winter words 2013

01796 484626

Winter Words is nine years old in 2013! Now firmly established as Scotland’s leading festival of the written and spoken word, Winter Words offers “stimulation of the literary kind which always goes well with a visually stunning setting” (The Guardian).This year’s programme features a huge variety of authors, wordsmiths, adventurers and broadcasters, including Tony Robinson, James Naughtie, Paddy Ashdown, Kate Mosse, Karen Darke, Tom Pow, Nicholas Rankin, Tam Dalyell, Sally Magnusson, Esther Woolfson and Polly Pullar, to name but a few . . .

Across all ten days, there are events to

entertain, engage and stimulate: from

history, fiction, poetry and memoirs, to stories of places and people, of

travel and exploration. A number of themes wind their

way through the Festival every year – rural life, Scottish history and culture, wilderness, the natural world – though which our host of

entertaining writers and raconteurs will be charting very

different paths.

hiper once again brings a great selection of child-friendly and family entertainment to this year’s Festival. From Gorgeous George And The Zigzag Zit-Faced Zombies to Horace The Haggis, there’s something to suit every age. The Festival is rounded off in fine style with a great family event, as the hiper Youth Theatre lead you through their wacky take on a children’s classic adventure.

As thousands of happy literature lovers have already discovered, Winter Words provides the perfect antidote to those post-Christmas, midwinter blues. And thanks to our friends at the Atholl Palace Hotel, we have a very special accommodation offer for you this year (see the back page of this brochure for details). So book your Winter Words tickets now and get together with great minds this coming January and February. We look forward to seeing you!

WHERE SCOTLAND’S LITERARY YEAR

GETS INTO GEAR The Scotsman

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

BOOK FAIR!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 knowledgeable, who will also be around throughout the Festival to help and advise.

PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com

Concessions:• Friends/Supporter Cardholders:

10% off tickets

• Groups (10+): 10% off tickets

• Disabled Badge Holders: 20% off tickets

• Students/U18s : 50% off tickets

• Registered Unemployed: 50% off tickets

Only Friends/Supporter Cardholders concessions apply to Literary Lunches.

All ticket prices and concessions are subject to availability.

Phone: 01796 484626

Online: www.PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com

In Person: at the Theatre Box Office or at Just The Ticket!, our shop and Box Office on Atholl Road, Pitlochry.

Email: [email protected]

WAYS TO BOOK

The unique Pitlochry Station Bookshop will be running a second hand 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!

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.

Diary

01796 484626

1o.30am Donald Ford Images of Scotland

Friday 25th January Sunday 27st January

LITTLE BIG STORIES A 3½ Day Short Story Writing Course

Mon 28th Jan, 1.00pm to Thursday 31st Jan

02

11.45am Alistair Urquhart The Forgotten Highlander

1.00pm Literary Lunch with Max Benitz

3.00pm James Fergusson The World’s Most Dangerous Place

4.30pm Nicholas Rankin The True Story of James Bond

7.30pm An Evening With Paddy Ashdown

9.30pm Fearie Tales

10.30am Kenneth Steven A Song Among The Stones

11.45am Split Screen Adventures in Poetry

1.00pm Literary Lunch with Tom Pow

3.00pm Tam Dalyell - The Importance of Being Awkward

4.30pm Ian Buxton - 101 World Whiskies To Try Before You Die

11.00am Perthshire Tales

Monday 28th January

11.00am Gorgeous George Stuart Reid

Tuesday 29th January

2.15pm Futures Of The Book

Thursday 31st January

6.30pm Tales and Music from Highland Perthshire

Karen Darke

Mick Fowler

10.30am Everest The Old Way A Bright Remembering

Saturday 26th January

11.45am Michael Smith Antarctic Exploration

1.00pm Literary Lunch with Hamish Brown

1.15pm Poetry Please Free Event

3.00pm Gavin Francis Empire Antarctica

7.30pm An Evening With Karen Darke

9.30pm Fearie Tales

4.30pm Mick Fowler First Ascent of Gojung

Diary


Friday 1st February

Saturday 2nd February

BOOK FAIR!From 9.00am - 5.00pm

Friday, Saturday and Sunday

03

10.30am Mapping Perthshire

11.45am Julie Davidson Looking for Mrs Livingstone

1.00pm Literary Lunch with Sarah Fraser

3.00pm The DNA of Scotland Alistair Moffat

4.30pm Eleanor Uphall One

4.30pm Pamela Cox The Real Upstairs Downstairs

7.30pm An Evening With James Naughtie

3.00pm hiper Words Alice in Blunderland

Sunday 3rd February

10.00am Zoe Venditozzi & Karin Altenberg

11.45am Alistair Moffat & James Naughtie Britain’s Last Frontier

1.15pm Sally Magnusson Horace the Haggis

4.30pm Tony Robinson Weird and Wonderful Worlds

1.00pm Literary Lunch with Polly Pullar

3.00pm Kate Mosse Citadel

7.30pm An Evening With Tony Robinson

4.30pm Esther Woolfson Notes From A Hidden City

9.30pm Fearie Tales

James Naughtie

Tony Robinson

9.30pm Fearie Tales

Kate Mosse

Donald Ford Images of Scotland

Donald Ford is a photographer with an unsurpassed reputation for capturing the beauty and drama of Scotland’s landscape.

He is also acknowledged as one of Scotland’s finest photographers of golf courses.

His strength of composition and obvious love of Scotland's kaleidoscopic characteristics are major features of his photography. Nowhere better are they evidenced than in some wonderful shots of early morning light on many of Scotland's finest links, from his favourite haunts amidst the unique landscape of Assynt to those of the Hebridean Isles, whose fantastic

lightscapes turn the west coast into a photographer's dream.

Donald’s career began almost 20 years ago, when he published his early photographs in a calendar which sold out immediately. Since then, he’s scoured the glens, lochs, hills and coastlines of Scotland, gaining recognition as one of Scotland's finest photographers along the way.

Hear Donald discuss his work alongside some of his best known and most treasured pictures.

Alistair Urquhart The Forgotten Highlander11.45am to 12.45pm £6.50

As a 20 year old Gordon Highlander in 1942, Alistair Urquhart was captured by the Japanese and sent to build the Burma-Siam railway. Dubbed Death Railway or Hellfire Pass, Alistair spent 750 days surviving intolerable and cruel conditions, working as a slave in some of the

most inhospitable terrain on the planet.

On the bridge over the River Kwai, he quickly learnt to work above head height to avoid beatings, but couldn’t escape ‘Black Holes’ - semi-subterranean cages. Later he escaped drowning in the hold of a captured American vessel that was torpedoed by Russians, only to drift for 5 days with no food and water on a single

cork raft. He was eventually rescued. Freedom eventually came in the form of an American B-29 carrying the ‘Fat Man’ bomb, destined for Nagasaki.

10.30am to 11.30am £6.50

Friday 25th January04

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Join Alistair to hear about his experiences, thoughts on war and on writing his book that ensures the many soldiers who didn’t survive are not forgotten.

Max Benitz Six Months Without Sundays1.00pm to 2.15pm £22.50

Having grown up surrounded by his father’s Scots Guards memorabilia, it was a natural choice for him to spend eighteen months with his father’s famous regiment in training and then in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

His book, Six Months Without Sundays, is a poignant, funny and thought-provoking piece of work, which provides an intimate and revealing picture of this controversial war.

Who are these young troops in Afghanistan? Trained for war, can they switch to this new reality? What cost will the campaign have on soldiers and civilians alike? Are the Afghan forces and government viable in the eyes of the local people? Is this even the right plan?

Hear Max discuss these questions, his experiences and much more.

See page 23 for full mouthwatering lunch menu details!

James Fergusson The World’s Most Dangerous Place3.00pm to 4.00pm £8.50

With the war in Afghanistan drawing towards an end, the threat from Al Quaida is still not over. The operatives of this deadly organisation have found a new home: Somalia.

Now home to some of the world’s most dangerous terrorists, Somalia was already the world’s most failed state. There has been no effective government since 1991. Two decades of anarchy have spawned not just Islamic extremism but also piracy, famine, and a seemingly endless clan-based civil war that alone has killed an estimated 500,000 and turned another two million into refugees.

What is now happening in Somalia directly threatens the security of the world, possibly more than any other region on earth.

Come and hear James discuss how Somalia became the world’s most dangerous place, and what we can – and should – do about it.

James Fergusson is a freelance journalist and foreign correspondent who has written for many publications, including The Times and The Economist. He’s also the author of several books.

Friday 25th January 05

Literary Lunch with

includes a 2 course lunch and a glass of wine


When Max Benitz turned his back on a burgeoning acting career (including roles in films such as Master And Commander), he decided to find out what the day-to-day life - away from the headline and protests - was like for the average soldier in Afghanistan.

Writing Competition 2013

Nicholas Rankin The True Story of James Bond

Think James Bond is a fictional character? Think again. This is the true story of Ian Fleming’s Second World War unit, the real-life inspiration for James Bond.

In 1942, Lieutenant-

Commander Ian Fleming was personal assistant to the Director of Naval Intelligence - the dynamic figure behind James Bond’s fictional chief, ‘M’. In the Admiralty, Fleming had a brilliant idea: why not set up a unit of authorised looters, men who would go in with front-line troops to steal enemy intelligence?

4.30pm to 5.30pm £8.50

Friday 25th January06

This unique competition receives more and more submissions with every passing year, from both aspiring authors and more established writers. The format is simple. We choose three or four entries to be read aloud by two familiar faces from the Pitlochry stage in the cosy atmosphere of the Theatre’s Bar on Friday and Saturday evenings throughout Winter Words.

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

Each entry must be a minimum of 2,250 words in length, up to a maximum length of 3,250 words.

Entries must be received at Pitlochry Festival Theatre by 12.00 noon on Friday 18th January, 2013.

Full competition details are available on www.PitlochryFestivalTheatre.com

01796 484626

Known as 30 Assault Unit, they took part in the D-Day landings and helped to liberate Paris. But their final amazing coup was to seize the entire archives of the German Navy - over 300 tons of documents.

Nicholas Rankin, a broadcaster with the BBC for twenty years, puts 30 Assault Unit’s fascinating story into a strategic and intelligence context. Without this period in Fleming’s colourful life, the world’s best known secret agent would not have been created.

Paddy Ashdown7.30pm £18.50Paddy Ashdown, former Special Forces Commando,

former UN High Commissioner for Bosnia and ex-leader of the Liberal Democrats will discuss his latest book, A Brilliant Little Operation, which gives the first full account of how the Cockleshell Heroes mounted a remarkable raid by five two-man canoes on German ships in Bordeaux harbour in December 1942. It was the greatest commando raid of WW2.

Lord Ashdown chanced to meet the raid’s leader, Blondie Hasler, just once, and has now written the definitive account of the amazing wartime raid that his hero led. Delving deep into French archives, tracing surviving witnesses now well into their nineties, and drawing on his own commando experience, Ashdown discovered the real truth about the Cockleshell raid: that it was a disturbing saga of interdepartmental rivalry and misinformation in Whitehall, which made the

whole operation far more difficult than it needed to have been, and may well have led to unnecessary deaths.

In the second half of the evening, Lord Ashdown will be fielding questions from the audience. He will also be signing copies of his book after the event.

Friday 25th January 07

An Evening with


Artifacts from the Cockleshell operation will be on display courtesy of Word War II presentations.

GO ON. GET WRITING. SCARE US – AND YOURSELF. IF YOU DARE . . .

9.30pm to 10.30pm Free

Gather together in the cosy, informal atmosphere of the Theatre Bar, as we round off the day’s events with original tales of the macabre and the supernatural, read by some familiar faces from the Pitlochry stage.

Hear original tales of strange encounters, unnerving coincidences, unwelcome apparitions and chance sightings at remote lochs, dank woods or black glens, before taking flight into the “other” world of phantoms, bogles and wraiths.

Each evening will feature a selection of different

ghoulish tales, but a dram (or two) should help to keep the chills at bay. . .

Every one of this year’s tales of the ghostly and the mysterious will be an entirely new story, created just for Winter Words by writers eager to take part in our annual Fearie Tales Competition. If you think you’ve got what it takes to write a Fearie Tale, then why not enter? See opposite page for details.

10.30am to 11.30am £6.50

Everest The Old Way A Bright Remembering

This is the story of a trek to Mount Everest at a time when few Westerners who were not part of a large national expedition had made the journey. It took place in 1968 during a five year period when expeditions to Mount Everest were not permitted:

only a handful of groups had successfully scaled the mountain at that time and as few as two dozen climbers had reached the summit. The story is told through the diaries of young men who are now in their late sixties,

which offer a vivid picture of life in Nepal at a time when the country was only just waking up to the commercial possibilities of trekking.

This fascinating talk with John Driskell, David Peckett and Les Simms contains excerpts from diaries, letters and photographs, recently rescued and digitalised from rapidly deteriorating slides, and the memories revived by a return visit in 2010, is a unique record of its time.

Michael Smith Antarctic Exploration - A Century of Endurance, Survival and Tragedy

11.45am to 12.45pm £6.50

Captain Scott's doomed expedition to the South Pole was the tragic finale of 100 years of Antarctic exploration that began in 1820 with the first sighting of the continent.

The era contained many of the most outstanding stories of hardship, survival and tragedy in the history of exploration and created legendary figures like Amundsen, Ross, Scott and Shackleton - plus a few other truly outstanding characters and stories of incredible human endurance in the world's most inhospitable place.

Michael Smith is an author and journalist who specialises in the history of polar exploration. He has written books on polar history for adult audiences and children, lectured extensively and contributed to a wide range of television and radio programmes, newspapers, magazines and websites.

Saturday 26th January08

Sponsored by Glacier Books

01796 484626

Poetry Please 1.15pm to 2.15pm Free Event in Foyer Barshare a much loved poem in this unique event. see page 24 for more details!

1.00pm to 2.15pm £22.50 includes a 2 course lunch and a glass of wine

3.00pm to 4.00pm £8.50

09

Hamish Brown Scottish Oddities

Hamish Brown - Scotland’s popular, veteran outdoor and travel author - takes us on a tour of ninety-four of the oddest locations in the country in his latest book, The Oldest Post Office in the World.

Described and illustrated with good old fashioned slides in full colour, together with photographs, maps, and descriptions in Hamish’s own inimitable style, this compilation of the “weird, surprising and

unconventional” will astonish even those who think they know the country well.

From the White Wife in Shetland to the Oldest Post Office in the World in Galloway, by way of all of Scotland’s regions, this will be nothing less than a hugely entertaining lunch!

Hamish Brown is a mountaineer, lecturer, photographer and poet who has written or edited a score of books. Hamish’s Mountain Walk and Hamish’s Groats End Walk have inspired generations of hillwalkers and climbers. The third in his trio of early classics, Climbing the Corbetts, is being republished in 2012.

See page 23 for full lunch menu details!

Gavin Francis Empire Antarctica: Ice, Silence and Emperor Penguins

The story of one man, fourteen months, the world’s loneliest continent, minus 50°C, and the magnificent Emperor penguins for company through a summer of perpetual sunshine into winter months of darkness.

Gavin worked as an on-base medical doctor at the British

Antarctic Survey’s southernmost outpost, Halley Base, a profoundly isolated research station unreachable for ten months of the year. In this beautiful, profound account of a remarkable adventure, we hear how Gavin followed the Emperor penguins’ story throughout his time spent in the icy wastes – exploring a world


Literary Lunch with


of great beauty conjured from the simplest elements, the hardship of living at minus 50°C and the unexpected comfort that a community of penguins can bring.

Gavin Francis lives near Edinburgh and works both as a writer and a doctor and his interest in history, geography and travel has seen him visit all seven continents.

Come and hear Gavin talk about his adventures, his love of travel and how the penguins changed his life.


Mick Fowler First Ascent of Gojung (6,310m) 4.30pm to 5.30pm £10.00

In this fascinating illustrated talk, Mick will be revealing the challenges, pitfalls, elation and retrospective pleasure associated with making the first ascent of a spectacular unclimbed peak in the remote west of Nepal.

For Mick, pleasure comes not just from climbing but also from the joy of experiencing the raft of unexpected challenges that face the adventure traveller, as well as experiencing first hand the changing culture and remote mountain scenery of west Nepal.

Mick Fowler was introduced to climbing in the Alps during his teenage years and developed an enthusiasm for exploratory climbing which has seen him establishing new climbs over the last 35 years in Nepal, Tibet, Russia, China and Peru, as well as on cliffs and sea stacks around the British coastline.

Author of two books, Vertical Pleasure and On Thin Ice, Mick has been voted the Mountaineers’ Mountaineer in the The Observer and received the King Albert Award for “exceptional and lasting achievements in the mountain world.”

10

01796 484626

GLACIER BOOKS

Pitlochry’s secondhand & antiquarian book specialist WE SELL BOOKS • COME AND BROWSE • WE BUY BOOKS Contact us for a Free Valuation. Scotland’s Largest Choice of Hillwalking, Mountaineering, Scottish, Polar, Travel & Miscellaneous Books

Ard-Darach, Strathview Terr., Pitlochry, PH16 5AT 01796 470056 • [email protected]

Sponsored by Glacier Books

Karen Darke From the Himalayas to the Paralympics7.30pm £18.50

“Karen’s captivating story shines a bright light on the meaning of challenge, and on the limitless capabilities of the human spirit.”

Sir Ranulph Fiennes

Four years after being paralysed in a rock climbing accident, Karen Darke set out on a hand bike to cross the Tien Shan and Karakoram mountains of Central Asia. This was to be the first of many adventures which would see Karen hand cycle the length of the Japanese archipelago and the Indian Himalaya, sea kayak a 1,200 mile length of the Canada-Alaska coastline and make a record-breaking 600 kilometre crossing of the Greenland ice cap.

This year, Karen represented Team GB at the London 2012 Paralympics Road Para-Cycling event, winning a Silver medal in her first event and narrowly missing out on a Bronze in her second. She has just returned from competing in the 2012 Paratriathlon World Championships where she finished first and is now World Champion.

This will be a fascinating evening in the company one of our country’s top athletes.


As the lights dim, gather friends and family around you for another graveyard shift of spine-tingling stories; you'll be glad of the company on the way home! One word of warning: should you meet The Ferryman, we suggest that don’t take up his invitation to “cross the river”, as it tends to be a one-way journey . . . to The Other Side . . .

Saturday 26th January 11


An Evening with

Karen will be signing her book Boundless after the event.

11.45am to 12.45pm £6.50

Kenneth Steven A Song Among The Stones

Split Screen Adventures in Poetry

A brilliant line-up of poets read from and discuss this lively anthology of poems inspired by TV and film, which is introduced by the editor, Andy Jackson.

Split Screen is a collection of 72 especially commissioned poems from some of the UK’s finest poets, including Ian MacMillan, Annie Freud and George Szirtes. Each poem takes its lead from an

icon of popular culture, from either the world of film or television. From Doctor Who to It’s A Wonderful Life, from Tommy Cooper to Jayne Mansfield, each poem is a personal take on a popular theme.

Readers at this event will include Tim Turnbull, Kona Macphee, Sheila Templeton, Rob A. Mackenzie, with other names to follow. Andy Jackson is from Salford but has lived in Scotland for over twenty years. His poems have appeared in a variety of magazines including New Writing Scotland, Gutter and Northwords Now, as well as on the walls of public conveniences in the Shetland Islands!

10.30am to 11.30am £6.50

Sunday 27th January

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12

This will be an inspiring event, peppered with readings from his latest magical collection.

In the 6th Century, Celtic Christian monks are thought to have made dangerous and difficult journeys from the west coast of Scotland to seek solitude in Iceland. A Song Among The Stones is an evocative, pared down sequence of poems – the imaginary fragments of a lost manuscript – which tells their

remarkable story, one that is all but forgotten today.

Kenneth Steven, a much loved poet who hails from Highland Perthshire, is a regular participant in Winter Words. A Song Among The Stones was first commissioned by BBC Radio 3’s The Verb.

“A poetic voice of great sensitivity”

Alexander McCall Smith

3.00pm to 4.00pm £8.50

Tom Pow Europe’s Dying Villages

greatest since the Black Death – will be felt most acutely in rural areas.

In his new book, In Another World, Tom sets out to explore what this means for some of the most rapidly depopulating areas of Europe. From Spain to Russia, he uses the tools of his trade – travelogue, essay, aside, story and poem – to make connections, not only with what he encounters in numerous dying villages, but in how these encounters prompt reflections on his own experiences of memory, identity and loss.

Tom Pow’s many awards include the Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust’s Scottish Book Award in 2009 for Dear Alice – Narratives of Madness. He has also written fiction for young adults, picture books, radio plays and a travel book about Peru.

See page 23 for full (delicious!) lunch menu details.

Tam Dalyell The Importance Of Being Awkward

A great parliamentarian famous for asking awkward questions, Tam Dalyell has achieved far more in a busy, bustling political life than many who have held the great offices of state. After 43 years as MP for West Lothian and Linlithgow, he sat down to

write a memoir entitled (of course) The Importance Of Being Awkward. It is a superbly written account of the life of a truly great man.

Dalyell served as an MP through eight different administrations, from Harold Macmillan to Tony Blair, and each one had cause to be wary of his ability to

Sunday 27th January


13

Literary Lunch with


rise from his seat in the Commons and argue the case for decency and common sense, whatever the political cost. Memorably attacking Margaret Thatcher over the sinking of the Belgrano and Tony Blair over the invasion of Iraq, he spoke on behalf of many more people than his constituents. He represented the vivid voice of principle, and where necessary, sheer dogged awkwardness.

Come and meet this political legend at Winter Words.

Tom Pow, one of Scotland’s leading poets, has been travelling throughout Europe chronicling the change in its demographics. Europe already has an ageing population with a low birthrate and by 2030 it is estimated that the continent will have lost one third of its population. The effect of this demographic change – the

Sunday 27th January14

In his companion guide to 101 Whiskies To Try Before You Die, Ian Buxton recommends another 101 whiskies that he believes every whisky lover should taste. But this time, Ian casts the net wider to include whiskies from Australia, Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan and Wales.

Ian is well-placed to write or talk about whisky and drinks. A former Marketing Director of one of Scotland's

4.30pm to 5.30pm £8.50

01796 484626

Ian Buxton 101 World Whiskies To Try Before You Die

best-loved single malts, he lives in Pitlochry on the site of a former distillery from where he conducts a love affair with Scotland's national drink!

Ian will tantalise your taste buds with samples of whiskies from all corners of the globe and thrill you with tales of his travels. Come and join him for a fascinating and intoxicating afternoon.

Stay on in the Theatre Bar and Foyer and treat your tastebuds to a special Haggis, Neeps and Tatties supper for only £10.50

Celebrating the tales and songs collected by Lady Evelyn Stewart Murray of Blair Castle (1868-1940), and combining Perthshire stories, songs in Gaelic and Scots/English, and tunes played on the ancient Highland wire-strung clarsach, this will be a thrilling evening of music

and storytelling performed by Bob Pegg, Christina Stewart and Bill Taylor.

