WELCOME
Come along to Wee Mac Arran.
Our very first Book Festival on the Isle of Arran.
Wee Mac Arran hopes to inspire our children and young people to become lifelong readers and having met some authors, encourage them to become writers too!
The Wee Mac Steering Group has curated a first class Book Festival programme for our children. As well as appealing to all ages and interests, there is no cost to attend. Yes, it's FREE entry!
Friday the 9th of September is programmed for our Nursery, Primary and Secondary School pupils.
Saturday the 10th of September is open to EVERYONE - Arran Families AND visitors to the island.
9th & 10th September 2022
If you are willing to offer sponsorship for Wee Mac Arran please contact:
weemacarran@gmail.com or give us a call on : 07917385254
A huge THANK YOU to our sponsors already onboard!
The Arran Society of Glasgow
About Wee Mac ...
The Wee Mac Arran Steering Group formed in 2018 and is made up of island living, book loving volunteers who are working in tandem with our schools and library.
Arran Theatre & Arts Trust have been enthused and supportive from the outset with Wee Mac sitting comfortably under the umbrella of the longstanding McLellan Arts Festival.
Three years later than expected, after several successful grant applications, a pandemic creating 2 false starts, we are delighted to be hosting the inaugural Wee Mac Arran Book Festival in 2022. Despite our inexperience, our very experienced Wee Mac guests readily agreed to sail doon the watter to join us.
Steering Group Members:
Alison Page, Heather Gough, Jan McGregor, Rona Fulton, Ellen McMaster, John Page, Simon Ross-Gill, Alix Hitching, Bethan Remmington, Shirley MacLachlan, Susan Foster, Matt Reid, Sheila Gilmore, Susanna Talbot, Aileen Brand, Karen Acham, Sheila Blain, Heather Johnston & Emma Jessop.
FRIDAY 9th September:
Arran High School:
Conference Theatre
09:20 – 10:50
11:50 – 13:20
14:15 – 15:45
School Library
09:20 – 10:50
11:50 – 13:20
14:15 – 15:45
Arran Primary Schools hosted in
The Arran Heritage Museum:
Garden Room
11:00 - 11:40
12 :00 – 12:40
13:00 – 13:40
13:50 – 14:30
Marquee
11:00 - 11:40
12 :00 – 12:40
13:00 – 13:40
13:50 – 14:30
Bathing Hut
Therapets - Read to Scooter, the Therapet dog
Arran Nursery Classes hosted in
Brodick Hall:
11:00 – 11:45
13.30 – 14:15
Public Events (0 – 5) hosted in
The Arran Library (Brodick):
11:00 – 11:45
13:00 – 13:45
Bookbug session with Laura Owens
14:15 – 15:00
Brodick Beach Car Park:
11:00 - 15:30
Play Talk Read bus
Free Drop In
Nuts About Books!
SATURDAY 10th September:
Arran Heritage Museum - Rosaburn:
Garden Room
11.00 - 11.45
12.30 - 13.15
14.00 - 14.45
11.00 - 11.45
12.30 - 13.15
14.00 - 14.45
Wee Mac Bookshop/Author signing
10.00 - 16.00
Therapets - read to Scooter, the Therapet dog
Arran Library - Brodick:
10.30 - 16.00
Exhibition Free Drop Wee Mac Art Competition
11.00 - 11.30
Tony van Breugel Illustrating Arran themed Picture Books
14.00 - 14.45
Rosanne Brackenridge - Soundscapes
Brodick Hall:
11.15 - 12:00
13:00 - 13:45
15:00 - 15:30
Family Singalong with Rosanne Brackenridge, Frances Coyle & Andrew Dickie
Brodick Beach Car Park:
11:00 - 15:30
Play Talk Read bus
Free Drop In
check out our reading corners and activity areas too!
Our Programme
Our Authors, Storytellers & Illustrators:
Renita Boyle:
Renita Boyle is a "virtuoso of versatility", a tale-telling, tongue-twisting troubadour, poetry pixie, kid lit author and nature-loving life writer. She is storytelling ambassador for Wigtown Festival Company, patron of reading for Saint James Primary in Renfrew and has been Scottish Book Trust reader in residence for Dumfries & Galloway Libraries.
Honk! Honk! Rattle! Rattle! with Renita Boyle
Beep! Beep! Peeps! Pack your bags! Join Aunty and her quirky crew of kids and critters on a comic camping caper in a campervan! Find Hammy Hamster in every picture and discover that the best things to take on any journey are a sense of humour and an abundance of love.
Rosanne Brackenridge:
Rosanne graduated from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, and joined Scottish Opera. For many years she enjoyed performing in venues including The Coliseum in London, La Fenice in Venice and The Royal Albert Hall.
For the past decade she has taught the Kodály concept of music to young children in Glasgow schools and for the National Youth Choir of Scotland.
Join Rosanne for Soundscapes to picture book stories.
Winner of many literary awards, Theresa Breslin is the critically-acclaimed author of over 50 titles covering every age range, whose books have been adapted for television, stage and radio, and are translated worldwide.
Selkies, Kelpies, Goblins, Giants and Dragons! Join Theresa Breslin and explore stories of Scottish myths and magical creatures, with a sprinkling of famous figures from history to add to the brew.
Listen to her read from her books. Hear how she goes story hunting and ask questions about your own writing too.
Tony van Breugel:
After a long career in the Scottish advertising world, Tony van Breugel now specialises in children’s book drawings and illustrated maps. He produced Rab’s Arran Adventure with Linda Mochrie and illustrated the last two Corrie’s Capers books with Alison Page.
Tony is currently working on a variety of titles, hoping his work will be a joy to young book lovers.
Alan Dapré
A former TV scriptwriter whose work was BAFTA nominated, I now write funny stories for young readers. Reviewers have picked up on the pacey plotting, inventive wordplay & quirky humour in my work. I don't write for boys or girls. I write for all children because stories are for everyone.
“Porridge the Tartan cat (it's a long story
involving a tin of tartan paint!) and the
adventurous twins, Ross & Isla, are in
deep trouble when fiendish Fangus
McFungus turns Ross into a hairy
scarewolf to help him find some
out-of-this world, super-stinky
Sproutinium hidden under the
Unfair Funfair. Me-wow!”
Carol Ann Duffy:
‘In the world of British poetry, Carol Ann Duffy is a superstar’–Guardian
We are delighted to welcome to Wee Mac Arran one of Britain’s best-loved and most admired contemporary poets, when she will be reading from her award-winning work. Carol Ann Duffy was born in Glasgow but moved with her family to north-west England as a child. She has lived in Manchester for many years, where she is Director of the Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her poetry, for both children and adults, has won numerous awards both here and internationally. Carol Ann Duffy was Poet Laureate from 2009–2019.
She was appointed DBE in 2015.
Debi Gliori is the award-winning writer and illustrator of over eighty picture books and novels for children of all ages, including the bestselling modern classic No Matter What (Bloomsbury) and the Mr Bear series (Orchard). Her picture book about depression, Night Shift (Templar), was shortlisted for the Kate Greenaway Medal. She is also author of the Little Owl series of books, illustrated by Alison Brown, for Bloomsbury.
If you could have any pet in the world, what would you choose? Any pet in the world? How about a shark? A unicorn? An octopus? Or perhaps something smaller and low-maintenance like a puppy, or a kitten? Or an amoeba? Come and air your wildest pet wishes and meet The Bookworm with illustrator and professional bletherer Debi Gliori, maker of over eleventy million picture books for children
The Bookworm: When Max finds a pet worm and brings it home, he promises to look after it. o his delight, his worm loves reading. So far, so good, but when the worm starts to grow spikes and breathe fire, Max finds out that his pet is more than he bargained for.
Barbara Henderson:
Award winning children's author Barbara Henderson will present an interactive schools' session on her latest historical adventure, the Jacobite story The Reluctant Rebel. It tells the story of 13 year old stable boy Archie and his feisty cousin Meg. Following their clan's terrible defeat at the Battle of Culloden, the two children return to Lochaber to lie low. Or so they think. Until the fugitive prince's life depends on them, leading to a deadly game of hide-and-seek.
As a Drama teacher, Barbara's sessions involve drama and plenty of action packed interactive content.
Emily Ilett:
I am an award-winning children’s writer based in Dundee. My debut children’s book The Girl Who Lost Her Shadow was published by Floris Books in 2019 and won the Kelpies Prize 2017. In 2015, I was awarded the Mairi Hedderwick Writing for Children Award and was the Children’s Writer in Residence at Wigtown Book Festival. Since the publication of my debut, I have delivered a number of events at book festivals and in schools on themes of marine life, conservation, mental health and friendship.
A luminous tale of sisterhood, The Girl Who Lost Her Shadow is a magical adventure story that tells of bravery, the power of friendship, and being strong enough to ask for help when we really need it.
