Winter words 2015 at pft

Creative writing courses tutored by some of the finest authors from the UK and beyond.

2015 Programme available now

www.moniackmhor.org.uk | [email protected] | 01463 741675

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Welcome!The 2015 Winter Words programme contains a wide-ranging, imaginative and enticing line-up of great minds and great writers - the perfect way to celebrate the final days of Winter (and look forward to the first signs of Spring) amidst the spectacular landscape of Highland Perthshire!

As always, a number of themes weave their way through this year's celebration of the written and the spoken word: the eagle-eyed will quickly discover strands concerned with Scottish history and culture, wild spaces and the natural world, the arts and media and rural life running throughout the programme of events.

From Buckingham Palace to Border Ballads, elegant birds of prey to the Battle of Bannockburn, from the Isle of Muck to munros at midnight, and from the Cairngorms to the Commonwealth (not to mention the inaugural inclusion of the Banff Film Festival and a manuscript assessor from Moniach Mhor), there’s a vast range of stimulating and entertaining activity to explore at this year’s Winter Words.

The unique Fearie Tales writing competition (with free Fearie Tales performances in the Foyer) returns again this year, as does the ever-present Book Fair, a 3 day Creative Writing course and the very popular Poetry Please! sessions.

Now in its eleventh year, Winter Words remains the place “where Scotland's Literary year gets into gear” (The Scotsman). So book your tickets today!

Pitlochry Festival Theatre is a Company Limited by Guarantee Registered in Scotland Number SC029243 at the below address. Scottish Charity Number SC013055 Pitlochry Festival Theatre, Pitlochry, PH16 5DR | Administration: 01796 484600 | Fax: 01796 484616 | Box Office: 01796 484626 | Email: [email protected] | Website: www.PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com

“where Scotland's Literary year gets into gear” The Scotsman

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Transaction Fees apply to advertised ticket prices. If paying by card, the Transaction Fee is 25p for Debit Cards and £1.50 for Credit Cards. If booking via our website, the Transaction Fee is £1.50. There is no Transaction Fee for paying with cash at the Box Office.

Please note: Event and ticketing information is correct at time of going to print. Changes in the programme of events may alter, so please do check online or at the Box Office. We reserve the right to make changes to the programme, ticket prices and seating plans.

Tickets & Book FairPhone: 01796 484626 | Online: www.PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com In Person: at the Theatre Box Office | Email: [email protected]

Concessions:• Friends/Supporter

Cardholders | Groups (10+) : 10% off tickets

• Disabled Badge Holders: 20% off tickets

• Students | U18s | Registered Unemployed : 50% off tickets

Only Friends/Supporter Cardholders concessions apply to Literary Lunches.

All ticket prices and concessions are subject to availability.

The Winter Words bookstall is organised by Yeadon’s Booksellers, who will be selling signed books by guest authors throughout the Festival. Yeadons have two shops in Elgin and Banchory, both of which are beautifully decorated and stocked with carefully chosen, eclectic selections of books. Well worth a visit (or three!), their staff are all professional booksellers, dedicated, enthusiastic and knowledgeable, who will also be around throughout the day to help and advise. Order (or reserve) a book today!

You can now order or reserve any book by a Winter Words author in advance of their event. Simply go to www.yeadons.co.uk and complete an order/reservation form. You can also make a dedication!

Books will be charged at full retail price plus postage and packing (10% of retail price UK) and you won’t be charged until dispatch. You can also save on postage by picking up your book at our Bookstall which is open throughout the Festival.

The unique Pitlochry Station Bookshop will be running a second hand and new bookstall in the theatre foyer throughout the Festival. The Station Bookshop sells a wide range of donated books to raise money for many different charities. Bestsellers, children’s classics and interesting antiquary gems are waiting to be enjoyed – and not just by train travellers!

Book Fair! From 10.00am - 6.00pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Ways to Book!

Pitlochry Station Bookshop


10.00am-11.00am | £7.50Roger HutchinsonSt Kilda: A People’s History

11.30am-12.30pm | £7.50Catriona Macdonald and Dr. Patricia Andrew Scotland at War – Art and Heart

1.00pm–2.15pm | £23.50 Polly PullarThe Isle of Muck

3.00pm-4.00pm | £8.50James Robertson and Jill CalderRobert the Bruce: King of Scots

4.30pm-5.30pm | £8.50Robyn YoungRebels and Kings

7.00pm-8.15pm | £10.00Allan LittleBringing Home The News

8.45pm–9.45pm | Free Fearie Tales

Friday 13th

Saturday 14th

Sunday 15th

TUES 17TH – THUR 19TH WRITING COURSE

Friday 20th

Saturday 21st

10.00am-11.00am | £7.50Patrick BakerSecrets of the Cairngorms

11.30am-12.30pm | £7.50Judy FairbairnsIsland Wife

1.00pm–2.15pm | £23.50Linda CracknellDoubling Back

1.15pm to 2.00pm | FreeLove Poetry Please3.00pm-4.00pm | £10.00Mark BeaumontThe Adventurer Returns

4.30pm-5.30pm | £7.50Alan RowanAdventures of a Midnight Mountaineer

7.00pm – 9.45pm £13.50/£12 concessionBanff Mountain Film Festival10.00pm–11.00pm | Free Fearie Tales

10.00am-11.00am | £7.50James CrawfordScotland’s Landscapes

11.30am-12.30pm | £7.50Jim CrumleyThe Eagle’s Way

1.00pm-2.15pm | £23.50Keith Williams & Caroline BrownWar Poems of Joseph Lee

3.00pm-4.00pm | £9.50Ann Cleeves Bringing Shetland to the Screen

4.30pm-5.30pm | £9.50Alan McCredie A Portrait of a Nation

7.00pm-8.30pm | £12.50 Andrew Greig & Rachel NewtonBorder Ballads

10.30am – 4.30pm | £125 Write On!3 Day Writing Course

10.00am–11.00am | £7.50Ruary Mackenzie DoddsDragonfly Diaries

11.30am-12.30pm | £7.50Iain MacwhirterDisunited Kingdom

11.15am–12.45pm | £12.50 Cynthia Rogerson Workshop: The Art of Short Story Writing

