Gothenburg Great helps round off “magical” WORD weekend

Dons legend Willie Miller helped bring the curtain down on another hugely successful WORD Festival.

WORD 08 took place from May 9-11 in the grounds of the University of Aberdeen and at some of the major arts venues throughout The Granite City.

An estimated 11,000 visitors to the sun-soaked festival were treated to a packed weekend of readings, music, art exhibitions, and film screenings from around 50 authors, poets and artists.

Full houses greeted Scots literary heavyweights James Kelman and Alasdair Gray, while Celebrity Apprentice star Hardeep Singh Kohli and Marvel comic-book writer Mark Millar proved huge hits.

Cowdray Hall was crammed full on Saturday night for an inspiring word and music event headlined by folk-rocker King Creosote.

And Aberdeen F.C. hero Willie Miller helped round off a wonderful weekend of words at a special afternoon event at Elphinstone Hall on the 25^th anniversary of the Dons' famous victory in Gothenburg.

The weekend also saw dozens of young book-lovers descend on King's College campus for the The Marathon Oil Children's Festival. Best-selling children's author Debi Gliori and Chucklevision writer Ian Billings were among the highlights of a packed programme.

Alan Spence, WORD Artistic Director, said: "I can't remember another year when we've had such overwhelmingly positive feedback from authors and audiences alike. Throughout the weekend there were some truly magical moments that reinforced just how special an event WORD has become in the cultural calendar.

"We say it again and again, but there really isn't anything like WORD anywhere else. The sun shining nearly throughout this year was the finishing touch on what was another funny, moving, thought-provoking and, above all, memorable weekend."