Kate Leiper:
How to Draw Your Dragon (An Arran Library Event):
Join top dragon illustrator, Kate Leiper as she shares some of her hot tips on dragon drawing. So whether your dragon is a ferocious, fire-breathing beast or a masterfully mischievous monster, fire up your imagination and get ready to roar-Rrrraaaarrrggghhh!!!
A Wee Bird Was Watching (Arran Heritage Museum Event):
Join acclaimed illustrator, Kate Leiper as she shares her picture book, “A Wee Bird was Watching”, written by the award-winning songwriter, Karine Polwart. Enter into an enchanted woodland of delights–and danger!-and discover more about its fascinating inhabitants as you listen to a wonder tale of bravery and kindness.
Lindsay Littleson:
Since winning the Kelpies Prize in 2014 for my debut novel
The Mixed Up Summer of Lily McLean, I have been busy writing both contemporary and historical fiction for children aged 8-12. Guardians of the Wild Unicorns is a unicorn story with a difference, in which two friends have to save the last of Scotland's wild unicorns from extinction. The Titanic Detective Agency is a Titanic-set mystery with a Scottish twist, and A Pattern of Secrets is a Victorian adventure set in Paisley.
Bertha Watt, tree-climber and would-be polar explorer, is excited to be on RMS Titanic’s maiden voyage, as she leaves Aberdeen behind for the glamour of a new life in America. But Bertha quickly realises that some passengers are behaving strangely, and she determines to unravel their secrets. With new friend, Madge, Bertha sets up her own detective agency to try and solve the mysteries onboard, but they have no idea that disaster is looming for Titanic...
Step Aboard the Unsinkable Ship! ...Discover fascinating Titanic facts, listen to a thrilling extract from The Titanic Detective Agency and take part in a Q & A with award-winning children's author Lindsay Littleson.
Elizabeth MacKay:
I am the author of the Wee Granny's Magic Bag series of picture books. There are currently three books in the series, suitable for children up to age seven. A typical school/library visit includes reading the story, followed by a selection of activities, depending on which book we're reading - there might be a treasure hunt, or even a ceilidh. One thing's for sure, the sessions are usually pretty lively! But if someone would prefer to sit quietly and colour their own tartan bag, that's fine.
Ahoy there landlubbers! Harry and Emily are going on their holidays to Arran with Wee Granny. On the way they meet Captain Shoogle and his crew. Can Wee Granny and the children help the pirates find their buried treasure? Shiver me timbers! You’ll never guess what surprises Wee Granny has inside her tartan bag.
Ross MacKenzie:
I am a multi award-winning author of books for children, including The Nowhere Emporium, which won both the Blue Peter Book Award and Scottish Children's Book Award.
Stories have always been important to me. I can remember vividly how I felt as a child, curled up in bed, eager to set off on the next great adventure. I became a writer for children because I love the magic of great stories and my dream is that readers will one day feel the same way about my books.
The Emperor has stolen all of the colour from the Dominion. His subjects are forced to live in a world in shades of grey, terrified of the Emperor’s evil, colour-hunting Ripper Dogs. Then a baby girl is born in colour, and everything begins to change.
Jonathan Meres:
Jonathan Meres is a former merchant seaman, ice cream van driver and Perrier Award-nominated stand-up comedian. As an actor, he’s appeared on TV and in movies. As a writer, he’s written for TV and radio, but is probably best known for being the author of over 30 books for children and in particular his award-winning series, The World Of Norm, which has so far been translated into nearly 20 languages, worldwide and sold almost one million copies, in the UK, alone. He has also written a series of critically acclaimed books for younger children, published by Barrington Stoke, as well as books published by Harper Collins, Bloomsbury and Macmillan, amongst others. Jonathan's background, in comedy and children’s theatre, ensures that he’s in constant demand at schools, events and book festivals throughout the UK and beyond.
It’s Sports Day at Wigley Primary and Noodle the doodle wants to win. But when a new pup on the block appears, the canine capers threaten to get out of control.
Join best selling author Jonathan Meres for 45 mins of fast and furryous fun.
Kate Milner:
Kate studied illustration at Central St Martin’s, and graduated with an MA in Children’s Book Illustration at Anglia Ruskin in 2016. Her work has been published in magazines, and her illustrations and prints have been shown in London galleries and national touring exhibitions.
Kate is passionate about libraries and has been involved with her local library in every kind of activity from Storytime for toddlers to teen reading groups.
A little boy embarks on a long scary journey with his mother. His hometown is now a dangerous place so they’re trying to get to somewhere safer. They are going to walk with a huge crowd of people, sleep on railway platforms and eat strange food. Come and listen to his story and find out what it feels like to be a refugee.
