Collaboration between Shetland Arts Trust, Orkney Arts Forum and Orkney Islands Council, has led to a two-day Northern Isles writing event to be held in Kirkwall on 11and 12 February 2006.

Organised by OIC’s Arts Development Officer Clare Gee, with Alex Cluness, Shetland Arts Trust’s Writing Development Officer, and Alistair Peebles, Chair and Literature Representative of Orkney Arts Forum, the first-ever Northern Isles Writing Weekend will give people here the chance to participate in workshops in prose and poetry writing, as well as an opportunity to enjoy an evening reading by visiting and local writers.

Saturday’s workshops and reading will be held at the St Magnus Centre, Palace Road, Kirkwall, and a further day’s workshop in making artist books will take place at Orkney College on Sunday 12. Please note that numbers are limited for all workshop events.

Workshops on the Saturday will be led by Jen Hadfield, poet and 2003 winner of the Eric Gregory Award, whose first collection, Almanacs (Bloodaxe, 2005) has been widely praised, and Alison Miller, whose acclaimed first novel, Demo (Hamish Hamilton) was published last November. Jen is currently Writer in Residence with Shetland Arts Trust. Interviews with Jen and Alison will feature in this month’s Tullimentan (BBC Radio Orkney, Thursday 19, 6.05pm).

Alex Cluness will read from his own work on the Saturday evening, as will a number local writers, details to be announced later. The Sunday workshop will be led by artist and printmaker Carol Dunbar. It is hoped that a display of artist books will take place on both days, including examples loaned for the occasion by the Centre for Artist Books at Dundee Contemporary Arts. Anyone willing to lend further material for the display is invited to contact the organisers.

The idea for the event came about during discussions between Clare, Alex and Alistair on the future direction of writing development in Orkney, which included the possibilities for cooperation with Shetland. Those discussions have included Peter Urpeth, Writing Development Officer with HI~Arts, and Dr Donna Heddle of Orkney College. The question of continuing support for Orkney Writing Fellowship is part of that ongoing discussion.

Further details about the weekend’s programme and information about ticket prices can be obtained from Clare Gee on 873535, or Clare.Gee@orkney.gov.uk . Times of events and ticket prices will be advertised in the local press next week.