Writing at the University of Aberdeen where he founded the Word Festival.
Helen Lynch won the Bluechrome Prize for her debut short story collection, The Elephant and the Polish Question. She recently received a Creative Scotland Award to allow her to work on a second collection, Tea for the Rent Boy. She teaches Literature and Creative Writing at the University of Aberdeen and she plays in the all-female ceilidh band Danse McCabre.
- Venue
- Linklater Rooms
- Contact
- events@abdn.ac.uk