The youngest daughter of John, 7th Duke of Atholl and Louisa, Duchess of Atholl, Lady Evelyn defied the conventions of her aristocratic upbringing in Blair Castle, not only learning Gaelic but also collecting traditional tales. In so doing, she preserved an

6.30pm to 8.00pm £10.00

Tales & Music from Highland Perthshire

important collection of stories, along with the unique dialect and usage of native Perthshire Gaelic speakers. Well over 200 stories and songs are found in twelve manuscript volumes, many of which deal with local legends and supernatural themes.

Bob, Christina and Bill will present Lady Evelyn’s tales as they might have been heard at a traditional ceilidh, with a mix of stories, songs and music. This is a unique and intimate event not to be missed.

You can discover more about Lady Evelyn Stewart Murray by visiting Blair Castle.

Stuart’s first book, Gorgeous George and the Giant Geriatric Generator, met with critical acclaim when it was first published in 2011. His much anticipated follow up - Gorgeous George and the Zigzag Zit-Faced Zombies - will be unveiled at Winter Words, two days before it is officially launched to the world!

Perthshire Tales Mon 28th January

11.00am to 12.00pmThree Highland performers combine to perform music and stories for children!

Singer Christina Stewart and harp player Bill Taylor will present songs in Scots/English and Gaelic, as well as several lively local tunes on the Highland wire-strung clarsach.

Storyteller Bob Pegg will mesmerise you with tales of daring adventures and some slightly spooky stories too - including some of those collected by Lady Evelyn Stewart Murray at Blair Castle.

Ideal for children in (P1 – P7) and adults alike!

Stuart Reid Tues 29th January11.00am to 12.00pm

£3.00 (U-18), £5.00 (Adults), Family (of 4): £13.00

Author Stuart Reid is joyfully dedicated to being immature! Expect to have great fun and giggles in this wonderful event.

Ideal for children in (P1 to P7) and adults alike!

Futures of the book Thur 31st January

2.15pm to 3.45pmIn this AmbITion Scotland webcast seminar, you'll be introduced to some of the issues and opportunities raised by digital or self-publishing.

Readers, writers, authors, publishers, and professionals in the creative, cultural and heritage sector that are creating or curating written work, will be able to explore the emerging potential of using digital publishing tools.

The event will feature Chris Meade of If/Book, a digital publisher - and your questions!

By attending either in person you will:

• see and hear case studies of projects that have optimised the opportunities of digital publishing and interactive storytelling by using digital tools;

• take away practical advice on how digital publishing tools can help you deepen participation and engagement with your audiences and readerships digitally;

• learn how rich media fiction projects have created interactive live experiences for readers; and

• learn how rich media fiction projects have devolved editing and publishing into the hands of audiences, crowdsourcing curation and participation.

Preceding this seminar, there will be a series of workshops. To find out more and register to attend for this seminar and workshops (in person or online): http://getambition-futureofthebook.eventbrite.co.uk


15Monday 28th - Thursday 31st January

£3.00 (U-18), £5.00 (Adults), Family (of 4): £13.00

Free

10.30am to 11.30am £6.50

Friday 1st February

01796 484626

Mapping PerthshireMaps can delight, educate and illuminate our understanding of history and geography. Scotland: Mapping the Nation is the first book to take Scotland’s maps seriously as a form of Scottish history, from the earliest representations of Scotland by Ptolemy in the 2nd Century AD to the most recent developments in GIS, satellite imagery and SATNAV.

The three authors will take to the stage to talk about their work, beautifully illustrated with details of the most significant manuscript and printed maps of Scotland, including those by Timothy Pont, Joan Blaeu,

William Roy and the Bartholomew firm amongst others.

Chris Fleet is Senior Map Curator in the National Library of Scotland. Margaret Wilkes is a Member of the Steering Committee of the Scottish Maps Forum and a Director of The Royal Scottish Geographical Society.Charles W.J. Withers is Professor of Historical Geography at the University of Edinburgh.

Julie Davidson Looking for Mrs Livingstone11.45am to 12.45pm £6.50In the history books, Mary Livingstone is a shadow

in the blaze of her husband’s sun, yet she played an important role in his success.

As an early traveller in uncharted Africa, she became was the first white woman to cross the Kalahari - which she did twice! – giving birth in the bush during the second journey. Mary was much more rooted in southern Africa than her husband: he has a tomb in Westminster Abbey, whilst she was born in a remote district of South Africa and her final resting place is an obscure, crumbling grave on the banks of the Zambezi

in Mozambique.

Julie Davidson travelled extensively over several years in the footsteps of Mary Livingstone. In Looking for Mrs Livingstone, she explores the places the Livingstone’s knew as a couple and, above all, explores the detail of the life and family of this little-known figure in British history.

Literary Lunch with Sarah Fraser The Last HighlanderLord Lovat was the last of the great Scottish chiefs and the last nobleman to be executed for treason. He is one of Scotland’s most romantic figures, a shrewd and calculating soldier of unlimited ambition, he became the most famous supporter of

Bonnie Prince Charlie, and died a martyr for

his country and for an independent Scotland.

This gripping adventure uses the events of Lovat’s life to recreate this extraordinary period of history. As Sarah Fraser argues, the defeat at Culloden led directly to the end of traditional Gaelic civilization; to the brutal clearances and ‘pacification’ of the Highlands which followed; and the lost civilisations of Scotland that were destroyed after 1745 by English repression.

Sarah Fraser is perfectly placed to tell the tale, married as she is to a Lovat Fraser, the son of the heroic World War II commando, Lord Lovat.

See page 23 for full (delicious!) lunch menu details.

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4.30pm to 5.30pm £8.50

3.00pm to 4.00pm £8.50

Alistair Moffat The DNA of Scotland

Inside all of us lies a hidden history, the story of an immense journey told by our DNA.

History has always mattered to Scots, and rarely more so than now at the outset of

a new century, with a new census appearing in 2011 and after more than ten years of devolution and a Scottish parliament. An almost limitless archive of our history lies hidden inside our bodies and we carry the ancient story of Scotland around with us.

