This weekend’s Shetland Book Festival line up sees an exciting mixture of new faces and returning friends. Wordplay 2007 will take place this weekend at Islesburgh Community Centre.

Returning to Shetland for a second time are world renowned novelist Iain Banks and leading children’s writer Debi Gliori. Iain’s appearance follows the publication of his latest novel, The Steep Approach to Garbadale and he is very much looking forward to his return to the islands. Equally keen to be making a second appearance at the festival is Debi Gliori, children’s author and illustrator whose Pure Dead series of novels for 8 -12 year old and her picture book series for younger children, the Mr Bear books have made her one of the best selling writers for children in Europe.

Coming to the festival for the first time is crime noir writer and Hellblazer (Graphic Novels) contributor, Denise Mina. Hailing from Glasgow, Denise has had her seventh novel, The Slip of the Knife published this year. As well as reading from her novels, Denise will also be delivering a workshop on writing for comics. She has been a regular contributor to Hellblazer and this year has also seen the publication of Red Right Hand for which she wrote text.

Another writer who has been to Shetland but not to the festival is Keith Gray, writer of novels for teenagers and young adults, such as Malarkey and The Fearful (short-listed for the Catalyst Prize) As well as reading from his books Keith will be delivering creative writing workshops in some of Shetland’s secondary schools, immediately before and after the festival.

A writer set to make a first appearance at Wordplay 2007 is Scarborough fisherman, Fred Normandale. Fred has recently published, The Turning of the Tide the third book about life in the Scarborough fishing industry which is now available alongside, The First of the Flood and Slack Water. His writing is highly entertaining and moving and Fred has a reputation as a very lively performer indeed.

Adding an island element to the festival will be two island writers. Pam Beasant has recently been appointed to the prestigious George Mackay Brown Fellowship in Orkney and in that role she is very much involved in the literature scene there. Kevin MacNeil originated in Lewis and now lives in Glasgow. Kevin recently took part in the Ullapool Book Festival as the festival writer in residence. He is the author of Love and Zen in the Outer Hebrides and The Stornoway Way, a poet and novelist of immense talent and an inspirational workshop facilitator. Pam and Kevin will be joined by Shetland resident, Donald S Murray, author of the newly published for a special reading on Sunday afternoon at 3pm, entitled “Islands”.

The festival will welcome a wealth of writers resident in Shetland, including Stella Shepherd and Laureen Johnson. There will also be several book launches, including the launch of Peerie Mootie and Her Muckle Buits, a book for pre-school bairns by Peesterleeties author Valerie Watt. New pamphlet publishers New Dead Language will launch Mend, a book of poems and pictures by Andrew Morrison and Alex Cluness. North Idea will launch North, a new pamphlet of poetry by local writers, including work by Robert Alan Jamieson and Christine De Luca. There will also be a special preview of Ivver Entrancin Wis, a new Cd by Lise Sinclair of Frideray.

As has happened in previous festivals there will be a book hall situated in the Ground Floor Hall of the festival with book stalls and activities for bairns kindly provided by Shetland Childcare Partnership the Shetland Family Centre Services and Arts Play Shetland.

Shetland Arts Literature Development Officer, Donald Anderson said, “once again we hope to have a bit of something for everyone at this year’s festival. I am really excited about the variety of writers we have coming and by the number of events and workshops we have planned which local folk will have the opportunity to take part in.”

Wordplay and Screenplay festivals are supported by the following: The Scottish Arts Council, the Shetland Charitable Trust, The Co-operative Membership, Shetland Islands Council, Shetland Child Care Partnership, Shetland Family Centre Services, Shetland Fisherman’s Association, Brudolff Hotels, HIE Shetland, Busta House Hotel, Shetland Film Club and BP.

For further information please contact Donald Anderson at Shetland Arts on 01595 743 843 or by email at donald.anderson@shetlandarts.org

For tickets for all events contact Islesburgh Box Office on 01595 692 114