Literary World Gathers for NouFest

[Kintyre Forum News]

Politicians, writers, social activists, artists, musicians and poets will gather in Carradale from May 10 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Naomi and Dick Mitchison’s arrival in the village in May 1938 – an event that changed the lives of local residents forever. The three-day inaugural NouFest will feature a wide range of local and national talent, all of whom will remember the life and work of one of Scotland’s greatest icons, Naomi Mitchison.

MSP and Education Minister Mike Russell, who is a writer as well as a politician, will be attending to pay homage to a fellow artist and policymaker. He said: “This festival is a long overdue celebration of an enormous and influential talent. Naomi Mitchison is a writer of great range and considerable intensity. Politicians feel particularly close to her because she served as an elected representative and her novel about that experience – Lobsters on the Agenda – is a great portrait of place, time and happening. I am greatly looking forward to the events and I congratulate the foresight and enthusiasm of those responsible.”

Naomi enjoyed a long and deep relationship with Argyll and Bute and its people, starting with her purchase of Carradale House in May 1938. This year is the 75th anniversary and to mark the occasionArgyll & Bute council has funded a revised and extended version of an exhibition originally created by The National Library to celebrate the author’s 100th birthday in 1997.
NouFest – so called after the nickname used by Naomi Mitchison’s grandchildren – will be held in Carradale Village Hall over the weekend of Friday 10 to Sunday 12 May.
It will be opened by her grandson Neil Mitchison and will feature panels displaying Naomi’s life, in particular her time in Carradale. There will also be entertainment from local artists celebrating Naomi Mitchison’s lasting legacy in Carradale and talks by academics who have studied her work.
NouFest opens with a dramatised reading of Naomi’s poem The Alban Goes Out by local actors Jane Dunbar and Shelagh Cameron, with images of fishing life by Lachie Paterson. There will be canapés of local food and drink kindly provided by Mull of Kintyre Cheese, The Old Smokehouse, Argyll Bakeries and Springbank Distilleries. This will be followed by a hot and cold buffet and a traditional dance with the wonderful Archie McAllister’s band. Fresh from Brave, the movie, well known piper Lorne MacDougall will be present to pipe at this historic occasion. He will be joined by regular accordionist at The Big House, Alex McKinnon, to recreate the ambiance of the past era of Naomi’s life.
The Saturday concert features not only Lorne and Alex but also The Twisted Melons, who launched their debut music written for three of Naomi’s poems at the preview of The NouFest Festival in The National Library of Scotland on Thursday 2nd May.
Donald Smith, Director of The Storytelling Centre who also presented a short piece to celebrate Naomi’s work at the same event, will premiere his especially created piece of storytelling for the show on Saturday about one of Naomi’s book set in Carradale, The Bull Calves.
Also appearing at the concert are popular singers and songwriters Duncan McCrone and Cy Jack, whose fishing songs are legendary in Scotland.Local artists will also sing well-kent songs and recite Naomi’s poetry.The MC for the Saturday evening is raconteur and after-dinner speaker Matthew Paterson, whose wit and wisdom of Old Carradale’s characters will bring a sparkle to the proceedings.

The NouFest exhibition will remain in Carradale for one week from Saturday May 11 before touring Argyll & Bute and throughout Scotland.

Argyll & Bute Council’s Depute Lead Councillor for Culture Louise Glen-Lee said: “The Council is delighted to support these events. It is important that Naomi Mitchison is being remembered and honoured in this way. Her life and work provide true inspiration to women everywhere, and her sense of place and community has a lasting resonance. She was dedicated to Argyll.”