Port Ellen Primary School, 3-4 September 2011

I WALKED into Port Ellen Primary School for the first time in almost 20 years and a few distant bells rang in my head.

Being a former pupil of Bowmore Primary meant I’d only ever been in this school a few times in my life and so the urge to line up quietly at the door, change into sandshoes when inside and sit cross-legged on the assembly hall floor was kept to a minimum, thankfully, as I’m sure I would have been asked to leave.

The venue for Islay’s 6^th Book Festival was buzzing with people browsing the bookstalls (in the assembly hall where I didn’t once sit on the floor) and chatting comfortably over coffee and cake. I relaxed immediately.

Alistair Moffat and Ruth Rendell (photo Lynn Stewart)

I saw some familiar and unfamiliar faces, but what I was most struck by was the mix of adults and children that were milling around waiting for the day to begin. I’m not sure which group looked most excited, but with the impressive line up of authors that were on offer over the two-day event it was hardly surprising.

Previous festivals have included a number of celebrated authors such as Isla Dewar, Joan Lingard, Iain Banks, Mairi Hedderwick, and Julia Donaldson amongst others (you can browse through previous years’ programmes on the book festival website – see below). This year’s programme was no exception and, if possible, only served to raise the standard even higher.

Speakers for this year’s children’s programme were Debi Gliori, Allan Burnett, John Fardell, Jess Smith, Cathy MacPhail and Hannah Titania Middleton, while the adult programme consisted of talks from Kenneth Cox, Alistair Moffat, Jess Smith once again, and world famous crime author Ruth Rendell.

Baroness Rendell kicked off the festival, and what a start. We were ushered into a classroom and seated ten minutes early to ensure the notoriously punctual opening speaker could begin on time. Rendell was poised and elegant as she entered and chair of the festival, Diana Buller, welcomed the audience while Lord George Robertson of Port Ellen introduced his fellow House of Lords peer. Lord Robertson’s easy manner certainly relaxed the audience and the humourous banter between the two life peers served to relax even further.

The prolific crime author read from her new book The Vault and spoke about its inception and it being the first sequel she has ever written. Rendell’s psychological thriller A Sight for Sore Eyes (1999) is continued in The Vault, with the most noted difference being that the latest novel is part of Rendell’s popular Inspector Wexford series, where the initial novel was not.

The talk was humourous and relaxed and after almost half a century of being a professional writer, it’s no surprise. Rendell answered questions from the audience and talked about feeling obliged to retire Wexford in the latest work because of having put in print that that he was in his early 50s when he first appeared in From Doon with Death in 1964. Twenty-two outings later and she feels the time has come. Retiring him instead of killing him off leaves scope for assisting unofficially from the sidelines, which is the case in The Vault.

The next three sessions I attended all took place upstairs, as I sat in amongst the children. I should say it was because I wanted to get a feel for the festival as a whole, but I’m not sure anyone would believe me…

Children’s author and historian, Allan Burnett, succeeded in bringing history to life with his energetic manner by getting the children involved and asking what history meant to them. Allan’s And All That series of books livens up notable characters and periods of history, making them more akin to reading exciting adventure stories rather than learning about history. Getting the audience (not me, unfortunately) to dress up as famous historical figures and putting them on a timeline really made them understand the scale of what was being discussed while having fun, the very best way to learn in my opinion.

A Fairy character made up by the children (photo Lynn Stewart)

John Fardell, author and illustrator of such works as Manfred the Baddie and The Seven Professors of the Far North, certainly brought his stories to life through his animated reading. Fardell spoke about the difference between his picture books and chapter books, explaining that sometimes the pictures are more important in a particular story and sometimes it’s the words. He told us he now spends his time moving between the two. He talked about how he got his ideas and showed us where he writes his notes and makes his scribbles before he got the children involved in coming up with a story and the pictures to go along with it.

