Next week is Book Week Scotland (18-24 November) and High Life Highland libraries have a bumper issue of activities for literary lovers across the generations!
This annual celebration of books and reading takes place across the country and encourages people of all ages and walks of life to come together to share the joy of reading. Now in its 13th year, Book Week Scotland is an opportunity to celebrate local authors, poets, playwrights, storytellers and illustrators.
High Life Highland Head of Libraries Julie Corcoran promises the week will have something for everyone.
She said: “During Book Week Scotland High Life Highland Libraries will be encouraging our local communities to join us in celebrating a love of books, reading and libraries! We’ve got author visits, arts and crafts and a free Book Week Scotland book for people throughout the week. Plus there will be special themed Bookbug sessions, displays and mystery book bags for those looking for something different to read.”
For Bettyhill Library, Book Week Scotland kicks off a series of events for people to look forward to this winter. Aimee Lockwood, illustrator and comic maker, is hosting ‘Cryptid Comic Jam’, a fun collaborative comic-making event as part of the Book Week Scotland celebrations.
Writer and broadcaster, Ruaridh Maclean, will be running two events in Bettyhill Library on 29th November in conjunction with the North Sutherland Community Forestry Trust. There will be afternoon lecture, ‘Tro Shùilean nan Gàidheal/ Through the Eyes of the Gàidheal’, looking at how Scotland’s Gaelic heritage can be harnessed within interpretation of cultural and environmental sites. Following this, Ruaridh will be running a workshop on local placenames, studying the meanings and derivations of placenames from the Strathnaver area.
Celebrated author, Gavin Francis, who has been working in the area as locum GP, will be bringing 30 years of travel to Bettyhill Library, on 5th December, presenting a talk alongside photography, drawing upon stories from his four travel books, including ‘Empire Antarctica’, which relates his experiences as base-camp doctor at the Halley Research station, living amongst Empire penguins at minus 50 degrees. His most recent book, published in September, ‘The Bridge Between Worlds’, examines bridges both actual and metaphorical, on a journey through more than twenty countries, across four decades of travel.
High Life Highland Library Assistant at Bettyhill, Catriona MacLeod, said: “We are so fortunate to have such an interesting array of events at Bettyhill Library, and it really helps bring some enthusiasm and entertainment to combat these shorter days.”
High Life Highland libraries are free to join, giving you access to not just physical books, magazines, newspapers and computers, but thousands of titles through its online service too. High Life Highlands runs forty libraries and seven mobile libraries. Contact your local library to find out more by visiting www.highlifehighland.com/libraries or search Facebook to join the community.
Image shows author, Gavin Francis.
