Literally@Newbattle is a collaborative venture involving a range of partners – Midlothian Council, Queen Margaret University, Scottish Mining Museum, Newbattle Abbey College and local writers’ groups. We will focus on engaging with children, young people and families in Midlothian through a diverse two-day programme.

Friday 26 April will be an event for primary schools, targeting specific schools in Midlothian. On Friday evening the college is delighted to host Karine Polwart, Pathhead-based songwriter, theatre maker, author and winner of the 2018 BBC Radio 2 Folk Singer of The Year award. Joining Karine will be Scots poet and novelist Jackie Kay MBE, FRSE. Jackie is the third modern Makar; the Scottish poet laureate. The evening celebrates the importance of poetry, storytelling and song in Scotland.

Saturday 27 April will offer a diverse programme of events for all ages, including; Gaelic storytelling, poetry and writing showcases, script-writing, and rap hip-hop workshops, contemporary fiction and crime panels.

Events for children are free. Ticket costs for other events will be kept at a reasonable rate to encourage the local community to get involved. We look forward to welcoming you to Newbattle. We hope that this initiative will be the first of many and will extend cultural opportunities in Midlothian for people of all ages.

Literally All Happening at Newbattle We are all very excited at Newbattle to be able to share the first Literally@Newbattle programme with you, see the Programme featured below and attached. There is a fantastic range of activities to suit everyone and the festival kicks off on the evening of Friday 26 April with Karine Polwart and Jackie Kay’s A Celebration of Scotland in Words and Song. Please note that this event is for over 16s only. Tickets are £15 which includes refreshments. On Saturday 27 April we have a great diverse programme of events for all ages which includes Gaelic storytelling, poetry and writing showcases, script-writing, and rap hip-hop workshops, contemporary fiction and crime panels. Tickets for Saturday events are free for children under 16 (but must be accompanied by an adult) and vary in cost for adults with some events being free while others costing £2.50 Please note that tickets are limited and must be booked in advance through Eventbrite: https://newbattleabbeycollege.eventbrite.co.uk Look forward to seeing you there. Please like and share on your Facebook and Twitter accounts and help us spread the news of Midlothian's first ever literary festival, many thanks. Literally@Newbattle's Gold sponsor is Thomas & Adamson, International Construction and Property Consultancy. Funding Partners: Educational Institution of Scotland and Awards for All Scotland Partner Organisations: Midlothian Council, Queen Margaret University, SEAM and Scottish Mining Mining Museum Find Out More