Let’s come together on October 7th to celebrate the power of reading and the vital role libraries play in our lives!
From novels and comics to recipes and poems, every kind of reading matters. This is your chance to pause, pick up something you love, and join a nationwide moment dedicated to the joy of reading – and the positive impact it has on our wellbeing, learning, and everyday life.
Libraries across Scotland are ready to welcome you on your reading journey. By taking part, you’ll be joining thousands of others – schools, libraries, workplaces, community groups, families, and individuals – helping to build a Scotland where reading is valued, shared, and enjoyed by all.
Ready to inspire others? Make your pledge and share what you’re reading! Let’s show the world that Scotland is a nation of readers.
St Joseph’s RC Primary School in Edinburgh has been selected to receive a twelve-week author residency with Ross Collins Mackay, thanks to generous funding from the Walter Scott Giving Group.
The Live Literature School Residencies Programme, now in its eleventh year, is organised by Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives through reading and writing.
The residencies, delivered at no cost to the school, are designed to inspire a lifelong love of reading and writing amongst pupils. They also give professional writers like Ross Mackay the opportunity to build relationships with the school and work together on a creative project.
St Joseph’s Headteacher Mhairi Brannan says:‘We are delighted to welcome an author in residence to our school. This is a wonderful opportunity for our pupils to be inspired by a professional writer and to build their confidence in expressing their own ideas through writing.
“We are really looking forward to seeing their creativity flourish and watching them discover just how powerful their own voices can be.’
Ross Mackay says: ‘Before I was a writer, I was a learning assistant at St Joseph’s. Back then the school was bursting with creativity and I’m sure it’s the same now – so as much as I am hoping to inspire the pupils, I am certain they will be inspiring me too.’
Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, says: ‘Congratulations to St Joseph’s RC Primary School for this wonderful opportunity that is sure to enrich pupils.
“The Live Literature School Residencies Programme is an important flagship programme for Scottish Book Trust. Over the course of the 12 fully funded sessions, pupils and teachers receive expert guidance from their chosen authors, allowing creativity to thrive.
“These creative projects also offer the chance to tap into the local community, while promoting reading and writing cultures. We are incredibly grateful to our funders the Walter Scott Giving Group for making these residencies possible.”
Schools across the country were invited to apply to the programme which brings professional authors into the classroom to inspire and engage pupils. Each school taking part in the programme will receive 12 sessions delivered by an author from Scottish Book Trust’s author directory. They also receive a £500 grant for resources.
The residencies will run across the 2026-27 school year and finish by May 2027.
Each school’s project will be showcased on Scottish Book Trust’s website, alongside suggested learning resources and helpful tips to make the most of the residency sessions.
The eight schools who have been selected to receive twelve-week author residencies, thanks to generous funding from the Walter Scott Giving Group are:
e-Sgoil (Na h-Eileanan Siar) – author Louisa MacDougall
Stirches Primary School (Hawick, Scottish Borders) – author Alan Windram
Kirkintilloch High School (Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire) – author Nadine Aisha Jassat
St Joseph’s RC Primary School (Edinburgh) – author Ross Collins Mackay
Sunnybank Primary School (Aberdeen) – author Shalla Gray
Toryglen Primary and Language & Communication Resource (Glasgow) – author Yasmin Hanif
Newtonmore Primary School (Highland) – author Shelagh Campbell
Childcare in the Community (South Lanarkshire) – author Eric Brennan
On 7 October 2026, people across Scotland will come together for one shared moment to celebrate the joy of reading and the positive difference it can make to our wellbeing, learning and everyday lives.
A much-loved community book exchange in Edinburgh’s Stockbridge will reopen on Monday 8 September, after being destroyed in the storms of January 2025 and rebuilt from scratch.
The Little Free Library was created by bookbinder and artist Rachel Hazell, aka The Travelling Bookbinder, who first installed it in Stockbridge in 2016. It quickly became a fixture for local readers, walkers and visitors – and during the Covid-19 lockdowns, a source of connection and comfort for residents cut off from much else.
When the library was blown down and damaged beyond repair last winter, Hazell set out to find someone who could build a replacement able to withstand Scotland’s weather while staying safe, accessible and welcoming to readers of all ages.
The job went to Yann Jameson, a boatbuilder based on Mull, who constructed the new library from locally sourced larch and finished it with three coats of marine-grade oil to protect it against rain, wind and damp.
