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It is extraordinary how many small nations
A festival
of literature look to Scotland for inspiration, as it
and thought manages to protect both its cultural identity
and secure a devolved political settlement.
I believe Scotland can act as a beacon to
other small nations and peoples seeking to
protect their own life and culture through
nonviolent means. This year’s festival has a
particular focus on the power and perils of
democracy both at home and abroad. From
Welcome to Traquair. We hope you enjoy the future of our royal family and Scotland
Books
this year’s programme, which ranges from in our own democratic system, to the plight
current debate on the future of Pakistan to of democracy in Zimbabwe, Palestine,
Borders
literary walks along the River Tweed. Here Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Egypt, on to the role
you will find this year’s timetable of events, of women in empowering nations in Africa,
and Bikes
biographies of our participants, and a map this year’s festival tackles some of the most
of Traquair; we have also included a reader pressing issue of our epoch.
section, filled with extracts from many of our Whether you listen to Dr. Abuelaish and
participants and affiliates, to digest amidst Mark Thomas on Palestine, Marie Colvin
the tranquil surroundings of Traquair House. and Allan Little on Libya, revolutionary
This year we bring together another singer Ramy Essam from Tahrir Square, or
remarkable collection of Scottish to our homespun writers, commentators,
broadcasters, international writers and diplomats, historians from the UK, from
cultural leaders from around the world to Jonathan Powell and Mariella Frostrup to
discuss some of the most urgent political David Starkey and others - we are sure
and cultural themes of our time, through you will have both a stimulating and
literature, comedy, art, dialogue, testimony rewarding time. Thank you for supporting
and debate, and by using Scotland’s unique Beyond Borders.
cultural and political heritage as a platform Mark Muller Stuart QC,
for exchange. Executive Director of Beyond Borders
Books, Borders & Bikes 1
Timetable of events Timetable of events
Saturday 20th August 2011 Sunday 21st August 2011
Time Description Time Description
9:00 - 11:00 Storytelling Cycle Ride from Neidpath Castle to Traquair 09:00 - 11:45 Storytelling Cycle Ride with John Nichol (p35) from
with John Nichol (p35) and author Bella Bathurst (p34 ). Abbotsford House to Traquair.
10:00 - 11:45 The Literary Walk with Fiona J. Houston (p35) and 10:00 - 10:45 Woodland Walk with family historian Mary Kenny (p35).
Olivia Laing (p26).
12:00 - 12:45 The Stuart Dynasty In the Scottish Borders: Geoffrey
10:00 - 10:45 Woodland Walk with local storyteller Mary Kenny (p35). Baskerville in conversation with Allan Massie (p33)
and Catherine Muller Stuart (p30).
11:15 - 11:45 Perfect Balance: An engaging portrait of the simple joys
of cycling with Bella Bathurst (p34) and Penny Smith (p25). 13:00 - 13:45 Zimbabwe at the Crossroads: Allan Little (p27) talks with
Sir Kieran Prendergast (p27), Mordecai Mahlungu (p22),
12:00 - 12:45 From the Source to the Sea: Olivia Laing (p26) talks Petina Gappah (p28) and William Burdett-Coutts (p28).
to James Runcie (p34).
14:00 - 14:45 Pakistan - A Failing State? William Dalrymple (p31)
13:00 - 13:45 Tales from Afghanistan: Magnus Linklater (p30) talks to talks to Rashed Rahman (p19).
William Dalrymple (p31) and Des Browne (p33).
15:00 - 15:45 Dispatches from the Darkside: Gareth Peirce (p20) in
14:00 - 14:45 Crown and Country: Penny Smith (p25) welcomes conversation with Allan Little (p27).
David Starkey (p18).
16:00 - 16:45 The Future of Scotland & the Union with David Starkey (p18),
15:15 - 16:00 Love and Death in Gaza: Mark Muller Stuart QC (p25) Sir Menzies Campbell (p22) and Lord Steel (p29).
talks to Dr Izzeldin Abuelaish (p17).
17:00 - 17:45 Dividing Small Nations: Mark Thomas (p21) talks to
16:15 - 17:00 How to Win and Keep Hold of Power: Magnus Linklater (p30) Oscar Guardiola-Rivera (p26).
in discussion with Jonathan Powell (p23).
18:00 - 18:45 GREAT Women: Mariella Frostrup (p19) in conversation with
17:15 - 18:00 The Arab Spring & the Power of Democracy – Marie Colvin (p24) and Petina Gappah (p28).
Oscar Guardiola-Rivera (p26) talks with Dr Izzeldin Abuelaish
(p17), Rashed Rahman (p19), Sir Kieran Prendergast (p27), 19:15 - 20:00 GREAT Drinks Reception hosted by Mariella Frostrup (p19)
Marie Colvin (p24) and Ramy Essam (p23). and Jason McCue (p32).
18:30 - 19:15 Glimpses of the Middle East: Reception hosted by
Mark Muller Stuart QC (p25) and Joseph Maxwell Stuart (p29).
2 Beyond Borders Books, Borders & Bikes 3
Challenges On Belarus
by Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish by Tom Stoppard
It is time to change the Belarus, landlocked between Russia, It looks like the end-game, and while it
search for blame into a Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, is not is being played out, the strange thing is
longing of hope, and realize a lucky country. Formerly a Soviet Republic, that so far as the British public are aware
that the antidote of hate and it is now a left-over, with the last collective of Belarus at all, this is largely due to an
revenge is to move forward, farms, the last KGB, the last “dissidents” itinerant, mouse-poor theatre group. The
and make a difference in in the pre-1990 sense, and – in Alexander Belarus Free Theatre company has an
the lives of others. Lukashenko – the last dictator in Europe. international reputation, all of it gained
A generation earlier, there was almost outside its own country where they are
We need to spread the
nothing left standing by the time the Soviet outlaws with individual histories of arrests
proactive feeling that hope
and Nazi armies had finished fighting over it. and persecution. While saluting their talent,
can be found, that good
Today, Lukashenko’s control over the we should salute their courage, too.
deeds are present, and that
nothing is impossible in life. Hope is life, and country is total, so far as day-to-day life Co-founder of The Belarus Free Theatre,
Life is complicated and full of surprises, and
is a matter of action. Each of us can do a lot is concerned, but in a wider context Natalia Kaliada, speaks on The Art of
in our life we face challenges. But my life
and start to act. We must not underestimate Belarus’s existence as an independent Resistance, as part of Beyond Borders’
was a challenge, and the most difficult time
ourselves and our actions. nation depends on a tricky and duplicitous August programme. (23rd August,
was a four months period; September 16th,
poker game with Russia, the EU and the Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh)
2008 is the day when I lost my wife, and I believe the strongest members in any
IMF. Currently, Lukashenko is choosing
January 16th, 2009 is the day when three society are women and I am in debt to
rouble-favours over euro-favours: preferring
of my daughters and niece were killed by my mother, wife and daughters. Women
to risk absorption by Russia to being thrown
the Israeli army. maintain hope and are the balance of
out by his own voters in a genuinely free
Grandma Moses said: life is what we make our world. Women give and nurture life.