1.00pm–2.15pm | £23.50Kenneth CalmanA Doctor’s Line

2.45pm-5.00pm | £10.00Cynthia RogersonDoctor Writer Sessions

3.00pm- 4.00pm | £9.50Kenneth StevenIona: The Other Island

4.30pm-5.30pm | £9.50Bernard MacLaverty Telling Stories

7.30pm-9.00pm | £14.50Penny Junor Behind the Scenes at Buckingham Palace

9.30pm–10.30pm | Free Event Fearie Tales

10.00am–11.00am | £5.00New Writing Scotland11.30am-12.30pm | £7.50Helen & William BynumRemarkable Plants That Shape Our Lives

1.00pm-2.15pm | £23.50Theresa Talbot Life in the Garden

1.15pm-2.00pm | FreePoetry Please3.00pm–4.00pm | £9.50Christopher BrookmyreDead Girl Walking

4.30pm-5.30pm | £10.00 Kirsty Wark The Legacy of Elizabeth Pringle

7.30pm-9.00pm | £14.50 James NaughtieThe Madness of July

9.30pm-10.30pm | Free Fearie Tales

04 01796 484626 • PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com

Friday 13th10.00am-11.00am Roger HutchinsonSt Kilda: A People’s History£7.50

Award-winning journalist and author, Roger Hutchinson, kicks off Winter Words in

style with a fascinating talk about his latest book, The People of St Kilda. Roger has dug deep in to the archives and his 40 years of Hebridean knowledge to paint a picture of the population of the St Kildans from the Stone Age to the 20th century.

St Kilda is, for many, a place of wonder and mystery, soaring out the Ocean like Atlantis. This talk will bring the island to life, not just through its wildlife and scenery, but through tales of the people who lived there – proud, self-sufficient people – until the 1930s when the remaining 100 inhabitants were evacuated.

This is a chance to hear the mysteries of this beautiful place unravelled by a speaker with masses of history and stories to share.

11.30am-12.30pmCatriona Macdonald & Dr. Patricia Andrew Scotland at War – Art and Heart £7.50Winter Words brings together two authors and two books for this discussion about Scotland, war, art and how the people left behind in World War One coped with the difficulties of the times.

Catriona Macdonald, a Senior Lecturer in history at the University of Glasgow as well as an acclaimed author and speaker, will expertly examine conscientious objection, voluntary recruitment, press coverage, gender and the war as well as the Highlands in this fascinating session.

Catriona will be joined by Dr. Patricia Andrew, to discuss her latest book, A Chasm in Time: Scottish War Art and Artists in the 20th Century. The first collection of its kind, it features over 200 stunning works of art – many of which have never been reproduced before.

As well as looking at First World War artwork, Patricia’s research also examines the conflicts in South Africa as well as fighting ongoing today; from artists on the front line to those at home. This is sure to be a poignant and unmissable talk for anyone interested in history or photography and art.

Roger Hutchinson

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In addition to the big set pieces from the Bruce story, not least of course, the bloody Battle of Bannockburn, James will be talking about his exciting re-telling of Bruce and the spider, the murder of Red Comyn and Bruce’s seizing of the Scottish throne.

James, whose novels include And The Land Lay Still, The Testament of Gideon Mack (long-listed for the Man Booker prize, 2006) and his most recent work, The Professor of Truth (2013) makes a welcome return to Winter Words, joined by Jill Calder, who has been working as an illustrator since 1993. She is also a calligrapher, digital artist and lecturer with a love of drawing, ideas, colour, ink, typography, book-binding and sketchbooks. The duo will discuss the structure of the book, development process and the complicated interaction between words and images – and the challenge of how the book sits alongside academic books and the reinforcing of traditional views of the past.

1.00pm–2.15pm LITERARY LUNCH Polly PullarThe Isle of Muck£23.50 | includes a 2 course lunch and a glass of wine

A Drop in the Ocean is Polly Pullar’s latest biography in which she reveals the fascinating life of Lawrence MacEwen - the Laird of Muck - whose family have owned the island since 1896.

A wonderfully benevolent and eccentric character, his passion and love for the island and its continuing success, has always been of the utmost importance.

The Lairds diaries are filled with fascinating, extraordinary tales and priceless observations, into which Polly delves deep to unveil a uniquely human story, punctuated with liberal amounts of humour and heart-rending tragedy, always dominated by the vagaries of the sea.

Local author Polly is a brilliant story teller and speaker, she returns to Winter Words with this new biography, ready to captivate her audience!

See page 24 for full lunch menu details.

3.00pm-4.00pm James Robertson & Jill CalderRobert the Bruce: King of Scots£8.50James Robertson, one of Scotland’s most significant modern writers, gives a fresh and vital perspective to the most dramatic historical tales of one of Scotland’s great heroes. Robert The Bruce: King of Scots is a visually stunning book, with James’ words accompanied by the bold and colourful illustrations of Jill Calder, this book expertly captures the atmosphere of the murky world of the 14th century.

James Robertson©Marianne Mitchelson


Friday 13th4.30pm-5.30pmRobyn YoungRebels and Kings£8.50Robert has achieved his great ambition to be crowned King of Scotland, but in so doing has provoked the wrath of Edward of England. Raising the feared dragon banner, the English king marches north, determined to recapture the kingdom. Robert drives towards the place where he will meet Edward II and decide the future of Scotland, in an epic confrontation near the village of Bannockburn. . .

Best-selling historical novelist, Robyn Young, brings an entirely different perspective to the Bannockburn story with her latest book Kingdom, the third in her recent Insurrection trilogy about the rise of the mighty Robert the Bruce.