The reopening lands during the National Year of Reading 2026, and continues a movement with an unlikely point of origin. When the Little Free Library movement began in 2009, its founders drew inspiration from the philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, who around the turn of the 20th century funded the creation of 2,509 free public libraries across the English-speaking world – and set themselves the goal of surpassing that number, which they did within a few years.
Today there are more than 200,000 Little Free Libraries in 128 countries worldwide, and Little Free Library tourism – seeking them out while travelling – has become its own small pastime among book lovers.
Registered as Little Free Library #36444, the Stockbridge library is part of that worldwide network, used by locals and passers-by alike, and stocked with everything from romance and contemporary fiction to philosophy and Penguin Classics – all shared on the movement’s founding principle: “Take a book, share a Book.”
Rachel Hazell, founder and bookbinder, said: “When I first installed the library in 2016, the idea was simply to share books I’d loved and to support my belief that everyone has a book inside them. Over the years it became something much bigger than that, particularly during lockdown, when people told me it was a source of comfort, connection and escape.
“When it was destroyed in the storms, I was heartbroken. It’s taken longer than I’d hoped to find the right person to build a replacement, but Yann has created something truly special and robust.”
“I take my role as librarian very seriously, although admittedly the collection isn’t organised according to the Dewey Decimal System. I try to keep it well stocked, though sometimes the new titles that appear on the shelves are very tempting.
“I’m absolutely delighted to see it return. It belongs to the community as much as it does to me, and I can’t wait to see people using it again.”
Local resident Barbara said: “It’s been strange walking past the empty spot all year – the library was always a nice excuse to stop for a minute, get my bearings and see what’s new. Glad to have it back, and it looks better built than ever – very smart!”
The Stockbridge Little Free Library officially reopens on Tuesday 8 September and is free for everyone to use.
As part of the Royal Literary Fund’s Reading Round programme, taking place in 12 libraries across Scotland to mark National Book Club Day, we’re delighted to welcome award-winning writer, journalist and critic Chitra Ramaswamy to Stockbridge Library.
Friday, 11 September
12:30–2:30pm
Stockbridge Library
Chitra is the acclaimed author of “Homelands”, a moving account of her friendship with German Jewish refugee Henry Wuga. The book won the Saltire Non-Fiction Book of the Year Award and was named one of The Guardian’s best memoirs and biographies of 2022.
Her first book, “Expecting: The Inner Life of Pregnancy”, won the Saltire First Book of the Year Award, was shortlisted for the Polari Prize, and was reissued in 2024.
She has also contributed to numerous essay collections, judged literary prizes, and recently published “Rich Things” for the Alasdair Gray Archive.
Alongside her books, Chitra writes as a restaurant critic for The Times Scotland and occasionally The Observer, and as a TV critic for The Guardian.
Reading Round offers a welcoming and inclusive way to experience literature together. The session will begin with a short introduction before Chitra shares a carefully selected prose extract, reading it aloud to the group.
Participants are then invited to discuss what they noticed, what moved or surprised them, what resonated, and what questions the text raised.
After a short refreshment break, Chitra will read a selected poem twice, followed by another relaxed group discussion.
There are no right or wrong answers, no homework, and no expectation to speak if you don’t want to. Whether you’re an avid reader or simply curious, all you need is an interest in reading and a willingness to explore literature in a friendly, supportive environment.
We hope you’ll join us for this unique opportunity to read, reflect and connect through the shared enjoyment of literature.
Here are our events for next week to help you #ReadToTheBeat and keep enjoying the summer holidays! All our events are free to attend, but make sure you book a place to our external workshops.
On Tuesday, it’s Karaoke time from 2pm! Emily will be helping you belt out your best songs in style.
On Thursday morning, we have spaces left for our superb workshop with Befana and Midnight, where you can learn about herbs, design recipes, and brew your own magical tea! This is aimed at ages 7-10 but younger children can participate in some of the event with parental help.
If you want to come along to this, please sign up on Eventbrite:
On Thursday afternoon, we will put E for Engineering in STEM. Learn about the construction and destruction of castles, help build one for the library, and test it out. This will run from 2-3pm.
We are fully booked for Jenny Laahs’ final Music Makers Club, but those who are signed up will be trying out keyboard instruments and playing some fun musical games.
