Only a matter of days to go now, and with poets including elder statesman Douglas Dunn (opening the festival) and the wonderful Kei Miller from Jamaica, the programme at The West Port Book Festival is something to get excited about.
A few key events leap to my mind in anticipation of the coming week: Friday night finishes off with an abandoned film spectacle courtesy of Screen Bandita, while Oxford-based Jay Bernard will be reading her poetry. I recently enjoyed reading her collection ‘Your Sign is Cuckoo, Girl’ and hearing her perform at StAnza this year.
The Westport is always an assorted affair though. Film and poetry give way to this year’s Broons Appreciation Evening on the 26th (with attached whisky tasting!). You always get a certain well-informed magic from the team at this festival and I’ve been lucky enough to make it to both previous years. They are dedicated to their craft at the West Port, and Scottish literature is particularly celebrated. Little touches, like the tasting comes courtesy of W.M. Cadenhead, Grandpaw Broons’ favourite whisky shop, is just one of those splendid little details.
If you survive the ‘water of life' on Saturday night, Sunday afternoon promises one of my most-anticipated literary delicacies with a whole afternoon of "the Classics". Don’t expect the usual dryness hear. The West Port is a young team who recruit invigorating elders and talented striplings alike. This is still a weekend in the famed ‘Pubic Triangle’ after all, and the passion and cheer that spark up this festival will be in full force.
Ronan Sheehan and Mia Gallagher will be exploring The Irish Catullus at 4.45 which I am particularly looking forward to.
All in all, I challenge you not to be captivated by this wistful little celebration of books and trinkets. You will make friends and discover gems, and as a Southsider myself I will be blogging all the goings on right here.
For more information on the festival go to westportbookfestival.org The web-site is a cornucopia of information about the West Port and off-festival news from its team; including podcasts.
The West Port Book Festival runs from Thursday 24th to Sunday 27th of June.