Fantastic Forres children's book launched at town's Tolbooth and Highland Games
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A NEW children’s book about Fantastic Forres has had a public launch.
Folk who supported local author Ewen Watson and his friend, German illustrator Sathya Schlösser, during the production of the book were invited to the Tolbooth on Friday, July 7 to meet the pair and hear about the process.
Ewen and Sathya publicly launched the book at Forres Highland Games the next day.
Ewen said: “Both launches went really well. The private event took place in the Tolbooth Courtroom where we gave a making of’ projection presentation. It was nice to thank everyone who fact-checked, proof-read and funded our book.
“We were delighted with the turnout and interest, and were flooded with book sales and signings.”
Fantastic Forres sold over 200 copies across the launch weekend. It is available at https://www.fantasticforres.com/, Forres Coffee House, The Bike Bothy, Chimes, The Pantry and at Keepsakes, as well as at Nelson’s Tower.
Sathya came up with the tour guides for the book.
She said: “The most important thing is that children should connect with it so I created the characters of a red-haired girl called Morag and Hamish, her mischievous dog.
“We wanted to include interactive elements such as hidden objects, questions and pages that readers can rotate, to make the book fun for all ages.
“For example, Morag and Hamish lose objects on their journey and readers are encouraged to find them.
“Scotland’s flag and the rich nature here inspired me to choose the main colours of the book: white, blue and green with earthy brown and sandy beige tones.”
The pair explained their detailed research which included: mapping, visiting and photographing Forres’ most important buildings: taking notes from history books here, in Elgin and Edinburgh: and being inspired by a trip to Bologna Children’s Book Fair.
Sathya added: “I wanted the illustrations to be cute and colourful, as well as informative and full of detail, to explain as much as possible. I love a style that in Germany is called ‘Wimmelbild’. These are busy scenes with hidden objects like in the book series ‘Where’s Wally?’.”
The Bavarian-born illustrator also managed to include illustrations of many of the local people who helped with the book such as Forres Heritage Trust chairman George Alexander MBE, Friends of the Falconer Museum chairman Dr John Barrett and Moray Council archivist Graeme Wilson.
One of the guide’s many highlights is a cross section of the Tolbooth.
Sathya said: “It was fascinating to create the illustration of the Tolbooth and how it was used in the 1900s.
“Forres has a very interesting history. It has developed over the millennia from starting as a small settlement to becoming a trading town.
“I love Forres today because it is a quiet and friendly place with lots of woodlands and parks surrounding it ... and the seaside is just a few minutes away!”
During a page-by-page explanation, Ewen explained why the book focused on the town’s most well known historical figures, good and bad.
He said: “McVitie’s digestive biscuit manufacturer Alexander Grant was a generous man and Grant Park, which was gifted to the community, is such a huge part of our town’s identity.
“The Wolf of Badenoch was a horrible man and the most villainous character I researched. Macbeth was a bit of a villain too, based on Shakespeares’ portrayal, but it was interesting to learn that he was a wise leader who brought peace to Scotland.”
Sathya added: “It was surprising to me that Macbeth was a totally different person in real life. I’d only known the version of Shakespeare’s play from school!”
Ewen, also a local teacher and musician, is proud to have written a guide to the town he grew up in.
He finished: “My family helped shape my worldview and my love of my home town and its heritage. My dad used to tell me all about Forres’ history when I was growing up which inspired me to write the book.
“He, my grandad Jimmy - a world champion drum major - and his twin brother Bob have done a lot for our community, particularly with the Forres Pipe Band where they all performed and taught for decades.”
