17 June 2008

Literary Festival all set for success

Thousands of book lovers are set to make this week’s Dundee Literary Festival at the University of Dundee a success with the `sold-out’ signs already being readied for some of the star events.

Tickets are already at a premium for some of the sessions, including those with `Rebus’ author Ian Rankin and fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood, as well as a creative writing class led by Professor Kirsty Gunn.

Other events are also selling well for the festival, which has a broad range of guests from children’s author Joan Lingard to Scottish literary heavyweight James Kelman.

This is the second year of the Dundee Literary Festival and director Anna Day said that early ticket sales showed it moving from strength to strength.

"We have given ourselves a challenge this year by widening the range of the Festival to include events such as the comics afternoon on Sunday and have expanded the whole event from two days to four," said Anna.

"The reaction to our inaugural festival last year was so positive we thought there was room to offer more, so I am delighted that people have responded with such an eager demand for tickets this time around."

"We are having to sell tickets to an overspill theatre for Vivienne Westwood’s event because the demand has been phenomenal and we can’t accommodate any more people in the main theatre."

"Ian Rankin is effectively sold out, the creative writing class is full and we are close to selling out a number of our other events, so the message to anyone considering coming is to get in quick!"

The Festival runs from Thursday to Sunday this week. Most of the events are being staged in the New Teaching Block, Old Hawkhill, Dundee, with additional events at Borders bookshop in Dundee.

The full programme can be viewed at www.dundeeliteraryfest.org and tickets are available from the University Press Office, 5th floor, Tower Building, Perth Road (tel: 01382 384768) or at Borders, Gallagher Retail Park.

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