All Things Scotland at the Book Festival this August

With over 600 events at the Book Festival this year, narrowing down what to see can be a challenge. So, over the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing roadmaps through the 2023 programme to guide you through events you might have missed.

This week we’re focussing on all things Scotland. Not the haggis-hairy-cows-and-wee-Jimmy-hats Scotland of tourist shops. More, Scotland as we know and love it: a rich, multi-faceted place, a place of culture and innovation and landscapes that will send a thrill down your spine. We’re sure that something here will spark your curiosity. Read on to find out.

For lovers of music and landscape

How does the Scottish landscape inspire authors, poets, and songwriters? What are the places that have shaped our identities and how do they figure in the art we create? Both of these unique events bring together writers and musicians to explore these questions and more.

These three events feature writers telling fascinating stories – both true and re-imagined – about the past.

This year, our programme features 13 alumni of the New Writers Award: an annual award from the Scottish Book Trust that supports emerging writers to develop their craft. Since its inception in 2009, many of the awardees have become key figures in the Scottish literary scene, including:

If you’re an emerging writer yourself, applications are currently open for 2024 New Writers Award (deadline Wed 19 July). Find more events by the awardees here:

From Scots and Gaelic Bookbugs for ages 0-3, to Spectacular Scottish Women for ages 7-10, to Growing up Lost in Song for ages 14+, there are events for all ages in our programme, including: