29 May 2007

Writers group publish book and bring historic hotel to life

A creative writing class at Dundee University has immortalised a famous Dundee hotel in fiction by publishing an anthology of short stories themed around its historic past and the role it continues to play in people's lives today.

Members of the group, now known as the Nethergate Writers' Group, have produced a highly entertaining book featuring stories that surround the Queen's Hotel in Dundee and range from the comic to the supernatural.

The group will launch the book entitled, 'Turn Back The Cover' on Thursday, May 31, at the Queen's Hotel in Dundee, and writers will read extracts from their tales.

Following in a strong Dundee literary tradition, the self-published book runs to 146-pages, is the culmination of seven months work by the enthusiastic writers group.

It was the brainchild of tutor Esther Read, who wanted to give her students of Dundee University's 'Continuing as a Writer' continuing education class, a "fun and exciting" project to work on.

Esther, who has taught the writings classes at the university for 11 years, described the anthology as "17 very different stories written by 17 very different writers."

She said: "We had a tour of the Hotel at the start of the first term and I have to say that it exceeded expectations in terms of what it had to offer by way of inspiration for a group of writers.

"I didn't know, for example, that it was built on the site of the old Infirmary and that the present day laundry room in the basement was built over the former morgue.

"We visited and you can still smell the formaldehyde! The hotel also boasts three ghosts and any number of famous visitors, amongst them Winston Churchill, Frank Sinatra and the NASA astronaut, Dr. Jan Davies.

"There are stories in the collection picking up on all of these things (apart from the morgue, alas). However, since hotels are a place where people meet - and part - there are also stories on this theme."

Local artist, Rikki O'Neill devised the cover and the group received generous sponsorship from Gordon Sneddon, owner of the Queen's Hotel, as well as the Extra-Mural Students' Association.

A spokeswoman for the Queens Hotel said: "It has been a pleasure to be involved in such an exciting project and to work with so many talented local people."

The book will also be available at Waterstones and Borders in Dundee, as well as through members of the class, for £5.

Contributors to the book include, Amanda Barclay, Flora Davidson, Bob Drysdale, Ruth Findlay, Gaye Manwaring, Nan Rice, Christine Mercier, Jackie Morton, Roddie McKenzie, Jane O'Neill, Ann Prescott, George Reid, Susie Schofield, Faye Stevenson, Ed Thompson, Cathy Whitfield, Catherine Young.

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: For further information, review copies of the book, accompanying pictures, please contact Kurt Bayer, press officer of Nethergate Writers' Group, on 07961813330, or email kurtbayer@hotmail.com.

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk