Book Fair Archive
Book Fair - 8th-9th June 2013
Free entry, although you may encounter somebody giving you the opportunity to buy a raffle ticket.
A vast selection of second-hand books, fiction and non-fiction, at bargain prices.
Specialist booksellers who bring with them some fascinating historical items. Sure to spark many a conversation.
Our cafe will be running all day with a range of home-made treats. Stay for lunch!
The sunny Struie Room hosts a full program of interesting talks from some of the Highlands' most prominent writers. See below for details.
A music room, with a record player and a huge selection of classical LPs to play and/or buy. Relax with cup of tea and listen to Beethoven, Mozart, Bach or whatever you want to put on.
A literary quiz and some intriguing competitions are planned.
Saturday evening entertainment of poetry, prose and song, featuring Nick Trumble (aka Mulbert) and Alan McLeod. £12 including wine and nibbles. (For bookings phone 810958). Nick had us all in stitches last time around so this time we decided to make an evening of it.
All proceeds from this book fair will go to the new community centre building fund
All queries to: dornochbookfair@gmail.com
HIGHLAND WRITERS IN THE STRUIE ROOM
Throughout the weekend we have a full programme of authors talking about their works and, no doubt, life in general. Listen to and meet the authors, ask them questions, get signed books and generally be stimulated and entertained.
Saturday
11am - Alec Hyde/W.A.M. MacKenzie
12pm - Short Story Workshop with Clio Gray
1pm - Chris Murray
2pm - Callum Night
3pm - Margaret Skea
4pm - Harold Lane
7:30pm Nick Trumble and Alan McLeod
Sunday
11am - Old books roadshow with David Duguid
1pm - James Andrew
2pm - Alec Hyde/W.A.M. MacKenzie
James Andrew will be reading from his book Birdsong and Flame, which is a book of poetry he wrote when working and living in Istanbul, Turkey. It deals with his reaction to his experiences there, particularly the culture. He found this rich and fascinating. This book was illustrated by Ishbel Macdonald, the Highland artist. This is James' second book of poetry. His first received a Scottish Arts Council grant. James has also had short stories broadcast on the BBC and published in different magazines. He has a Masters degree in Creative Writing from St Andrews University.
Clio Gray is the author of six novels and an award-winning collection of short stories. She has been Judge Chair of the Annual HISSAC (Highlands & Islands Short Story Association www.hissac.co.uk) for the past seven years, reading upwards of 400 short stories a year, and also runs mentoring courses for HISSAC, so knows a thing or two about short story writing! Clio was also Chair of the Board of Trustees at Moniack Mhor for two years, and on the founding committee of Bloody Scotland, Scotland's first international crime writing festival.
For more info go to www.cliogray.com
Alec Hyde grew up in rural Worcestershire. After studying Ancient History & Latin at Edinburgh University, Alec went on to work for the Civil Service in London. For much of his twenty-year career, Alec was involved in the crime, security and intelligence fields. 2007 saw Alec relocate to the Scottish Highlands, to enjoy a better work-life balance. When he isn't writing, Alec enjoys playing guitar, drums and keyboards; trying, with varying degrees of success, to emulate his favourite rock bands. So far, Alec has avoided any attempt at singing.
SECOND SIGHT is the opening novel of Alec's supernatural thriller trilogy, THE FALSE LIGHT CONSPIRACY. Book two, FIRST VISION, is currently in preparation. Alec is planning to release a stand-alone political thriller, IN THE NATIONAL INTEREST, later this year. For more information about Alec, visit his website at: www.alechyde.com.
Harold Lane gives us a taster of his nearly complete novel. A globe spanning environmental thriller concerned with large scale sustainable communities.
Alan McLeod is a native of Brora and an accomplished musician. He has released several albums and books of poetry.
