2021 Programme launch

Please join us for the launch of the 2021 Literary Festival

Mike Fraser will reveal the absorbing range of subjects and speakers at this year’s Festival, taking place 14-17 October
and Colin Fleetwood will talk about this year’s workshops in local schools.
Followed by newly-published author Amanda Block in conversation with Jackie Kaines Lang.

You should receive an email after registering with a link to the Zoom session; if it does not arrive please check your Spam folder.

Originally from Devon, Amanda moved to Edinburgh in 2007, where she attained a master’s degree in creative writing. Since then, she’s divided her time between ghostwriting, editing and tutoring.

Amanda’s writing is often inspired by myths and fairy tales, which she uses as starting points to tell new stories. Her work has been shortlisted in contests such as the Bridport Prize and the Mslexia Short Story Competition. The Lost Storyteller is her first novel and is described as ‘a spellbinding debut novel, celebrating the magic of forgotten fairy tales and the power of imagination and empathy. Perfect for fans of Jessie Burton and Sally Magnusson’.

The Lost Storyteller
Rebecca hasn’t seen her father Leo since she was six. Her family never talk about him, and she has long since pushed him firmly to the back of her mind. All she knows is that, once upon a time, he was a well-loved children’s TV star. Looking for answers, Rebecca unearths a book of fairy tales written by Leo and dedicated to her – but what use are children’s stories to her now, all these years later?

‘A spellbinding novel about the power of the stories we tell both to ourselves and to others’ Tracey Emerson
‘Incredibly moving… A genuinely beautiful must-read’ Buki Papillon