Eleanor Uphall One

Imagine the final sixty seconds before a big disaster, the seconds before a catastrophe that will change lives forever.

Just before Christmas, shortly after nine in the morning, there are lots of people out doing what people do. Shopping. Having coffee. Getting buried. Picking up dog poo. Delivering the post. Chugging. Going on a school trip. Then their world explodes.

That’s the premise of the new novel by Eleanor Updale, a fascinating and exciting read for teenagers and adults. By the time you finish the book, you’ll

Friday 1st February


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The mushrooming of genetic studies, of DNA analysis, is rewriting our history in spectacular fashion.

In Scotland: A Genetic Journey, Alistair explores the history that is printed on our genes, and in a remarkable new approach, uncovers the detail of where we are from, who we are and, in so doing, colour vividly a DNA map of Scotland.

have met a lot of people - but many of them will have died.

Come and hear Eleanor read from her work, talk about her career as a prize-winning novelist and her character Montmorency, who features in several of her books: a small time crook whose life is transformed after an accident nearly kills him.

4.30pm to 5.30pm £8.50

Pamela Cox The Real Upstairs Downstairs

A century ago, 1.5 million British people worked as servants – astonishingly, more than worked in factories or farms. But while servants are often portrayed as characters in period dramas, the real stories of Britain’s servants have largely been forgotten.

In her BBC series, social historian Dr Pamela Cox - herself the great-granddaughter of servants – exposed the reality of servants’ lives from the Victorian era through to the Second World War. She tells the story of the Victorian ruling elite who ushered in a new ideal

of servitude - where loyal, selfless servants were depersonalized stereotypes with standardised uniforms, hairstyles and even generic names denoting position.

Find out about the real Upstairs Downstairs in this fascinating talk.

7.30pm £18.50


James Naughtie The New ElizabethansJames Naughtie is one of the most recognized and respected broadcasters in the country, waking us up on the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, reporting from around the world, or discussing the most important novelists and books on his radio show.

He’s the man who brought us A History of the World in 100 Objects and then this year, delighted Radio 4 audiences with New Elizabethans, a series of documentary profiles which celebrates the sixty New Elizabethans, from all walks of life in British society. It is a major portrait of most of the post-war period, highlighting its most significant figures and the most important areas of achievement in British life: a fascinating guide to the history of Great Britain as well as a continuation of the celebration of the Queen’s 60 year reign.

James’s insight and unique take on British life brings the stories to life. He comments: “I was born just before the Queen’s accession, so this history is mine too. The New Elizabethans have built the country that I live in, given it colour and life and, in part, made us all the people that we are.”

James will tell the story of the characters who have made our history – from Diana, Princess of Wales to Doreen Lawrence, David Hockney and Tony Blair,

a fascinating journey through the stories of the major players in the last sixty years who have shaped Great Britain, told through the eyes of one of our most respected broadcasters.

Starting as a journalist with the Press & Journal and The Scotsman, by 1986, James had moved into radio, presenting The Week In Westminster, then The World At One in 1988. He has been a presenter of the televised Proms since 1992 and is also the current host of Radio 4's Bookclub. In 1994 he became a presenter of the Today programme.

There will be a chance to ask that burning question (or three!) in a Q&A session. James will also be signing books after the event.

Join us for a third night of Fearie Tales – or as we like to think of them, bedtime stories for the brave! Enter the Theatre Bar after dark and you will be assailed with stories of demons, disturbances and despair. Scared? You should be . . .

And as a tale of terror envelops you in the gloom, if you should happen to see out of the corner of your eye a cowled figure with sightless eyes gliding past, don’t worry . . . the blind monk’s here every night . . .

Friday 1st February

01796 484626

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An Evening with

10.30am to 11.30am £6.50

Zoe Venditozzi’s novel, Anywhere’s Better Than Here, is a portrait of a young woman who is lost in life and how she finds the path of grief and loss overwhelm her. Funny, dark and hopeful, Laurie is a literary heroine for the 21st century.

Karin Altenberg’s novel, Island of Wings, also deals with grief and loss, but the year is 1830. Neil and Lizzie MacKenzie, a newly married young couple, arrive at the remotest part of the British Isles: St Kilda. As both find themselves tested to the limit in this harsh new environment, Lizzie soon discovers that marriage is as treacherous a country as the land that surrounds her.

Zoe Venditozzi & Karin AltenbergWe’ve brought together two exciting new names in fiction to talk about their first novels.

Alistair Moffat & James Naughtie11.45am to 12.45pm £8.50The Highland Line is the most profound internal

boundary in Britain. First recognised by Agricola in the 1st Century AD, it divides the country both geologically and culturally, signaling the border between Highland and Lowland, Celtic and English-speaking, crofting and farming.

In this event, best-selling author Alistair Moffat makes a journey of the imagination, tracing the route of the Line from the River Clyde through Perthshire and the North-East. In addition to exploring the huge importance of the Line over almost two thousand

years, he will tell how it continues to influence life and attitudes in 21st-century Scotland.

James Naughtie wrote the introduction to the book and joins Alistair to discuss the Highland Line, what it means to him and how the book came about. This promises to be a fascinating event, full of history and anecdotes, liberally sprinkled with wit!



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Polly Pullar The Fauna of PerthshirePolly Pullar’s latest book, Fauna Scotica – People and Animals in Scotland, is a complete companion to animals and birds and explores our relationship with them. Packed with informative natural history and anecdotes, as well as folklore, beliefs and superstitions, it is illustrated throughout with stunning photographs.

Polly plans to take us on a visual journey through her colourful childhood in Ardnamurchan, including many of the early influences that have led to her work in Highland Perthshire as writer, photographer, naturalist, sheep farmer, and wildlife rehabilitator.

Author of four books including Rural Portraits, Scottish Native Farm Animals, Characters & Landscapes, Polly also writes on wildlife for a range of magazines including Scottish Field.

See page 23 for full lunch menu details!