PlayTalkRead Bus:
We offer drop in sessions for play, story time, singing and messy play. All our activities are fun, simple and easily replicated at home, all with the aim of encouraging parents and children to enjoy spending time together.
Bonnie is coming to Arran!
PlayTalkRead is part of the wider range of support provided for parents and families through the Scottish Government's Parent Club. PlayTalkRead is aimed at promoting positive parenting in order to give children the best start in life and a strong platform for healthy growth, development and attainment.
Smart Play Network is the delivery partner managing and delivering the PlayTalkRead roadshow. We visit all 32 Local Authorities throughout the year on our range of bespoke vehicles, Benji (our Double Decker bus), Bertie (our sensory lorry) and Bonnie (our box vehicle with pull out pod and slide).
Angela Proctor:
I am a children's fairytale author and storyteller whose mission is to involve as many children in reading as I possibly can. I have read at over 180 schools across Scotland. My school sessions involve a variety of activities from creating potions and spells to small workshops where the children are involved in story building, character creation and using different genres. I have also presented in over 40 libraries and been a guest speaker at dozens of festivals including the Wee Write, Imprints and Small Prints Book Festivals.
(Photo credit: Helen Pugh Photography)
Thumble Tumble and the Ollpheist is a story about a coven of witches. As with all good fairy stories, there is a balance of good and evil.
Follow Thumble Tumble through her adventures with the witches, Deer Folk and Sea Dragons, and the excitement of magical games and enchanted castles. Most of all, follow her adventures as she goes to Great Games and finds the secret of Ollpheist.
Stuart Reid:
Stuart Reid is one of the busiest children’s authors in Britain today, performing in 2,000 schools, libraries and book festivals throughout the UK, Ireland, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Hong Kong, India and three years at the Adelaide Fringe in the last seven years. He has also hosted over 250 book events at the Edinburgh Fringe, where he worked with BBC Learning and featured on ITV’s Get Britain Reading, on radio and countless newspapers and magazines.
Author of the Gorgeous George series
Stuart’s books are written to encourage children, especially boys and reluctant readers to want to read more often. They are yucky, funny,
imaginative and exciting enough to engage even
the most reluctant of readers, yet with a stretching vocabulary that suits more developed children. His school presentations focus on the
joys of reading and how brilliant books can be, as well as talking about recycling, alternative energy and even career advice.
Singing with Linda (Gaelic)
Join BBC ALBA children's TV presenter Linda NicLeòid for Leugh is Seinn le Linda (Read and Sing with Linda), a bilingual storytelling workshop in Gaelic and English full of books, songs, games. Delivered by Comhairle nan Leabhraichean, the Gaelic Books Council. The session will be accessible for children with no prior knowledge of Gaelic.
Rossie Stone:
Rossie is dyslexic and spent most of his school years being at the bottom of his classes and being seen as “stupid” by his peers. He created Dekko Comics, which is a company that turns wordy information (be it school-related or otherwise) into engaging comic narratives to help learning.
Dekko Comics are a series of comics that turn the school curriculum into accessible and highly enjoyable comic stories. They are based on a technique that Rossie Stone (the creator of Dekko Comics) used on himself to overcome his long struggles with Dyslexia and get his first Grade A.
In these workshops, Rossie Stone teaches how you can turn any school information or reading task into personal entertainment to make it more accessible, even if you have a learning difficulty. Through this he demonstrates powerful study techniques and boosts confidence.
Rossie has held workshops for primary and secondary schools, private and state schools, PTAs and local authorities, libraries and learning support institutions.
He has also done much work with bodies such as Dyslexia Scotland, HarperCollins and the Boarders Book Festival, as well as being nominated for the National Diversity Awards.
Therapets: Reading with Dogs
On Saturday 30th November 2013, Canine Concern Scotland Trust took part in a reading with dogs events at Larbert Library. The event was to try to encourage young readers who lacked confidence with reading to come along to the library and, instead of reading to a person, read to a dog. The idea was the dog would listen to them and not judge, allowing them to relax and gain confidence in reading out loud.
Come along and meet Scooter
My name is Scooter. I have been a therapet for 5 years and this is my owner Iris.
I have a very wet nose and a waggy tail and I can run very fast. I love lots of attention. I especially like visiting the schools and listening to the children reading their stories and maybe getting a treat if I'm good.
Chris Vick:
I write books for teens and young adults, about the sea, danger and magic. I have two books with HarperCollins, Kook and Storms (sold to other countries too!), and a new book – Girl. Boy. Sea. - out with head of Zeus, August 2019.
