The Word is out for 2005
Word - University of Aberdeen Writers Festival, today announces its dates for 2005, which will see the Granite City become the setting for a carnival of words, attracting thousands of book-lovers over a packed weekend in May.
The festival celebrates its fifth birthday in 2005 and organisers are planning the biggest and best festival yet for its anniversary year, with a weekend of readings, workshops, music and poetry, from Friday to Sunday, May 13 to 15.
The Word Festival has flourished by going annual in 2004 where it celebrated record audience figures as well as its strongest and most diverse line-up of literary events including, word and music events, art exhibitions, a Gaelic language programme and master-classes.
Last year's Word festival attracted such best-selling names as Ian Rankin, Rhona Cameron and Alexander McCall Smith, and event organisers promise an equally impressive line-up for Word 05.
Audiences came from as far as Canada and Denmark to Word 04 with some of the 6,000 visitors including a delegation of students from NYU who chose Aberdeen's Word festival as their destination for sampling literary Scotland.
A children's festival was also launched in association with Puffin Books. Kids events were booked up weeks before the festival launched, attracting hundreds of young people to readings by some of the country's best-loved writers.
Alan Spence, Artistic Director for Word, said: "After a great year in 2004, we are already putting together an exciting line-up for Word 05. Built around the simple attraction of writers reading their own work, the festival has grown into one of Scotland's most popular literary events. Expect old favourites, new directions and surprises in store in a weekend packed with award-winning talent!"
Elly Rothnie, Festival Producer, said: "The Word Festival is thriving at a time when Scotland is providing the world of literature with some of its most exciting new voices.
"Aberdeen becomes a hotbed of talent for the Word weekend and we are we are looking forward to Word 05 becoming another vintage year for the festival. Expect some old favourites and some exciting surprises!"
For more information on Word 05 visit www.abdn.ac.uk/word