election instead of the rigged and
it, always has been, always will be. We are The Daughters for Life foundation was
brutal election which extended
blessed to be human beings and have the established in memory of my beloved
his power last December.
choice and think between right and wrong. daughters for the education of girls in the
People were expecting me be immersed Middle East. Education is about creating
and paralyzed with hate and revenge. Hate a world of hope and eradicate injustice.
and revenge is too great to bear and it Daughters for Life provides scholarship
injuries the hater more that the hated and awards to encourage young women
as Rabbi Jonathan Sacks said: the biggest to pursue their studies at universities in
weapon of mass destruction is the hate in Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt
our souls. and Syria. For more information, please visit
www.daughtersforlife.com
4 Beyond Borders Books, Borders & Bikes 5
Freedom in Benghazi GREAT Women
by Teun Voeten Jason McCue and Mariella Frostrup
devoted to the creation of cartoons and done at grassroots
caricatures, is housed in a room named after level, we are most
Quais Ahmed Hilal, an artist who became likely to be able to
a martyr when he was shot dead by the effect a genuine
old regime after being caught painting anti- impact on their
Gaddafi portraits on the walls lives and their
of the city. communities.
These caricatures illustrate how the Arab Our belief is that
Spring of 2011 deployed art in its most the best strategy is
Benghazi was the first major city to free We at GREAT believe that many women’s to empower and enable African women to
powerful and political form, used as a
itself from the Gaddafi regime. With it came lack of basic human rights, let alone equal take the lead on such projects. Together,
mouthpiece of protest by young men
new found liberty and unheard of freedom rights, across the globe is the greatest we seek to become a coalition focus
and women willing to risk their lives for an
of expression. One of the ways it manifest human rights abuse of the 21st century. point for women and gender groups
ideal – democracy and freedom. Now the
itself was in a language everybody could Women are the developing world’s around the world.
energetic rebels produce a steady stream
understand: caricatures and cartoons. The greatest asset but without education and
of new imagery that adorn the walls around We are also committed to expanding
people of Libya were always surrounded by participation in the decision making process
the Square and are even exposed in a the profile of the FAS African Gender
portraits of Gaddafi, glorified in all shapes they are ill-equipped to achieve their
small gallery outside. “Gaddafi is a gratefull Award, a brilliant initiative to make gender
and sizes. Gaddafi continues to adorn the potential. No country can afford to leave
subject” explains one of the artists, Al-Jhani. improvements a covetable goal rather than
city, but he is ridiculed and mocked: the half its workforce uneducated,
With his wrinkled face, sunglasses, wild reluctant responsibility for African leaders.
colonel is now a rat caught in a mouse trap, unrepresented and without a voice.
hair, cruel mouth and fantasy costumes, This year’s recipient is Ellen Sirleaf Johnson
a monkey eating bananas, a highway robber
his physical appearance is a dream for The Gender Rights and Equality Action of Liberia, Africa’s first female president.
fleeing with bags of money.
cartoonists. These works indicate a new Trust is dedicated to amplifying the voices When you educate a woman, you educate
Most of the caricatures in Benghazi are existence of profound freedom of expression of these unheard millions of women, her children, and offer a future to whole
produced in the old government buildings that will not go away. lobbying to see their inclusion in political communities. To support us in
around the main square, dubbed Tahrir and civil society, and fundraising to support our campaign, we have gathered together
Square - Freedom Square. The buildings grassroots NGOs working on the ground many leading figures from the world of
are now occupied by the rebels and contain in Africa and beyond. politics, business, charities and NGO’s,
not only officials working for the transitional and other high-profile individuals from the
Our partner is Femmes Africa Solidarité
rebel council, but the foreign press office, a arts and media.
(FAS), a highly respected NGO. We believe
recording studio for a local rap group as well
that by working with African women, who For more information, please visit:
as an art department. The art section, mostly
know better than anyone what needs to be www.thegreatinitiative.com
6 Beyond Borders Books, Borders & Bikes 7
Caroline McNairn: dominates Moscow’s artistic life. She began
to see Western art and her own painting
total irony, the rebellion of the French ‘wild
beasts’ looks like a life in Eden. Caroline
One Foot in Eden from a different perspective”.
Caroline met Hugh Collins in the late 1980’s
McNairn is looking for harmony in that
phase of twentieth century art which is
by Andrew Brown when he was on day release to the 369
classical modernism for the contemporary
art historian. For Caroline McNairn art history
Gallery from Barlinnie Prison where he
is a tool for her work just like brushes and
was coming to the end of a sixteen year
the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts in paint. Her nostalgia for ‘modernism’ is a
sentence for murder. From the beginning
Moscow where her work was exhibited sign of our time which is dreaming about
she believed in him both artistically
in the company of her heroes Cezanné, the heroic days when the artist still had
and spiritually and he believes that his
Gauguin, and Matisse. something to overthrow”.
rehabilitation as an artist and author of four
In the early 1980s she was one of the first of books is entirely down to her. It was love Caroline McNairn did what all great Scottish
a new generation of Scottish expressionist at first sight for both of them and after his artists from the Colourists through Joan
artists to exhibit in New York and Chicago release from prison they married in 1993 and Eardley and Alan Davie have attempted
promoted by the 369 Gallery, Edinburgh were inseparable from that moment on. to do; the almost impossible task of
with which she was closely associated from synthesizing paint and experience. Before
In leaving Edinburgh and moving to a rustic
its foundation in 1978, not only as a regular her untimely death from cancer last year,
cottage in the Scottish Borders in 2005,
exhibitor but as an inspiring teacher and Caroline was working on a new series
Caroline McNairn, considered by many to be she was returning to her roots for her family
artistic advisor. She had a critically acclaimed of luminous landscapes inspired by the
the best Scottish painter of her generation, were from Hawick. Caroline’s father, John
and ground-breaking show in 1986 at the scenery around her studio in the old
was a true Borderer. Born in 1955 in Selkirk, McNairn, who died in his 99th year in 2009,
cutting edge Avenue B Gallery in Manhattan Traquair primary school. She was at the
her earliest works are informed by the half- studied at Edinburgh College of Art in the
where her work was admired by Keith Haring height of her abilities and her loss is a
wild Border landscape and its exceptional 1920’s and then in the early 1930’s in Paris
and Jean-Michel Basquiat. In the same year severe blow to Scottish art.
artistic and poetic tradition. The painters under Othon Friesz, the friend and pupil of
she also had shows in Hong Kong, Los Cezanné. Thus Caroline was only two steps Her work will be shown in a memorial
Anne Redpath and William Gillies were close
Angeles and Santa Fe, and in 1990 spent a away from the father of modern art and exhibition, in the Traquair House gallery, in
family friends and the abstractionist William
year working in the Soviet Union exhibiting therefore, it is not surprising that the heroic an show that is devoted to a selection of
Johnstone encouraged her talent and
with the notorious Kievsky Station Group in period of early twentieth century art had her smaller more intimate paintings, giving
introduced her to the poetry of Edwin Muir
Moscow and Odessa. such a marked influence on her. a moving insight into the poetic lyricism and
who had a profound affect on Caroline’s
aesthetic. She studied Fine Art at Edinburgh As Christina Lodder, Professor of Art History humanity of her unique vision which blends
As the distinguished Russian art critic,
University and Edinburgh College of Art and at St Andrews University, wrote in 1997, local tradition with an international outlook.
Konstantine Akinsha wrote in 1990 “Many
then travelled widely exhibiting with the 369 “living and working in Russia for almost a critics have noticed the artist’s connection
Gallery in the USA and Russia where her year was clearly a great liberation. She was with the tradition of the French art of the
work was held in even higher esteem than exposed to the extraordinary art of the Ikon, first decade of the twentieth century. Why
her native Scotland. Indeed, in 1989 she the radical aesthetic of Russia’s modernists does Caroline McNairn try to be Matisse
was the first foreign artist since the Russian such as Malevich, and to that passionate with a strong Scottish accent today? For
Revolution to have a painting purchased by discussion of aesthetic issues which us, the generation living in the kingdom of
8 Beyond Borders Books, Borders & Bikes 9
What If Latin America In Defence of Mother Tongue
Ruled the World? by Yasar Kemal
by Oscar Guardiola-Rivera
When a flower is torn away, a colour, a
scent is lost to our world.
Until recently, the five members of the mobilisation, America is set to become the
most exclusive club in the planet made next Latin American country. At present, four No-one has the power to deprive a person
all decisions of global importance. Britain, states feature non-Latino whites, or Anglos, of his culture, that is, of his essence. No
France, Russia, the US and China, the in the minority. The 2010 Census has shown good can come to a country that sows
Permanent 5 of the UN Security Council, that as many as twelve states will pass that seeds of hatred and revenge in the human
have held the privilege of deciding on milestone before the end of the decade. By breast. Humankind will not allow the
matters of war and peace, life and death, for 2040 the United States will be a ‘minority- squandering and ravaging of its flowers,
the rest of us. majority’ nation, irrespective of immigration. colours and scents.
It is a privilege, an all-exclusive prerogative. The new Latino face of America will have My friend, Mark Muller, I know, shares this
What justifies it? It may not be incidental that dramatic consequences for the political belief. He has been working hard for many
An extract from a message delivered by
the members of this select club represent future of the country and the world. How will years in defence of human dignity, and
Kurdish writer Yasar Kemal at last year’s
the two dominant features of 20th century it affect the ‘special relationship’ between continues his struggle with his program,
festival, in defence of mother tongue.
world history: imperialism and military might. Britain and the US, based upon an alleged “Travel Beyond Borders”, to ensure that in
After describing the assault on the Kurdish
historical and cultural continuity between the this world people will not be left with only a
That pattern is changing. At the meeting language in Turkey, Kemal issued this
two countries? Is Britain prepared for a non- single flower, a single colour, a single scent
of the Doha Round in Cancún in 2003, message:
Anglo United States? or a single language.
a group of developing countries led by ‘To survive, a language cannot exist only
Art, true art, stands against oppression,
Brazil and Argentina rejected decisions By hosting the second BRIC-Summit and in the vernacular. A language will have a
violence, consumer greed, and every
taken by traditional stakeholders. Latin the fourth IBSA-Forum, with India and South spoken or written literature. In order for the
kind of inhumanity. Art, any form of art, is
America’s international leadership Africa, Brazil shows the way. Recognition language of a people to survive, it must be
a rebellion.
reflected transformations within the region: of Brazil’s momentum helps us coming taught, there must be institutes, academies
democracy’s entrenchment, grassroots to terms with a wider phenomenon of and organisations for its preservation. Art warns people against lies, oppression,
commitment to human and social rights, historical significance: Latin America’s own meaningless never-ending wars and all
Happily humankind has begun to
the rise of indigenous and other traditionally ‘reformation’. Rejecting economic and forms of evil.
recognize that survival of languages and
subordinated peoples, and importantly, a ideological dogma, the continent dances its Sending you all my best wishes, I ask all
cultures is as essential for existence as is
departure from the strictures of economic way through the current crisis while most of you to continue our joint struggle.’
the survival of nature.
dogma. other regions, Europe in particular, stumble.
How wonderful to know that our world Yasar Kemal, Turkey, 2010
These changes are not limited to the So what if Latin America ruled the world? At
is still a garden of cultures where tens of
Americas south of the border. With Latinos the very least, we would all dance better.
thousands of flowers bloom.
on the rise in the US and increased political
10 Beyond Borders Books, Borders & Bikes 11
Benghazi or Bust! Sufism of Sindh
by Mark Muller Stuart QC by William Dalrymple
to the people of his beloved We talked all morning about the Sufism of “You must understand,” said Sain Fakir,
city, was dead. Both men Sindh, and Sain Fakir’s belief that it would putting a hand on his heart, “everything is
had understood the power never succumb to the Wahhabis. One of inside. This is what we believe. Both hell
of artistic ridicule and how Sain Fakir’s sons brought green tea, and we and paradise-- it is all within you. So few
it constituted one of the sat in the shade beside a bubbling runnel of understand...”
most dangerous threats for spring water as the midday desert sun beat “There is a story about the great Sufi saint
any dictator who depended down, sipping tea and tearing great flaps of Lal Shahbaz Qalander, which Sain Sahib
on fear to exercise power. newly cooked naan. Every so often father once taught me,” said Lal Peri.“ One day
And so it was that Gaddafi and son would burst into song, illustrating Lal Shahbaz was wandering in the desert
It was another breezy spring evening in ordered an assassin into Benghazi not to some theological point with a verse or two with his friend, Baha ud-Din Zakariya. It was
Benghazi as Quais Ahmed Hilal made his execute a renegade rebel leader but a young of the great epic of Sindh, the Risalo. winter, and evening time, so they began
way to the Quayside to work on his latest artist whose work had laid bare his inner
to build a fire to keep themselves warm.
offering. Good, he thought to himself, the core. Within a few short hours of his death
They found some wood, but then they
paint will dry quicker today, as he added the Quais too was to be found on the very walls
realised they had no fire. So Baha ud-Din
last remaining touches to yet another iconic he had sought to adorn, as images of him
suggested that Lal Shahbaz turn himself
image of the Libyan Revolution. Suddenly an were erected from a dozen vantage points
into a falcon and get fire from hell. Off he
unmistakable wisp rang out through the air. throughout the city. Quais had joined the
flew, but an hour later he came back empty
Quais briefly turned his head before the lone long line of honoured martyrs who had given
handed. ‘There is no fire in hell,’ he reported.
sniper’s bullet went thwack into his chest. their lives in defence of freedom and the
‘Everyone who goes there brings their own
Immediately he dropped to his knees as 17th of February Revolution. Within a day of
fire, and their own pain, from this world.’”
horrified bystanders screamed out in panic Quais’s execution, dozens of young people
as blood began to trickle onto the street. presented themselves at the blackened This is an extract from Nine Lives:
As his shattered torso fell to the ground the office next to the Courthouse in Benghazi In Search of the Sacred in Modern India,
image behind him came into view. It was of to offer to paint the city’s streets afresh with (Bloomsbury, 2010)
Colonel Gaddafi’s vengeful face emblazoned new biting images of Gaddafi. They came
in green, holding a black umbrella dripping not by chance but by moral choice. The
with blood for rain. It was to be Quais’s last Graffiti Revolution had begun.
piece of art. “The Graffiti King of Benghazi”, This is an extract from a forthcoming book,
who for a few short weeks through his Benghazi or Bust! Six Days During the Arab
revolutionary art had lampooned the “Mad Spring, by Mark Muller Stuart, which will be
Dog” of Tripoli and brought untold laughter published in 2012.
12 Beyond Borders Books, Borders & Bikes 13
The Future of Zimbabwe that the very sharp decline into chaos
occurred in Zimbabwe when the free press
era and refurbished and strengthened
immediately after independence remains
by Mordecai Mahlangu was muzzled or shut down and political
activities proscribed. The elections held in
largely intact. If political stability and the rule
of law were re-established in Zimbabwe,
2000, 2002, 2005 and 2008 were nothing putting the economy back on track would
the coalition Government that was but a fiasco and clearly not a reflection of not take too many years. Although a large
in place collapsed and the new the will of the people of Zimbabwe. In many number of Zimbabweans, particularly the
Prime Minister deployed a ferocious words, the unsettled political and economic relatively young of all races, have left the
brigade of North Korean trained situation in Zimbabwe is a product of the country looking for greener pastures, it
soldiers on what was effectively a failure of leadership but more seriously of the would not be a difficult matter to lure them
purge of parts of Midlands Province inability of leaders in power to yield to the back. Many of them have been unable to
and most of the Matebeleland will of the people. sink deep roots in their new found homes
Provinces of Zimbabwe. It is and miss their homeland. The only question
Notwithstanding the gloomy picture painted
estimated that no less than is when and not whether political change will
above, Zimbabwe has a future. It has
20,000 lives were lost and these come. My own feeling is that much sooner
a relatively educated and sophisticated
were mostly children and women. than many think and more certainly during
population which is hardworking. The
This sad chapter in the history of my lifetime.
Zimbabwe was born on the 18th of April infrastructure set up during the colonial
in 1981. This was a time of considerable Zimbabwe has never been properly dealt
excitement and hope. When the new Prime with although fully documented and the
Minister, Robert Gabriel Mugabe in an
address to the nation urged us all to beat
genocide undeniable.
After the first decade of independence,
James VI & I
our swords into plough shares, in spite of Zimbabwe experienced a decline in the by Allan Massie
the anxieties about the future, we were all performance of its economy as a result
hopeful that we could avoid mistakes which of mismanagement, corruption and
had been made by our brothers and sisters unwise economic policies. The answer On the ceiling of the banqueting hall in the met them, lend their memory a nobility
to the north of us. to this development was a World Bank Palace of Whitehall, Rubens depicted James their lives frequently lacked. James died, in
International Monetary Fund prescription VI & I as the “British Solomon”, dispensing ordinary and inglorious fashion, in his bed.
The first few years of independence saw
of harsh economic measures described justice amidst swirling Baroque clouds. Highly intelligent, a scholar and a poet, he
rapid economy growth, social and political
as an Economic Structural Adjustment Though the most successful of the Stuarts, was an unusual man to find on a throne,
stability and a feeling of contentment by
Programme. Far from improving things he has more often attracted ridicule than perhaps the only king of either Scotland or
many. For the lawyers however, the concern
economic, the step was retrogressive, the admiration; the Duc de Sully, chief minister England who may reasonably be styled an
was that all the repressive legislation that
economy worsened and the politicians lost of his cousin Henry IV of France, called intellectual. He liked to call himself “the great
was in our statute books was retained intact.
all popularity. It was then that Mr Mugabe’s him “the wisest fool in Christendom”. His schoolmaster of the realm”, and it is easy to
A few years after independence, it was to
grip on power loosened and his popularity mother Mary has never lacked devotees. imagine him as a university don, witty and
be employed fully by the new Government
declined dramatically. By the late nineties, Nor has his son Charles. Their deaths on eccentric, admired by some students and
of an independent Zimbabwe. What is more
it was clear that he was no longer the scaffold, and the manner in which they mocked by others.
some three or four years into independence,
guaranteed to win an election. It was then
14 Beyond Borders Books, Borders & Bikes 15
The E-Book Revolution Dr Izzeldin Abuelaish
associated with Palestine, Israel, Gaza
by David Robinson Gazan surgeon Dr Izzeldin Abuelaish on why he will not
hate following the death of his three daughters during the
bombing of Gaza in 2009.
and the book has already been edited and
typeset. If you want to sell it yourself from a
reputable website, digitising downloadable
text won’t cost much more than £100. Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish, a Palestinian medical doctor who
was born and raised in the Jabalia Refugee Camp, is a
And there you are. A book that hasn’t had to
passionate and eloquent proponent of peace between
wait for months on publishers’ catalogues,
Palestinians and Israelis.
that won’t need to be warehoused and
won’t get stuck in a distribution chain. A Abuelaish has been an important figure in the Israeli-Palestinian
book that will also reward its author with relations for years, working in Israeli hospitals, treating Israeli
about double the percentage per sale than and Palestinian patients with the belief that health is an engine
a printed book publisher can offer. Izzeldin Abuelaish: for the journey to peace.