Lastly, like every week, we have Junior Board Games from 2pm on Saturday. We’ve got lots of board games available to try out.
Remember that coming to any of these events will earn you a sticker for the #SummerReadingChallenge, which you can sign up for with your library card and parent.
The heat is on and it’s that time of year when parents have to dig deep to find ways to entertain their kids for the long summer holidays. This can be a daunting task, but what better way to spark children’s imaginations and keep them amused than to get them stuck into some fantastic books.
Here at the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) we know there are 25,000 children aged 0 to 16 across the UK who are living with a vision impairment which can make reading that bit more challenging;
We’re determined to make sure these children can spend the summer with their favourite book characters in the same way sighted children can.
That’s why we’ve got more than 5,000 children’s books in braille and audio formats that children can read in RNIB’s completely free online Library.
Our fantastic collection of awe-inspiring audio books can be downloaded directly from the RNIB Library on smart devices like tablets and phones, or via voice commands on Alexa-enabled devices.
Specialised Daisy CDs designed for easy, structured navigation, can be delivered to your door as can USB memory sticks with up to three books on each. Printed braille books can be ordered on-demand and electronic braille can be downloaded to read on braille displays.
Children can use all these brilliant books to take part in the annual Summer Reading Challenge – a summer readathon run by The Reading Agency which encourages children aged 4-11 to read six books and provides incentives for completion.
Each winner to receive £4,000 worth of books and stationery for their school
TGJones has revealed the winning reviews of its Bitesize Bookworms campaign, a national reading competition in which primary school children aged between five and 12 years old were challenged to describe their favourite book in 25 words or less.
Split across three primary school age groups, the high-street retailer received thousands of reviews as part of the campaign, with a judging panel consisting of MC Grammar, Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan eventually picking out three winning entries, from the ingenious to the hilarious.
“It’s a funny and relatable book; my cat judgementally stared at me while I laughed loudly, snorted juice everywhere, and missed every bedtime until completed.”
Each winner will receive a £200 TGJones Gift Card, plus £4,000 of books and stationery for their school.
The judging panel also chose three runners-up from each age group, who will receive a £50 TGJones Gift Card and £500 of equipment for their school.
The retailer launched the Bitesize Bookworms competition earlier this year in support of National Year of Reading 2026, the biggest campaign in a generation designed to inspire everyone to discover a passion for reading and embed it into our everyday lives.
A Department for Education initiative supported by the National Literacy Trust, the National Year of Reading is delivered with the support of major sponsors and partners, including TGJones.
The campaign has encouraged the nation to Go All In in 2026, reading into our passions and interests to get more out of the things we already love, whether it’s football, gaming, music, sci-fi, or baking.
TGJones’ competition added to the momentum, encouraging readers to pick up a book and share their recommendations with others to spark a conversation about reading.
Alex Willson, CEO of TGJones and Head Judge of Bitesize Bookworms, said: “Nothing is more creative than a child’s imagination and we wanted to celebrate that unfiltered, accidental comedy that comes from a child giving their honest opinion about their favourite book – and the winners of our competition provided us with just that.
“Reading is so important for a child’s development, and as partners of the National Year of Reading 2026 we hope this campaign has encouraged more children to pick up their favourite book.”
Nearly 600 writers from 41 countries gather in Edinburgh from 15–30 August for the 2026 Edinburgh International Book Festival
Over 600 events span fiction, politics, science, history, music, and live performance in a 16-day curated programme
At a time of intense polarisation and entrenched positions, our 2026 theme Changing Your Mind invites audiences to stay open and curious, championing deep listening and celebrating our capacity to evolve our thinking, informed by a range of reliable experts and diverse perspectives
The Festival brings together a carefully curated programme of voices, experts, and ideas, to create space for informed, nuanced public conversation, and encourage new and alternative thinking – a much-needed alternative to debate driven by reaction and polarisation
Major public figures include former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin, former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, technology writer Cory Doctorow, best-selling author Michael Pollan, and award-winning poet Claudia Rankine, alongside leading writers from across the world
A landmark rare event brings one of the bestselling writers of all time, John Grisham, and iconic Scottish crime writer Ian Rankin together on stage, crowning The Front List line up at the McEwan Hall. The roster also includes Tom Holland, David Olusoga, Diana Gabaldon, Kiran Desai and Kae Tempest.
Other renowned fiction writers appearing include Maggie O’Farrell, Ann Patchett, Ali Smith, Jenni Fagan, Colm Toíbín, Matt Haig, Louise Welsh, Nao-Cola Yamazaki, Candice McCarty-Williams, Ben Lerner, and 2026 International Booker Prize winner Yáng Shuāng-zi
Greyfriars Kirk becomes a Book Festival venue for the first time, hosting Scotland to the World – a new series connecting leading Scottish writers Ali Smith, Len Pennie, Kathleen Jamie, and William Dalrymple with international musicians, artists and performers.
A strong focus on trust and information runs across the programme, with journalists, analysts and researchers examining misinformation, data, and global narratives, including The New Yorker’s Fergus McIntosh, The News Agents podcast co-host Lewis Goodall, and journalist Yi Ling Liu
The Festival explores the AI revolution and its regulation, with pioneers in the development of AI tools and their application – including Steve Crossan, part of the original DeepMind team; Sarah Wynn-Williams, former Director of Public Policy at Facebook; and Tim Wu, inventor of the term ‘net neutrality’ – weighing its impact and risks
Global Ink convenes 20 cultural leaders from five continents, reinforcing the Festival’s role as an international meeting point for ideas
BBC collaboration transforms the Spiegeltent into a daytime broadcast hub (17–21 August), with live and recorded programming on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds
The Festival’s Young Adults programme returns for its second year, bringing together leading YA authors such as Juno Dawson, Samantha Shannon, and Holly Bourne with performance, spoken word and interactive events tailored for audiences under 30 More than 150 events for children and families, with a Schools programme supporting around 5,000 pupils through free tickets for those in need, transport and books
New partnership with LNER delivers a reimagined Kids Zone with free activities every day of the Festival
Livestreamed and Pay What You Can events, alongside library streaming, extend access across Scotland and beyond
The Edinburgh International Book Festival returns to Edinburgh Futures Institute from 15–30 August with one of its most relevant and international programmes to date.
In a moment of increasing global polarisation, the 2026 Festival – with a hero theme of Changing Your Mind – brings together almost 600 writers from 41 countries for 16 days of ideas, literature, conversation, and performance.
The Festival is where books and words spark new thinking, forge connections across borders, and generate conversations that matter.
The 2026 programme spans the full breadth of contemporary writing – world-class fiction and nonfiction, a rich programme for children and young people, food, poetry, and live performance – with a special focus on how we engage with the world’s biggest questions: from geopolitics and the flow of global power, to the nature of consciousness, the reliability of information, and how we live well together.
The theme, Changing Your Mind, runs through the programme as an invitation to listen, reconsider, and discover something new, unfolding across strands exploring public debate, new thinking in science and consciousness, and the role of stories and art in reshaping how we understand one another.
Jenny Niven, Director of Edinburgh International Book Festival, pictured outside the Book Festival’s home at Edinburgh Futures Institute. Photo credit Aly Wight.
Jenny Niven, Director of Edinburgh international Book Festival, said: “Our theme ‘Changing Your Mind’ speaks to the moment we’re in.
“At a time when opinions seem increasingly polarised and online debate is so divisive, we’re creating space for thoughtful, nuanced conversations – exploring the reasons for our increasing social and political divides, and how we might change each others’ minds, or at least agree to disagree, more agreeably.
“We’re also looking at the potential of the human brain to adapt and relearn, and at the unparalleled power of stories to change our thinking.
Changing your mind is a lifelong process of staying open to new ideas. By bringing amazing speakers and curious audiences together, around knowledge and perspectives that help us challenge our assumptions and see the world differently, we hope the Festival programme this year will help us gain a deeper understanding of both ourselves and each other.”
ARE YOU OPEN TO CHANGING YOUR MIND?
As the world becomes ever more polarised, and opinions increasingly entrenched, we’ve reached a moment where to change your mind is seen as a sign of weakness, or even disloyalty – this year’s key theme seeks to reframe that. A wide range of experts, across three thematic strands, share reliable information and nuanced perspectives, encouraging audiences to think both critically, and flexibly, on a number of prescient topics – and maybe even change their minds about their current stances as they learn more, and expand their understanding.
