Book Week seeks to strengthen volunteer team
Although the fourth annual Kirkcudbright Book Week is still the best part of a year away, there is a lot of activity already happening behind the scenes and one thing has become clear – that it will be the busiest programme yet with plenty of exciting events due to take place. That means that we…
Opportunity beckons for poets
Calling all poets! Our friends at Wigton Book Festival have announced details of their much-heralded annual competition. The Wigtown Poetry Prizes celebrate Scotland’s three indigenous languages – English, Gaelic and Scots – with the winners and runners-up sharing more than £3,000 in prize money. The awards have grown to attract hundreds of entries from Europe, Asia, Australasia,…
Book Week Chair welcomes council grant
Chris Walker, the Chair of Kirkcudbright Book Week Society, has welcomed the decision by Dumfries and Galloway Council to award a grant to the organisation. The £1,995 award was part of £270,000 of funding agreed by councillors to more than 35 festivals and events across their area. Dumfries and Galloway Council says that it has…
Book Week Society named among events funding awards
Dumfries and Galloway Council has announced £270,000 of funding for more than 35 festivals and events across its area, including Kirkcudbright Book Week. Event organiser Kirkcudbright Book Week Society has been awarded £1,995 towards the annual event, which is held in the first week of March. The Society has welcomed the award, which it says…
Sam’s back!
Ian Robinson, the crime writer who makes regular appearances at Kirkcudbright Book Week, is back in print with the follow up to Criminal Justice. Status Drift (The Book Folks) continues the story of undercover cop DS Sam Batford, who walks the thin line between corrupt officer and crime-busting hero, and can be purchased on Amazon.
Author re-launches online crime fiction course
Best-selling crime novelist and creative writing tutor John Dean has launched the latest version of his online Crime Fiction Course. The course, which runs in eight parts and can begin at a time and date to suit the writer, helps emerging authors to improve their writing and aims to increase their chances of being successful,…
Big Lit dates
Our pals at the Big Lit literary festival, which is based at venues in the Mill on the Fleet area of Dumfries and Galloway, have announced the date for this year’s event. The festival will be held between July 19-21 2024 and more details will be posted on their website as they become available, at…
Wigton Spring Weekend
Our friends at Wigtown are preparing for their Spring Weekend between May 3-5 2024 and it promises to be a vibrant event for folk of all ages. Printed programmes are available from Wigtown’s bookshops and cafes and you can also see the line-up at https://tickets.wigtownbookfestival.com/sales
Latest novel in series is published
Author John Dean, one of the team behind the recent Kirkcudbright Book Week, has a new crime novel out. In To Catch A Lie (The Book Folks), John’s twenty fourth crime novel to be published, DCI Jack Harris finds himself plunged into a murder investigation that takes him to Scotland in search of a killer.…
Glowing reviews for new book
Author Ian Robinson, a regular performer at Kirkcudbright Book Week, has a new crime novel out – and it’s attracting plenty of glowing reviews. Criminal Justice (The Book Folks) introduces undercover detective Sam Batford, a man who walks the narrow line between successful police officer and corrupt cop, constantly testing the reader’s loyalty in a…
New book in series is published
Author Carol Dean, who appeared at Kirkcudbright Book Week 2024 where she gave a talk based on her popular Native American series of books, has a new title out. The book, the latest in the series, is titled Navajo Culture and the Unbreakable Code and tells how Native Americans worked secretly during both World Wars,…
Tricks of the trade
Midlands-based thriller writer and publisher Ryan Stark discussed some tricks of the trade when he gave a talk at the Selkirk Arms during Kirkcudbright Book Week, based on his Aidan Beckett and Daley & Whetstone series of crime novels which have sold worldwide. Picture: Sam Kelly
Dipping into history
Carol Dean presented her book “Quanah Parker – One Man-Two Worlds” at Kirkcudbright Book Week, shedding light on the life of the last chief of the Comanche. Known for her non-fiction works on Native Americans, Dean’s global influence resonated at The Galleries, where she shared insights about Quanah Parker. The event attracted widespread attention, reaffirming…
Talking global
The Kirkcudbright Book Week audience enjoyed the appearance at The Galleries of Dumfries-based artist and publisher Hugh Bryden, who talked about his twenty years of publishing poetry pamphlets and artists’ books through his imprint Roncadora Press, and a forthcoming Trans-Atlantic collaborative project linking poets, artists and musicians. Picture: Sam Kelly
A thought-provoking event
Kirkcudbright Book Week featured a number of free events, partly made possible by a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund, one of which saw writer Morag Chisholm giving a talk entitled Writing for Wellbeing, Writing as Therapy at Kirkcudbright Library. It proved a popular event, with all the places booked and Morag gave her…
A true delight
Kenneth Steven proved one of the most popular of the performers during Kirkcudbright Book Week when he appeared at the Dark Art Distillery. His beguiling blend of poetry and prose with its keen sense of observation and gentle rhythm delighted the audience. Picture: Sam Kelly
Talk is a hit
Proving that a good story always sells out events, Miller Caldwell’s talk at the Selkirk Arms during Kirkcudbright Book Week sold all its tickets.Miller, pictured right with Gerry Hassan, who hosted the event, delighted the audience with a talk based on his new book, A Reluctant Spy, which tells the story of his great aunt,…
Looking ahead to Book Week 2025
Kirkcudbright Book Week 2024 has come to end and we would like to thank everyone who did so much to make it a success. From authors to venue managers, audiences to volunteers, arts professionals to journalists, business owners to societies, writing groups to funding organisations, you all played your part in creating a buzz around…
