27 September 2007

Literary Festival Shortlisted for Prestigious Award

The Dundee Literary Festival has been shortlisted for a prestigious Times Higher Education Supplement Award.

The event, which was sponsored by the Apex Hotel Dundee and supported by Borders Bookstores, welcomed speakers to 18 different events over two days and is among the shortlisted nominations for the category, 'Contribution to Local Community.' World famous authors, such as Jacqueline Wilson and Philip Pullman.

Kirsty Gunn, head of Creative Writing at the University of Dundee, held a workshop and did a reading. Many of the events sold out and two of the authors had to be moved to bigger venues to accommodate demand.

More than 500 school children from Tayside, Perth, Fife and Aberdeenshire attended the events.

Organisers of the awards say that 90 per cent of all Universities in the UK sent in nominations for the awards. The winner will be announced at a ceremony in London on 29th November.

Anna Day, Festival Director, says, "I'm delighted the festival has been recognised in this way. So many Dundonians turned up to see their favourite author, it really was excellent. We hope the festival in 2008 will be bigger and better next year, so even more people from Dundee and the surrounding areas will attend. We really want to build a festival that will get better and stronger."

To be first to hear of details of the Dundee Literary Festival 2008, please email dundeeliteraryfestival@gmail.com and you'll be informed as soon as authors are confirmed to appear.

For media enquiries contact:
Anna Day
Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768 / 07967 475573
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk