Wigtown Spring Festival 2007

Escape to Scotland's National Book Town for the Spring Festival.

The programme this year will be headlined by Iain Banks, one of Scotland's best known novelists, lecturers from Glasgow University's Crichton Campus celebrating everything from Ancient Art to the Auld Alliance and debate on the 300th anniversary of The Union.

Some highlights

Iain Banks appears to discuss his new novel, 'The Steep Approach to Garbadale'. Iain Banks first appeared to widespread and controversial notice with the publication of his first novel, The Wasp Factory, in 1984. He has subsequently gained critical and commercial success with works of both fiction and science fiction, leading to a description of him in The Times newspaper as 'the most imaginative novelist of his generation'.

Festival Director Michael McCreath says, 'Hosting Iain Banks is a great privilege and a sign that Wigtown's literary credentials are growing in strength. With his professional interest in whiskey, it also seems highly appropriate that he has chosen to come to the only book festival with its own built-in distillery.'  

The Festival also sees announcement of the Wigtown Poetry Prize by acclaimed poet and short-story writer Jackie Kay, as well as a day-long celebration of Glasgow University's Crichton Campus, with lectures on topics that range from the Abolition of Slavery to the Auld Alliance. There will also be a gathering of Scots, Anglo-Scots and expat Scots on 5 May to mark the 300th Anniversary of the Anglo-Scottish Union.

Wigtown Book Town

Wigtown is located in the Machars region of Dumfries and Galloway in south west Scotland. The sign as you arrive at Wigtown says, 'Wigtown. Welcome. Bide A While' - an easy task! 

Wigtown became Scotland's National Book Town in 1998. There are over 20 bookshops, including one the biggest second-hand book shop in Scotland.

With easy access and easy parking in the town's wide streets and market square, shopping is a pleasure in Wigtown. It is an easy stroll around the bookshops, gift shops, cafes and inns. New businesses and restored buildings all add to the vibrancy of this literary town.

It is impossible to escape empty-handed from Scotland's National Book Town!

To find out more , visit the Wigtown Book Town website.  Why not read Grace and Rose, a short story by Jackie Kay?