Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon helped get the 20th annual Wigtown Book Festival underway with a talk about her lifelong love of books.
She also met young people from the festival’s Book Bridge team to chat about their favourite reads.
The Book Bridge team has played an important role in this year’s event, helping design a programme of events to appeal to 10-13 year olds like them.
The festival has also introduced its exciting Big Wig programme for under 10s and a WTF programme aimed at young adults up to the age of 26.
The First Minister met the youngsters in The Bookshop, Scotland’s largest second hand bookshop, where she told the young people that her favourite books when they were her age included Enid Blyton’s Famous Fivestories.
The First Minister’s own event, entitled A Life in Books, explored the works that have shaped her and from which she has learned the most. The discussion, hosted by Damian Barr, covered authors from Muriel Spark to John Boyne.
The First Minister said:“I’ve thoroughly enjoyed having the opportunity to spend time discussing the books I’ve had the benefit of reading over the years and that have helped shape my life, and the importance I place, both from a personal and professional perspective, on making time to lose myself in a book.
“The Wigtown Book Festival is a fantastic event on the literary calendar, and to have reached their 20th anniversary is a great achievement. I wish them all the best for a successful festival this year, and for many more to come.”
Duncan Adams said his favourite book is The Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Creatures, while Edana Muir opted for the Hunger Gamestrilogy by Suzanne Collins. Helena Cochrane chose Frozen in Timeby Ali Sparkes and sisters Eloise and Natasha Kitson selected The Hunger Gamesseries and The Elsewhere Emporiumby Ross Mackenzie – who is speaking at Wigtown Primary School on Sunday 23, September.
Adrian Turpin, Wigtown Book Festival Artistic Director, added:“This has been a great way to get our 20thfestival underway.
“We believe that reading, hearing and telling stories are experiences that everyone can enjoy and it’s vitally important for events like ours to nurture a love of books at an early age.
“It’s also enormously valuable for young people to have role models like the First Minister who will share their own love of reading with children and young people.”
This year’s festival, from 21 to 30 September, is a landmark for an event that has grown from small beginnings to be one of Scotland’s best-loved festivals.
The line up of guests includes fiction writers, poets, broadcasters, philosophers, countryside lovers, historians and many more. There is, as ever, a substantial presence from the political sphere including Liberal Democrat MP and equality campaigner Jo Swinson and former Conservative Home Secretary Kenneth Baker.
Among the other guests are Clare Balding, Patrick Gale, Susan Calman, Louis de Bernières, comedian and radio presenter Robin Ince, historian Tom Devine, crime writer Ann Cleeves, actor, writer and comedian Arabella Weir, philosopher John Gray,mountain walker and writer Cameron McNeish and broadcaster and writer Sally Magnusson.
The festival always puts an emphasis on authors from and books that are relevant to Dumfries and Galloway. Historian Ted Cowan will discuss John Ross of Stranraer’s ill-fated voyage to discover the Northwest Passage, Shaun Bythell talks about his bestselling Diary of a Booksellerone year on and Sara Maitland presents A Pocket Pilgrimage – St Ninian’s Cave.
Julia Muir Watt will look at Whithorn: An Economy of People. Meanwhile journalist Stephen Norris explains the unique charm of the Galloway hills and Jessica Fox discusses her re-released memoir Three Things You Need to Know About Rockets, which has now been optioned by a major Hollywood film company.
There will also be a series of events as special celebrations for the 20thfestival. These include panel discussions offering writers’ perspectives on how Scotland has changed in the past two decades and what Europe will look like 20 years from now.
The festival is supported by Dumfries and Galloway Council, EventScotland part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate, Creative Scotland and The Holywood Trust.
For full details of Wigtown Book Festival go to wigtownbookfestival.com.
- Festival goers will also be warmly invited to attend another colourful regional event – The Kirkcudbright Festival of Light, which will be taking place in Scotland’s Artists’ Town from 5 to 14 October – see kirkcudbrightlight.com.
- Lovers of crime writing can also enjoy the Bloody Scotland festival in Stirling from 21-23 September. See https://bloodyscotland.com.
Picture by Colin Hattersley
– Ends –
For further information and interview requests contact Matthew Shelley on 07786 704299 or [email protected]
About EventScotland
EventScotland is working to make Scotland the perfect stage for events. By developing an exciting portfolio of sporting and cultural events EventScotland is helping to raise Scotland’s international profile and boost the economy by attracting more visitors. For further information about EventScotland, its funding programmes and latest event news visit www.EventScotland.org. Follow EventScotland on Twitter @EventScotNews.
EventScotland is a team within VisitScotland’s Events Directorate, the national tourism organisation which markets Scotland as a tourism destination across the world, gives support to the tourism industry and brings sustainable tourism growth to Scotland. For more information about VisitScotland see www.visitscotland.orgor for consumer information on Scotland as a visitor destination see www.visitscotland.com.
About Year of Young People 2018
- A global first, YoYP 2018 is a part of the Scottish Government’s themed-year programme which focuses on celebrating Scotland’s greatest assets.
- A year-long programme of events and festivals are taking place across the whole of the country for all ages to enjoy, led by EventScotland part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate. More information at www.visitscotland.com/yoyp2018
- Local authorities, schools, youth groups and organisations are running their own YoYP 2018 activity. Search #YOYP2018 on Twitter for the latest news.
- Young people co-designed the Year. A group of young leaders, Communic18, lead on all key decision making.
- The Year is delivered in partnership between the Scottish Government, VisitScotland and EventScotland – part of the VisitScotland Events Directorate, Young Scot, Scottish Youth Parliament, Children in Scotland, YouthLink Scotland and Creative Scotland.
- More information can be found at yoyp2018.scot, searching @YOYP2018 #YOYP2018 on Twitter or by emailing [email protected]
Wigtown Festival Company Ltd, 11 North Main Street, Wigtown, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland, UK, DG8 9HN © 1999 – 2018. Wigtown Festival Company Ltd is a company limited by guarantee with charitable status. Scottish Charity No. SCO37984