In this event, Robyn will discuss where fact and fiction meet, examining the process of taking an important story and reimagining it for a novel.

This unique competition receives more and more submissions every year, both from would be authors and more established writers. The format is simple. You write a Fearie Tale and send it to us. We then choose three or four entries to be read aloud in the cosy atmosphere of the Theatre Foyer on Friday and Saturday evenings throughout Winter Words.

Every Fearie Tale must be an entirely new story, written especially for Winter Words and not previously published in any form.

Each entry must be have a minimum of 2,250 and a maximum of 3,250 words.

Entries must be received at Pitlochry Festival Theatre by 12.00 noon on Saturday 31st January, 2015.

Full competition details are available at PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com

Writing Competition 2015

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7.00pm-8.15pmAllan LittleBringing Home The News£10.00Winter Words is delighted to welcome BBC Special Correspondent Allan Little to the festival. Allan is a compelling and enthralling speaker who joins us to share some of his stories reporting from the front line.

Allan has reported from some of the most war-torn and devastated countries on the planet – from Baghdad and the first Gulf War, to Kuwait, Yugoslavia and Rwanda. He has remarked that his job has been like having a front row seat in the theatre of history.

Allan will reflect on the business of bringing back the news from fast moving and unpredictable places. Much of his career has been spent bearing witness to war and political and social upheaval and it has shown the damage that war does not only physically but mentally. He has often reported on UK servicemen and women in action both as peace-keepers and war-fighters, and has come to believe that it is vital that there should be the support for those who need it in what can be a very difficult transition back to peace time and ordinary life.

Join Allan Little to hear some fascinating tales from across the globe – he has reported from sixty countries over the last thirty years – take advantage of this rare chance to ask questions of this legendary newsman.

8.45pm–9.45pmFearie TalesFree Event in FoyerIt’s time to check that there’s no one in your shadow as we settle down for a spook-tacular evening of the supernatural and macabre with the first in a series of Fearie Tales. Feast your ears on a selection of tales penned especially for Winter Words and brought to life by familiar faces from the PFT stage.

Hear of bizarre encounters, unwelcome apparitions and listen out for half-heard footsteps on the mezzanine floor. . . these truly terrifying stories of the paranormal will have you on the edge of your seat; beware of those shadows outside your window in the dead of night . . .

Join us for Supper in the Festival Restaurant & Foyer Bar from 5.30pm.

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Saturday 14th

10.00am-11.00amPatrick BakerSecrets of the Cairngorms £7.50Secrets of the Cairngorms is a series of journeys exploring the barely known human and natural stories of the Cairngorm Mountains, looking at a unique landscape - the last British wilderness, with new eyes.

Patrick Baker talks about his latest book, which combines history with travelogue to create a vivid account of the Cairngorm Mountains. There have been rare human incursions into the plateau, and Patrick tracks them down (literally!). He traces elusive wildlife and relives ghostly sightings on the summit of Ben Macdui. He searches for a long-forgotten, notoriously difficult to find, El Alamein climbing refuge that’s achieved almost mythic status, ancient gem mines, and recalls the haunting discovery of skeletal aircraft remains and hunts for a mysterious nineteenth-century aristocratic settlement.

Patrick seeks out the unlikeliest and most interesting of features in places far off the beaten track and explores the cultural and human impact on this stunning landscape and reflects on the history of mountaineering. Come and hear Patrick recall some of his most amazing experiences on the Cairngorms in this captivating talk.

11.30am-12.30pmJudy FairbairnsIsland Wife£7.50In Island Wife we discover the story of Judy Fairbairns, who, aged 19, met her ‘Wild Pioneer’. And so began a marriage of forty years, and an unexpected life on a remote Hebridean island.

Along the way she bears five

children, learns how to run a rocky hill farm, a hotel, a recording studio and the first whale watching business in the UK - all while inventively making fraying ends meet. When her children start to leave home, things fall apart and there is sadness and joy in how she weaves things back together.

Judy tells her story in a clear and unique voice, in turns funny, unforgettable and intensely moving, this is a book of endless horizons and a breath of fresh air. Judy’s life story is interesting enough in itself but she will also talk about getting the book published and how she has taken to blogging and the joys of social media to promote it!

‘An unflinching and hugely entertaining story of family travails and triumphs’

Kirsty Wark


1.00pm–2.15pm LITERARY LUNCH Linda CracknellDoubling Back£23.50 | includes a 2 course lunch and a glass of wine

1.15pm to 2.00pmLove Poetry PleaseFree Event in FoyerShall I compare thee to a Summer’s day . . .

Celebrate St. Valentine’s Day with a selection of love poems at a free event in the foyer. If you would like to hear your favourite poem read aloud, drop your request in to the Box Office before lunchtime on the day, then settle down with a cup of something hot, a slice of cake and enjoy!

3.00pm-4.00pmMark BeaumontThe Adventurer Returns£10.00Sportsman, TV presenter, record breaking round-the-world cyclist and ultra-endurance adventurer, we welcome Mark Beaumont to Winter Words to talk about his incredible life.

Most recently, Mark travelled around the Commonwealth, filming and meeting hundreds of athletes as they prepared for the Glasgow 2014 Games; covering 118,000 miles, 140 flights and 68 nations and territories. Mark was also a Chieftain of the Athletes Village alongside Sir Chris Hoy, Katherine Granger and Gavin Hastings, as well as continuing

Doubling Back is a fascinating account of walking in the footsteps of others. From the Highlands of Scotland to the Swiss Alps and Kenya, author and dramatist Linda Cracknell describes her series of moving journeys in the footsteps of others.

Each walk is about the reaffirming of memories, beliefs and emotions, and especially of the connection that one can have with the past through particular places. This book celebrates life, family, friendship and walking through landscapes richly textured with stories.

Doubling Back is lyrical and poignant; Linda leads us through its stunning descriptions of the landscapes in this fascinating event.

