Wigtown Book Festival
The Wigtown Book Festival is a ten-day literary festival held each autumn in Wigtown, Dumfries and Galloway, south-west Scotland. The festival was first held in 1999 and has grown to be the second biggest book festival in Scotland.
2024 Festival
In 2024, the festival took place between 27 September - 6 October. The 2024 festival had over 250 planned events, with a focus on discussing the Galloway Coast and climate change. Performers at the 2024 festival included actor Alan Cumming, poet Pam Ayres and writer Irvine Welsh.History
The first festival took place in 1999.In 2007, the Wigtown Festival Company became a registered charity.
In 2013, there were 7500 visitors to the festival, more than half of which were from outside Dumfries and Galloway. A report commissioned by the Wigtown Festival Company in 2013 estimated that the festival contributed £2 million to the regional economy each year. This was three times higher than that estimated by a similar study in 2008.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the festival was held entirely online. It resumed as a physical festival in September 2021. 2021 performers included the crime writer Val McDermid and the novelist Nadifa Mohamed.
The 2022 festival involved over 200 events, with novelist and speakers including Karen Campbell and Hugh McMillan.
The 2023 festival took place from the 22 September to 1 October. Performers and readers included Nigel Planer, Kate Mosse and Jo Caulfield.
Events, Competitions and Prizes
Regular festival events include the annual James Mirrlees lecture, which marks the local Nobel Prize economist.The Anne Brown Prize has been given since 2021 for the best essay. It is named for Anne Brown, a former chairwoman and trustee of the festival and comes with a £1,500 financial prize.