Comic capers at conference

The wonder of comics will be celebrated at a special international comic conference at the University this summer as part of this year's Dundee Literary Festival.

Comics Day on Sunday 22 June, the last day of the Festival, will look at the social and artistic importance of comics as well as highlighting Dundee's role as a world leader in comic culture, with its history inextricably linked with the DC Thomson empire that includes The Beano and the Dandy.

It will also focus on the growing popularity of Japanese style comics (Manga) and Chinese comics (Manhua).

Based in the New Teaching Block the conference will feature talks from world leading comic experts such as Roger Sabin on How Comics Work and Paul Gravett, described by The Times as the greatest British comic historian, who will be discussing crime comics.

Other participants include ILYA, a professional comic book creator who is heavily influenced by Manga, and who since 1987 has had work published internationally by Marvel, DC and Dark Horse in the USA and Kodansha in Japan.

The conference will include DC Thomson artist Jim Glen will be giving an illustrated talk on his career in comics, as will Metaphrog (John Chalmers and Sandra Marrs), who created the award winning 'Louis' comics. Acclaimed comics creator Bryan Talbot will be headlining the event, talking about his work past and present, including Alice in Sunderland.

Dr Christopher Murray, conference organiser, said there was something for everyone at the conference which takes place just weeks before the 70th anniversary of The Beano in August.

"Dundee is a city with a long and proud history of comic production," he said. "Comics are a wonderful form of literary and artistic expression. They are fun for all ages, a unique artform.

"Everyone is welcome to this event which will feature talks by prominent comics artists, writers and historians.

"Comics Day will give everyone, young and not so young alike, an opportunity to learn a lot about the amazing world of comics."

Tickets are priced £5 for half an afternoon or £10 for the whole afternoon.

The comic conference is just one part of a four day feast of writing at this year's Dundee International Literary Festival which runs from Thursday 19 June to Sunday 22 June.

Doubled in size from its inaugural year last year, the Festival will be featuring more than 20 different authors including internationally renowned writers William Boyd, Ian Rankin and James Kelman and iconic fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, who will reading from her Manifesto, a social commentary on modern life.

Other top names lined up include Kate Muir from The Times, guerrilla gardener Richard Reynolds and mother and son writing dynasty, Robin and Rosamunde Pilcher.

Authors for children include Joan Lingard and Colin Bateman. New authors like Nicholas Hogg and Barrie Sherwood, Rodge Glass and Doug Johnstone will be discussing how they got their first novels into print.

Lovers of crime writing will be delighted by appearances by Sophie Hannah, who is the author of three incredibly successful books, and a panel discussion, Scottish Women and Crime, which will include Lin Anderson, Karen Campbell and Aline Templeton.

Each day of the festival, visitors can enjoy a sandwich while listening to poetry from writers such as Douglas Dunn, James Stewart, Peter Manson and Andrew Murray-Scott in Poem and a Piece

There are also workshops in writing screenplays for TV, creative writing and how to get published.

For more details, or to buy tickets, go to www.dundeeliteraryfest.org or call 01382 384768.