Sir Chris Bonington, the eminent mountaineer, is to open this year’s Lennoxlove Book Festival in November, when he delivers the inaugural John Muir Lennoxlove Lecture to mark the Year of Natural Scotland 2013. The new lecture is in honour of one of East Lothian’s most famous sons, the conservationist and explorer John Muir, ahead of his centenary year in 2014, and has the theme of ‘Scotland’s wild places’.
Richard Dawkins, Patsy Kensit, Peter Snow, Kate Mosse, Maggie O’Farrell, Tony Singh and Gavin Francis will be joined by politicians Douglas Hurd and Alan Johnson, as well as master broadcasters Kirsty Wark talking about her life in books; Jeremy Paxman, on the history of the Great War and Jim Naughtie, talking about the presidency of Barack Obama.
Crime fiction features prominently this year, including BBC Radio 4’s Mark Lawson talking about his new satirical crime novel; the ever popular Chris Brookmyre and Scotland’s godfather of crime William McIlvanney. John Lloyd, Jon Canter, John Sessions and Rory Bremner will lighten the mood.
Sir Chris Bonington will be talking about his experience exploring the Scottish Highlands. "To me it is a place of incredible natural beauty and I’ll be talking about how we all have a responsibility to preserve these wonderful places,” says Bonnington.
Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Book Awards
The first Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Book Awards, hosted by Sally Magnusson, will present finalist authors and their books from the fiction, non-fiction, poetry and first book categories. The results of the public vote will be revealed announcing which author has won the title of Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Book of the Year and £30,000, Scotland’s largest literary prize.
Family Book Festival
As well as the John Muir Lennoxlove Lecture, other Year of Natural Scotland 2013 events on the programme include family sessions making Green Man faces, tribal headdresses and willow weaving with natural resources found locally, and a special ‘talk and trail’ event for children with storyteller Tim Porteus and East Lothian Countryside Rangers bringing John Muir’s childhood to life.
The Family Book Festival will take place throughout the Saturday and Sunday featuring favourite children’s characters and story-tellers. Lauren St John, bestselling author of The White Giraffe and The Elephant’s Tale, will be talking about growing up in Zimbabwe, animal stories and her work with the Born Free Foundation. Vivian French, Lari Don, Sally Magnusson and Chae Strathie will be returning to entertain children of all ages with their latest books. And bestselling author of the prizewinning Maggot Moon, Sally Gardner, will be appearing for the first time to talk about her two new books.
Lennoxlove Book Festival takes place in four venues within the house and grounds of Lennoxlove House in Haddington, East Lothian. As well as the ticketed events, there is a well-stocked bookshop, a licensed cafe bar and a wealth of things to see and do throughout the weekend, including free children's activities provided by East Lothian Libraries, free circus skills sessions, and, to open the festival, a display by Loretto School Pipes and Drums.
TIckets
Box Office is at www.lennoxlovebookfestival.com and on 0844 357 7611.
Ticket prices range from £5 to £13, with a Family Day Pass at £25.