Sat 15.15 & 17.15
The downside? Without marketing, without In 2009, Dr. Abuelaish’s three daughters and neice were
word of mouth, it will sink into oblivion. Yet killed during the bombing of Gaza, minutes before he was
This is, publishers tell us, “the Kindle
with rise of the social networks, this needn’t due to speak on Israeli TV. This horrific tragedy did not harden
summer”. At festivals such as Books,
happen. If our hypothetical book about Syria Abuelaish’s heart; neither did it weaken his resolve to act for
Borders & Bikes you might even start seeing
really is direct, powerful, immediate – and if humanity. He continues to live up the description bestowed
something you won’t have ever noticed
it is taken up by the West’s opinion formers, upon him by an Israeli colleague, as a magical, secret bridge
before – audience members downloading
people with small armies of Facebook between Israelis and Palestinians. He has been invited to give
an intriguing-sounding title even before the
“friends” and hundreds of thousands of speeches across the world, including the European Parliament,
speaker has even finished talking about it.
Twitter followers - democracy might just the House of Commons and the American Congress. He
Our world IS that instant these days.
be about to discover its cheapest, most received the 2010 Mahatma Gandhi Peace Award of Canada,
For writers in the less fortunate countries, and was nominated for the Noble Peace Prize in 2010. He
effective, weapon yet.
the e-book revolution offers enormous has established The Daughters for Life Foundation which
David Robinson is Books Editor of The
potential. Suppose you live in Syria and advocates leadership, health and education for girls and
Scotsman. In Cold Ink, his book of literary
have already prepared, in English, a book women in the Middle East. I Shall Not Hate is his account
essays and interviews, has just been
giving essential background on the uprising of his extraordinary life.
published as an e-book on Amazon Kindle.
against the Assad dictatorship. Suppose
you have already designed a cover image
16 Beyond Borders Books, Borders & Bikes 17
David Starkey Mariella Frostrup
associated with England, Scotland associated with Africa, UK
David Starkey discusses his study Crown & Country: Mariella Frostrup on The GREAT Initiative, and the empowerment of
A History of England through the Monarchy and why he women in Africa, in conversation with Marie Colvin and Petina Gappah.
claims that Scotland is “a feeble little country”.
Mariella Frostrup is an acclaimed broadcaster, journalist and
critic, known for her focus on artistic programming. She has
presented many different programmes over the years including
David Starkey is Honorary Fellow of Fitzwilliam College,
Panaroma and Open Book (Radio 4). As a journalist, Mariella is
Cambridge and one of Britain’s leading historians. He is the
film critic for Harpers & Queen and has a weekly column in the
author of many books, including ‘Elizabeth’, ‘Six Wives: The
Observer Magazine. As a respected critic, Mariella has sat on
Queens of Henry VIII’ and ‘Henry: Virtuous Prince’, which was
the judging panel for the Booker Prize and the Orange Prize for
described as a ‘masterpiece’ by the Sunday Times. He has
Fiction. Mariella’s foundation, The Gender Rights and Equality
guest-curated several major historical exhibitions, most recently Mariella Frostrup: Action Trust (The GREAT Initiative) aims at fostering gender
Henry VIII: Man and Monarch at the British Library. His television Sun 18.00 & 19.15
equality and raising awareness and funds to support the grass
documentaries on Elizabeth I and The Six Wives of Henry VIII
David Starkey: roots gender equality projects in Africa and beyond.
have won record audiences on Channel 4. He is winner of the
Sat 14.00 & Sun 16.00
W.H Smith Prize for Biography and the Norton Medlicott Medal
for services to History presented by the Historical Association.
He is Hon. D. Ltt. of the Universities of Kent and Lancaster and Rashed Rahman
was made a CBE in 2007. He lives in London and Kent.
associated with Pakistan
Rashed Rahman in conversation with William Dalrymple on the
trials and tribulations of Pakistan.
Rashed Rahman is editor of the Daily Times, Pakistan’s major
English language newspaper. Rahman participated in the
Balochistan movement, an ongoing conflict between Baloch
nationalists and the government of the Islamic Republic of
Pakistan over the country’s largest province, Balochistan.
Rashed is a qualified Chartered Accountant, but decided to
take up a career in journalism. He writes extensively for the
Daily Times, and is former executive editor of English dailies
Rashed Rahman: published from Pakistan. His father was Justice S.A Rehman,
Sat 17.15 & Sun 14.00
former Chief of Justice of Pakistan’s Supreme Court.
18 Beyond Borders Books, Borders & Bikes 19
Gareth Peirce Mark Thomas
associated with Guantanamo, associated with Palestine, Israel, UK, Turkey, Columbia
Northern Ireland, UK, Iraq
Mark Thomas discusses his recent walk along the 700km Israeli
Civil rights lawyer Gareth Peirce on Guantánamo, Separation Barrier, documented in his book Extreme Rambling:
and the UK’s alleged complicity in torture, as she Walking Israel’s Separation Barrier, For Fun.
discusses her new book Dispatches From the Dark Side.
Gareth Peirce is a solicitor, known for her work in high profile Mark Thomas is a comedian, writer and political activist.
cases representing clients with Irish and Muslim backgrounds His acclaimed Channel 4 show The Mark Thomas Comedy
accused of terrorism. Gareth has become a key architect Product, which ran from 1996-2002, straddled comedy and
in the fight against anti-terrorism measures, representing politics – described as “a ludicrous alternative to Watchdog”
Moazzam Begg, a British-Pakistani Muslim who was detained - as Thomas used surreal methods to investigate politicians
in Guantánamo Bay. and corporations. Mark is chairman of the Ilisu Dam Campaign,
In her book Dispatches From the Dark Side, she looks at temporarily blocking the development of a large-scale
the British government’s involvement in torture which, if not hydroelectric dam in southeast Turkey, that would lead to the
Gareth Peirce: Mark Thomas:
Sun 15.00 accounted for, may destroy the moral and legal fabric it claims displacement of thousands, mainly Kurds, without adequate
Sun 17.00
to be protecting. compensation. He has written extensively including Belching
Out the Devil (2008), an expose of the Coca Cola Company.
In 2010, Mark walked the entire length of the 700km Israeli
Separation Barrier, crossing between the Israeli and Palestinian
Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu sides, documented in his book Extreme Rambling: Walking
associated with Sri Lanka Israel’s Separation Barrier, For Fun (2011).
Dr Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu on the responsibility to protect
in times of war, and the final months of Sri Lanka’s 25 year-long
civil war.
Dr Paikiasothy Saravanamutt is Executive Director of the Centre
for Policy Alternatives (CPA) an independent and non-partisan
public policy institute focusing on issues of democratic
governance, human rights and peace through programmes
of research and advocacy. He is the winner of the inaugural
Citizens Peace Award made by the National Peace Council
of Sri Lanka for 2010.