Literary Lunch with


£3.50 (U-18), £5.00 (Adults), Family (of 4): £15.001.15pm to 2.15pm


01796 484626

Kate Mosse Citadel3.00pm to 4.00pm £10.00

International, best-selling author, Kate Mosse, with read from her latest No.1 hit, Citadel, the last installment of her heart-stopping adventure that explores the incredible history, legends and hidden secrets of Carcassonne and the Languedoc.

Set during World War II in the far south of France, Citadel is a powerful,

action-packed mystery that reveals the secrets of the resistance under Nazi occupation. While war blazed in the trenches at the front, back at home a different battle is waged, full of clandestine bravery, treachery and secrets. And as a cell of resistance fighters,

codenamed Citadelle, fight for everything they hold dear, their struggle will reveal an older, darker combat being fought in the shadows.

Combining the rugged action of Labyrinth with the haunting mystery of Sepulchre, Citadel is a story of daring and courage, of lives risked for beliefs and of astonishing secrets buried in time.

Kate Mosse regularly appears on TV and radio and co-founded the Orange Prize for Fiction. She’ll be appearing in discussion with James Naughtie, reading from and discussing her Languedoc Trilogy.

Sally Magnusson Horace the Haggis

Horace the Haggis, homeless and hunted, finds refuge among the animals of Acre Valley. But Angus McPhee, chief of the haggis-hunters, and his deadly

cat are out to trap him. Can a flower-eating fox, a loyal mouse, a gossipy rook, two magpies on Twitter and the bumbling efforts of the Mole Patrol help Horace

escape before he is caught in a net and boiled for dinner? A new hero for our times, children will love these characters, brought to life in a great storytelling and interactive event – the Haggis himself has even been known to pop in to say hello.

Sally Magnusson is a Scottish broadcaster and writer, currently working for BBC Scotland. She also presents Tracing Your Roots on BBC Radio 4. She will be joined by TV Director and illustrator, Norman Stone, with whom she has written a book that is sure to become a firm favourite in every

family home.

Suitable for what ages 3 to 8, and adults alike!

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4.30pm to 5.30pm £4.50 (U-18), £7.00 (Adults), Family (of 4): £18.00

Tony Robinson Weird and Wonderful Worlds

Join Tony, the Curiosity Crew and Nits the dog as they gallop headlong through time, pointing out all the most important, funny, strange, amazing, smelly and disgusting bits! It's history, but not as you know it!

Find out why Egyptian tomb raiding was a bad idea, why Ancient Egyptians loved cats and why the Romans washed their togas in wee (bleurgh!) and much, much more . . .

Tony has been a writer since he was old enough to pick up a pencil. He’s written long stuff and shorter stuff. He’s rewritten old stories and made up new ones. But history is what

he likes best because, he says, “How do you know who you are if you don’t know where you came from?” That’s why he’s writing the Weird World of Wonders series, and he doesn’t want to stop until he’s covered every single bit of history there’s ever been – although in order to do this he’ll have to live till he’s 8,374!



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Esther Woolfson Notes From A Hidden City4.30pm to 5.30pm £6.50

Esther Woolfson’s beautiful, absorbing prose uses the background of Aberdeen - austere and grey - to examine the geographic, atmospheric and environmental elements

which bring diverse life forms to live in close proximity in cities. Using the circumstances of her own life, house, garden and city, she writes of the animals who live among us: the birds - gulls, starlings, pigeons, sparrows and others; the rats and squirrels; the spiders and the insects.

Esther describes the seasons, the streets and the quiet places of her city over the course of a year, which

begins with the exceptional cold and snow of 2010. Influenced by her own long experience of corvids, she considers prevailing attitudes towards the natural world, urban and non-urban wildlife, the values we place on the lives of individual species and the ways in which man and creature live together in cities.

This will be a fascinating afternoon in the company of a gifted writer.

Suitable for what ages 7 upwards and adults alike!

spirits - the world that our ancestors thought they lived in.

Away from his TV career, politics has always been important. Tony is an ardent Labour supporter, has been an active member of the party and served as a member of the National Executive Committee.

Come and hear Tony talk about his work, his love of archaeology, his passion for history and how he’s created a career that has lasted and lasted, making him one of the best known TV stars of our times.

Tony Robinson7.30pm £18.50Tony Robinson has been one of the best known faces

on TV for thirty years, bringing history to life in his very own inimitable style.

He created one of the most memorable characters ever, Baldrick, in the classic comedy series Blackadder, which took an irreverent look at important eras in British history. Although Baldrick started life as a clever, sly servant, he morphed over four series into a buffoon who rarely had a “cunning plan”.

In Time Team, a (literally) groundbreaking programme, Tony and a team of experts travel the country to investigate a wide range of archaeological sites of historical importance. Running for 18 series, it propelled archaeology into the mainstream, and was watched at primetime by millions.

There have been many other roles: Tony started his career aged 12, as a member of Fagin's gang in the original production of the musical Oliver!, including a stint as the Artful Dodger. The 80s saw him star in The Young Ones and the Lenny Henry Show – and he was also a key performer alongside Mel Smith and Griff Rhys Jones in their classic sketch show Alas Smith and Jones.

He's also no stranger to drama, having starred in episodes of Bergerac, Casualty and Doctors, Most recently he presented Gods and Monsters on Channel 4, revealing a terrifying world of walking corpses and evil


This is it. The final instalment of Fearie Tales. Enjoy the cosy atmosphere while you can - it won’t be long before the shadows lengthen, a chill descends and a voice pierces the darkness . . . as the last clutch of this year’s ghastly, ghoulish tales are read aloud for the very first time! Make sure you have a glass or two of something strong at hand - to toast the winners, naturally . . .

An Evening with


01796 484626

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Alice in Blunderland Youth Theatre3.00pm to 4.00pm U-18s £2.50, Adults: £4.50All is not well in the land of Blunder! White

Rabbit is rushing around in a panic, Cheshire cat is way too chilled out and Alice is nowhere to be seen. The Knave of Hearts has dreamed up an evil master plan to bring the kingdom to its knees while the Queen is determined that heads will roll until she finds out who has been eating her royal jam tarts.