‘She writes as a painter in oils might paint, using a palette rich in both colour and texture’ James RobertsonSee page 24 for full lunch menu details.

his broadcasting role with the BBC.

Mark shot to fame during an 18,000 mile round-the-world bike race, where he smashed the previous World Record by a staggering 82 days. He followed this with a 13,000 mile ride down the length of the Rockies and Andes, climbing the highest mountains in Alaska and Argentina. Off the bike, he has rowed through the high Arctic and survived after capsizing in the Atlantic.

Passionate about sharing his and others stories, Mark has filmed a series of successful BBC documentaries. He’s also a dedicated charity fundraiser ever since his first cycle across Scotland at the age of 12 which raised £3,000 and more recently by raising over £100,000 running and swimming across Scotland.

This will be a fascinating afternoon in the company of an extraordinary adventurer.


Saturday 14th4.30pm-5.30pmAlan RowanAdventures of a Midnight Mountaineer£7.50

When Alan Rowan finished his shifts as a sub-editor at midnight, he knew he was too jacked up on

deadline adrenaline to attempt sleep. At the same time, he was starting to worry if he would ever complete his ambition to reach the summit of every Munro in Scotland. One night, he hit upon the solution. He would begin his ascents in the middle of the night, see the sun rise above the clouds and then come down the mountain just as everyone else was going up. He’s now close to finishing his third time round all the munros!

Join us for this fascinating illustrated talk about his moonlight adventures captured in his new book, Moonwalker. Alan will discuss his transformation from desk jockey to midnight mountaineer, his experiences meeting dodgy car salesmen, charging deer, superstitious Germans and crooked confectioners!

The Moor5th February to 8th March, 2015 at Wild SpaceAn exhibition of photographs by Gareth Watson, reflecting on the landscape of the Isle of Lewis, in Wild Space.

“In 2010, I had a chance encounter with Robert Macfarlane, who was on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, where I live, researching his book The Old Ways. This led to a collaboration in words and pictures prompted by the great Barvas Moor, the Mointeach Riabhach (Mointiuch Riuvuvch) or the Brindled Moor, an area of over 100 square miles of peat bog in the north of the island.

Although the focus of this exhibition (and limited edition book) is the Isle of Lewis, the work as a whole – and we prefer to think of this exhibition as a single work of art - is a reflection on the nature of wilderness wherever it may be found.

This event, and thanks are due to the John Muir Trust for enabling it to happen, explores this reflection. The words are largely Robert's, and his themes may be encountered at greater length in his book The Old Ways. I am also drawing heavily on his essay The Counter-Desecration Phrasebook, which can be found in 'Towards Re-enchantment: Place and its Meanings, edited by Gareth Davis and Di Robson.“

Gareth Watson will be reading and discussing his work at Wild Space on Saturday 14th February, 2.30pm.

John Muir Trust’s Wild SpaceThe John Muir Trust’s Wild Space visitor centre is located in the heart of Pitlochry. It showcases Scotland’s fantastic wild places and the role of conservation in keeping them wild. During Winter Words, there are three readings/events at the Wild Space visitor centre:

Gareth Watson, Saturday 14th February, 2.30pmJim Crumley, Sunday 15th February, 2.30pmRuary Mackenzie-Dodds, Friday 20th February, 2.00pm Price: £5.00 – available from PFT’s Box Office.Discover Wild Space today!Tower House, Station Road, Pitlochry PH16 5AN


7.00pm-9.45pmBanff Mountain Film FestivalWorld Tour£13.50/£12 concessionThe world's most prestigious mountain film festival is visiting Winter Words for the first time with a brand new selection of extraordinary short films from the world's leading adventure film makers. Exhilarating and thought provoking, this is a must-see for anyone with a spirit of adventure!

Be transported through the big screen to the world's last great wild places, follow the expeditions of some of today's most incredible adventurers, see amazing footage of adrenaline-packed action sports and be inspired by thought-provoking pieces shot from the far flung corners of the globe.

Rating 12A

10.00pm–11.00pmFearie TalesFree Event in FoyerJoin us, if you dare, for another installment of spine-tingling supernatural Fearie Tales. There’s a chill in the air, and a bump in the night as you enter the theatre after dark. Cosy up with a warm dram and enjoy stories not-for-the-faint-hearted.

Join us beforehand for Supper from 5.30pm in the Festival Restaurant. There’s a special menu with plenty of hearty wholesome dishes to choose from.

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Sunday 15th10.00am-11.00amJames CrawfordScotland’s Landscapes£7.50Over the past 10,000 years, every inch of Scotland - whether remote hilltop, fertile floodplain, or storm-lashed coastline - has been shaped, changed and moulded by its people. No part of the land is without its human story. From Orkney's immaculately preserved Neolithic villages to Highland glens stripped of nineteenth century settlements, from a Skye peninsula converted to an ingenious Viking shipyard, to a sheer Hebridean clifftop used as the site of a spectacular lighthouse, Scotland's history is written into its landscapes in vivid detail.

James Crawford will give this illustrated talk featuring a selection of photographs

from Scotland's Landscapes (published by RCAHMS) and will tell the enduring story of this interaction between man and his environment. These are Scotland's landscapes as you have never seen or understood them before, and the book presents the history of Scotland from a unique and fascinating perspective.

11.30am-12.30pmJim CrumleyThe Eagle’s Way£7.50In The Eagle’s Way, recently short-listed for the Saltire Society Literary Awards, Jim Crumley draws on his years of observing these spectacular birds to paint an intimate portrait of their lives, examining how they interact with each other and the Scottish landscape. Combining passion, beautifully descriptive prose and Jim’s 25 years of experience, The Eagle’s Way explores the ultimate

question – what now for these magnificent birds?

This is an essential event for wildlife lovers and eco-enthusiasts, author Jim is a nature writer with almost 20 books to his name, mostly on the landscape and wildlife of Scotland. He is also a columnist and presenter of radio programmes.

