CITIZEN ADULT WRITERS’ FINAL PERFORMANCE AT BOOK FESTIVAL TONIGHT
As a charitable non-profit making organisation, the work of the Book Festival stretches far beyond the month of August. Indeed, our Communities Programme runs year-round, focused on inspiring and empowering people of all ages and backgrounds.
Our City, Our Stories is an outpouring of this year-round work: an event created both for and by those taking part in the Communities Programme.
This inspiring, recurring, and FREE event showcases new writing from both professional and non-professional writers across our Citizen project (and other community-based groups including Intercultural Youth Scotland and Open Book).
The stories performed make up a collective love letter to Edinburgh.
The final Our City, Our Stories session of this year’s Book Festival takes place this evening at 6.15. We’d love to see you there!
EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL’s COMMUNITIES PROGRAMME
‘celebrating the diverse voices, stories and talent of local people, from across the city and beyond’ – NOELLE COBEN, EIBF Communities Programme Director
As a charitable non-profit making organisation, the work of the Book Festival stretches far beyond the month of August. Our Communities Programme runs year-round and isfocused on inspiring and empowering people of all ages and backgrounds.
Our dedicated team work closely with local organisations to create tailored events and activities for a range of community groups throughout Edinburgh and the surrounding areas.
This year we have:
developed a new partnership with The Ripple Project to bring monthly author events to their social club for older adults
worked with young people and staff from NHS Lothian’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) on a three-day creative writing and illustration project
facilitated sessions with our Writer in Residence, Chris Barkley, for young people at The Alternative School at Spartans Community Football Academy
… and so much more.
As an outpouring of this year-round work, we run a series of events during the Festival that have been created both for and by those taking part in the programme. We can’t wait to share them with you!
STORIES AND SCRAN
Stories and Scran – Mon 14 Aug | 19:30 – 20:45
Stories and Scran returns for its fourth year – a joyful event celebrating the dynamic and thought-provoking work created by our Citizen participants.
The evening includes a sweet snack provided by Scran Academy (a catering social enterprise based in North Edinburgh) and readings and performances from local groups across the city.
Tickets are on a Pay What You Can basis.
LETTERS OF HOPE
Letters of Hope – Mon 21 Aug | 19:00 – 20:00
What would you tell an outsider about where you live? What hopeful things would you write to your future self?
These were two creative questions our writer in residence, Chris Barkley, has been exploring with young people from the Spartans Alternative School.
Featuring short film, music, and readings, this event celebrates the diverse voices and creative talent of local young people.
Tickets are on a Pay What You Can basis.
OUR CITY, OUR STORIES
Our City, Our Stories – Various dates | 18:15 – 19:15
Our City, Our Stories is an inspiring, recurring event, showcasing new writing from both professional and non-professional writers across our Citizen project (and other community-based groups including Intercultural Youth Scotland and Open Book).
Join to hear them perform their stories: a collective love letter to Edinburgh.
These events are free.
RETURN TO PLANET CITIZEN
Return to Planet Citizen – Sat 26 & Sun 27 Aug
Explore the weird, wonderful world of Planet Citizen in this multi-media installation. You’ll find artifacts, writing, and impressions of a planet as far away as imagination can take you.
Return to Planet Citizen was created by pupils from St. Thomas of Aquin’s RC High School and Tynecastle High School in collaboration with professional artists. Join free 20-minute tours of Planet Citizen every 30 minutes (last tour 15:30).
This event is free.
Beyond the Book Festival Village …
Aware that not everyone can attend Book Festival events in person, our Communities Team work closely with partners and institutions to bring events to groups who might otherwise be excluded. This is thanks largely to the support of the players of the People’s Postcode Lottery.
This August, author/illustrators Rob Biddulph and Nadia Shireen will visit the wards of the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, for instance,and writers including Jenni Fagan, Doug Johnstone, and Alan Bissett will visit six prisons across Scotland.
We hope this newsletter has given you a taster for some of the amazing work our Communities Programme are involved in.
The Citizen Writing Group meets online every week under the guidance of Communities writer in residence Eleanor Thom and, with life after lockdown returning to something like normal, have recently met in-person at two lively sessions at Musselburgh’s Fisherrow Centre and Granton Hub at Madelvic House.
Three writers – Nandini, Janet and I – were recorded during August’s Edinburgh International Book Festival at Edinburgh College of Art, where the Citizen Writers Group performed a selection of writing at the popular Stories and Scran event. The group’s work was also showcased in One Day Ticket, an ensemble piece performed by actors.