Talking crime
Four crime writers enthralled their audience at the Selkirk Arms during Kirkcudbright Book Week. Publisher The Book Folks presented an evening with its crime writers Traude Ailinger, Ian Robinson and James Davidson, with the event chaired by fellow Book Folks crime writer John Dean. The publisher also sent a team of its staff to support…
Book Week on You Tube
If you attended any of the events during Kirkcudbright Book Week, you will have noticed that Sam Kelly was kindly recording a number of them for us. You can see the results, and catch up on what you missed or relive your favourite bits, by visiting visiting https://www.youtube.com/ and seeking out Sam’s name, which will…
Young fans are served a treat
Children’s writer Susi Briggs and author and storyteller Heather Taylor entertained more than 100 children between them during World Book Day events at Kirkcudbright Library. The events were part of Kirkcudbright Book Week and pictured here is Susi in action. Pictures Sam Kelly
Success for young writers
The winners have been announced for the ghost story competition run for young writers as part of Kirkcudbright Book Week and organised by event organisers the Kirkcudbright Book Week Society and Kirkcudbright Library. The judges, Lesley Garbutt, from the library, and John Dean, from the Society, said: “We thoroughly enjoyed reading all the stories and…
Bringing the curtain down in style
Are you at a loose end on Sunday night? Then why not join us to bring the curtain down on Kirkcudbright Book Week with this terrific event? Sunday March 10 Talk by Cynthia Rogerson Station House Cookery School St. Mary Street 7.30pm Tickets £5 Supported by Scottish Book Trust through its Live Literature programme Cynthia…
Tickets selling fast for novelist’s talk
There is still time to book your ticket for this exciting event as part of Kirkcudbright Book Week – but they are selling fast! Saturday March 9 An Evening with Karen Campbell Broughton House, 12 High St. Tickets £5 7pm Supported by Scottish Book Trust through its Live Literature programme Galloway-based Karen is the author…
Tickets still available for poet’s event
There is still time to book your ticket for this excellent event as part of Kirkcudbright Book Week: Friday March 8 Meet Kenneth Steven Dark Art Distillery, The Johnston, St Mary Street 2pm Tickets £5 Supported by Scottish Book Trust through its Live Literature programme Over the past 20 years, Kenneth Steven, from Argyll, has…
Still time to book to see crime writer
There is still time to book your ticket for this excellent event tonight (Thursday March 7) as part of Kirkcudbright Book Week: an evening with Simpson Grears Selkirk Arms High Street 7pm £5 Supported by Scottish Book Trust through its Live Literature programme The crime writer talks about his latest book The Counterfeit Detective, published…
Just-a-watching the world go by
Earning plenty of admiring glances during Kirkcudbright Book Week is this splendid character, crafted by one of the team who created the window displays staged by business owners in the town centre to promote the event. Created by Irene Henry, from Kirkcudbright, he is spending the week atop a postbox in the town centre. Picture:…
Poet delights audience
Poet Hugh Macmillan entertained the audience at the Garret Hotel with his show about John Keats’ visit to Dumfries and Galloway, on the first night of Kirkcudbright Book WeekPicture: Sam Kelly
Author entertains audience at cafe
Nature author Stephen Rutt launched Kirkcudbright Book Week, appearing at the first event, which was held at Feast cafe. The event was chaired by Rosie Ilett. Picture: Sam Kelly
Eighth show sells out
Tonight’s (Monday March 4) talk John Keats and Me by Hugh McMillan at The Garret Hotel & Restaurant has become the eighth Kirkcudbright Book Week event to be sold out. The poet will tell how Keats was inspired by a visit to Dumfries and Galloway and how Hugh himself was also influenced.
An event out of the ordinary
There are still tickets left for this free event Tuesday March 5 Extraordinary People The Gallery Writers The Kirkcudbright Galleries, St Mary Street 11am Free event, booking recommended.Members of the Gallery Writers, whose base is The Galleries, will entertain with prose and poetry which examines the lives led by extraordinary people, real and imagined. How…
How to buy books during book week
The Selkirk Arms in Kirkcudbright is to host a second-hand bookshop during Kirkcudbright Book Week. Three Wigtown bookshops – Foggie Toddle Books, New Chapter Books and Well-Read Books – are to collaborate on running the venture in The Meeting Room at the High Street hotel between 10am and 4pm from Monday March 4 – Sunday…
Professor finds a home
The Knitty Professor, one of three characters created for Kirkcudbright Book Week, has a new home. All three characters were created either through crocheting and knitting to form part of window displays staged by business owners in the town centre to promote the event, which runs between March 4 and 10. Irene Henry, from Kirkcudbright,…
An opportunity not to be missed
There are still tickets involved for a rare opportunity to hear novelist Tracey Iceton talking about her remarkable Celtic Colours Trilogy – and we heartily recommend it. Tracey, who has not given many talks recently, will be in Kirkcudbright on Tuesday March 5, as part of Book Week, when she will be appearing at The…
Book Week in the news again
There’s an excellent Daily Record piece looking ahead to Book Week – thank you again to reporter Stephen Norris. You can read his piece at https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/kirkcudbright-book-week-2024-offers-32224668 Seven events are now sold out but there are tickets for plenty more. How to acquire tickets Tickets, including for free events which require them, can be acquired via…
Anthology launch proves to be a hit
Another Kirkcudbright Book Week event for which all the tickets have now gone happens on Tuesday March 5 when the Dark Skies anthology is launched by local group the Stewartry Writers. The free event happens at the Dark Space Planetarium at The Johnston in St Mary Street at 2pm. The Planetarium, with its spectacular projections…
Cheers!
