Forthcoming Literary Events

Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2010
Diane Atkinson and two well-known Scottish actresses Pauline Lockhart and
Clare Waugh bring the story of Elsie Knocker and Mairi Gooden-Chrisholm,
the most famous women of the Great War, to life.

Previews: August 4-5 at 4pm (for one hour) Tickets £6.00 concessions £5.00
Performances:
August 6-7, 9-14, 16-20 at 4pm (for one hour) Tickets £8.00 concessions £6.00

Tickets: at the Fringe Box Office and the venue from 3.30 pm before each performance at 4 pm
Location: Venue 198, Dovecot, 10 Infirmary Street, Edinburgh EH1

For more information and tickets:
www.edfringe.com


Past Literary Events

Woman's Hour - Radio 4
Diane Atkinson will be discussing the publication of her latest book,
Elsie and Mairi Go to War
Tuesday 7 July 2009, 10:00-11:00

Did you miss the programme? Click on the link below to listen now online

For more information:
www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour

Book Launch - Elsie and Mairi Go to War
Tuesday 7 July 2009

Click on the photo's for a larger view

launch1 launch2 launch3 launch4 launch5 launch6


Swiss Cottage Library

Diane Atkinson will be appearing on Saturday 11 July 2009 at 14:00

For more information:
www.camden.gov.uk

Dartington Hall Literary Festival

10 - 19 July 2009
Barn Theatre, Wednesday 15 July at 15:30


For more information:
www.wayswithwords.co.uk
www.artscouncil.org.uk

Fulham Library
Diane Atkinson will be giving a talk on Thursday 23 July 2009 at 19:30

For more information:
www.lbhf.gov.uk

Harefield Library
Diane Atkinson will be at Harefield Library on Monday 27 July 2009 at 19:00

For more information:
www.hillingdon.gov.uk

BBC Radio 5 Live
Diane Atkinson will be interviewed by Rhod Sharp on BBC Radio 5 Live for the Up All Night show on Wednesday 29 July 2009. The broadcast will be between 01:00-05:00
If you are unable to stay up late, the show is available on BBC iPlayer. Please follow the link below. The interview starts at 02:32

Did you miss the programme? Click on the link below to listen now online

For more information:
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer

Kingston Library
Diane Atkinson will be talking at Kingston Library on Thursday 30 July 2009 at 19:00

For more information:
www.kingston.gov.uk

BBC Radio Solent
Elsie and Mairi Go to War has been chosen for Charlie Crockers book club on Radio Solent. Diane Atkinson will be interviewed on Monday 3 August 2009 at 14:00

For more information:
www.bbc.co.uk

The London Writers' Club
Diane Atkinson will be introducing her new book at The London Writers' Club
on Tuesday 11 August 2009 at 18:30
Location: Clerkenwell House, 23-27 Hatton Wall, London EC1

For more information:
www.publishabestseller.com


Town Hall, Ieper, Belgium

Diane Atkinson will be speaking at the Town Hall in Ieper (Ypres) about her book,
Elsie and Mairi Go to War
, on Thursday 8 October 2009 at 20:15

The Town Hall (Nieuwerck) can be found on the east wing of the Cloth Hall (Lakenhallen) housing the In Flanders Fields Museum

For more details visit
Di's blog

For more information:
www.inflandersfields.be

National Library of Scotland

Elsie and Mairi Go to War has been chosen as the Book of the Month in October 2009 by the National Library of Scotland. Diane Atkinson will be narrating the story of Elsie and Mairi Go to War while actresses
Jennifer Black and Pauline Lockhart speak the words of Elsie and Mairi's letters and diaries. The event takes place at the National Library of Scotland on Thursday 12 October 2009 at 19:00, tickets are available from Duncan Welsh. Please follow the link below for contact and address details.

