ANOTHER STELLAR LINE-UP FOR COLONSAY BOOK FESTIVAL
It may be six months away, but excitement is already building ahead of the third annual Colonsay Book Festival (CBF).
A stellar line-up of authors has been announced for the two-day event – dubbed a “literary lock-in” – which will take place on the enchanting Isle of Colonsay (population: 130) in the Southern Hebrides on 26 and 27 April 2014.
The programme stars top Scottish crime writers Christopher Brookmyre and Val McDermid, acclaimed poet Jackie Kay, author and poet Andrew Greig, travel writer Patrick Richardson, and novelist and playwright Lesley Glaister.
Dilly Emslie, Director of the Colonsay Book Festival, said: “With another terrific line-up of authors confirmed for the programme, we’re already raring to go for next year’s Colonsay Book Festival.
“The event has been a huge success in its first two years, with many audience members now making an annual ‘pilgrimage’ to Colonsay to take in the festival!
“Tickets will be on sale from January 2014 and you can keep up to date with all our news on our website and via Twitter and Facebook.”
Conceived and produced entirely by the island’s residents, the Colonsay Book Festival has carved its own niche in Scotland’s busy book festival calendar since launching in 2012.
Many of Scotland’s best loved writers and poets have now made the journey by ferry to experience Colonsay’s literary celebrations, with audiences flocking from all over the world to join them.
Ian Rankin, whose Colonsay Book Festival appearance in 2013 coincided with his birthday, summed up the event’s appeal. He said: 'It is no mystery - take a wonderful island, add readers and writers, sprinkle the whole with outstandingly good organisation ... and a magical festival results!!”
Last year’s event featured Ian Rankin, Candia McWilliam, Tom Pow, Sara Sheridan, Mairi Hedderwick, Ron Butlin, Angus Peter Campbell and Maggie Fergusson.
The inaugural Colonsay Book Festival in 2012 saw the island play host to Liz Lochhead, Alexander McCall Smith, James Robertson, Margaret Elphinstone, Kenneth Steven and Sophie Cooke.
Tickets for the 2014 Colonsay Book Festival will go on sale from www.colonsaybookfestival.org.uk in January 2014.
Visitor Information:
Ferries to Colonsay during the summer period (April to October) typically run from Oban on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays, with additional services from Kennacraig (via Islay) on Wednesdays. Check www.calmac.co.uk for up to date timetable information.
Colonsay offers a range of accommodation options, from hotel, B&B to hostel and self-catering: http://www.colonsay.org.uk/hotelghouse.html, http://www.colonsay.org.uk/otheracc.html
For more information about this news release, please contact Katie Spence on 07904 519779, colonsaybookfestival@gmail.com.