Can You Change Your Mind? explores how we form and revise our views – featuring internet pioneers Sarah Wynn-Williams, Jimmy Wales and Cory Doctorow on the development of the web, and leading political voices including Gordon Brown, Jeremy Hunt and former Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin on the forces shaping our world today. Practical workshops offer tools for more open and productive dialogue.
Consciousness Now looks at how our understanding of the mind is being transformed – with Michael Pollan and Anil Seth in conversation about what remains distinctively human in a machine-led world, and Gwen Adshead and Orlando Swayne on the brain’s remarkable capacity for adaptation and recovery.
Stories That Change Us celebrates reading as a route to new perspectives, with Daisy Fancourt and choreographer Wayne McGregor examining how the arts support wellbeing and cognition, and Claudia Rankine and Kiran Desai sharing the books that have shaped their lives and work.
INFORMATION WE CAN TRUST
The Festival has a long-standing commitment to trusted, verifiable sources and data – and this year’s Good Information strand brings together journalists, analysts and researchers to examine how we know what we know. Sir John Curtice examines what data tells us about Britain’s electorate today; Fergus McIntosh, who runs The New Yorker’s fact-checking department, discusses rigour in modern journalismwith The News Agents podcast host Lewis Goodall; while journalist Yi Ling Liu takes audiences behind the Great Firewall for a fascinating account of China’s internet.
The New World Orders strand brings together leading voices in economics, law and politics – including former US State Department official Edward Fishman and Oxford economist Carl Benedikt Frey on the shifting flow of global money and power, and Rana Dasgupta and Ece Temelkuran on borders and displacement.
More widely, nonfiction programming this year includes discussions on topics as wide-ranging as the World Cup (Simon Kuper, who has attended every one since 1990), designing cities for the future (Gabriella Bennett), bringing data to life with design (Mona Chalabi), and using the law as a framework to navigate and protect our rights, with Baroness Brenda Hale.
GLOBAL CONVERSATIONS
At the Festival, a book is just the beginning, and a starting point for conversations that reach far beyond the page – and that spirit is at the heart of this year’s programme.
Scotland to the World is a special series at Greyfriars Kirk – the first time the venue has been part of the Book Festival – bringing together Scottish writers including Ali Smith, William Dalrymple, Kathleen Jamie, and Len Pennie with artists and performers from Japan, India, the Netherlands and the United States. Supported by the new Expanded Festivals Fund, the series reflects Edinburgh’s status as a global meeting point for culture, and Scottish writers as our ambassadors.
Highlights include a highly experimental production created by pairing Kathleen Jamie’s writing with performance from Japan’s Noh Reimagined theatre company, alongside leading musicians Aidan O’Rourke and Brìghde Chaimbeul; and Dutch contemporary classical collective New European Ensemble presenting four new pieces inspired by Ali Smith’s Seasonal Quartet, with the author reading alongside.
The Front List, presented in partnership with Underbelly at McEwan Hall, forms one of the programme’s flagship strands: a curated series of large-scale events bringing leading writers, journalists, historiansand performers into in-depth conversation on some of the most pressing questions of our time.
Highlights include Diana Gabaldon marking 35 years of Outlander, Pulitzer and Booker Prize winners including Colson Whitehead, Douglas Stuart (hot on the heels of his Oprah appearance), and Kiran Desai, as well as conversations with voices such as Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, Cory Doctorow and the BBC’s Lyse Doucet.
Fiction this year ranges from Colm Tóibín and Maggie O’Farrell to recent International Booker Prize winners Yáng Shuāng-zǐ and Lin King, and international stars Daniyal Mueenuddin and Japanese literary sensation Mieko Kawakami, with Scottish voices including Fern Brady, Jenni Fagan and Graeme Armstrong.
This August also sees a landmark pairing: John Grisham – whose books have sold over 500 million copies worldwide, with more than 50 consecutive number-one bestsellers and translations into almost 50languages – joins Ian Rankin for an event marking Grisham’s first visit to the Festival.
It is a rare chance to see the godfather of the legal thriller genre with one of the biggest names in contemporary crime writing together on stage, celebrating the accessibility of books and highlighting this year’s status as a National Year of Reading.
A limited number of VIP tickets will offer audiences the chance to enjoy a pre-event drinks reception with Ian Rankin, with proceeds supporting the Festival’s charitable aims, including its communities and Schools programmes.
