@ Edinburgh International Book Festival, on Sun 16 Aug 2015 @ 20:45

The Edinburgh International Book Festival does an excellent job of pairing new and exciting writers together to present engaging events. The two emerging authors for this evening have both found success away from the page as performers in different storytelling mediums.

Tim Clare is a ‘Stand Up Poet’ and was last seen in Edinburgh with a Free Fringe show in 2014. Colin MacIntyre on the other hand is a successful songwriter and musician who performs under the name Mull Historical Society. Earlier this year the writers put out their debut novels. MacIntyre released The Letters of Ivor Punch and Clare debuted with The Honours. Both the novels are nominated for the First Book Award at the Festival, where they are competing for the prize with another 54 books. It’s a long and impressive list.

The event was chaired by Ryan Van Winkle (an Edinburgh based poet who occasionally collaborates with musicians) who was a perfect host for the evening. Tim Clare’s The Honours is a novel set in Norfolk during 1935 and is told from the perspective of Delphine Venner, a young 13 year old girl. The Letters of Ivor Punch is set in modern times on an Island of the West coast of Scotland. Ivor Punch is an old man who sends letters to Barrack Obama to divulge secrets from the island.

Both novels have various similarities, such as the fact that the protagonists bare little resemblance to their creators. This topic is highlight by Van Winkle and an engaging conversation about research, fantasy and various literary influences ensues. This ignites the passion that both writers have for storytelling. The conversation is fluid between both authors, who talk eloquently about the writing process and how their different backgrounds prepared them for their debut novels.

It will be hard decision for the attendees of the Edinburgh Book Festival to determine the winner of the First Book Award. Both Clare and MacIntyre have released engaging and personal books. Tonight’s event presented two novels that are worthy of many awards and introduced the books to an eager and attentive audience.