20 November

Outstanding demand for 2013 Dundee Christmas Lecture

All 800 tickets for this year's Dundee Christmas Lecture 2013, featuring Kate Adie, have already been snapped up more than a week ahead of the event.

Adie, one of the world's most respected war correspondents and a trailblazer for female journalists, will deliver the Dundee Christmas Lecture 2013 at the University of Dundee on Saturday November 30th.

She will talk about her remarkable career covering some of the bloodiest conflicts of the past 25 years. The event will see her converse with Professor Sue Black, Deputy Principal of the University, and share stories from her fascinating life with the audience.

Demand for tickets has been intense and even with overflow theatres in use all available briefs have now been allocated. Those who have tickets are advised to arrive early if they want to secure a seat in the main auditorium. Once it is full ticket holders will be directed to the overflow theatres where the lecture will be relayed live on video screens.

Doors will open at the University's Dalhouse Building from 5pm on Saturday November 30th.

'It is tremendous to see such intense public interest in Kate Adie's lecture,' said Professor Black. 'I am certain it will be a fascinating evening and it is great to know Dundee is set to give her a fantastic welcome with a full house.'

Bob Duncan, Lord Provost of Dundee said, "The on-going partnership between Dundee City Council and the University of Dundee to deliver the Christmas Lecture continues to go from strength to strength. I was always sure that securing Kate Adie as this year's speaker would be a great draw and I am delighted to see that this has indeed been the case.'

Kate Adie is best known for holding the post of chief news correspondent with the BBC from 1989 to 2003, and has reported from war zones around the world. Adie's insistence on reporting from the heart of the action often placed her in danger and she sustained minor gunshot wounds in China and Libya, and was also injured while covering events in the Balkans.

Her fearless approach and insightful reporting saw her win numerous awards including three Royal Television Society awards, the Bafta Richard Dimbleby Award, and the Broadcasting Press Guild's Award for Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting. She was awarded an OBE in 1993, currently presents 'From Our Own Correspondent' on BBC Radio 4, and is the author of four bestselling books.

Her most recent book, 'Fighting on the Home Front' tells the story of WWI through the eyes of the women charged with filling traditionally male-dominated roles in order to keep Britain functioning and looks at how the conflict forever changed the social make-up of the country.

The Christmas lecture is held in conjunction with Dundee City Council and was inaugurated in 2007 to commemorate the University's 40th anniversary and its close relationship with the city of Dundee and its people.

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
MOBILE: 07800 581902