Belladrum Announces 'Lit' Stage!

Writing from the Scottish Islands will feature for the first time at the Tartan Heart Festival with the launch of a new stage - The Read Bed - opening at this year's festival (August 7^th & 8^th, Beauly, Inverness-shire).

The Read Bed, organised by Highlands and Islands arts development agency, HI~Arts, will showcase the wealth of contemporary literary talent in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, with a special focus this year on writing, and words and music collaborations, from the Scottish Islands. This year's programme features readings and performances from writers from Islands as far removed as Luing, Rassay, Skye, Orkney, Lewis & Shetland.

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The Read Bed runs on both Friday and Saturday afternoons of the festival, featuring such talents as novelist and poet Kevin MacNeil (The Stornoway Way) working with ex-Astrid guitarist, Willie Campbell - the two had a major hit with their first single 'Local Man Ruins Everything'; poet and performer Dave Martin working with ex-Crash My Model Car frontman and songwriter Iain Morrison; Roger Hutchinson - author of the best selling 'Calum's Road' (Birlinn Polygon); award-winning poet and novelist Alan Jameson; Orkney poet and George MacKay Brown Fellow, Pam Beasant; poet Ian Stephen collaborating with novelist and pianist Peter Urpeth and leading Scottish free jazz saxophonist Raymond MacDonald; poets Miles Campbell and Mark Goodwin launching their new collection from Skye (Two Ravens Press), and fresh from the premiere of their new suite at the Atlantic Islands Festival, Luing, poet Norman Bissell and composer / musician Mark Sheridan.

 
HI~Arts writing development coordinator Peter Urpeth, said: "Tartan Heart is a major and very diverse festival with a programme of top line music acts. In this new stage, we aim to present a daytime alternative for those who want to encounter some of the finest new literary talent in Scotland, and in way far-removed from the traditional book festival model. Many will be surprised by the diversity, originality and strength of the writing that is emerging from Scotland's island cultures and we are really excited by the opportunity to present such talent in such a different environment. We hope this stage becomes a firm fixture in Belladrum's programme.

Full details of the programme will shortly be available on Tartan heart and HI~Arts websites

Award-winning Belladrum has announced music headliners  Editors and Ocean Colour Scene plus a raft of other acts including: The Saw Doctors; Shed Seven; British Sea Power; Seth Lakeman; Alabama 3; Sons & Daughters; Glen Tilbrook & The Fluffers; The Peatbog Faeries; Lau; Toploader; Treacherous Orchestra; Transglobal Underground; Tommy Reilly; De Votchka; The Phantom Band; 3 Daft Monkeys; Edward II; The Wallbirds; Kid Carpet; Sam Isaac;  Broken Records; Magistrates; Healthy Minds Collapse; Sparrow & The Workshop; The Lost Brothers; and Scooty & The Skyhooks.

Belladrum 2009 takes place in the beautiful Highland surroundings of Belladrum Estate, near Beauly in Inverness-shire. The independent festival has built a reputation for its eclectic line-ups, its off-beat non-musical entertainments and its all-ages approach. Capacity will remain what it was in 2008 at 12,000. At the UK Festival Awards Ceremony in October – the festival industry’s ‘oscars’ - Bella was awarded the Grassroots Festival Award.

This year the festival is supported by Homecoming Scotland 2009, EventScotland and Highland Council. Marie Christie, Homecoming Scotland Project Director said, “Belladrum is one of Scotland’s leading family-friendly festivals.  Taking place in beautiful surroundings, the fantastic programme and quality experience make it an unmissable festival diary date.  We are excited to be working with the organisers to make sure 2009 hosts the best Bella yet ”.