Jim Crumley will also appear at Wild Space at 2.30pm. See page 10 for more details.

James Crawford


1.00pm-2.15pm LITERARY LUNCHKeith Williams & Caroline BrownWar Poems of Joseph Lee£23.50 | includes a 2 course lunch and a glass of wine

Keith is Senior Lecturer in English and Associate Dean for Postgraduate Studies and Chair of the Scottish Word and Image Group.


3.00pm-4.00pmAnn Cleeves Bringing Shetland to the Screen£9.50A group of old university friends leave the bright lights of London and travel to Unst, Shetland's most northerly island, to celebrate the marriage of one of their friends to a Shetlander. But late on the night of the wedding party, one of them, Eleanor, disappears - apparently into thin air. It's mid-Summer, a time when the sun never sets and

there are unexpected mists. The following day, Eleanor's friend Polly receives an email. It appears to be a suicide note, saying she'll never be found alive. And then Eleanor's body is discovered, lying in a small loch close to the cliff edge. . .

Thin Air is the next book in Ann Cleeves' Shetland series - which is now a major BBC One drama starring Douglas Henshall as detective Jimmy Perez. Join Ann as she discusses this striking new novel and talks about seeing her work adapted for the small screen.

The war poetry of Wilfrid Owen and Siegfried Sassoon is well known and much loved but there was another voice – a Dundee writer – that was just as well known in his time – Joseph Lee, whose work drew critical acclaim from as far as America. Joseph was an accomplished artist and journalist at the Dundee Advertiser, to which he already contributed his poetry before joining the Black Watch at the age of 40, sending his poems back from the Front.

Today his work has almost been forgotten, until now, when a team from the University of Dundee has published a new collection of his poetry to reintroduce his name to public consciousness. Keith Williams and Caroline Brown will bring to life the work of this forgotten voice in a fascinating and richly illustrated talk.

Caroline is Deputy Archivist at the University of Dundee where she is responsible for much of the day-to day running of the archive and overseeing the Archive’s outreach programme. Ann Cleeves


Sunday 15th4.30pm-5.30pmAlan McCredie A Portrait of a Nation £9.50

“It took a second. One second to put a cross in a box. Across the country millions of other seconds have

been used to mark a cross in a small box, on a piece of paper, in a wooden booth. Those millions of seconds, together, add up to the will of a nation. The course of a country will change in the space of a second.”

100 Weeks of Scotland is Alan McCredie’s fascinating photography project charting 100 weeks in the life of Scotland in the run up to the 2014 Independence Referendum.

His incredible photos are of all aspects of Scottish culture - politics, art, social issues, sport, energy and anything else that catches the eye. Alan has documented this vibrant and exciting time in Scotland, to show the country, and those who live there, in a positive light.

Don’t miss this exciting illustrated talk with Alan, as he examines the varied aspects of a modern nation and paints a poignant picture of Scotland.

7.00pm-8.30pmAndrew Greig & Rachel NewtonBorder Ballads£12.50

The wild Scots Borderlands of the 16th Century have spawned many a dark tale, no more stirring than Andrew

Greig’s breathless, romantic adventure of Fair Helen of Kirkonnel Lea, one of the many dark, rousing Border Ballads which will be celebrated at this atmospheric evening of music, verse and prose. Andrew’s readings will be complemented by the wonderful Scots Trad

musician, Rachel Newton on clarsach and fiddle.

In his book Fair Helen, Andrew shines a light on the dark days of a lawless land and the real characters in a complex drama of the legend oft called the Scottish Romeo & Juliet.

The evening will conclude with extracts from Andrew’s lyrical poetic adventure Found at Sea - which appeared in theatrical form at the Traverse in Edinburgh. It’s an exhilarating micro-odyssey of spoken word poetry, with music and song filling the sails!

This is a long overdue welcome back to Winter Words for Andrew with his rich catalogue of Scottish fiction and memoir, including Romanno Bridge and At the Loch of the Green Corrie.

A fantastic evening of music, words and song.

Alan McCredie 100 Weeks Of Scotland

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This exciting three day course, with writer and teacher, Zoe Venditozzi, is ideal for aspiring writers who'd like to develop their skills further. The course will include creating compelling and complex characters, developing a coherent plot, and focusing on honing each writer's individual voice.

There will be writing exercises, break-out sessions and discussions. Participants will also look at the skill of editing and discuss how to pitch their work to agents and publishers. A one-to-one tutorial will also be offered with Zoe, where the focus will be on the writer's work in progress.

Participants will be asked to submit a one page example of their writing in advance of the course. Please email: [email protected]

Zoe Venditozzi is the author of Anywhere’s Better Than Here and is currently working on her second novel. She obtained an M.Litt in Creative Writing from the University of Dundee and has had short stories and poems published in various magazines and books.

Tuesday 17th to Thursday 19th February 10.30am – 4.30pm each dayWrite On! 3 Day Writing Course£125 (max 12) | including lunches and refreshments

PLUS: Special Offers!Sitting between the two weekends of Winter Words, participants will have the chance to take in the best of the rest of the Festival and attend any 5 daytime events free (excluding Literary Lunches and evening Headline events) plus The Art of Short Story Writing workshop for half price on Friday 20 February.

Participants are requested to reserve seats for their 5 free daytime events at the time of booking this course.

Spectacular views combined with fresh local produce and excellent service from our attentive staff ensures dining here will always be a special experience.

The Festival Restaurant and Café Bar is open seven days a week and provides tasty, fresh and wholesome food with daily specials, all at reasonable prices.

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Friday 20th10.00am–11.00amRuary Mackenzie DoddsDragonfly Diaries£7.50Regular contributor to BBC shows such as Countryfile, Springwatch and Nature Detectives, Ruary Mackenzie Dodds comes to Winter Words to read from and discuss his book, Dragonfly Diaries.