For more details visit
Di's blog

For more information:
www.nls.uk


Imperial War Museum Shop Book Signing
Diane Atkinson will be signing copies of her book, Elsie and Mairi Go To War onSaturday 7 November 2009 from 10:00 onwards.

Staging the Image:
Photography, Documentation, Collaboration and Performance

Saturday 12 December 2009 at 14:00 – 17:00
Dovecot, 10 Infirmary Street, Edinburgh EH1 1LT

Innovative Craft are delighted to present a special free event in response to the Image/Craft exhibition, juxtaposing contrasting perspectives on themes of photography, documentation, collaboration and performance.

Please let us know as soon as possible if you would like to attend as places are limited

There are two linked parts to the afternoon. In the first part, Jeanette Sendler,
Fibre Artist and Costume Performance Designer, and Joanna Kane, Visual Artist and Photographer, will talk about their collaborative work and processes, and show images exploring the contexts of their powerful image shown in the exhibition. The image was created during a performance at Brompton Cemetery, London in 1999: an Emerging Properties collaboration of poetry, costume and dance.

In the second part, Diane Atkinson, Author and Social Historian, will narrate the extraordinary story of Elsie Knocker and Mairi Gooden-Chisholm, who operated a first aid post on the Western Front in the First World War, and Jennifer Black and Pauline Lockhart, Actors, will speak Elsie and Mairi’s own words, taken from their letters and diaries. A slide show of images of the two women will play throughout the performance.

At the end, there will be an opportunity for questions and informal discussion with the participants, and Diane will sell and sign copies of her new book, Elsie and Mairi Go to War: Two Extraordinary Women on the Western Front. The book will be available at a special discounted price for this event only.

Further Information

Ghost Letters
The original series of costumes for the Ghost Letters performance, a collaboration of poetry, costume and dance set at Brompton Cemetery and directed by Nicola Dahlinger in 1999, were created by Jeanette Sendler for a chorus of dead souls. After the production was finished, Joanna Kane continued to work with the set in a variety of different locations, creating a series of strong photographic images. Joanna has a particular interest in the role of photography as documentation, as highlighted by her solo show The Somnabulists at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in 2008.

Elsie and Mairi Go to War
Elsie Knocker and Mairi Gooden-Chisholm met through their passion for motor-biking, and when war broke out they joined Dr Hector Munro’s Flying Ambulance Corps and went to Belgium as ambulance drivers. Opening a first-aid post at Pervyse, just yards from the German trenches, they patched up wounded soldiers in difficult and dangerous conditions.  Widely known as the ‘Madonnas’ of Pervyse, they were awarded 17 medals for their courage under fire. It was not all grisly: when they could they partied hard; Elsie married a Belgian baron in 1916 and Mairi had a special friend who was killed in 1917. After being at the most dangerous party in the world for three years, they were almost killed in a gas attack in the spring of 1918 and forced to return to England.


National Army Museum
Diane will be presentating her new book Elsie and Mairi Go to War.
A book signing after the presentation.
National Army Museum on Thursday 4 February 2010 at 12:30


For more information:
www.national-army-museum.ac.uk

Marlborough Local History Society
Diane will be holding a PowerPoint presentation whilst speaking about her book
Elsie and Mairi Go to War. There will also be a book signing.
Marlborough Local History Society, St. Peter's Church, Marlborough, Wiltshire
on Thursday 4 February 2010 at 19:30


For more information:
www.marlboroughhistory.org.uk


Bath Literary Festival
Diane will be speaking at the festival on Saturday 27 February 2010, 14:45 - 15.45

For more information:
www.bathlitfestl.org.uk


Words by the Water: Cumbrian Literature Theatre Festival
Diane Atkinson will be speaking about her new book, Elsie and Mairi Go to War whilst using visual images shown in her presentation. There will also be occasion to sign copies.
Cumbrian Literature Theatre Festival, Theatre by the Lake, Keswick
on Wednesday 10 March 2010 at 11:45


For more information:
www.marlboroughhistory.org.uk