Boswell Book Festival. The World's Only Biography Festival. The Glastonbury Experience for Booker Lovers - 17th to 19th May 2013

'Look to your left and then to your right. One of you will die early due to bad genes.'

Steve Jones (Professor of Genetics at UCL)

'Is that because,' whispers my friend, 'their trousers are too tight?'

I've never been to Glastonbury but it can't be more fun than the Boswell Book Festival.

The annual Boswell Book Festival is so busy and has so many eminent speakers, it is only possible to give a snapshot of how enjoyable and informative it is. I have only splashed a few dabs of paint at the canvas.

My first talk was with Michael J Malone, http://mickmal1.blogspot.co.uk/ (an AWC former president and a thoroughly good egg), of 'Carnegie's Call' being interviewed with Sir Tom Hunter about Scottish entrepreneurs. The messages I took away were; Michael's got a new book 'A Taste for Malice' coming out in May 2013 with a book launch at the Ayr Carnegie Library on Wed, June 12 at 7pm, and failure in life is not the problem, the challenge is how you deal with that failure. Something every writer should mull over.

After a quick pit stop in the café where you rub shoulders with fellow AWC members, published writers, famous faces (it is uncool to gawp) and a tribe (is that the right word? Maybe it should be pack) of Hunter wellies, it is time for the next talk with James Naughtie (of Radio 4). His amusing and intelligent discourse was about his book on 'The New Elizabethans' which consisted of pen portraits of sixty most influential people of The Queen's reign. 

The Festival was close enough to go home at 3.30, dry my socks, eat cheese on toast, wash the mud out of my crevices and get back to see a sublime session with John Sessions. 

On Sunday the rain stopped, the sun appeared and the Festival experience continued with an erudite talk by the renowned scientist Steve Jones. He covered so much territory that no one could have left with an empty notebook.

My Festival ended with Tam Dalyell and The Duke of Buccleuch discussing some of their ancestors but particularly some of the women, who acted as hinges during difficult times to hold their families and properties together.

Then off home exhausted but elated by an inspiring weekend.

I only heard about the Festival after I joined the Writers' group. There are always events like this and when you pitch up there are always familiar faces ready to give you a cheery greeting. If you have been thinking about becoming more proactive with your writing or you just want to get out of a rut and meet some charming people then give the Ayr Writers' Club a thought.

I've never been to Glastonbury but … Who needs it when they can have Boswell.

PW

Awards Dinner - 15th May 2013

What fun we had!

As the 2012/13 session drew to a close, the friendly and fun loving fraternity that is Ayr Writers’ Club placed their pens to the side for one evening and seized instead those other, time honoured tools of contentment; cutlery. In a flurry of ticket-purchasing excitement, members, their family and friends took their seats; each corner of the room as joy filled and welcoming as the next. The food was good and refreshments flowed freely, too, but the good humour and camaraderie that washed around the room was surely fuelled more by laughter than libation.

Plates cleared and appetites satiated, we turned our attentions to the recognition and appreciation of just some of the many efforts offered up this year on the altar of competitive scrutiny. But as, one by one, the deserved winners took possession of their plaques, plates and certificates, I’m sure we were all gratefully aware of the efforts of all those amongst us who have taken part. Without such an abundance of creative willingness, there could be no winners, moreover it’s always worth remembering that winning is a transitory experience.

The ceremony itself was delightful, graciously hosted by Libby, the daughter of Dorrith, a much loved and respected long time member of the club. Fittingly, the final trophy awarded last night for the first time is in Dorrith’s name and will be awarded annually to the most published author of the year; a touching and eternal tribute to an iconic member of our club. Libby’s delightful tale of her mother’s dismay at an apparent IT failure, caused by a serious case of mistaken identity (glasses case masquerading as mouse), had us laughing our way to the final event of the evening - the raffle.

Everyone was a winner as a continuous stream of lucky number holders selected the prize of their choice from the impressive array on offer. There could, however, only be one winner of the fabulous painting, created and contributed by Ken and Carolyn, and we watched in envy as Linda made her difficult selection from the two beautiful pieces on offer.

And so the evening came to a close. But just before everyone stretched tired arms into cosy coats and gathered together their various spoils, one final duty fell upon our departing presidents, Ann and Sheila. Their untiring and enthusiastic work for the club and all its members over the past two years was applauded before, in one swift beat of the gavel and a few more of several hearts, the considerable, but privileged, responsibility for steering the club on a steady course over the next year was passed to Wilma and Dorothy. Here’s hoping for calm seas and clement weather.