Britain is home to some forty species of dragonfly, and public interest in their plight is high right now thanks to a growing realisation of their importance for water eco-systems. In this talk, Ruary shares his quirky fascination with these remarkable creatures over the 25 years he has been photographing and working with them. Ruary combines

fascinating descriptions of the lives of dragonflies, with a diary chronicling the ups and downs of establishing Britain’s first public dragonfly sanctuary.

This charming event about The Dragonfly Diaries is a must for nature lovers and for anyone who wants to be inspired by the resolve and dedication of a man on a mission to save these critically important insects.

Ruary will also appear at Wild Space at 2pm. See page 10 for more details

11.30am-12.30pmIain MacwhirterDisunited Kingdom£7.50Iain Macwhirter is one of Scotland’s most prolific and influential journalists - a political commentator for The Herald and Sunday Herald and a prominent broadcaster for over 20 years, having presented BBC political programmes in Westminster and Scotland.

He joins us, now in post-referendum Scotland, to discuss the way the debate has changed Scotland forever, and where we go now. In this provocative talk, Iain argues that the UK will never be the same again, exploring Scotland's political and cultural landscape in the immediate build up to, and aftermath of, the referendum.

Whether you voted yes or no, this event is not to be missed.

11.15am–12.45pm Cynthia Rogerson Workshop: The Art of Short Story Writing Capacity 16 | £12.50 An inspiring workshop for writers of any level of experience who want to learn about a special approach to Short Story writing - finding vivid language to bring your ideas alive, developing your

Ian Macwhirter

Ruary Mackenzie Dodds


narrative within the constraints of a few pages.

This workshop is led by Cynthia Rogerson, Programme Director of Scotland’s Writing Centre at Moniack Mhor and prizewinning author. She won the V.S. Pritchett Prize in 2007, and her work was short-listed for Best Scottish Novel 2011, and serialised on Women’s Hour.

1.00pm–2.15pm LITERARY LUNCH Kenneth CalmanA Doctor’s Line£23.50 | includes a 2 course lunch and a glass of wine

Professor Sir Kenneth Calman forged his career in the medical

profession, serving as Chief Medical Officer in Scotland and London, and recently chaired a commission

on the future of the Scottish constitution.

Kenneth knows the relationship between medic and public is of vital importance and his book discovers how, through the centuries, doctors have developed not only knowledge and experience, but also an understanding of feelings, emotions and ethical issues: the Science and the Art.

In this talk, Kenneth looks at public health and the practice of medicine, from the 18th century to the present day; the

developing role of doctors in society and their relationship with their patients.

‘This is a quite delightful book that brings together medicine and literature in a fascinating exploration of Scotland’s past. It is, quite simply, a triumph.’ Alexander McCall Smith


Cynthia Rogerson

session with acclaimed author and manuscript assessor, Cynthia Rogerson of Moniack Mhor, Scotland’s Creative Writing Centre. With Cynthia’s literary medicine and individual prescriptions, your writing will become as rejuvenated as a bright eyed, bushy-tailed squirrel!

Kenneth Calman

2.45pm-5.00pmCynthia RogersonDoctor Writer Sessions £10.00 per 20 min session

Is your manuscript ready to see the light of day? Would you love to get some feedback to help you take the next step – whether it’s just to see if you are on track or how best to move forward with your book or even get some useful advice on how to present your work to a publishing agent? Whatever your circumstances, the Doctor will see you now!

Book your 20 minute one-to-one surgery

Please email a maximum of 1,500 words plus a synopsis of up to one side of A4 to: [email protected] by Thursday 12th February, 6.00pm. Also please bring a printed copy of your piece to the session.


Friday 20th3.00pm-4.00pmKenneth StevenIona: The Other Island£9.50In this session it’s time to discover the hidden heart of Iona – for centuries a place of spiritual pilgrimage bringing over 100,000 visitors each year to its shores.

Acclaimed Perthshire poet, Kenneth Steven’s life-long love of the island is illustrated in his latest publication, Iona: The Other Island. Teaming up with photographer Iain Sarjeant, the book is a beautiful and unique tribute to those hidden coves, remote corners and majestic beaches that few visitors get to see.

“I have loved Iona for a very long time and it holds wonderful childhood memories. It’s a place that has continued to inspire me throughout my life and remains my spiritual retreat” explains Kenneth.

From this collection of poetry, stunning photography and stories of its ancient legends, this event will reveal the true wonder of Iona to those who have been many times – and for those who wish they were there now.

4.30pm-5.30pmBernard MacLaverty Telling Stories£9.50Melding his native Irish sensibilities to those of his adopted west-coast Scotland; Bernard MacLaverty’s tales attend to life’s big events: love and loss, separation and violence, death and betrayal. But the stories teem with smaller significant moments too; private epiphanies, chilling exchanges, intimate encounters.

Bernard was born in Belfast and lived there until 1975 when he moved to Scotland. He has enjoyed great success as a novelist with Cal and Lamb both of which have been adapted into feature films and Grace Notes being shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. He will be taking to the stage to read and discuss his recently published Collected Stories.

Each of these extraordinary stories – crafted with wry, self-deprecating humour and interspersed with elegance and subtle wisdom – gets to the very heart of life.

A writer of great compassion, insight and humanity, Bernard surprises us time and again with the sensitivity of his ear and the accuracy of his eye.

Kenneth Steven

Bernard MacLaverty

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7.30pm-9.00pmPenny Junor Behind the Scenes at Buckingham Palace £14.50

For more than 30 years Penny Junor has been writing books about the Royal Family. Beginning with Diana: Princess of Wales, and Charles: Prince of Wales, she then wrote the controversial Charles and Diana: Portrait of a Marriage before penning The Firm: The Troubled Life of the House of Windsor. More recently she has written Prince William: The Man Who Will Be King, a biography of Prince William which ends with his marriage to Kate Middleton.

Her latest book is Prince Harry: Brother, Soldier, Son. Published to coincide with

Harry’s thirtieth birthday, it is the story of how the troubled teenager grew into a leader of men, a soldier, a pilot, an adventurer and a passionate champion of those who are in danger of being destroyed or forgotten.

