The sixth Borders Book
Festival kicks off on Thursday 18th June with sell-out talks by Michael Palin, Rory Bremner and John
Fortune and Gervase Phinn. But that is just the start of four days of
book events which cover current affairs, history, entertainment, travel and
music, as well as celebrating an eclectic mix of novelists, poets and
children's writers, and revealing the winner of the Scottish Mortgage
Investment Trust Book Awards.
With ticket sales up by 50%, and several events selling out
within days of the box office opening, the 2009 Borders Book Festival is set to
be the biggest and best yet. Events which have caught the public's
interest are Rory Bremner and John Fortune in conversation; James Naughtie on
Barack Obama; Sir Chris Bonington on his life and achievements; shadow
chancellor Vince Cable on the economic meltdown; Conor Woodman on trading his
way across four continents; and Hardeep Singh Kohli on cooking his way across
India.
This year's new Family Book Festival has been equally
popular, with a host of top children's writers including Julia Donaldson
on the 10th birthday of her creation The Gruffalo; the new darling of ‘little chick
lit', Clare Grogan; a canter through the whole history of the entire
world with Christopher Lloyd; and the distinguished actors Bill Paterson and
Diana Quick bringing old nursery stories to life.
Completing the stellar line-up for 2009 are prizewinning
authors James Kelman, Jackie Kay, and James Robertson - who will also be
reading Pooh in Scots at a special children's event; Ian Rankin on Dame
Muriel Spark; legendary musicians Phil Cunningham and Aly Bain discussing their
lives and careers; a rare appearance outside London by the celebrated nonagenarian
and winner of the Costa Biography Prize, Diana Athill; and the journalist David
Aaronovitch revealing how the craziest conspiracy theories have shaped world
history.
The Borders Book Festival takes place in Harmony House
gardens in Melrose, in the lee of the magnificent ruins of Melrose Abbey, which
will also feature as a ‘midsummer stories' venue.
For the second year, the winner of the Scottish Arts
Council's Scottish Mortgage Investment
Trust Book Awards will be announced at the Festival at an awards
ceremony hosted by Rory Bremner.
In addition, Book Aid International, the charity dedicated
to increasing access to books in sub-Saharan Africa, will have a high profile
presence at the festival including an already sold out champagne reception
hosted by one of its main supporters, actor and writer, Michael Palin.
Over the four days, Book Aid International aims to raise in excess of £3000 to
help send 1,500 books to libraries in sub-Saharan Africa.
Alistair Moffat, Borders Book Festival Director said:
"What's particularly
striking is the range of tastes. People want to listen to authors right across
the spectrum of literature, from childrens to history to travel writing and
memoir. And good old-fashioned lectures seem to be in vogue again with Jim
Naughtie's talk on Barack Obama and Ian Rankin's on Muriel Spark
selling out within days. Personally I can't wait for the festival to
begin!"