Faclan: Fèis Leabhraichean Innse Gall
Ma bheir sibh sùil bheag air suidheachadh litreachas Innse Gall, an dà chuid a’ Ghàidhlig agus Beurla, ma dh’fhaodte gum bi sibh a’ beachdachadh carson nach eil Fèis leabhraichean air a bhith stèidhichte sna h-Eileanan roimh seo.
Bho ath-fhoillseachadh teacsaichean traidiseanta gus an leudachadh mòr ann an obraichean ùra, tha e coltach gu bheil an uiread de leabhraichean a chaidh an sgrìobhadh air cuspairean mu, à, neo ceangailte ris na h-Eileanan an Iar nas àirde na bha e a-riamh roimhe. ‘S ann tro bhàrdachd, fhicsean, an àrainneachd agus eachdraidh a tha na h-Eileanan air dearbhadh gu bheil iad air leth chudromach airson iomadh ùghdar. Tha an t-uabhas de leabhraichean ùra gam foillseachadh gach bliadhna a chumadh fiù ‘s an leughadair as dìcheallaiche a’ dol a dh’fheuchainn ri iad uile a leughadh.
Carson a tha fèisean leabhraichean cho tarraingeach? ‘S e cur-seachad aonarach, singilte a th’ ann an leughadh, agus tha leabhraichean (mar as trice co-dhiù) air an sgrìobhadh ann an seòrsa de chùbadh aonarach agus air an leughadh ann an sàmhchair. ‘S e rud prìobhaideach pearsanta a th’ anns a’ mhalairt eadar leughadair ‘s sgrìobhadair, ach tha fèisean leabhraichean a’ toirt dhuibh seòrsa de leigheas airson sin, àite far am b’ urrainn dhuibh cruinneachadh ri daoine eile, an t-eòlas a chompàirteachadh riutha agus a bhith an sàs anns na faclan sgrìobhte fhèin.
‘S mar sin, tha fèisean leabhraichean a’ toirt cothruim do dh’ùghdaran bruidhinn mun obair aca – rud bunaiteach mas e bàrd a th’ annaibh – agus seòrsa de chliù nan reul-ciùil fhaighinn a thèid na pàirt ri bhith na sgrìobhadair ainmeil. Bruidhnidh ùghdaran aig fèisean leabhraichean, mas leisg leotha neo nach leisg, agus gabhaidh luchd-èisteachd fiosrachadh a-steach agus uaireannan freagraidh iad air ais. ‘S e malairt bheachdan a th’ ann am fèis leabhraichean aig a’ char as lugha, ach aig a’ char as fheàrr ‘s e daingneachadh a th’ ann air sgrìobhadh as fhiach a leughadh.
A bharrachd air a’ phrògram fhoirmeil, thathar an dòchas gum bi fèis eile a’ tachairt aig an aon àm, fhad ‘s a bhruidhneas daoine ri chèile le glainne fìona agus san deasbad ‘s sgrùdadh às dèidh làimh sa chafaidh. Bidh prògram na fèise ag obair dìreach mar dhealbh-chùil airson sin, cruinn-shealladh timcheall air am bi daoine a’ cruinneachadh agus far am faigh na tachartasan a’ bheatha aca fhèin.
Tha fèisean leabhraichean a’ toirt àrd-ùrlair do sgrìobhadairean agus an cur nas fhaisge air na leughadairean aca. Ach, ‘s ann aig na fèisean leabhraichean as fheàrr a thachras rudeigin eile, rud nach eil cho furasta a mhìneachadh. Tha beachdan air an toirt seachad, còmhraidhean a’ gabhail slighean ùra, smuaintean air an toirt còmhla, buidhnean leughaidh a’ leudachadh agus uaireannan, eadar fealla dhà is dha-rìreabh, fhad ‘s a tha iad a’ gabhail deoch neo dha, tha daoine air am brosnachadh rudeigin a sgrìobhadh dhaibh fhèin.
Ach co-dhiù a thachras dìreach aon neo gach rud a tha seo, ‘s e fèis leabhraichean a th’ agaibh, agus aig an aon àm tha deagh leisgeul agaibh fois a ghabhail ‘s leabhar a leughadh eadar na tachartasan.
About the festival
A quick glance at the Hebridean literary scene, both Gaelic and English, may leave you wondering why there has never been a book festival on the islands before now.
From the re-publication of classic texts to the rapidly expanding canon of new work there appear to be more books written about, from and around Hebridean themes than ever before. Through poetry, fiction, the environment and history the islands have proved to be inspiration for countless authors. Each year brings a tranche of books that even the most dedicated reader would find hard to keep up with.
What is the draw of book festivals? Books are essentially singular pursuits, most commonly written in a kind of solitary confinement and read in an insular silence. The exchange on the page between the writer and reader is a private and personal one. Book festivals offer an antidote to that, a space to meet, share the experience and crowd in to commune with the written word.
That being the case book festivals offer a space for authors to talk out loud about their work — an essential requirement if you're a poet — and a the kind of minor pop stardom that is part of the deal of being a published writer. Reluctantly or not, at book festivals authors talk, audiences absorb and sometimes answer back. At the very least a book festival is an exchange of ideas, at their best they are an affirmation of writing is worth reading.
Aswell as the formal programme, it is hoped that another festival will take place at the same time, in the queues for the events, in encounters over a glass of wine, in the critical analysis afterwards in the coffee shop. The festival programme will just be the backdrop to that, a focal point around which people gather and events will take a life of their own.
Book festivals provide platforms for writers and make them that bit more accessible to their readers. But at the best book festivals something else, something almost intangible, happens too. Opinions are exchanged, conversations take new directions, ideas are shared, reading groups expand and sometimes, over a drink, between the words and the water, people become inspired to write something for themselves.
When just one or all these things happen, you have a book festival. Incidentally, you also get an excuse to sit back and read a book between events.