The story was built on with enthusiasm and the level of imagination in the room was outstanding. The resulting story involved a man called Dodo who disguised himself as a woman called Joanna (in order to trick men and then steal their money) who lived in a disused factory in the deserts of North Africa, travelled on a motorcycle to a place called Naanaare (silent ‘e’) in order to steal money from a knight called Sir Adam, but was captured by the pasta trees while Sir Adam slept soundly unaware… Plot for your next book, perhaps, John?

Jess Smith, a traditional storyteller from Scotland’s Perthshire travelling people, regaled us with tales she heard as a child while travelling around in a blue bus, as well as slightly adapted or combined stories, and she was one of the most engaging storytellers I have ever heard. I felt myself leaning in to get closer to the words and the story – any closer and I would have been sitting at her feet.

Kicking off Sunday (after the free coffee and cakes) was Scottish historian Alistair Moffat, another very competent and relaxed speaker. I felt after yesterday’s overdose of children’s authors I should attend some of the adult events today, and I’m very glad I did. Director of Borders and Lennoxlove Book Festivals and author of such works as The Scots: A Genetic Journey and The Faded Map: Lost Kingdoms of Scotland, Moffat kept the talk light and humourous as he took us, very briefly, through our own history and provided images of Romans invading Colchester on elephants and impressing the Essex boys.

Alistair then demonstrated his interviewing skills in the next session as he spoke to Ruth Rendell about her successful career, after he introduced her and asked how she was in Gaelic, to which she replied “glè mhath”. He was an assured questioner, but certainly met his match with Rendell whose answers were always to the point. There is no messing about with this lady, and in several answers expressed that she never really much thought about the future. When asked by Diana, the festival chair, whether she had enjoyed her time on Islay the answer that came was “enormously”. Seeing the audience reaction to her talks and interviews, I am certain the feeling is mutual.

Hannah Titania Middleton signing her book (photo Lynn Stewart)

The last session of the festival I attended was local children’s author, poet and illustrator Hannah Titania Middleton, whose enchanting poetry reading, harp playing and singing added a bit of magic to the festival. She handed out tiaras, crowns and fairy and seal puppets to the audience while she told the children that she used her experiences of growing up here on Islay as inspiration for her stories and poetry. She then helped the children make up their own poem about a fairy called Felicity who came from Port Ellen.

Unfortunately I did not get to experience all of the authors because of the two programmes running parallel to one another, and so while I missed the sessions from nurseryman and gardener, Kenneth Cox, whose book Scotland for Gardeners won the Garden Media Guild Awards 2009 reference book of the year, I did hear mutterings over coffee from those more green-fingered than myself that he was very enjoyable and knowledgeable, and after writing nine books on the subject of plants I would expect nothing less.

Sessions from the children’s programme I was unable to attend were Debi Gliori and Cathy MacPhail. Gliori is another author and illustrator combined who has published over 60 pictures books and is author of the Pure Dead series for older children while Cathy MacPhail is back this year after she proved a popular contributor to last year’s festival. MacPhail’s work includes gritty, urban stories, which are aimed at older children and teenage readers and has achieved critical acclaim by winning the Kathleen Fidler Award with her first novel Run, Zan, Run, and the Scottish Arts Council Award with her second, Fighting Back. Here’s hoping she returns again so I can catch her next time.

The amount of energy and organising that went into the festival was evident from beginning to end and having the opportunity to interact with the authors through signings or even while browsing the bookstalls, or over coffee really gave the whole event a very personal and informal touch, and it would have been wonderful to have something like this while growing up on the island. One of the most important elements is the events and workshops that are available to the children, and the festival committee ensures as many children as possible are given the opportunity to get involved by arranging school events with the authors before the weekend festival, so that even those who are not able to attend the two days still benefit from the experience.

The festival is now in its sixth year and from what I’ve seen is going from strength to strength, and I hope it continues to do so, because it certainly deserves to with the effort and work that is put into making this available to the island. I am most definitely looking forward to next year already.

© Lynn Stewart, 2011

Links

• Islay Book Festival