BUILDING INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS
The Festival’s international reach extends well beyond its programme. Global Ink, the Festival’s industry forum, reaches a new milestone in 2026 – spanning five continents for the first time, bringing senior figures from 20 of the world’s leading festivals and cultural organisations together for three days of exchange and collaboration with the support of Scottish Government EXPO funding. Now in its third year, Global Ink reflects the Festival’s role as a global meeting point for ideas and the people who champion them.
A multi-year creative partnership with Celtic Connections continues, with The Golden Road – inspired by William Dalrymple’s award-winning book – which premiered at Celtic Connections in January 2026developing into an expanded Festival performance in August.
This year, the BBC will use the Spiegeltent as a base for wider Festival coverage, curating its own selection of content and voices for broadcast on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, bringing the atmosphere of theFestival to national and international audiences.
COMMUNITIES, YOUNG PEOPLE, AND ACCESSIBILITY
In the National Year of Reading, the Festival maintains its commitment to bringing the benefits of reading to all. New research shows fewer than 1 in 5 children currently read daily; 1 in 4 children do not reach the expected reading level by age 11. Both within the National Year of Reading, and as a long-term commitment, the Festival creates environments where reading is fun, sociable and imaginative, rather than solely educational.
Twenty percent of this year’s programme is for children and young people, with more than 150 events for families alongside a Schools programme supporting around 5,000 pupils each year through free ticketsfor pupils in need, transport support, and a free book for every participant, supported by Claire and Mark Urquhart. Authors appearing include Cressida Cowell, Julia Donaldson, Neill Cameron, and Jodie Ounsley of Gladiators fame, while the LNER Kids Zone and Families Hangout offer creative activities and relaxed reading spaces designed for all ages, with free events daily.
A dedicated Young Adults programme for readers aged 30 and under includes BookTok sensation Jack Edwards bringing his Inklings Book Club to life as a live podcast, alongside YA authors Juno Dawson, Samantha Shannon, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and Holly Bourne, and a range of special pop-up events let audiences connect with one another and make new friendships.
The Festival’s year-round Communities Programme works to address literacy inequality and social isolation. Paper Trails, the flagship five-year library initiative launched by HM Queen Camilla in 2025 and developed with City of Edinburgh Council, works with five Edinburgh libraries through co-created creative programming.
This August, events will be livestreamed free to libraries across 20+ Scottish local authorities (up from 13 LA’s in 2025), including as far afield as Shetland. Community work will also be visible throughout the Festival in the Communities Cabaret, the Where We Are exhibition featuring work by Edinburgh College of Art students, and writing from young people at Spartan Foundation’s Alternative School, as well as in visits to hospitals and prisons by a range of authors.
Events will continue to be livestreamed globally with a Pay What You Can model helping to widen access, alongside live and AI captioning, British Sign Language provision and events designed for audiences with learning disabilities.
Lyse Ducet, Chief International Correspondent and senior BBC presenter
FURTHER PROGRAMME HIGHLIGHTS
How to Live a Meaningful Life offers warmth and perspective: Waterstones Children’s Laureate and the first ever Children’ Booker Prize judge Frank Cottrell-Boyce discusses protecting childhood, Prue Leithreflects on the pleasures of ageing, and philosopher Julian Baggini celebrates the meaning of coffee – with a tasting from Santu Coffee.
Table Talks returns with the chance to share a meal with writers including Ella Risbridger, Yasmin Khan, Jess Elliott Dennison, Meera Sodha, Michelin-starred chef Santiago Lastra and former Ottolenghi pastry chef Helen Goh.
Poetry ranges from Loud Poets’ Grand Slam Final and Push the Boat Out’s Open Mic Night to Simon Armitage, Hanan Issa and Peter MacKay – the UK and Welsh Poet Laureates and Scottish Makar – on the idea of national poetic identity.
The Festival’s Spiegeltent programme includes a new edition of Buffy’s Book Club, a celebration of 50 years of Scottish punk with Caledonia Screaming, and Hamish Hawk performing the Festival-commissioned Life in a Scotch Sitting Room, Vol. 0, following a UK tour and sold-out Glasgow show.
Workshops cover war reporting with Sally Hayden, translation with Polly Barton, Tarot as a writing tool with Jill Dawson, and – building on the Festival theme – open conversations with Sarah Stein Lubranoand deep listening with Emily Kasriel.
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