Saturday, August 29, 2009

Wigtown, Writing and a Wee Dram

Wigtown Book Festival - so why am I mentioning this Scottish literary festival opening September 25? Not because it won the Scottish Thistle Award last time (I think it’s a tourism thingy). But because I’m interested in festival marketing strategies. As well as its list of writers, Wigtown also features music, film, theatre, exhibitions, a continental market and wait for it, a unique festival-within-a-festival celebrating the connections between whisky and writing for anyone who has ever curled up with a book and a dram! I also loved the placed poems in the Wigtown 2008-09 poetry competition (click here): 1st: Dancing for Monsieur Degas by Victor Tapner who appears on quite a few prize lists - You didn’t see the blisters on my heels…; 2nd: The Scold Bridles by Barbara Smith - She waits with her head in the optician’s cage: a scold’s bridle for those with frown lines…; 3rd: Examiner 192 by Mora Maclean - You’ll have spotted those little flat full moons I leave - that dot the insides of unstuffed new shirts

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