As well as writing I do copywriting (web mostly), manuscript editing, author visits, festivals and workshops with writers at all stages of development. I’ve presented at Hay, Penzance, Rimini (Italy) and was writer in residence at Trowbridge Lit fest in 2017.
Before becoming a writer I worked full time for Whale and Dolphin Conservation (www.whales.org) (I still work for them part time). We’re just beginning to understand these incredible animals, right at the time as the destruction of their home – the ocean – is accelerating. It’s something that drives me. I’m lucky to work with an inspirational bunch of people and to
have seen whales and dolphins all over the world.
As a conservationist and writer, I am proud to be
part of the amazing Authors4oceans initiative.
Newly published in August 2022 -
The Last Whale
From killers to conservationists, the story of three generations of the Kristensen family, their history as whale hunters and later their mission to save the great whales and our planet.
Danny Weston:
I was born in North Wales in 1951. While still at school I discovered the work of sci-fi, fantasy author Ray Bradbury and this instilled in me a burning ambition to be an author.
I am Philip Caveney but publish under the pen dame of Danny Weston. There are four titles to choose from The Piper, Mr Sparks, The Haunting of Jessop Rise and Scarecrow. Danny's latest novel, Inchtinn Island of Shadows will be published by UCLAN publishing in late 2019.
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The forest belongs to the walkers... Enter at your peril. A fearsome beast lurks deep in the Forest of Tay. Under the cover of darkness it emerges to feed on the local farmer’s sheep–and sometimes the farmers themselves. Frazer McCloud believes it’s a wolf, but some whisper that it’s the Cù Sìth–a creature summoned by the mysterious ‘Walkers in the Woods.’ Callum is Fraser’s young apprentice, and he’s understandably apprehensive when Fraser insists that they must hunt down and kill the beast. And then Callum meets Mhairi, the inn keeper’s daughter, who knows more about the Walkers than she really should. As time passes, the killings become ever more audacious – and Callum realises he has every reason to be afraid...
Victoria Williamson:
I'm a children's author and qualified teacher who grew up in Glasgow hooked on books and adventure! After studying Physics at the University of Glasgow, I set out on my own real life adventures, which included teaching Maths and Science in Cameroon, training teachers in Malawi, teaching English in China and working with children with additional support needs in the UK.
I do an interactive book talk suitable for 11-15s which consists of an introduction to the novel and the characters through readings of the
most exciting (and spine-chilling!) parts of the book.
The talk has activities woven through it to get the audience
thinking about topical issues, including a discussion of
positive role models with disabilities in popular fiction,
as well as an introduction to sign language and a chance
to try out some fingers spelling activities. There will also
be a practical demonstration, and the chance to explore
science in action and see how a wind turbine functions
through examining a working model, leading to a
discussion on green energy and the environment.
Alan Windram
I am the author of four children's picture books including the 2019 BookBug Picture Book Prize winning One Button Benny. I am also a publisher and co-founder of indie children's publisher Little Door Books. I write the sort of stories that I loved reading as a young person - fun adventures with the odd twist and moral tale.
My picture book events are highly interactive full of songs, images, stories, audience interaction and participation. There is often some robot dancing too! I have taken my events all
over Scotland and Northern England
working in schools, libraries and book
festivals.
Bookbug with Laura Owens
Having worked in a Library for 10 years (Bookbug leader for 6) and now in education, Laura loves anything that encourages children and young people to take an interest in learning.
She can be found walking her dog Ember on the beaches and hills or kayaking (without Ember of course) when the weather is fine but does tend to retreat indoors to her local watering hole when it's not so nice outside.
The Wee Mac Bookshop, provided by: The Book & Card Centre
The Book & Card is Arran’s local, independent bookshop, proud to provide islander and visiting children with early reads and happy memories since 1985. The shop’s wide children’s book selection is inspired by its island location and owners Claire and Tom’s experiences with their 3 girls. The Book & Card is delighted to support the Wee Mac book festival to celebrate children’s literature and being “nuts about books!”.
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All of the wonderful books featured are available to buy onsite at the festival or in store at their Brodick store. And don't forget - author signing also available!
Arran Heritage Museum
Isle of Arran Heritage Museum,
Rosaburn, Brodick, Isle of Arran,
KA27 8DP Scotland, UK
Brodick Public Hall
Brodick, Isle of Arran KA27 8DL
Arran Library (Brodick)
Brodick, Isle of Arran KA27 8DL
Nuts About Books
