News / Book fever
SHETLAND Library is co-ordinating a series of Book Week Scotland events for children later this month.
The week is taking place between 23-29 November and the isles will be abuzz with book fever.
Among the events planned is a visit from Scottish author and translator Matthew Fitt, who co-runs publishing company Itchy Coo.
He will hold a writing workshop called Tae Boldly Gang on the evening of 27 November at the Old Library Centre in Lerwick, with participants invited to write sci-fi in Shetland or Scots dialect.
On the morning of 28 November Fitt will take part in the Great Muckle Itchy Coo Storytime event at Mareel, in Lerwick.
It will feature readings for 5-8 year olds from some of his favourite translated stories, while writer Laureen Johnson, who recently penned a Shetland version of The Grufflo for Itchy Coo, will appear alongside the Gruffalo itself.
Shetland’s schools will also be taking part in the week, with Fitt scheduled to appear at the Anderson High School library.
Pupils from the Aith and Mid Yell Junior High Schools will reflect on how an author or book changed their life, while the Sandwick school library will take part in an authors live session with writer Danny Wallace.
Shetland Library staff will visit schools across the isles to give every primary one pupil a Bookbug Family Bag from the Scottish Book Trust, which is organising the week.
The library will also launch a new reading group for 12-16 year olds called Book vs Movie, while the Shetland Amenity Trust will hold events such as book launches.
Shetland Library’s flags – given to the building last year for the Artworks for Libraries project – will also fly at the Town Hall in Lerwick for the week.
All events are free, but tickets are available for Great Muckle Itchy Coo Storytime via Shetland Box Office.
Those interested in the writing workshop or teen book group should contact the library for more information.
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