The missing Alice lies in a hospital bed, being treated for her delusional belief in talking animals and is slowly forgetting all her Blunderland friends. Is this the end for Blunderland?

With all the usual crazy characters and a few unexpected guest appearances from an Emerald city, our very own ultra talented hiper Youth Theatre have put their own wacky spin on this classic adventure.

From the Youth Theatre that brought Wolfbad The Bad, Perfect Pete And The Raygun Of Doom, I’ll Fight You For It, There’s Been A Murder and Chariots Of Porridge to the main stage!

Sunday 3rd February


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

Max Benitz Fri 25th Jan

Spicy Fishcake with tomato,

cinnamon and honey sauce

Hamish Brown Sat 26th Jan

Shetland Seafood

Chowder

Tom Pow Sun 27th Jan

Woodland Mushrooms and Smoked Bacon

Risotto

Sarah Fraser Fri 1st Feb

Smoked Salmon Platter

with capers, oatcakes and dill dressing

Polly Pullar Sat 2nd Feb

Pork and Wild Mushroom

Terrine with beetroot

chutney

Slowly Cooked Game Casserole

with mustard, potato mash and

vegetables

Coffee and Tablet

Corn Fed Chicken Supreme

with haggis, a turnip puree

and Edradour whisky cream

Coffee and Snowball

Pan Fried Fillet of Venison

with a juniper jus, on a bed of

mash with spring vegetables

Coffee and Toffee Fudge

Coq-Au-Vin french fries and

petits pois

Coffee and Chocolate

Truffles

Afghan Lamb Curry with jasmine rice and herb

flatbread

Coffee and Turkish Delight

A Short Story Writing Course

01796 484626

LITTLE BIG STORIES

Poetry Please Drop a copy of your favourite poem into the Box Office before noon on Saturday (26th) during the Festival, along with your name and perhaps the reasons why this piece of verse is special to you. Then grab a coffee and cake, sit back and enjoy as favourite poems are read aloud by our Festival readers - or even you!

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Join Rachel Marsh, author and experienced tutor on this exciting and intensive course, which will focus on the short story and how mastering this form can help writers of all prose styles. This class is aimed at any author (budding or experienced) who is keen to improve their creative writing skills in a friendly

and open environment. Mixing discussion, lecture, and group writing exercises, this course will take you from first ideas all the way through to the editing process.

A 3½ Day Short Story Writing Course Mon 28th Jan (1.00pm to 4.30) half day

Tues 29th - Thur 31st (10.30am to 4.30pm) full day£125.00 (max 12) including

lunch & refreshments

On Day One, participants will talk about their writing goals, and the class will begin to look at the short story as a genre. The first day will be also use writing exercises as a warm-up.

Day Two will explore character development and plotting in the morning, and in the afternoon the class will concentrate on setting and vocabulary.

Day Three will review your work and discuss editing tips, so that you can hone and shape your writing.

On Day Four, there is an exciting opportunity to learn about the world of Digital Publishing and the Digital future of the Book by joining in the AmbITion Roadshow (see page 15 for further details).

Rachel Marsh has worked with Universities in Colorado and Dundee, has an MLitt in Creative Writing from the University of St Andrews and is the Creative Writing tutor and Director of www.ShortbreadStories.com

Plus: 5 Free Events! 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 for free (excluding Literary Lunches and evening Headline events)

Participants are requested to reserve seats to their 5 free daytime events that they would like to attend at the time of booking this course.

TOMMY SMITHYOUTH JAZZ ORCHESTRA

10THANNIVERSARY TOUR

DIRECTED BY TOMMY SMITH

Whatever the Season, here at the famous Theatre in the Hills there’s always plenty of superb entertainment to enjoy.

From outstanding tribute acts like Take That 2 (8th Mar), Real Diamond (5th Apr) and Classic Clapton (6th Apr) to amazingly diverse concerts, including Skerryvore, who return for a fourth time (13th Apr) and the wonderful Pasadena Roof Orchestra, who will be Puttin on the Ritz (9th Mar)!

Pick up our Autumn-Winter-Spring brochure to discover full details of these and other concerts and events, as well as our range of award-wining Active Arts workshops.

Stop Press! Three noteworthy additions to our Spring line-up have been added.

Ballet West will perform The Nutcracker twice in one day (Sat 23rd Feb), whilst The Hollywood Bees will recreate The Music of the Hollies in a superb concert (23rd Mar). And before those two, there’s the Tommy Smith Youth Jazz Orchestra (20th Jan): a fantastic trio of delights!

Summer: tickets are now on sale for our 2013 Summer Season of six plays. Where else could you see plays by Wilde, Bennett, Ayckbourn and Coward over a single long weekend? Not to mention the spectacular, smash-hit musical Hello Dolly!

Spring into Summer

Atholl Palace Hotel, Pitlochry, Perthshire, Scotland. Tel: 01796 472 400 Email: [email protected] www.athollpalace.com

Winter Words offer at Atholl Palace

BED & BREAKFAST

FROM£99.00PER ROOM

DINNER, BED & BREAKFAST

FROM£129.00PER ROOM

FOR 2 PEOPLE SHARING

AthollPalace.com

From £99.00 Bed & Breakfast or £129.00 Dinner, Bed & Breakfast per room for 2 people sharing. Single supplements may apply

· Blazing log fires

· Dramatic winter views all around

· Our indoor leisure and spa areas

· Our Museum of Hotel Life

· Our many acres of attractive grounds full of interest as you walk - even in winter

· and of course a welcoming smile as you arrive for your whisky liqueur

Available 23rd January until 3rd February 2013

winter words 2013

Documents

years festival

winter words tickets

winter words bookstall

scotlands leading festival

theatre box office

tickets studentsu18s

tickets groups

scotlands literary year