Inverness to celebrate work of award-winning Highland author at public conference

- “Defying Genre” Conference to explore Michel Faber’s work – - Members of the public invited to attend – - Registration still open -

Around 20 academics from as far away as Italy, Spain, Australia and the USA will descend on Inverness College UHI this week for the first ever conference dedicated to celebrated Highland author, Michel Faber.

Hosted by the University of the Highlands and Islands, the “Defying Genre: Michel Faber” conference will explore the award-winning author’s work, whilst Faber himself will give a reading, share some unpublished works and engage directly with the speakers’ papers.

Members of the public are invited to attend, with tickets for the full conference costing just £15 including refreshments and lunch on Friday.

The author shot to fame with his first novel, Under the Skin, and won the 2015 Saltire Book of the Year award for A Book of Strange New Things. His first poetry collection, Undying: A Love Story, was published earlier this month by Canongate.

Speaking of the event, Dr Kristin Lindfield-Ott, programme leader for BA (Hons) Literature and BA (Hons) History and Literature at the University of the Highlands and Islands, said: “We are very excited to be hosting the first ever academic conference on Michel Faber’s work here in Inverness. Popular at home as well as abroad, his writing is only just beginning to receive critical scholarly attention.

“We look forward to discussing his extensive and varied portfolio with colleagues from around the world and sharing our research with the public.”

Born in Holland and raised in Australia, Mr Faber has lived and worked in Ross-shire for more than 20 years.

Mr Faber’s first published book was a collection of short stories, Some Rain Must Fall, in 1998.

Of the stories, the title piece won the Ian St James Award in 1996, “Fish” won the Macallan Prize in 1996, and “Half a Million Pounds and a Miracle” won the Neil Gunn Award in 1997.

Under the Skin, published in 2000, was translated into many languages and was shortlisted for the Whitbread First Novel Award. Set on the A9 Perth to Thurso road, it was recently adapted into an award-winning film directed by Jonathan Glazer and starring Hollywood actor Scarlett Johansson.

The conference is taking place Thursday 21 and Friday 22 July at the Inverness College UHI building at Inverness Campus.

For more information please or to register to attend, visit www.defyinggenreblog.wordpress.com/ or contact Kristen.Lindfield-Ott.ic@uhi.ac.uk