Dogs, boats and Agri-Noir – this weekend saw a colourful, quirky and waggy start to the annual Wigtown Book Festival.
Bookseller and artist Julie Houston, who owns The Book End Studio, welcomed the amazing Maclean brothers (who rowed the Atlantic and Pacific, raising £1 million for charity) with paper boats she made using maps of places they visited on their adventures.
The town also welcomed the return of Wigtownshire farmer’s son RMG (Robert) Parker, whose debut crime caper (dubbed as the possible start of a new Agri-Noir fiction genre) sees young Galloway farmers pitted against Russian Mafia in A Snow Storm in June.
Peter MacQueen, author of Tails of Scotland, was pictured at the town’s historic New Mercat Cross with a host of two and four-legged fans following his talk about Scotland’s dog breeds on Saturday.
Dougie Payne brought his own dog Iggy Pup to Wigtown where the Travis bass player was taking part in the Big Wig children’s literature festival where he read Poochie Pete and His Very Big Feet, his story for youngsters about a lonely puppy with enormous paws.
Dougie later entertained music fans with a talk about life on the road with the band.
Other guests appearing at the start of the annual 10-day festival (25 September to 4 October) included Peter Irvine, whose remarkable career saw him bring everyone from Sinatra, REM, Prince and Leonard Cohen to play in Scotland, as well as creating the Edinburgh’s Hogmanay festival, is known worldwide for his Scotland the Best travel guides.
Peter was talking about his first novel Crossing The Sound, set in the thrilling, chaotic and often destructive music and media world of the 80s.
There were also appearances by novelist and Traitors star Harriet Tyce, Scotland’s Astronomer Royal Professor Catherine Heymans, poet Marjorie Lotfi, naturalist Stephen Rutt, and nature writer Polly Pullar and TV star and best-selling cookbook writer Coinneach MacLeod.
The Maclean brothers
Scottish brothers Lachlan, Euan and Jamie Maclean broke multiple records in their epic enterprises rowing across the Atlantic and Pacific. They attracted worldwide attention, helping them raise £1m for domestic and international charities – including one providing clean water to communities in Madagascar.
The new book will help raise yet more urgently needed funds, which are distributed through The Maclean Foundation (www.themacleanbrothers.com).
Recollections of their time at sea included everything from keeping shark watch while cleaning barnacles from the hull in mid ocean and the challenge of surviving vast sea storms.
The chance to enjoy good food became so important that the day they decided to eat a mango (kept for a special occasion) they got out the bagpipes they kept on board and piped the fruit around the boat before tucking in.
Julie Houston, owner of one of Wigtown’s many book-related businesses, decided to make the paper boats for the brothers as a welcoming gift for their visit after following their voyages and fundraising work on social media.
RMG Parker
RMG (Robert) Parker, whose travel and culture business, Scotland Unplugged, has amassed hundreds of thousands of online followers, has called on his personal and professional experience for A Snow Storm in June.
The son of a Wigtownshire farmer (later trying his luck as an agricultural engineer, a car salesman and a standup comedian in Amsterdam), he spent 12 years in counter fraud – tracking down internet crooks and marvelling at the ingenuity of their scams.
Half the story takes place in Wigtownshire, and is told from the perspective of some young farmers who get themselves into deep trouble.
Wigtownshire is the ideal setting as its remote and rugged coast, with countless inlets, has been a haven for smugglers for centuries – allowing contraband to be swiftly moved between Scotland, England, Ireland and the Isle of Man.
It’s a picturesque landscape, hiding a hard way of life and Parker takes inspiration from the darkness, danger and beauty lurking around every corner.
Dougie Payne
Iggy Pup, Dougie’s dog, accompanied him to the festival where he read Poochie Pete and His Very Big Feet to a group of 50 children at Wigtown Primary School. He decided to write a children’s book when his own children grew too old for bedtime stories. It’s something he’s taken to and a sequel is on the way.
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Notes
- For more about Wigtown Book Festival see www.wigtownbookfestival.com
About Peter Irvine
- Born in the Borders and educated at Edinburgh University, Peter Irvine has spent his working life immersed in culture, the arts and media, in the music and festival world of Scotland and elsewhere. He pioneered the opening of clubs and venues from Glasgow Barrowlands to Edinburgh Castle. He has managed bands and collaborated with record companies and produced national landmark events including those with the government and the Palace.
- With his company Regular Music Peter has brought to Scotland, artists as diverse as Sinatra and Oasis, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan and U2, Talking Heads and REM, Prince and Nick Cave, and promoted many Scottish bands from their early days to the big time. His debut novel Crossing the Sound is set in a world and landscapes he knows.
- The festival company Peter formed after co-producing the main events of Glasgow’s European City of Culture in 1990 delivered what its name said on the tin: Unique Events. He designed and created Edinburgh’s Hogmanay in 1993 and remained the Festival Director until 2018.
- Peter is the author of Scotland the Best, the critically acclaimed best-selling visitor and lifestyle guide. He is a regular columnist with The Times and The Sunday Times and is a contributor to Guardian Travel. He lives in Edinburgh.
About VisitScotland
VisitScotland is Scotland’s national tourism and events organisation. Its core purpose is to drive the visitor economy, growing its value in Scotland. As an economic growth agency, VisitScotland’s activity focuses on three key priorities – market development, place development and business and experience development. VisitScotland’s work helps deliver the ambitions of the national tourism strategy, Scotland Outlook 2030, for Scotland to be a world leader in 21st century tourism, and Scotland’s National Events Strategy 2024 – 2035.
It leverages tourism and events as a force for good for all of Scotland’s people and places and builds Scotland’s international profile as a leading place to visit, live, work, study and do business. For VisitScotland’s press releases, tourism statistics and frequently asked questions go to visitscotland.org or follow us on @VisitScotland on LinkedIn.
About Creative Scotland
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports culture and creativity across all parts of Scotland, distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com. Follow Creative Scotland on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
For media information: Matthew Shelley at Matthew@ScottishfestivalsPR.org or 07786 704299.
Wigtown Festival Company, 26 South Main Street, Wigtown, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland, UK, DG8 9EH. Wigtown Festival Company is a company limited by guarantee with charitable status. Scottish Charity No. SC037984