9.30pm–10.30pmFearie TalesFree Event in FoyerClaim your spot in the Theatre Bar for the penultimate session of eerie Fearie Tales – not for fearties!

Hear original, spine-tingling stories especially written for the festival and selected to be brought to life by familiar faces from the Pitlochry stage.

Be quick before our resident faceless ghoul steals your soul, er, we mean seat. . .

Written with the help of many of the most important people in his life, this is the first authoritative biography of this most delightful, charismatic and dangerous of the Queen's grandsons.

In addition to her Royal books, Penny has written biographies of Margaret Thatcher, John Major, and Richard Burton and has collaborated with Sir Cliff Richard and Patti Boyd on their autobiographies.

Penny studied at St. Andrews University and we look forward to welcoming her back to Scotland for what will be a fantastic evening. There will also be a Q&A session.

Why not begin your evening in fine style by dining in the Festival Restaurant? Dinner commences at 6.00pm. Early booking is advised. Penny Junor

For fans of fairytales, don’t forget to book tickets for balletLorent’s musical adaptation of Rapunzel which includes scenarios especially written by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy.

Fri 27th & Sat 28th Feb, 2015.

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Saturday 21st10.00am–11.00amNew Writing Scotland£5.00The Scottish Book Trust New Writers Awards discovers fresh talent and provides a diverse programme of support to a group of writers at pivotal stages in their careers. Awardees are selected through a rigorous process that rewards poets, novelists, short-story authors and children's writers working in English, Gaelic and Scots.

Previous recipients of this award, Em Strang, Lucy Ribchester and Martin MacInnes, will read and discuss their work, providing an introduction to some of the most affecting, exciting and engaging new writing being created across Scotland.

11.30am-12.30pmHelen & William BynumRemarkable Plants That Shape Our Lives£7.50

Plants are truly remarkable: even with our entire modern technological prowess, they still feed, clothe and shelter us, help transport us and can both intoxicate and cure us. Helen Bynum, a graduate of the University College London and prolific medical writer joins William Bynum, a professor emeritus of the history of medicine at University College London and MD from Yale University, to expertly guide us through the rich histories, significance

and uses of over 80 key plants, revealing our relationship with them, both utilitarian and aesthetic.

Using a selection of illustrations from this extraordinarily beautiful book (published in association with the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew), the authors will demonstrate all aspects of our interaction with plants starting with those crops that were fundamental to the development of cultures and civilizations, and those that enliven our diet beyond the basics. They will look at plants that have helped to create our material world, as well as those that are used medicinally or are revered and adored for symbolic reasons, including the tulip, the rose and the lotus.

For anyone interested in the natural world and the extraordinary diversity of flora around us, this event will be an inspiration and a delight.

Em Strang, Lucy Ribchester & Martin MacInnes


1.00pm-2.15pm LITERARY LUNCH Theresa Talbot Life in the Garden£23.50 | includes a 2 course lunch and a glass of wine

From Traffic & Travel to Lulu, Andy Williams and Glen Campbell via Beechgrove and BBC Comedy… Join us for lunch with hilarious tales from one of Scotland’s best known radio voices.

Theresa Talbot is familiar to many as one of the main voices behind Radio Scotland’s Traffic & Travel output and as the host of the BBC’s Beechgrove Potting Shed. Yet few people know what she looks like. And even fewer know how she’s ended up where she is.

In her first book, This Is What I Look Like, she entertains us with a life-story many will relate to. After trying numerous occupations (in her case everything from bank clerk to Pepsi Challenge girl), she ended up at the BBC and her book gives us a hilarious and often surprising insight to her life on (and off) the airwaves.


1.15pm-2.00pmPoetry PleaseFree Event in FoyerDrop a copy of your favourite poem into the Box Office before lunchtime on this Saturday, along with your name and perhaps the reasons why this piece of verse is special to you. Then grab a light snack, sit back and enjoy as your favourite poems are read aloud by our Festival readers!

Open April to November 2015Explorers GardenThis is a wonderful six acre woodland Garden divided into areas representing different parts of the globe. Explorers Garden offers visitors the chance to learn more about the Scottish Plant Hunters’ adventures and see the results of their efforts. Situated adjacent to Pitlochry Festival Theatre, enjoy fantastic views, exotic plants, specialist features, unique architecture and resident wildlife!

www.explorersgarden.com

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Saturday 21st3.00pm–4.00pmChristopher BrookmyreDead Girl Walking£9.50A welcome return to Winter Words for award-winning thriller writer, Christopher Brookmyre who will be talking about his brand new Jack Parlabane novel, Dead Girl Walking, published in January 2015.

Life is dangerous when you have everything to lose. Famous, beautiful and talented, Heike Gunn has the world at her feet. Then, one day, she simply vanishes. Jack Parlabane, however, has lost

everything: career, marriage, self-respect. A call from an old friend offers a chance of redemption – but only if he can find out what happened to Heike . . .

Brookmyre’s writing has been adapted for TV and he has also won the Critics First Blood Award, the Crime Writer’s Macallan Short Story Dagger as well as the Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction.

4.30pm-5.30pmKirsty Wark The Legacy of Elizabeth Pringle£10.00 Elizabeth Pringle lived all her long life on Arran, but did anyone really know her?

In her will, she leaves her beloved house, Holmlea, to a stranger - a young

mother she'd seen pushing a pram down the road over

thirty years ago. It now falls to Martha, once the baby

in that pram, to answer the question: why?

Kirsty Wark’s debut novel, The Legacy of Elizabeth Pringle, is a story of the richness behind so-called ordinary lives, and the secrets and threads that hold women together.

Born in Dumfries, Kirsty studied history at the University of Edinburgh. She joined the BBC in 1976 as a graduate researcher for BBC Radio Scotland, and has become a much loved and trusted voice in political broadcasting since.

