As promised, here is my review of this year’s WayWORD Festival. I’ve never done this before, because I’d never really had a platform to do so, but I’ve had such a great time with it over the last two years that I think documenting it would be worth the while. I considered just keeping this as part of my monthly update, but I’m expecting it to be lengthy - even with just briefly summing up each event - and Substack has told me off for that before, so it’s getting its own space. While most events took place at the King’s Pavilion, some took place at other venues such as the Aberdeen Arts Centre and the Blue Lamp. Please note - I did not attend all the events, but I did my best to go to as many as I possibly could.
Day 1 - Saturday 16th of September
I was a bit restricted in the events I could attend due to a lack of leftover annual leave, but I still got the chance to attend this one.
Writing Character for the Stage: A Workshop with May Sumbwanyambe (Aberdeen Arts Centre)
This proved to be a really interesting, informative and thought provoking workshop, where May taught us about developing characters for stage writing. I’m hoping to eventually write something for stage, but I also hope I can start using these techniques in my prose writing too.
Day 2 - Tuesday 19th of September
Music and Words Workshop with John de Simone and Noon Salah Eldin (King’s Pavilion Studio)
This was a really interesting and productive workshop, which ended up involving some really interesting discussions. We also did some improv over a couple of Noon’s beautiful poems.
Nadine Aisha Jassat and Alycia Pirmohamed (King’s Pavilion)
It was so lovely to hear these two discuss their backgrounds and how they influenced their writing, as well as hearing readings of their work (although I sadly had to skin out early due to needing to get ready for my own one, see the next passage)
Dialect Delights (Blue Lamp)
This is the one I performed at. As well as some of my own work I also sang a couple of Shetland songs. Sheena Blackhall’s work was excellent as always and raised a few laughs. Gemma Macgregor and Christine De Luca’s beautiful new work was mesmerising - as performed by the Outwith Ensemble, Gemma’s music beautifully complemented Christine’s poems. Geordie Murison provided us with a lively set of bothy ballads where he was brilliantly accompanied by Carol Anderson. And of course, Shane Strachan was a fab compere.
Day 3 - Wednesday 20th of September
Drag, Community, and Queer Joy (King’s Pavilion)
Drag queens Sleepy and Cadenza - who run Joy on Tap at the OGV Taproom - gave an interview regarding their experiences of being drag artists, which proved informative, eye-opening at times, but ultimately quite uplifting. Definitely a necessary event.
#PrecarityStory Documentary Screening and Q&A With Filmmaker Isabel Seguí (King’s Pavilion)
Another necessary event, in which Isabel Seguí showed us the short film she made during the UCU strikes in 2018 and 2020, demonstrating the fragility of a career in academia that relies a great deal on unstable contracts.
Claire Keegan (online)
A lovely evening hearing Claire read from her work and discuss her career.
Day 4 - Thursday 21st of September
Queer Tongues Writing Workshop with Fer Boyd and Madeline Stack (King’s Pavilion Studio)
This was a really lovely way to start the day - as well as a great range of prompts, we were encouraged to get up and walk around the room, and take in our surroundings. I even wrote something that wasn’t rubbish.
Calum L MacLeòid & Graham Cooper (Gaelic Event, King’s Pavilion)
A bilingual event, which proved glè fheumail to me as a Gàidhlig learner, and where Calum and Graham discussed their new works.
Deborah Masson & Vikki Patis (King’s Pavilion)
Deborah and Vikki write in the crime and suspense thriller genres primarily, and it was interesting to hear more about their work, their craft and how setting impacts their works.
Michael Pedersen & Sean Wai Keung (King’s Pavilion)
Two wonderful poetry readings, by turns poignant and funny thanks to the subject matter they touched on.
Day 5 - Friday 22nd of September
Science Writing Workshop with Jane Alexander (King’s Pavilion Studio)
Another Workshop that helped me to improve my writing and which pushed me out of my comfort zone.
Toulmin Prize with Sheena Blackhall (King’s Pavilion)
We were treated to readings of the two winning stories by Sheena, which were well deserved.
(Auto) Biography with Chitra Ramaswamy
This proved to be a touching and fascinating account of the friendship Chitra struck up with Henry Wuga, a German-Jewish refugee who settled in Glasgow after fleeing Nazi-occupied Europe, and the memoir that came out of it.
From Sci-Fi to Speculative Fiction: Jane Alexander & Nina Allan (King’s Pavilion)
We again heard the two above authors read from their work and discuss their experiences as writers of their genre.
Kathleen Murray & Arun Sood (King’s Pavilion)
We heard from two talented debut writers who treated us to readings of their works and discussion about their craft.
Whale Songs: Poetry, Music & Film with Lesley Harrison, Alex South & Katherine Wren (King’s Pavilion)
Poems intertwined with soothing music made for a lovely calm end to the day.
Day 5 - Saturday 23rd of September
Scots Scriever Shane Strachan with Ellie Beaton (King’s Pavilion)
Shane read some of his stories, works inspired by his childhood in 1990s Aberdeenshire. Ellie performed a couple of Scottish ballads, and the two worked well together.
‘Wokery Gone Mad’: Culture Wars with Timothy C. Baker (King’s Pavilion)
An event which had potential to become heated, but which actually turned out to be quite civilised and well argued. The case for content warnings was brilliantly put forward. It’s also worth noting that Tim Baker didn’t actually put a CW on ‘Peter Pan’, incidentally.
A Nan Shepherd Journey with Sophia McLean (King’s Pavilion)
Sophia recently portrayed Nan Shepherd in a spoken word piece, and in this event she performed extracts, as well as discussing the feminist themes in Nan’s work.
Andrés N. Ordorica & Alan Spence (King’s Pavilion)
Andres read from his debut while Alan read from his new novel.
Centre for the Novel hosts Liam McIlvanney (King’s Pavilion)
Former Aberdeen Uni lecturer Liam McIlvanney - who now lives in New Zealand - discussed literature and Scottish crime writing, as well as treating us to a reading from his new work.
Day 6 - Sunday the 24th of September
Dystopia or Reality? - Rachelle Atalla & Cailean Steed (King’s Pavilion)
Both authors gave readings - Rachelle’s being of her second novel, ‘Thirsty Animals’, and Cailean of their debut, ‘Home’ - followed by a discussion about dystopian fiction and how close it might get to reality.
Comedian Aidan Greene in Conversation (King’s Pavilion)
This was an educational and informative conversation with stand-up comedian Aidan Greene, who related his experiences of having a stammer and the prejudice he has faced from it.
Kathleen Jamie (King’s Pavilion)
Chaired by Alan Spence, Kathleen Jamie read some of her wonderful work. At the end, we were given little paper boats made from pages of essays she’d written.
Wavelengths: Leopard Arts showcase of disabled and neurodiverse performers (Blue Lamp)
The fine folks at Leopard Arts held an event where we heard from a selection of disabled writers, with Aidan Greene rounding off proceedings with a headline set.
It was a great and diverse week of entertainment as always, and I look forward immensely to next year. I can’t attend the remaining events at the Music Hall next Saturday as I now have no annual leave left, but if you’re in Aberdeen please check them out. Meanwhile it's back to normality for me.