Whit’s on this weekend?

Wondering whit’s on in Orkney this weekend? Well, look no further. The Orcadian is here with a quick guide  . . .

The Orkney Book Festival

The third Orkney book festival is currently underway, with events taking place in Kirkwall, Stromness, St Margaret’s Hope and Shapinsay.

Organised by the George Mackay Brown Fellowship, with its partners the Orkney Library and Archive and West Side Cinema, and funded by Creative Scotland and the OIC Culture Fund, an exciting line-up of events will share new writing in all the languages of Orkney, and explore links across the Atlantic and with the Caribbean, uncovering challenging journeys, dislocation and connections.

This weekend will see Shetland poet Christine de Luca award prizes for this year’s George Mackay Brown Fellowship/ Wirdsmit writing competitions for adults and children, celebrating both Magnus 900 and Stromness 200, in the Orkney Library and Archive on Saturday, November 11.

Also on Saturday, Orkney writers Emma Grieve, Simon Hall and Morag MacInnes will read, joined by other writers in an Orcadian open mic session in the Orkney Library and Archive.

Jane Harris, Harry Giles, Robert Alan Jamieson and Jocelyn Rendall will be doing readings on Saturday, in the St Magnus Centre, Kirkwall.

The following day, Sunday, will see a dialect forum chaired by writer and local businessman Duncan McLean take place in the Warehouse Buildings, Stromness, with Christine de Luca, Harry Giles, Simon Hall, Robert Alan Jamieson and Morag MacInnes. The closing event of this year’s festival will be a reading on Sunday, November 12, at the Stromness Town Hall with Christine de Luca, Amy Liptrot and Tim Morrison.

To see more about the events visit the George Mackay Brown Fellowship website and Facebook page.

Film Fortnight

Orkney’s two-week celebration of film, Film Fortnight, is also currently underway with events being held throughout county.

This is the first year that the series of events has been held and the fortnight has been hosted by West Side Cinema, Phoenix Cinema, Gable End Theatre and Screen in the Square.

As Film Fortnight enters its second week, this weekend will see films shown In Kirkwall, Stromness, Flotta and Hoy.

Among this weekend’s events, Saturday and Sunday will see the 80-seat mobile cinema The Screen Machine set up in Flotta to show Blade Runner 2049 and IT.

For the full schedule of events click here.

Orkney Rocks! Debut album launch

Orkney’s very own rock choir, Orkney Rocks!, are getting ready to launch their debut CD tonight, Friday, with a special event being held at Kirkwall’s, The Sound Archive.

Entitled Our Favourites, the new compilation was recorded at Iolair Sound Studios and marks a huge milestone for the choir, which was started in 2012 by Cheryl Gould, Cameron Stout and Elaine Bain.

“I am so proud of all the choir members, you have no idea,” said musical director Elaine.

“I cannot believe we will have a CD for sale in Grooves and which can be downloaded on iTunes — it’s totally mad!

“We have to pinch ourselves that in September 2012, we put out a few chairs, and hoped that some folk would come along to the first rehearsal — we were so surprised when the hall filled with folk!”

For more information on the event click here.

Remembrance Sunday

Armistace day and Remembrance Sunday will be marked across Orkney this weekend.

This year is particularly significant as it marks the 100th anniversary of two major battles of the First World War — Passchendaele and Arras.

A moving tribute to all 173 Orcadians who lost their lives in 1917 alone has been co-ordinated and created for display in the Kirkwall branch of the Royal British Legion, on Junction Road.

Events will be held around Orkney to mark the contributions of those servicemen and women who have served in conflicts.