Aberfoyle Book Festival set to host top authors and events

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Bookworms are in for a treat next weekend as Aberfoyle Book Festival gets underway.The festival, which has secured funding from the Scottish Book Trust, runs from Friday November 1 until Sunday November 3 in venues including the local Memorial Hall and the VisitScotland iCentre.Author talks, workshops, panel discussions, a book sale, Bookbug event, book signings and heritage walks are all on the programme.Featured authors include Paul Murton, Rebecca Smith, Moira McPartlin, Kevin MacNeil, William McIntyre and Andrew James Greig to name but a few.As part of the wider festival the Louis Stott Prize, named in memory of the local author, is being launched and will recognise the best piece of writing from P4-P7 in the local primary schools, encouraging young authors.Dirt Divas are also running a ‘bairns, bikes and books’ session (weather permitting) to go off for a jaunt into the forest and have a storytelling session under the trees.And thanks to Stirling Council Libraries, there is also a Bookbug session at the Memorial Hall.Friday November 1 kicks off with a heritage panel discussion in the Memorial Hall from 7-9pm with James Kennedy of the Loch Ard Local History Group and authors Paul Murton and Hazel Stuart, including an introduction to the second Aberfoyle Book Festival and a discussion about the history, heritage and culture of the Strathard area.A packed Saturday schedule includes a second hand book sale in the hall - plus a selection of new books by local authors - anyone who has books to sell can contact Dez on 07976 291830 or at dezwright@proton.me.

Tables cost £10 for the day.The free Bookbug session for pre-school children runs from 11am-noon and retired local shepherd, author Sion Barrington, will lead a