THE Edinburgh International Book Festival is behind LandWords, a new festival of words and stories at Falkirk's Callendar House next month in a partnership with the Falkirk Community Trust, which is the first of several out-of-Edinburgh events planned by the EIBF with Aberdeen, Galashiels and Inverclyde to come.

Events on May 14 and 15 include sculptor Andy Scott talking about the making of The Kelpies monuments in Falkirk, and James Robertson's Novel Histories, where he will discuss his career, beginning with Joseph Knight. Other names involved include Janet Paisley, Sara Sheridan and Gerry Cambridge and Peter Arnott.

edbookfest.co.uk

SCOTTISH Book Trust has announced that its four Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowships, involving a month-long writing residency in France, have been awarded to author Lucy Ribchester, journalist and non-fiction writer Claire Prentice, poet and performer Rachel McCrum and poet Stewart Sanderson. The fellowships were initiated in 1994 by Franki Fewkes, a Scottish RLS enthusiast, and is supported by Creative Scotland. Intended to give writers a chance devote time to their work, it provides residencies at the Hôtel Chevillon International Arts Centre at Grez-sur-Loing, at the edge of the Forest of Fontainebleau, chosen because of its connections with Robert Louis Stevenson who first visited in 1875 and there met his future wife Fanny Osbourne.

Travel and accommodation are paid for, and there is a grant of £300 per week to cover living expenses.

scottishbooktrust.com.