Press Release
World Book Night at Shetland Library
Shetland Library is hosting a special event to celebrate reading on World Book Night, Saturday 5th March. World Book Night is a National book promotion being organised by The Reading Agency. Borrowing the theme of a new BBC2 programme, the Library’s event is called ‘My Life in Books’ and will feature local guests reading from some of the books that have meant most to them in their lives.
The many speakers will include Kat Brack, Gordon Dargie, Morag Nicolson, Jordan Ogg, Donald Anderson and Kate Sidra Ali. The books they have chosen are as wide ranging as Eustacia goes to Chalet School, Silas Marner and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. There will also be musical performances on the night, organised by Shetland Arts.
As well as the events being organised around the country this weekend, part of World Book Night is ‘book giving’: one million free books have been printed and are to be given away – in unexpected places - by volunteers round the UK. Library staff Morag Nicolson and Karen Fraser are two of Shetland’s ‘book givers’. Morag plans to give away her copies to passengers departing on the Northlink ferry, and Karen is going to distribute copies of Kate Atkinson’s Case Histories around the pubs of Lerwick.
Betty Fullerton, interim Chair of the SIC Services committee, said: “This is a good opportunity to promote books and reading, and I am very glad to see the Library at the centre of it.”