Dr. Saramavamuttu
20 Beyond Borders Books, Borders & Bikes 21
Sir Menzies Campbell Jonathan Powell
associated with UK and Scottish politics associated with England, Scotland, Northern Ireland
Former Lib Dem leader Sir Menzies Campbell in conversation Jonathan Powell on how to win and keep power, as he discusses
on the future of Scotland & the Union. his latest book, The New Machiavelli: How to Wield Power in the
Modern World.
Sir Menzies Campbell MP CBE QC is a British politician,
advocate, and Chancellor of the University of St. Andrews. Jonathan Powell served as the first Downing Street Chief
Called to the Bar in 1968, he was appointed a QC in 1982. of Staff under Tony Blair between 1997-2007. During this
After standing in various general elections from 1974, he was period, he played a key role in the formation of the Blair
elected as Member of Parliament for North East Fife in 1987 government foreign policy and political strategies. Most
and was awarded a CBE in the same year. As a politician notably, he was principal negotiator on Northern Ireland form
Campbell was appointed Deputy Leader of the Liberal 1997-2007 and was instrumental in bringing about peace
Democrats in 2003 and replaced Charles Kennedy as Leader through powersharing agreement. Jonathan is the only senior
Sir Menzies Campbell: in 2006. Sir Menzies was appointed a Privy Councillor in 1999
Sun 16.00 member of staff to serve with Blair from beginning to end of
and knighted in 2004. He is also known for being a successful Jonathan Powell:
his time as leader of the Labour Party. His latest book, The
Sat 16.15
athlete, competing in the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo. New Machiavelli reveals the inner workings of the new Labour
movement and the Blair years.
Mordecai Mahlangu
associated with Zimbabwe Ramy Essam
Human rights lawyer Mordecai Mahlangu
associated with Egypt
on the Rule of Law in Zimbabwe. Travel from Tahrir to Traquair with Egyptian revolutionary singer
Ramy Essam.
Mordecai Mahlangu was born in 1951 in Bulawayo,
Zimbabwe, and was educated at the University of Rhodesia. Ramy Essam is an Egyptian musician, known as the voice if
He is a legal practitioner of the High Court of Zimbabwe, the Egyptian uprising, dubbed ‘the Billy Bragg of Tahrir Square’.
admitted 1978. He is also a member of the International Bar Ramy began performing on the first day of the uprisings on
Association Law Society of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe 25th January in Mansoura, a northern city where he lived and
Lawyers for Human Rights. He has worked extensively in studied. By February, Ramy was performing countless times
human rights and aid, including a directorship at Climas a day on makeshift stages in Tahrir Square, most poignantly
Medical Aid Society. He enjoys tennis and golf, and lives in on 2nd February, ‘Bloody Wednesday’, when he continued
Mordecai Mahlangu: Harare with his wife and two children. to perform as Mubarak supporters rode into the square on
Sun 13.00
Ramy Essam: camels and horses to attack demonstrators. His song ‘Irhal’
Sat 17.15
(‘Leave’) became the anthem of the revolt and a huge viral hit
on the internet.
22 Beyond Borders Books, Borders & Bikes 23
Marie Colvin Mark Muller Stuart QC
associated with Libya, Sri Lanka, Chechnya, associated with Libya, Bahrain, Zimbabwe, Turkey
Kosovo, Yugoslavia
Mark Muller Stuart QC, director of Beyond Borders, talks
War correspondent Marie Colvin on the Arab Spring and to Dr Izzeldin Abuelaish, and introduces images from the
the power of democracy. Middle East.
Mark Muller Stuart QC is a senior advocate at Garden
Marie Colvin is an award-winning foreign correspondent for Court Chambers in London and the Faculty of Advocates in
The Sunday Times. Throughout her career she has covered Edinburgh, where he specialises in human rights, terrorism,
many conflicts around the globe, most recently Tunisia, Egypt public international law, and regularly advises bodies on
and Libya in the grip of the Arab spring. Although her area of humanitarian and conflict resolution issues. He is Chairman
speciality is the Arab and Persian world, she has also worked of the Bar Human Rights Committee, Secretary-General of
in Chechnya, Kosovo, Sierra Leone and Sri Lanka, where the Kurdish Human Rights Project and a Senior Advisor to
she was injured in an ambush by government soldiers. She the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue in Geneva, which has
Mark Muller Stuart: mediated a number of conflicts around the world. He is also
is a passionate advocate of the frontline war reporting, stating Sat 15.15 & 18.30
Marie Colvin: “Our mission is to report the horrors of war with accuracy a Senior Advisor to Intermediate, a new UK based mediation
Sat 17.15 & Sun 18.00 organization run by Jonathan Powell.
and without prejudice”. She has won many awards including
the British press award for “Best Foreign Correspondent” Mark is also a founding Director of Beyond Borders and
twice, for her work in reporting the conflict in Yugoslavia, Iran, the Delfina Foundation, both of which promote international
Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. Marie wrote and produced the dialogue through artistic and cultural exchange as a means to
BBC documentary Arafat: Behind the Myth and presented overcome conflict.
a documentary on Martha Gellhorn, the war correspondent
famed for her coverage of the Spanish Civil War.
Penny Smith
associated with UK
Penny Smith welcomes historian David
Starkey and journalist Bella Bathurst.
Penny Smith is a television presenter who worked for Sky
News, before becoming the presenter of `GMTV` with
Penny Smith:
John Stapleton. Penny has written for a number of national
Sat 11.15 & 14.00
newspapers, including columns in the Daily Mail, as well as
the Social Diary and Opera reviews for The Lady. She now
presents Market Kitchen on the Good Food Channel.
24 Beyond Borders Books, Borders & Bikes 25
Oscar Guardiola-Rivera Allan Little
associated with Colombia, South America associated with Eastern Europe,
the Middle East and Africa
Colombian philosopher Oscar Guardiola-Rivera on the Arab
Spring and the power of democracy. BBC’s special correspondent Allan Little on the future
of Zimbabwe, with Sir Kieran Prendergast and Petina Gappah.
Oscar Guardiola-Rivera is a Colombian writer based in London.
He writes poetry, philosophy, short fiction and non-fiction. His Allan Little is a special correspondent with the BBC, and
most recent work, ‘What If Latin America Ruled the World?’ has worked as BBC’s Africa correspondent (2000-2001), as
(Bloomsbury) has been included on the list of Books of the well as stints in Moscow, Yugoslavia and South Africa. Allan
Year and Best Non-Fiction in 2010 published by the Financial joined BBC Radio 4’s Today programme where he specialized
Times. It is also the winner of the 2010 Frantz Fanon Award, in foreign reporting, including the Revolutions of 1989 in
together with the famous Colombian writer Gabriel García Eastern Europe. From 1990 to 1995 Allan reported from
Márquez. He writes a weekly column in the Colombian Baghdad for the 1991 Gulf war and from Kuwait, covering
Oscar Guardiola-Rivera: newspaper El Espectador, and teaches International Politics, the Shia rebellions. Later, he spent two years as South
Sat 17.15 & Sun 17.00 Allan Little:
Philosophy & Law at Birkbeck College, University of London. Africa’s correspondent, during aftermath of the genocide in
Sun 13.00 & 15.00
Rwanda. He has won several awards including Bayeux War
Correspondent of the Year in 1994.