A happy and peaceful summer to all,
Dorothy

Read Around - 24th April 2013

As this year’s session draws to a close, Wednesday was the final opportunity for club members to bring works in progress before their fellow writers and await their measured and constructive assessment.
The evening itself started with a scene of confusion, worthy of a place in any Wodehouse text. Those of us who skilfully managed to miss the diversion intended to feed us seamlessly to an alternative location, proceeded instead to reorganise the (carefully arranged) furniture in our usual room. When discovered, the reaction could hardly have been more dramatic than if we had been caught in the act of assembling a rocket launcher. Although to be fair, the fact that some of the company had also helped themselves to the contents of the hospitality tray probably didn’t help.
Suitably chastised, we were ushered, hastily, to the kitchen annex, no sorry, the other suite, where our colleagues awaited us, relieved at our late arrival, if not a trifle bemused by it.
There was a light-hearted air of anticipation as each group knitted itself into a happy knot and settled down to the business of the day. From ‘huddle number two’ the ruminations of those around us sang out in bars of laughter, with the occasional discords that offered the promise of debate to come.
The range of genre was as impressive as the content as we put our heads together to mull over moving memoir, faultless fact and flights of fancy, to name but a few of the delights on offer. Everyone had something to say and seemed to be in the mood to say it. It was a truly enjoyable and memorable evening, rounded off by the burgeoning social gathering in the bar, to which all are very welcome. It’s an entertaining way to end the evening, offering opportunities to develop ideas half-formed within the session, discuss literary plans and problems or just watch the staff wipe their brows in relief, as they see us off the premises.

Dorothy Gallagher

Speaker - Jim Thomson, 17th April, 2013

Law & Order
A policewoman spots a man driving and knitting at the same time.
Driving up beside him, the policewoman shouts out the window. "Pull over!"
"No," the man shouts back, "a pair of socks!"
Taking my seat with the memory of my nephew's (9)  innocent joke playing
in my mind, making me smile, my thoughts drifted back to the last time
when I heard retired Superintendent Thompson speak . Then he gifted a gem : how to remove, without forensic detection, your victim's blood from a
knife. More later on what you need.
Consequently, much was expected of Jim Thompson. Gratifyingly, he did not
disappoint. He provided a rip roaring ride for all writers present. He
asked at the outset if there were any questions and for the next 1 1/2
hours he had he had to push past a hail of requests. Page after page of
notebooks were filled.
He brings to the table a wealth of experience, introducing us to the
lexicon of police argot and giving us an insiders’ view while discreetly
alluding to some trade secrets. He told us about the colourful sobriquets
of both police officers and criminals. I will cross the road if gun
totting 'Basil' (daft as a brush) is heading my way. He granted us a
quick glance through the window of the criminal mind's modus operandi.
His talk was an amusing and informing tour de force on police
procedure, old cases he had investigated that included serial killings,
drug gang warfare and domestic stabbings. One crime was colloquially
called the Golf Club Case because the victim had 18 stab holes in his
chest. Jim touched upon the Lockerbie tragedy, the work of Interpol and
the challenges presented by social media.
Jim's generosity and altruism is a credit to Strathclyde Police.
Researching a subject always pays dividends and any crime writer would
have mined a rich seam on Wednesday.
The AWC was founded in 1971 and is probably the largest writers' group in Scotland with over 50 members, many of whom are published. In March 13, at national level, they swept the board by winning prize after prize. On Wednesday, the renowned crime writer Caro Ramsay (www.caroramsay.co.uk) was an audience guest.  Every week new faces arrive to a warm welcome. If you are interested in creative writing and want to breathe the same oxygen as talented people or you just want a good laugh, then there a seat at the Writers' Club with your name on it.
Oh yes, I nearly forgot, what you need if your victim's blood is on a
knife. The acid from cutting up an onion will remove all trace of the
blood, but what you NEED is a brilliant lawyer.

PW

Speaker - Fiona Gibson, 10th April, 2013

Fiona Gibson’s writing is witty and clever and funny, and very refreshing. And Fiona Gibson in person is all those things.  We were treated to an evening of anecdotes and honest talk that gave some fascinating insights into the journeys of this novelist. With eight books behind her – or rather piled up about on the table before her, there was a wealth of experience to share.
We traced a path taking in Fiona’s early days as a teenage author on Jackie and Just 17, to her life-changing first novel. Called Babyface, it drew on her guilty pleasure of trotting her twin boys about as baby models.  Life changing, because it set Fiona on her course, seizing inspiration from the humorous opportunity offered by raising small children.
With titles like Wonderboy, Lucky girl, and Mummy said the F-word, Fiona fictionalizes sensitive home situations and draws on life events that ring true with her readers. Writing from life, picking at the truth of little everyday observations is what gives her work its spark.
Fiona shared her experience of the publishing process that takes her stories to their apparently seamless printed completion. Always the self-deprecating humour of her telling: “Thank you for this draft” being the unwelcome response of her editor to what the author feels must be the finished book.
It is of course useful to hear how others get on with daily grind of writing; for Fiona it is a target of 7 pages, 1500 words a day, trying not to be precious, to keep herself entertained.
“Facebook, Ebay and self-loathing” was how Fiona introduced the complexities of publicity for the contemporary novelist – including publishing e-editions, keeping up with Amazon reviews, and the intimate reader relationship offered by Twitter and Facebook.
Fiona answered our endless questions – and for those who wanted more, she invitingly left her email address  - hello@fionagibson.com
Elizabeth Dell