The Eighth Borders Book Festival brings four days of engaging, thought-provoking and inspirational talk and audience interaction down to Melrose in the Scottish Borders, with the beautiful Harmony House Gardens as a backdrop.
Michael Parkinson, Sarah Brown, Larry Lamb, Barbara Dickson, Maureen Lipman, Mark Beaumont, Tom Conti, Rory Bremner, Robert Powell and Rory McGrath, are just some of the big names to appear at this year’s Brewin Dolphin Borders Book Festival.
Other writers taking to the festival stage this year will be Alexander McCall Smith, Val McDermid, Michael Frayn, Bella Bathurst and David Mitchell talking about their latest work.
Much-respected broadcasters Edward Stourton, James Naughtie Kirsty Wark and Sally Magnusson will be sharing their views on the world; whilst bringing a lighter touch to the proceedings will be Rory Bremner, Rory McGrath and veteran thespian Tom Conti.
The programme includes a diverse range of subjects including history with Peter Snow and James Douglas-Hamilton, cookery with Jocelyn Dimbleby and archaeology with Time Team expert Francis Pryor.
A “book to screen” theme runs throughout the programme with events by Robert Powell talking about The Thirty-Nine Steps, David Rintoul and Vivien Heilbron on Sunset Song, an event on Dr Finlay’s Casebook and Ann Cleeves, whose crime series Vera, starring Brenda Blethyn, is due to be aired in May.
The winner of the second Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction, sponsored by the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch, will be awarded at the Book Festival and Alexander McCall Smith will be announcing a major new project: The Great Tapestry of Scotland, as well as hosting a reception in aid of Book Aid International.
The Family Book Festival is packed with favourites including Sir Charlie Stinky Socks author Kristina Stephenson, Vivian French, Debi Glori, Teresa Flavin, as well as a Flat Stanley workshop and Beast Quest Challenge alongside story time, rhyme time and free circus skills activities. The popular ‘Family Day Pass’ will again feature this year, which will be valid for the duration of the Book Festival.
The Schools Gala Day on 17th June, sponsored by Knight Frank for the sixth year running, is a special programme of events with authors, illustrators, storytellers, singers, archaeologists and historians, all aimed at nursery and primary children.
Sold-out events Michael Parkinson, Rory Bremner, Maureen Lipman and Tom Conti are being streamed to an overflow audience at the Morrison Hall at St. Mary’s School.
The Brewin Dolphin Borders Book Festival will this year be supporting two charities: Book Aid International and the local Borders Children’s Charity.
Alistair Moffat, festival director said: “The diversity, verve and sheer quality of this year’s programme makes it the best Borders Book Festival yet. Book Festivals are bucking the trend of the economic downturn proving, no matter what, there will always be a place in our lives for good literature and live debate. We look forward to welcoming everyone to Melrose again for such an occasion."
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