Kirsty will be reading from and discussing her novel in this captivating talk.

‘affecting and tender. . . curl up for this big-hearted romantic debut by the Newsnight presenter. . . ’

The Times

‘fresh and beguiling. . . Wark deftly and delicately plaits the intricate tales of three women’

The Independent

‘Christopher is, hands down, one of the funniest,

savviest crime writers around... without shying away from the darker elements of crime thrillers: evil, violence and plenty of gore – Brookmyre’s work shimmers with a sense of unfettered fun’ Independent on Sunday

Christopher Brookmyre

Kirsty Wark


9.30pm–10.30pmFearie TalesFree Event in FoyerIt’s our final instalment of Fearie Tales; gather round with family and friends to hear tales of shape-shifting demons and eerily desolate moors. . . you might be glad of the company on the way home!

7.30pm-9.00pmJames Naughtie with Stuart KellyThe Madness of July£14.50

Radio 4 presenter, journalist and acclaimed author, James Naughtie makes a welcome return following his previous sell-out appearance at Winter Words.

Although he has published a number of non-fiction books, James will be joining us to discuss his first foray into fiction writing with The Madness of July, a sophisticated spy thriller, set in the endgame of the Cold War, in which James uses all of his experience reporting on World affairs to great dramatic effect.

James has enjoyed considerable critical acclaim for The Madness of July, and this is sure to be a lively conversation with reviewer and critic, Stuart Kelly, Literary Editor of Scotland on Sunday, in the chair. There will be a Q&A session in the second half of the evening so make sure you don’t miss this unique opportunity to meet and hear from a well-known face (and voice) from the media world.

With spectacular views combined with fresh, local produce and excellent service, why not begin your evening with a pre-theatre meal in the Festival Restaurant. Booking in advance is advised. Dinner commences 6pm.

'A slow-burning, cerebral and gripping thriller which fuses the entwined professions of politics and espionage'

The Herald

'Fast-paced. . . Full of intriguing insights, from a man with 30 years' experience of the corridors of power'

The Daily MailCover images © Ghost Design, Tim_Booth/Shutterstock

JAMESNAUGHTIE JAMES

NAUGHTIEThe Madness of July

‘A slow-burning, cerebral and gripping thriller which fuses the entwined professions of politics and espionage.’ HERALD

‘Echoes of John Buchan and John le Carré.’ SUNDAY TIMES

‘Addictive.’ INDEPENDENT

‘Secrets and regrets, ambition and venality. I have seldom come across a novel so redolent of le Carré.’

CHARLES CUMMING

It is a sweltering July in the mid-1970s, and for Will Flemyng, foreign office minister, the temperature is rising with each passing

hour. A mysterious death has brought on a political crisis that will draw him into a familiar world of danger and deceit.

For Flemyng has a past. He was trained as a spy in the Cold War and now he has to go back, to the dark places where London and

Washington do their most secret business. In the course of one long weekend he has to question all his loyalties – to his friends, his rivals

and his two brothers.

‘Smoke-screen writing sustains the tension... the reader never stops wondering who, what and why ... a bit like solving a cryptic crossword. A real delight.’

INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY

‘Good writing, vivid scene-setting and knowledgeable descriptions from an insider at ease in the corridors

of power.’ LITERARY REVIEW

‘Addictive. The reader has to piece together a drip-feed of clues.’ INDEPENDENT

‘Echoes of John Buchan and

John le Carré.’ SUNDAY TIMES

‘Addictive.’ INDEPENDENT

Mad

nessThe

ofJuly

£7.99 ThrillerFiction

www.headofzeus.com

Cold Smoked Salmon Platter with baby capers and a honey, mustard and dill dressing


Friday 13thPolly PullarThe Isle of Muck

Saturday 21stTheresa Talbot Life in the Garden

Friday 20thKenneth CalmanA Doctor’s Line

Sunday 15thKeith Williams & Caroline BrownWar Poems of Joseph Lee

Saturday 14thLinda CracknellDoubling Back

Literary Lunch MenusTasty 2 course lunches served with a glass of wine or soft drink

Peppered Pastrami with rocket leaves, Parmesan shavings and drizzled with a balsamic dressing.

Creamy Mushroom Risotto with truffle oil and Parmesan shavings

White Crab Meat on baby leaves with a mango dressing

Pork and Pistachio Terrine with spiced beetroot chutney

Chargrilled Chicken Supreme served with a green peppercorn sauce, flat cup mushroom, grilled tomatoes and roast potatoes

Beef Casserole served with creamed potatoes and vegetables

Coffee or Tea & Fudge

Herb Crusted Cod served with a basil mash, cherry vine tomatoes and a white wine and saffron sauce

Beef Stroganoff served with basmati rice and topped with crème fraîche and smoked paprika

Pan Fried Salmon on a bed of wilted spinach served with confit cherry tomatoes, new potatoes and a garlic, chilli and fresh herb butter sauce

Coffee or Tea & Tablet

Coffee or Tea & Tablet

Coffee or Tea & Shortbread

Coffee or Tea & Shortbread

Starters

Main

improbable fiction

Pendon Writers’ Circle is having collective writers’ block, but an unexpected interruption unleashes their imaginations - with hilarious and surprising results!

by Alan AyckbournNew to PFT?

Enjoy a First Time Rate (£15 + transaction fee) to see a performance of Improbable Fiction this Summer!

Pick up a brochure or go online for full information • Offer expires 31st March.

A Little Night Music Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim Book by Hugh Wheeler

Improbable Fiction by Alan Ayckbourn

Home And Beauty by W. Somerset Maugham

The Lady In The Van by Alan Bennett

The Importance Of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

Pyrenees by David Greig

2015 Summer Season

Don’t forget to book your Summer Season tickets now and pay less. Offers expire 20th January!Call: 01796 484626 • Click: PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com

Winter words 2015 at pft

Documents

Transcript of Winter words 2015 at pft