Olivia Laing
associated with Scotland, England
Sir Kieran Prendergast
From the source to the sea: Olivia Laing, writer and former associated with Zimbabwe, Turkey, Israel
Observer Deputy Books Editor, talks about her mesmerising
new book To the River. Sir Kieran Prendergast, former UN and British diplomat, on the
future of Zimbabwe, and in a panel discussion on the Arab Spring.
Olivia Laing is a writer and editor. Between 2007 and 2009,
she was the Observer’s Deputy Books Editor. She continues Sir Kieran Prendergast is a British diplomat and former Under-
to write and review extensively for the Observer, TLS, New Secretary-General for Political Affairs at the United Nations
Statesman and Guardian, among other publications, and has (1997-2005), where most notably he helped call attention to
been awarded the MacDowell Fellowship for 2011. She also human rights violations resulting from the War in Darfur.
has a first class BSc (Hons) in herbal medicine, and practised In 1982, he was appointed consul-general in Tel Aviv, Israel
as a medical herbalist for several years before becoming and later served as High Commissioner to Zimbabwe and
a journalist, specialising in the treatment of anxiety and Kenya, and as Ambassador to Turkey. Kieran is a member of
Olivia Laing: depression. She is based in Brighton.
Sat 12.00 Sir Kieran Prendergast: the Advisory Council of Independent Diplomat, and a Senior
Sat 17.15 & Sun 13.00 Advisor to the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue in Geneva.
26 Beyond Borders Books, Borders & Bikes 27
Petina Gappah Lord David Steel
associated with Zimbabwe associated with British politics
Petina Gappah talks to Allan Little and Lord Steel chairs a debate on the future of Scotland & the Union.
Mordecai Mahlunga about the future of Zimbabwe.
Lord Steel, Baron Steel of Aikwood is, a British and Scottish
Petina Gappah is a Zimbabwean writer with law degrees from politician and a Liberal Democrat member of the UK House of
Cambridge, Graz University, and the University of Zimbabwe. Lords. Lord Steel is part of several prestigious orders such as
Her short fiction and essays have been published in eight The Order of the Thistle, an order of chivalry associated with
countries. The Observer has noted that it is her ” frequent Scotland. He was leader of the Liberal Party from 1976 until its
humour in these stories that makes them remarkable. Often 1988 merger with the Social Democratic Party that formed the
satirical, occasionally lyrical, they are a delight.” She lives Liberal Democrats, and was briefly joint interim leader of the
in Harare, from where she writes, and chairs the Board of new party, then known as the Social and Liberal Democrats.
Lord Steel: He was also the first Presiding Officer of the Scottish
Harare City Library. Her story collection, An Elegy for Easterly
Petina Gappah: Sun 16.00
was published by Faber in April 2009, and was awarded the Parliament, holding that post between 1999 and 2003.
Sun 13.00 & Sun 18.00
Guardian First Book award. She is currently completing The
Book of Memory, her first novel.
Joseph Maxwell Stuart
associated with Scotland, Egypt, Jordan, Israel, Palestine,
William Burdett-Coutts Lebanon & Syria.
associated with Zimbabwe, England, Scotland
An exhibition of oil paintings following in the footsteps of
William Burdett-Coutts, founder of the Assembly Rooms, on the Orientalist painter David Roberts.
future of Zimbabwe, with Mordecai Mahlangu and Petina Gappah.
Joseph Maxwell Stuart has completed a B.A Honours Degree
William Burdett-Coutts was born in February 1955 in in Drawing and Painting at Edinburgh Art College. He now lives
Zimbabwe. He began his career as a theatre director in and paints in the Borders at his studio situated next to the
Scotland in the late 1970’s before setting up the Assembly Dawyck Arboretum near Peebles. His preferred mediums are
Rooms in 1981, which has just celebrated its 30th year. His oils and watercolour, painting landscapes mostly ‘in the field’.
contribution to the arts in Scotland was such that in 1987 he He particularly delights in the challenge of working directly from
went on to run Mayfest, Glasgow’s International Arts Festival nature, whenever possible. Joseph is currently working on a
for three years up to 1990, when the city was European City of painting exhibition “The Enduring Middle East” to be held in
Joseph Maxwell Stuart: 2012. This exhibition will include some 80 paintings of Egypt,
Culture. William became Artistic Director of Riverside Studios Sat 18.30
William Burdett-Coutts: in Hammersmith in October 1993, a multi-complex arts centre Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon & Syria, accompanied by a
Sun 13.00 new book showing links with an earlier voyage of discovery by
comprising three studios, a cinema and gallery space.
the renowned 19th century Orientalist, David Roberts.
28 Beyond Borders Books, Borders & Bikes 29
Catherine Muller Stuart William Dalrymple
associated with Scotland associated with India, Pakistan, Afghanistan
21st Lady of Traquair Catherine Muller Stuart with Allan Massie on William Dalrymple on the trials and tribulations of Pakistan,
tales of the Stuart Dynasty. and a British perspective on 19th-century rule in Afghanistan.
Catherine Muller Stuart is currently the 21st Lady of Traquair.
On graduating from LSE Catherine began a career of working
William Dalrymple is a Scottish-born historian and travel writer,
for a number of theatre companies in Scotland and England.
and expert on India and the Muslim world. All seven of his
In 1990, she returned to Traquair, her family home and took
books have won major literary prizes; his first book In Xanadu
over the management of Traquair House and its associated
(1989) became a highly acclaimed bestseller, and was written
businesses including the Traquair Brewery. Over the past
when he was only 22. In 1989, Dalrymple moved to Delhi,
20 years she has been actively involved in tourism, the arts,
where he lived for six years researching City of Djinns, which
heritage and business both locally and nationally. She has
went on to win the Sunday Times Young British Writers of the
Catherine Muller Stuart: been a board member of the Scottish Enterprise Borders
Sun 12.00 Year Award. Age of Kali, a collection of writing on India, won
and non-Exec director of Border TV. She has also been William Dalrymple: the French Priz D’Astrolabe in 2005. Dalrymple is fellow of the
actively involved in politics standing as a Labour candidate for Sat 13.00 & Sun 14.00
Royal Society of Literature and the Royal Asiatic Society, and
Westminster and Scottish parliamentary elections.
is co-director of Asia’s largest literary festival, held in the city
of Jaipur. The Royal Scottish Geographical Society awarded
Dalrymple the Mungo Park Medal in 2002 for his “outstanding
Magnus Linklater contribution to travel literature”. He divides his time between
London and Delhi. His latest book, Nine Lives: In Search of
associated with UK, Scotland
the Sacred in Modern India portrays nine spiritual seekers
Magnus Linklater interviews Jonathan Powell, as he talks about living across India.
his new book on the Blair years, The New Machiavelli: How to
Wield Power in the Modern World.
Magnus Linklater is the Scottish Editor of The Times. He is a
former editor of The Scotsman, a position held between 1989-
1994, and was chairman of the Scottish Arts Council 1996-
2001. During a 25-year career in Fleet Street, he worked at the
Daily Express, Evening Standard, Sunday Times and Observer,
as well as editing The London Daily News. In Scotland, he
presented the current affairs programme ‘Eye to Eye’ in the late
1990s. He holds honorary degrees from Napier, Aberdeen and
Magnus Linklater: Glasgow Universities. He has written several books on current
Sat 13.00 & 16.15
affairs and Scottish history.
30 Beyond Borders Books, Borders & Bikes 31
Teun Voeten Des Browne
associated with Libya, Afghanistan, Iran, Egypt associated with Europe, Afghanistan and Scottish politics
Benghazi Speaks: Revolutionary Images from the Libyan Uprising, Des Browne in conversation with William Dalrymple on 19th and
caught by Teun Voeten in Libya this Spring. 20th-century British rule in Afghanistan.
Dutch photojournalist Teun Voeten has covered conflict in Des Browne is a British Labour Party politician who was the
Yugoslavia, Haiti, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan. His MP for Kilmarnick and Loudoun from 1997 to 2010. He was a
photographic images of revolutionary graffiti were taken in Libya member of the Cabinet under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown,
in Spring 2011, during the uprisings against Gaddafi. until the latter moved him from both Defence and Scottish
Secretary in 2008. His early contributions in the Commons
were largely on social security reform and the Child Support
Agency. He also made use of his expertise on human rights
law to support the incorporation of the European Convention
Teun Voeten Des Browne: on Human Rights into UK law.
Sat 13.00
Jason McCue Allan Massie
associated with Africa, Libya associated with Scotland, England
Human rights lawyer Jason McCue on The GREAT Initiative, and The Stuart Dynasty In the Scottish Borders: Allan Massie in
what men and women must do to redress gender imbalance. conversation with Catherine Muller Stuart on the legacy of
the Stuart Dynasty.
Jason McCue is the founder and senior partner of McCue
& Partners. He is an internationally recognised expert in Allan Massie is a Scottish writer and journalist who lives in the
human rights, victims’ rights, domestic and cross-border Scottish Borders. After University he taught for some years in
litigation, transitional justice, peace and reconciliation, Scotland and Italy before becoming a full-time writer. He has
conflict-resolution and negotiation. Jason is a leading written more than twenty novels including a series of historical
international figure in crisis management and resolution and ones set in Ancient Rome and a modern trilogy, “A Question
is regularly called upon by heads of state, governments, of Loyalties” (1989), “The Sins of the Fathers” (1991) and
opposition groups, corporations or public figures to provide “Shadows of Empire” (1997). His most recent works of fiction
Jason McCue: advice on a broad array of issues, from commercial and are “Klaus and Other Stories” and “Death in Bordeaux”. His
Sun 19.15 Allan Massie:
private concerns to transitional justice schemes and non-fiction includes “Byron’s Travels” and”The Royal Stuarts”.
Sun 12.00
humanitarian matters. Jason was awarded U.K. Law He writes columns for The Scotsman, the Scottish Daily Mail,
Society’s Solicitor of the Year 2009-2010 and in 2011 was and The Spectator. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of
honoured with a doctorate in law for, amongst other things, Literature and a Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
his work on human rights issues in Africa.
32 Beyond Borders Books, Borders & Bikes 33
Bella Bathurst John Nichol
associated with UK, Scotland John Nichol is an writer, storyteller, song-smith and poet. He
has worked extensively in both community and professional
Bella Bathurst talks to Penny Smith about her Bicycle Book,
theatre for 30 years, with nearly 40 musicals under his belt and
and also cycles from Neidpath to Traquair.
as many plays and pantomimes. He is also a recording artist
Bella Bathurst is a writer and photographer. Her first book, ‘The and has worked in film, television and radio. He has written
Lighthouse Stevensons: The Extraordinary Story of the Building and performed 9 shows at the Fringe, all of which received
of the Scottish Lighthouses’, was shortlisted for the Guardian excellent reviews.
First Book Award and won the Somerset Maugham Prize.
John Nichol: Sat & Sun 9.00
Her novel ‘Special’ was published in 2002 to wide acclaim,
and ‘The Wreckers’ was shortlisted for the Crime Writers’
Association Gold Dagger Award. Her latest book, ‘The Bicycle
Book’, has received blanket praise since it was published
Mary Kenny
Bella Bathurst: in April 2011. She has written for the Observer, Telegraph, Mary has extensive experience as a traditional storyteller with
Sat 9.00 & 11.15
Sunday Telegraph and Guardian, among many others. people of all ages and abilities, and is an established member
of the Scottish Storytelling Directory. A visual artist and sculptor
for 30 years, Mary’s studio ‘Little Art House’ is in the grounds of
James Runcie Traquair House. Originally from the Midlands, the Borders has
been home for many years.
associated with Scotland, UK
Acclaimed author James Runcie talks to writer and journalist
Mary Kenny: Sat & Sun 10.00
Olivia Laing about her mesmerising new book To The River.
James Runcie is the Artistic Director of the Bath Literary
Festival and author of four novels, The Discovery of Fiona J Houston
Chocolate, The Colour of Heaven, Canvey Island and
East Fortune. He is also an award-winning film-maker In 2005 Fiona Houston (aka Fi Martynoga) was challenged to
and theatre director and has scripted several films for BBC prove her claim that people ate better two hundred years ago
Television. James Runcie lives in Edinburgh with his wife than they do now. In order to keep to the almost entirely local
and two daughters. food of her rural ancestors, she immersed herself for a whole
year in the lifestyle of the 1790s, writing about it each month for
James Runcie: The Herald. She has since brought out a fuller account,
Sat 12.00 The Garden Cottage Diaries, and continues to lecture about her
year’s experiment not simply for its historical interest but because
Fiona J Houston: it reflects on how we currently live. Fi has also contributed to
Sat 10.00
Woodlanders, a book about people who live in, or work with,
wood, and has recently edited A Handbook of Scottish Trees.
34 Beyond Borders Books, Borders & Bikes 35
A festival
of literature
and thought
Books
Borders
36 Beyond Borders
and Bike
