Organisers of the Edinburgh International Book Festival (EIBF) are taking their show on the road with a new pop-up event.
Authors Val McDermid, Christopher Brookmyre and Mark Billingham, as well as broadcaster Sally Magnusson, tennis coach Judy Murray and football commentator Archie Macpherson are to take part in the three-day ReimagiNation: Glenrothes festival.
The event will host talks, music and poetry in Rothes Hall, as part of the EIBF Booked! programme which has previously staged mini festivals in Cumbernauld, Irvine and East Kilbride.
Christopher Brookmyre is among the writers appearing at the pop-up festival “Glenrothes is the penultimate stop on our journey and ReimagiNation is all about looking at the places we think we know in new ways, and we hope the people of Glenrothes and book lovers everywhere will feel inspired by the stories that are shared at the festival.”
Scottish Crime Writer Val McDermid is among the writers appearing at the festivalClara Govier, head of charities at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “We are so delighted that the support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery is once again helping the Edinburgh International Book Festival reach communities across Scotland, allowing them access to what the Book Festival offers outwith its home in Charlotte Square Gardens.
“Residents from Glenrothes are certainly in for a treat.”
CRIME writers Abir Mukherjee, Graeme Macrae Burnet and Val McDermid are setting off on an adventure to India together.
The trio will be championing Scottish crime fiction at the world renowned Kolkata Literary Festival.
They will also launch Bloody Scotland, an anthology of twelve tartan noir tales.
The Sunday Post chatted to authors Graeme and Abir before they set off, and found out the links between Scots and Begalis run deeper than you might think.
ABIR MUKHERJEE, author of A Rising Man and A Necessary Evil, will be acting as a ‘sort of guide’ for Graeme and Val.
Raised in the West of Scotland, Abir’s parents are originally from Kolkata, a place he often uses as the setting for his novels.
KILLER writers are heading for India to sell “tartan noir” to a new audience.
Major names in crime fiction will launch a “thrilling” anthology of “dark Scottish tales” at the Kolkata Literary Festival (KLF) next month.
Celebrated author Val McDermid, Man Booker Prize nominee Graeme Macrae Burnet and bestseller Abir Mukherjee will travel to the city – which has a population almost as big as Scotland’s – for the event.
The collection, titled Bloody Scotland after the annual crime fiction festival held in Stirling, features 12 stories from authors including Ann Cleeves, Denise Mina and Lin Anderson and comes as the literary event seeks to increase the reach of Scottish novelists.
It will also be published in America, with Kolkata-based literature house BEE Books handling the Indian release.
The firm has also set up deals to publish two works by Macrae Burnet – The Disappearance of Adele Bedeau and The Accident on the A35.
The Glasgow-based author said: “I’m completely thrilled to be travelling to Kolkata for the first time, particularly in the company of two such renowned writers as Val and Abir.
“It promises to be a very exciting and enlightening trip. And I’m particularly pleased that through the partnership with BEE Books, two of my novels will be made available to local audiences at an affordable price.”
The move is part of a project supported by the British Council
to “grow the global reach” of Scottish literature and follows previous work to introduce more readers to classic crime fiction.
Jenny Brown, chair of Bloody Scotland, said: “We’re delighted to be working with BEE Books on this innovative partnership to introduce Indian readers to Scottish crime fiction by bringing writers to the Kolkata Literary Festival, and by making their work more accessible in Indian-published editions.
“We know from our visit to KLF last year that there is a huge appetite for Scottish classics including the Sherlock Holmes mysteries and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde.
“Now we want readers to try contemporary writing.”