Chris Murray. “Winchman is the life story of Chris Murray from Stornoway. As a winchman on Search and Rescue helicopters for 22 years he was involved in the rescue of many people from the seas and mountains around the north of Scotland and further afield. He details his exploits from his early days as a Royal Navy diver in the elite Faslane diving team, disabling explosive devices; as a civilian diver working offshore for various companies and finally – 22 years as the winchman on a Sikorsky S61; frequently hanging from a wire in stormy seas and snowstorms, risking his life to aid fishing vessels in distress and on one memorable occasion, receiving the Queenʼs Gallantry medal for the rescue of crewmen from the fishing vessel The Hansa.” quoted from Fledgling Press website. http://www.fledglingpress.co.uk/store/products/winchman-chris-murray/
Callum Night was born in North London in 1961; and was the youngest of a large family. He went to Albany Comprehensive School, leaving at the age of 15. He started working straight away at a local fishmongers, where he stayed for 17 years, working my way up to manager and support buyer for this company, in a variety of jobs from delivery driver, market stall trader to kitchen worker. Callum has always loved music, with the likes of Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Bob Dillon, Doors, Dr Feelgood, Pink Floyd and the Eagles, and has been a singer and songwriter in a few bands, where he first started writing music. His main focus for writing is his passion for the Earth and all the wonderful species that live on it. He is a keen sponsor of many animal charities including WWF, WSPA, Dogs Trust and The Gorilla Foundation.
Callum now lives with his wife in the Scottish Highlands. http://www.callumnight.me.uk/index.php
Margaret Skea grew up in Ulster at the height of the ‘Troubles’, but now lives with her husband in the Scottish Borders.
An interest in Scotland’s turbulent history, and in particular the 16th century, combined with PhD research into the Ulster-Scots vernacular, led to the writing of Turn of the Tide. which was the Historical Fiction Winner in the 2011 Harper Collins / Alan Titchmarsh People’s Novelist Competition.
An Hawthornden Fellow and award winning short story writer – her recent credits include, Overall Winner Neil Gunn 2011, Chrysalis Prize 2010, and Winchester Short Story Prize 2009. Shortlisted in the Mslexia Short Story Competition 2012 and long-listed for the Matthew Pritchard Award, Fish Short Story and Fish One Page Prize, she has been published in a range of magazines and anthologies in Britain and the USA.
Nick Trumble, the Brora-based performance poet will be back by popular demand, reading some of his poems with subject matter ranging from the big bang, global warming and the dreaded Scottish midgie to the retelling in comic verse of a couple of great old gags including a tribute to the late great Dave Allen. He may also do his poems about the antics of the naked rambler and his feminist poem entitled The True Story Of The Three Bears! As well as writing and performing himself, Mulbert also promotes poetry gigs called RENEGADE Nights with guest poets and the occasional comedian. He has performed at festivals, comedy gigs and the Poetry Cafe in London.
BOOKS WANTED
It's amazing how many books we sell over a weekend and we need to keep our stocks and variety at a high level, particularly as we expect this to be a very busy weekend. If you have spare books to donate (on any subject!) we would welcome them. We can collect. (Call Mark on 810958). Remember, your books are going to a great cause - helping to build a new community centre in Dornoch.
HELP WANTED
Can you spare some time to help out at some point over the weekend? We need more helpers both with the setting up and general running of the Book Fair. Get involved! Join the team!
BOOKSELLERS
Selling space/tables are available. Contact us for further details.
PRESS
For a press pass, and to arrange interviews with the organisers or writers, please contact dornochbookfair@gmail.com. More details and press release to follow upon finalisation of schedule.
Throughout the weekend we have a full program of authors talking about their works and, no doubt, life in general. Listen to and meet the authors, ask them questions, get signed books and generally be stimulated and entertained.
REPORT OF PREVIOUS FAIR...
DADCA's third Book Fair, held on 2nd and 3rd November 2012, was another resounding success. For the first time, we featured a full program of author talks in our sunny and sofa-equipped Struie Room. A well-attended book launch by well-known local author Philip Paris was followed be intriguing and interesting talks by Clio Gray, Shona MacLean, Jean McLennan and others as well as a set of poems and stories by Nick Trumble that had the audience in stitches.
It had been the brilliant brainchild of DADCA Chairman Jerry Bishop and Committee member Pat Murray. Right from the start customers were coming through the door in a steady stream, looking for some new reading material to keep them out of mischief.
Thanks to the generosity of DADCA members and friends, the numbers of books were prodigious!
Thanks to the generosity of DADCA members and friends, the numbers of books were prodigious! All tastes were well represented: customers could find fiction to suit every taste (from Beowulf to Mills and Boon!) If non fiction was your bag you could also find yourself well provided for, with books on a wide range of topics (even the most anoraky!)
We were also happy to welcome the members of the Highland Book Fair Tours, whose antiquarian and collectible book stands and book signing added a cachet and glamour to our event. The good