EdinburghInternational Book Festival’s Citizen writing programme has been working in communities across Edinburgh and the Lothians since 2019.
The weekly local writers group, which meets on Monday evenings, has met online since the Covid lockdown, but will meet in person tonight for the first time in a very long time at Musselburgh’s Fisherrow Centre from 6.30 – 8pm.
As life slowly returns to normal (fingers firmly crossed!) another in-person workshop is planned for granton:hub at Madelvic House on Monday 21st November from 6 – 8pm.
Online weekly sessions will continue between the two ‘in-person’ workshops.
The local writers showcased a selection of writing at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in August and are now looking forward to presenting more of their work at Winter Warmer events in Musselburgh and North Edinburgh in December.
Provisional dates for the two Winter Warmer events are Friday 2 December in Musselburgh and West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre on Saturday 3 December – more details to follow soon.
Like to get involved, or just find out more? New writers of all abilities are always welcome – email Citizen programme’s Eleanor Thom at citizen.nea@gmail.com
“I was HOOKED after the third page! Literally even text my better half to say I wasn’t going to be able to put it down!” Review MorellisReads
In 1971, Nan Douglas and her toddler twins arrived on the remote island of Inniscuiilin, the long-lost family of the eccentric Miss Campbell.
For fifteen years, they all live quietly up at the Big House until the twins start planning their future – forcing Nan to confront their past.Because someone somewhere believes that the twins aren’t twins.
That they’re not even Nan’s children. And that Nan isn’t Nan.Only Nan herself can prove them wrong – but it’s a gamble. Win or lose, she’s still at risk of losing her beloved family …
Gill Merton is the collective pen name for five local writers, based at Gilmerton Community Centre on Drum Street in Edinburgh.
Please come along to hear readings from the novel and hear what it has been like to write collaboratively … copies of the book witll be available by donation, all proceeds to Ukraine.
Publication generously funded by the National Lottery Awards For All.
National charity Scottish Book Trust has opened submissions to encourage the public to share their real-life stories.
It marks the 14th year of Scottish Book Trust’s annual Your Stories campaign, which this year is partnering with EventScotland as part of Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022. From those who write regularly to those who have never written before, Your Stories is open to all submissions, regardless of writing experience.
Submissions can be made in English, Scots, or Gaelic in any form – story, poem, comic strip, play or letter – of up to 1,000 words. Every entry will appear on Scottish Book Trust’s website and a selection of pieces will be published in a free book distributed to libraries, community groups and schools during Book Week Scotland (14-20 November 2022) – the national celebration of books and reading.
Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust said:‘The Your Stories programme has always been a cornerstone of Scottish Book Trust, giving a platform for the public to share personal experiences and for some, be published for the first ever time.
“Working with our partners EventScotland for Scotland’s Year of Stories, we hope that many people will be encouraged to share their different experiences and shape the narrative of our country.”
Alison Lang, Director of the Gaelic Books Council, said:“‘Ann am Bliadhna nan Sgeul tha sinn an dòchas gum bi daoine air feadh na dùthcha deònach na sgeulachdan Gàidhlig aca fhèin innse, agus gum bi e na bhrosnachadh dhaibhsan agus do na leughadairean aca an cuid obrach fhaicinn ann an clò.
“Tha e na thlachd do Chomhairle nan Leabhraichean a bhith a’ toirt taic don iomairt seo a-rithist.”
(‘In this Year of Stories we hope that people all over the country will be willing to tell their own Gaelic stories, and that they and their readers will be inspired by seeing their work published. The Gaelic Books Council is delighted to be supporting this Scottish Book Trust initiative once again.’)
Scottish Book Trust has commissioned real life stories from: Helen Fields, author of the DI Callanach series; Graeme Armstrong author of The Young Team; Raman Mundair, filmmaker and playwright and Gaelic authors, Morag Ann MacNeil and Angus Peter Campbell.
Scottish Book Trust will share a variety of prompts through their website and social networks to help inspire those hoping to submit.
Adult Education resuming a limited face to face programme – with a few courses starting at Leith Community Centre from 8th November for a 5 week term.
All precautions will be taken with distancing, mask wearing, sanitising and ventilation to Keep students and tutors safe. So the class can get on with being fun, informal and informative!
