Books
First-ever book festival coming to Tobermory
There’s a new kid on the Scottish Book Festival scene this year. The first-ever Tobermory Book Festival, known as West Over Sea, is to take place later this month. A host of noted writers – including Scottish Field’s own Alexander McCall Smith, Guy Grieve and Polly Pullar – will be travelling to Mull for the…
Read MoreNew book mines rich seams for historical insight
Marian Pallister tells the story of Argyll and its rich mining history in Not a Plack the Richer. Using in-depth research into official records, letters and maps, she has produced an informative and absorbing tome. Pallister’s great grandfather was a County Durham miner who moved to Argyll, so she was inspired to write on this…
Read MoreThe true story of a life with pine martens
A Richness of Martens is a personal and heartwarming story, as Polly Pullar describes how her love of nature developed throughout a childhood spent in the remote wilds, and does so through the remarkable tale of a family of pine martens. Originally from Cheshire, Pullar moved to the Ardnamurchan peninsula when she was just seven…
Read MoreTwo Wigtown books are optioned by Hollywood
This year’s Wigtown Book Festival was the biggest and most successful yet – with audiences of around 29,000. The provisional figures for the 2018 event, the 20th to be held, show a 20% increase compared to 2017 and will play a major role in raising awareness of Scotland’s National Book Town. The south west Scottish…
Read MoreGet ready to read The Diary o a Wimpy Wean
One of the most popular children’s books of the last decade is to be given a new lease of life – in Scots. Jeff Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid books have been translated into 56 languages and 65 editions worldwide, with global sales exceeding 200 million. There are currently 12 books in the series…
Read MoreScottish poetry competition attracts the world
Poets from all across the world entered Wigtown’s annual poetry competition. As Scotland’s National Book Town celebrates its 20th annual event, organisers revealed the festival’s international credentials with one runner up planning to fly in from America to attend the awards ceremony. There have been 735 entries including from the USA, India, France, Australia, Netherlands,…
Read MoreKilted Yoga’s Finlay joins Wigtown Book Festival
Finlay Wilson, whose first Kilted Yoga video has had more than 70 million views on the internet, was among the guests at the 20th Wigtown Book Festival. Wilson, who 11 years ago had to use a wheelchair or walk on crutches because a bone condition in his legs left him in such pain, has transformed…
Read MoreAnother bloody good festival of crimewriting
Scotland’s annual festival of crime writing has enjoyed another successful year – without a drop of blood being spilt. Bloody Scotland is the nation’s International Crime Writing Festival, providing a showcase for the best crime writing from Scotland and the world, unique in that it was set up by a group of Scottish crime writers…
Read MoreLearn the truth about dinosaurs from an expert
A leading dinosaur expert is set to startle and surprise with some startling truths about the creatures that ruled the world for 150 million years during a talk at the Wigtown Book Festival. Dinosaur hunter Steve Brusatte, a University of Edinburgh palaeontologist, will discuss his bestseller The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurson Sunday, 30…
Read MoreCaptain Corelli writer brings his own mandolin
The writer of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin was in Scotland over the weekend as a guest of the Wigtown Book Festival. Louis de Bernieres, famed for writing the novel which was later adapted for the big screen and starring Nicolas Gage, not only spoke but played and sang at this year’s festival in Dumfries and Galloway.…
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