Pitlochry Festival Theatre will welcome big-name authors such as Denise Mina, Liz Lochhead and Deacon Blue frontman Ricky Ross this week for its 19th Winter Words Festival.
The wide-ranging festival, started almost two decades ago by former artistic director, the late John Durnin, has grown from a modest celebration of literature to a star-studded event.
And his successor Elizabeth Newman is “thrilled” to welcome bookworms to the Perthshire theatre from February 9-12.
“It’s a wonderful thing, Winter Words,” she effuses ahead of the festival.
“It’s a real highlight for us in the theatre to be celebrating stories and words together, and it’s for lots of different ideas and subject matters.”
Indeed, there seems to be something for everyone in this year’s line-up.
Winter Words 2023 full of big names
Crime buffs can hear Tartan Noir queen Denise Mina in conversation with acclaimed playwright David Greig about her new novel Confidence, or for a more traditional detective story fans, River City actor and writer Lesley Hart will be talking about her stage adaptation – Sherlock: A Lesson in Lipstick, Ketchup and Blood – of Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel A Study in Scarlet, the origin story for Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson.
She’ll be joined on stage by her River City co-star, Deirdre Davis, who will perform extracts of the play.
For readers who prefer their books be based in reality, BBC Scotland documentary filmmaker Paul Murton, known for his Grand Tours of Scotland series, will be talking about his new book The Highlands, which explores his fascinating journey across the length and breadth of this beautiful Scottish region.
And award-winning journalist and author Chitra Ramaswamy will be talking about her Saltire Non-Fiction Book of the Year, Homelands: The History of a Friendship, which tells the story of the journalists’ friendship with a 98-year-old German Jewish refugee.
Meanwhile Elizabeth herself will be in conversation with Deacon Blue’s Ricky Ross, diving into his new memoir Walking Back Home.
Artistic director ‘fangirled Ricky Ross’
“I love Ricky Ross, I fangirled him a couple of years ago and I just think he’s utterly brilliant” laughs Elizabeth.
“I can’t wait to talk to him about Walking Back Home. He’s a fantastic artist and he loves telling stories, so I’m hoping we’re going to have a good chinwag.”
As well as the programme of more than 30 writers, this year’s Winter Words has two extra events on the bill.
The popular Banff Mountain Film Festival, which features some of the world’s best adventure filmmakers and explorers as they push themselves to the limits in the most remote and stunning corners of the globe, will visit the theatre on Saturday February 11.
And for all true crime fans, The Makings of a Murderer, an evening with the Scottish Detective David Swindle exploring the cases behind some of the UK’s most notorious serial killers, takes place on Sunday February 12.
“It is a very diverse audience we get,” explains Elizabeth, “because the writing’s so diverse. But everybody just loves having a good time talking about books!
“I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate words than a festival like this.”
Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s Winter Words festival takes place from February 9-12 2023. Tickets for the individual author talks can be purchased from the theatre’s website, or by calling the Box Office team on 01796 484626.
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