Courses available are:
Activity
LVL
Start date
Day
Time
Art(PR): Drawing & Painting – All – (8/11) – LCC12311N
ALL
08/11/2021
Monday
10:00 – 12:00
Yoga: Gentle – All – (9/11) – LCC65852N
ALL
09/11/2021
Tuesday
17:30 – 19:00
Russian – Beginner – (9/11) – LCC55512N
BEG
09/11/2021
Tuesday
15:00 – 17:00
Russian – Post Beginner – (9/11) – LCC55752N
PBG
09/11/2021
Tuesday
18:00 – 20:00
Writing Creative: Life Writing – All – (9/11) – LCC64652N
ALL
09/11/2021
Tuesday
18:30 – 20:30
Art(PR): Drawing & Painting – All – (10/11) – LCC12313N
ALL
10/11/2021
Wednesday
10:00 – 12:00
Yoga – All – (10/11) – LCC65753N
ALL
10/11/2021
Wednesday
17:30 – 19:00
Art(PR): Drawing & Painting – All – (10/11) – LCC12353N
ALL
10/11/2021
Wednesday
18:00 – 20:00
Discover: Archaeology Today – All – (11/11) – LCC32614N
ALL
11/11/2021
Thursday
15:00 – 17:00
Art(PR): Drawing & Painting – All – (12/11) – LCC12315N
You can book on our website: www.joininedinburgh.org – the courses will be available to view and book from today – Thursday morning.
Telephone enrolments will be available for 2 days on Thursday 21st October and Friday 22nd October this week from 10:00 – 16:00 by calling (0131) 469 3003 or (0131) 469 3005.
Courses will be charged at £41.25 for the standard fee and £16.50 for benefits, senior citizens and students.
WELLBEING OPEN DAY – SATURDAY 16 OCTOBER 9am – 4pm
People living in cities around the world care about their mental health and the mental health of their fellow residents; they also know that urbanization – living amongst masses of people with its related stressors and burdens – can often be toxic to mental health and well-being.
Edinburgh is no different to any other global city BUT the areas The Ripple Project works in – Restalrig, Lochend and Craigentinny – are different to other parts of Edinburgh.
Low and insecure income and problem debt, unemployment and poor quality housing has consistently been associated with an increased risk of common mental health problems, loneliness and social isolation only adds to this already bleak picture.
As part of their wellbeing programme, on Saturday 16th October the Ripple Project is offering local residents the opportunity to stop, look after themselves and try something new. Activities on offer FREE of CHARGE include Reiki, massage, singing, drumming, capoeira, creative art, reflexology and many others.
Cat Robertson, Wellbeing Co-ordinator said “This is a day where people can come and take stock, try something different and think about the things that matter. So often we forget to do things that just make us happy”
The Ripple Project is a grass roots community that has a strong track record spanning over 20 years of tackling poverty and inequality by working with local people to help them to help themselves.
Based at the Restalrig Lochend Community Hub since 2010, the charity normally provides daily activities including a community café, a youth service, a wellbeing project, a community shop, a programme for volunteers and support for people to make and sell their own items.
The Ripple Project also writes and delivers a community newspaper into 6000 homes every 3 months.
Their Community Hub at Restalrig Road South is open 5 days and 4 evenings a week – 8am to 8pm as well as occasional weekends. The Ripple Project has a small staff team, with the rest of the activities delivered by over 100 volunteers who commit to and give us over 5,500 thousand volunteering hours per year.
Rachel Green, Director of The Ripple said: “The Ripple is the place in our community that people come to chat with others, to have a healthy meal and to take part in exercise, learning and other social activities.
“So often we see people who do not see anyone from one day to the next or just need help with some something small that is bothering them. We get to know people and they get to know us, we know when they don’t turn up or when somethings wrong.
“We work together to help each other and try and make our area a better place to live and work in.”
I was delighted to be part of Edinburgh International Book Festival’s ‘Stories and Scran’ event on Tuesday evening.
The event was a celebration of the book festival’s Citizen programme.
Over the last 12 months, Citizen Writer in Residence Eleanor Thom and poet Leyla Josephine have been working with local groups to discuss and respond creatively to themes such as home, identity and belonging.
The evening – a lively mix of live readings, stories and short films – showcased impressive work by participants from Spartans Alternative School, the Citizen Collective (some brilliant young writers aged 16-18) (above), the Citizen adult writing group, the Saheliya Champions and more. And all in front of a live audience, too!
The event was preceded by a delicious community meal prepared and served up by by a team from North Edinburgh’s very own Scran Academy.
Congratulations to the organisers – coronavirus restrictions must have made this a very difficult event to plan and stage, but it really couldn’t have gone better.
Stories and Scran was live streamed and you can view it here:
