Working with Words

CRAIG CORSE caught up with some of the writers and organisers involved in the first ever North Isles Writing Weekend in Kirkwall earlier this month

THE INAUGURAL North Isles Writing Weekend has been hailed a huge success. The weekend was a partnership between the Orkney Arts Forum, Orkney Islands Council and the Shetland Arts Trust. The two-day event saw professional writers and artists travel to the county to lead workshops and readings, giving people the chance to explore their own writing abilities and techniques.

The first workshop took place on Saturday morning in the St Magnus Centre, led by native Orcadian novelist, Alison Miller. Alison, whose first book, ‘Demo’, was released to great acclaim last November, was delighted to be asked to come back to Orkney from Glasgow to participate in the weekend.

Although she had taken part in workshops in bigger city areas such as Aberdeen and Glasgow, as well as in the West Coast of Scotland, this was her first time leading a workshop in Orkney.

“Orkney is fantastic as it attracts people who like engaging in creative activities, such as writing and painting as it’s so beautiful,” she explained. “The workshop itself went really well. Everyone there had had different experiences in writing. Some people claimed to only ever have done scribblings, although I’m sure that they’ve had more experience than they liked to admit!

“They all tackled the morning really well and I was pleased that they left with lots of material to carry on their own writing with. I think I actually had too much material for the three hours, but I wanted folk to go away with as much as possible. We could have gone on for many more hours.”

The organisers of the Writing Weekend were overwhelmed by the success of the event

Alison herself has set a great example for budding local writers, having achieved considerable success as a professional writer in just a few short years.

“I’ve always written, but only ever bits and pieces of poems and unfinished stories,” she explained. “My family all have a love of reading, literature and language but I never really concentrated on writing until quite recently. I studied a postgraduate creative writing course at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow for two years from 2001 to 2003.
 
“Although we were only in classes a couple of nights a week, the amount of work expected was quite intensive and I suppose that was the first time that I’ve ever taken writing seriously. I’ve never looked back.

“I definitely think that these sorts of events should continue to happen as there is such interest out there. If I was asked, I’d definitely come back again.”

The second workshop, held on Saturday afternoon, was led by poet, Jen Hadfield, writer in residence with the Shetland Arts Trust and winner of the 2003 Eric Gregory Award. After publishing her first collection, ‘Almanacs’, she suffered from a two-year span of what she could only describe as “severe writers’ block”.

In 2005, she was finally able to return to writing, thanks to the help and encouragement from Alex Cluness, writing and development officer with the Shetland Arts Trust and one of the organisers of the weekend.

“It was definitely down to him that I went back to writing,” she said, “not that I wanted to stop in the first place. I visited Shetland’s Book Festival in September, 2005, and ran several workshops and as a follow-up I was contracted as writer in residence for the first two months of this year.

“I’ve done projects with nursery schools and published two books of poetry postcards amongst other things. I’ve been kept very, very busy although I love every minute of it. I wish I could do it for the rest of my life.

“I was very lucky when I was starting out as my parents were always very supportive and keen for me to do this. I was lucky because, with poetry it’s a very scary world. I think there’s a wee bit of stability with writing fiction but not poetry – it’s just mad!”

It was writers such as Kathleen Jamie, Tom Leonard, Norman McCaig and Edwin Morgan that inspired her to pursue poetry and writing as a career.

“I love leading workshops,” she added. “When I do one I have a vague plan, as every time in the past where I planned out the session, it went off in a completely different direction. I don’t mind this at all, though, as I want folk to write in their own direction, which is actually quite difficult to do in a group situation.

“I think, though, that the adrenaline rush of hearing pens scribbling encourages people in groups. The folk that came along were amazing and there were artists of all disciplines and previous experience.” 
 
Along with Alison, Jen also felt that the weekend was an extremely worthwhile event.

“The response has been tremendous,” she explained. “The fact that both Alison and myself had to hold an extra workshop is a general sign of the enthusiasm. I hope that the organisers do plan more of these events.”

On Sunday, along with repeat sessions by both writers, a workshop was held by local printmaker and visual artist, Carol Dunbar. Carol, who has had a long interest in books and the simple techniques used to make them, was thrilled that her workshop was such a success.

Like the four writers’ workshops, hers was sold out. She too believes that this was due to the great amount of interest that there is in Orkney in the field of writing and books in general.

“The idea of surprise when you open a book is fantastic,” she explained, “and there’s something simple in the pleasures of opening a book. I love making paper too, and so for me it was a natural progression to make it into a book.

“Everyone worked very enthusiastically and very hard. In general we were focusing on the body of the book and artists’ books, where the visual appearance is as important as the content.
 
Everyone was extremely interested in the various techniques used to make the books and so we are going to try to organise an exhibition open to the public for a longer period of time so that as many folk as possible can see them.”

The organisers of the Writing Weekend were overwhelmed by the success of the event, and along with workshop leaders, they say a follow-up can’t come quick enough!

Alex Cluness, literature development officer with the Shetland Arts Trust said “it was a brilliant weekend and, hopefully, the beginning of a long series of collaborations and events.

“I’d like to thank all the Orkney writers who took part, and Billy Jolly for his marvellous songs. It was a truly special night. I’d like to thank Alistair (Peebles) and Clare (Gee) for all helping to make it happen. I really hope that we’ll be able to see a return event in Shetland soon with Orkney writers making the trip north.”

Chairman and literature representative of Orkney Arts Forum, Alistair Peebles, explained how important these kind of events are.

“Although Orkney Arts Forum is primarily a consultative body, I think it is very important that it helps where possible to enable events such as this to happen,” he said. “This is especially true at a time of growing possibility in our natural cultural life, with the Scottish Executive’s recent cultural review surely marking the beginning of a process which, to echo the First Minister’s words, will foster ‘a greater sense of ambition in our approach to culture.’
 
“Folk were also very interested in the display of artists’ books that we had. They’d come from many different places; the Pier Arts Centre, Orkney Museum, Dundee Contemporary Arts, Highland Print Studio and Joanne B Kaar.

“Orkney has much to contribute to this process, and much to gain. This past weekend has shown what can be achieved, and with sufficient political will, can be made to develop further, to the benefit of even more people.

“Now that local financial support for Orkney Writing Fellowship has dried up, one must hope not only that this weekend has served to inspire and encourage local writers and readers, but also to demonstrate – if there were any doubt – that there is a widespread and continuing need for the kind of activities it gave rise to, and that Shetland, with its own fellowship programme, continues to benefit from.

“On behalf of the Forum I would like to thank everyone who contributed to a very memorable, productive and enjoyable weekend.”

Clare Gee, Orkney Islands Council’s arts development officer, agreed wholeheartedly: “To see the writers’ workshops repeated was an indication of the amount of interest that there is in Orkney. A really important element of the weekend was the collaboration with Shetland and I would like to think that more joint events can take place.

“We now need to look back at the weekend and forward at how to progress. Before the event, we knew what the benefits would be and so I think that drove us to make it a success. I would like to thank Alistair and Alex for all their help before, and over, the weekend. In my point of view, and I’m sure everyone else that went along, it was a great success.”

© Craig Corse, 2006