Roots and Rituals – A Photography and Writing Workshop

Join Laura Fyfe, Stirling Makar, and Janie Meikle Bland, organiser of the Stirling Photography Festival, for an ekphrastic workshop at the Book Nook Stirling. Janie will present and discuss some of her favourite images from this year's festival, then Laura will lead us in some writing exercises. We’ll consider the historical and geographical beauty of Stirling, as well as its people and character. We’ll invite you to consider not only the image that appears at first glance in a photograph, but what’s beyond the surface, our place in the world, the past, and what’s yet to come. Poems (and short prose) from the day may be selected to appear in the future Stirling Photography Festival publication featuring opposite the photography that inspired them.

Both Laura and Janie have proven track-records of providing fun and stimulating workshops across Scotland, including their Stirling Photography Festival collaborations. Laura Fyfe is Stirling’s Makar (Laureate,) as well as a Buddhist poet and lapsed parachutist. She lives right here in river deep, mountain high Stirlingshire. Her poetry has been published in acclaimed lit mags including Gutter and Butcher’s Dog, and shortlisted in the Bridport and Plaza Prose-Poetry Prizes. Her first poetry collection, The Truth Lies, is available from Red Squirrel Press. Her second, Endless Blue is forthcoming with Stewed Rhubarb. Laura’s non-fiction books Wellspring and Magpie Mind draw on her experience as a writing mentor, helping writers defeat procrastination and inspire creativity.

Janie Meikle Bland is a social entrepreneur with a career in people development, all the projects she is involved in are designed to develop skills, inspire creativity and build community. Over the years she has collaborated in her creative endeavours with - amongst others - a baker, a mosaic maker, a poet and a punk band! As founder and creative director of the Stirling Photography Festival, Janie works with an enthusiastic team of volunteers to deliver a fantastical festival, which has twice been shortlisted for our Outstanding Contribution to the City of Stirling. In 2024 she was sworn in at Stirling Castle's Chapel Royal as one of the city's first female Birlawmen!

Our event is part of Book Week Scotland 2024 and is kindly hosted in the Book Nook, Stirling. Please contact us beforehand (up to two days before) if you have any accessibility requirements.

This event is supported by Book Week Scotland 2024 event funding.