Break with tradition as literary association hold annual conference in Orkney
(Story dated: May 10, 2003)

Leading academics from as far afield as North America will be converging on Orkney for a literary conference this month.

Members of the Association for Scottish Literary Studies are holding their annual conference at the Orkney College over the weekend of May 24-25.

It is the first time that the association's annual conference has been held outwith a major Scottish university town.

Talks will be given on the importance of Orkney writers such as George Mackay Brown and Eric Linklater to English literature and an international perspective will be given by an Icelandic writer, Einar Karason.

All sessions are open to the public and there is a dinner with Orkney fare on the Saturday evening of the conference which can also be booked locally through the college.

Event organiser, Dr Donna Heddle who is senior lecturer in cultural studies at Orkney College, commented: "It is the culmination of a year of planning and quite a departure for the association, who usually meet in a university. It will allow local folk to celebrate their own literature and mix with academics.

"A number of lecturers from the United States and Canada have already booked a place at the conference. It should be an event which brings a different sort of cultural tourist to Orkney to discuss a living culture -of the past, present and the future.

"I see it as a recognition of the success of the cultural studies course which is centred on Orkney and delivered by experts right across the UHI Millennium network -from Unst to Campbeltown and from the Western Isles to Perth."

For details of the subjects to be discussed at the Association of Scottish Literary Studies conference and to book a place, people can contact Donna Heddle at the Orkney College on 01856 569000.