Alexander McCall Smith leads bumper line-up at county's first book festival
Published 17 Sep 2009 07:00
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WORLD-renowned author and medical law expert Alexander McCall Smith is not one to blow his own trumpet.
But the bassoon player with The Truly Terrible Orchestra didn't mind singing the praises of organisers and sponsors of the new Lennoxlove Book Festival at its launch on Tuesday.
McCall Smith paid tribute to everyone involved in bringing the November 13 and 14 festival - jam-packed with top names including Kate Adie, Rory Bremner and Martine McCutcheon (all pictured) - to one of the county's most stunning venues, Lennoxlove House, by Haddington.
The author of such favourites as The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and 44 Scotland Street said that he was "privileged" to be invited to take part in the event.
"Although I am identified with Edinburgh and its book festival, I look on East Lothian as home territory as well," he said.
"I have many associations with East Lothian and have just sold a house in the Broadgait, Gullane. I used to go down there on a regular basis but, unfortunately, I don't have the time now and had to sell it."
The county village featured in a chapter of 44 Scotland Street where there was a heated debate about how its name should be pronounced - either Gull-ane or Gill-ane.
McCall Smith, whose paternal grandmother was originally from Inveresk and his great uncle from Pencaitland, would not be drawn on what was the correct way.
"But the book has just been translated into Estonian and it would be interesting to know what they think about such a localised issue," he said.
McCall Smith, who is hoping that The Truly Terrible Orchestra will one day perform in East Lothian - "we just haven't been asked yet" - will read from his latest novel Corduroy Mansions and will speak with his fans on the Friday.
Other big names joining him for the event include the face of television's Big Cat Diary and Springwatch, naturalist Simon King, who will speak about his autobiography Wild Life.
The country's top satirist Rory Bremner will look back in amusement and give his impression of three terms of New Labour government.
Former Eastenders star Martine McCutcheon will talk about her first novel The Mistress, and celebrated journalist Kate Adie will tell the stories of people who do life-threatening jobs in her book Into Danger.
There will be an evening with writer, broadcaster and foodie Hardeep Singh Kohli, best-selling author Gervase Phinn will bring his tales of the Yorkshire Dales, and popular food writer Sue Lawrence will talk to Hardeep and former Scotland rugby coach Frank Hadden about their favourite childhood foods.
Former children's laureate Michael Morpurgo will delight children of five years and above with his Christmas story The Best of Times, while renowned storyteller Lari Don will thrill older children with suitably wintry legends and fables about the wolf.
There will also be a local element to the festival, with geneticist Jim Wilson enlisting the help of local people in the DNA Map of Scotland project, and three writers, Roddy Martine, James Runcie and Alistair Moffat, discussing their different perspectives on East Lothian explored through their books.
The festival has five directors: Alistair Moffat, Paula Ogilvie and Francis Hamilton, who have run the highly successful Borders Book Festival in Melrose for the last six years, and Nicky Stonehill and Rebecca Salt, book publicists who live and work in Haddington.
It is supported by East Lothian Council.
Festival director Alistair Moffat said: "Festivals are a wonderful way to celebrate, and when better than November for an extended party to light the early winter with cheer and glittering stars. And where better to have it than at Lennoxlove. Of all Scotland's great houses it is surely the most atmospheric, surely the warmest, most welcoming and most intimate."
Tickets are available from the box office on 0844 357 6671, the website www.lennox lovebookfestival.com, and also at Lennoxlove House from November 12. They cost between £4 and £12.
Be sure to buy the Courier - official Lennoxlove Book Festival media partner - next week for another exclusive interview with one of the event's top stars.
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