Do you want to escape the dreary cold weather and drift off into the boating world in Spain? If so, you can join author Linda Wheatley to enjoy some Spanish music, free non-alcoholic sangria and olives as she talks for an hour about her experiences writing Reaching Out Across the Waves (Troubadour Publishing), a romantic…
Book Week begins with a sell-out event
What an excellent way to launch Kirkcudbright Book Week with our fourth sell-out event! The event in question happens on Monday March 4 when Stephen Rutt, author of Wintering: A Season with Geese, will talk about his work at Feast Cafe in St Cuthbert Street, at 11am, in an event chaired by Rosie Ilett. Stephen…
Book launch celebrates poet’s work
Poetry lovers still have plenty of opportunity to acquire tickets for the launch of a book celebrating the famed Galloway poet William Neill. The new collection of the poet’s work will be launched on Wednesday March 6 at the Selkirk Arms in High Street. The event, which is part of Kirkcudbright Book Week, will take…
Step forward the young talent of tomorrow
Kirkcudbright Book Week celebrates the authors of today and remembers writers from the past (this year features events dedicated to Romantic literary figure John Keats and famed Galloway poet William Neill) – but there is also a strong emphasis on finding the writers of tomorrow. An important part of that work is a project featuring…
Time for a spot of romance!
Fancy introducing a spot of romance into your life? If so, you might be interested to learn that there are still plenty of tickets left for this excellent event during Kirkcudbright Book Week Wednesday March 6 Linda Wheatley Feast Cafe 32 St Cuthbert Street 11am Tickets £5 – Linda is the author behind Reaching Out…
Third event sells out
A third Kirkcudbright Book Week event has sold out. This one features adventurer Naomi Johnson, who at the age of 36 set off to cycle the world with a man she’d met only three times before. Having written a book telling the story of the trip, she will be giving a talk at 2pm on…
Telling the story of Carsluith
Local historian Dr David Hannay, of Carsluith, has published a 114-page history of his village and community. In The Story of Carsluith, hetraces the history of the immediate area around the village from prehistoric times and also devotes plenty of attention to the more recent history of the village, as well as considering its future, in an…
First book in trilogy is published
The first book in a historical fiction trilogy written by author Penny McPherson, which was inspired during her years living amid the rugged beauty of Skye, will be published on March 1. Titled The Colours of the Sky’, the book is the debut novel by the 59-year-old teacher and has been published by Shore Path…
Ticket sales top 250
Ticket sales for Kirkcudbright Book Week have topped 250 with the first events just twelve days away. Only two events have sold-out but a number are closing in fast so if you have not sorted your tickets yet, it’s worth doing so. The third annual Kirkcudbright Book Week will be staged between March 4 and…
The welcome return of the light
There are a number of reasons why Kirkcudbright Book Week is held in the first week of March each year, one of which is that we like to include events that mark World Book Day for young readers on the first Thursday of the month. Another important reason for holding it so early in the…
Library prepares for Book Week
The staff at Kirkcudbright Library are looking forward to a busy Kirkcudbright Book Week. Michelle has again used her artistic skills to brighten the place and created works to spark the imagination and enthuse visitors to the library, which is in Daar Road. The library is staging several events during Book Week, which runs March…
Caterpillar finds a home
The Very Hungry Caterpillar has found a home for Kirkcudbright Book Week. Crocheted by Yvette Hinchliff, from Kirkcudbright, the caterpillar is one of three creations produced by supporters of the forthcoming Book Week and is featuring in one of the window displays staged by business owners in the town centre to promote the event. The…
Second Book Week event sells out
A second Kirkcudbright Book Week event has sold out. Miller Caldwell’s talk, entitled A Reluctant Spy, takes place at the Selkirk Arms in High Street at 2pm on Thursday March 7 and is based on his new book of the same name, which tells how his great aunt became a double agent during World War…
Podcast interviews are posted
The first of our podcasts featuring interviews with authors who are due to appear at Kirkcudbright Book Week in early March have been posted. Chis Walker, the Chair of Kirkcudbright Book Week Society, and author and committee member Gerry Hassan have interviewed three authors, exploring their careers and looking ahead to their events. They include…
First Book Week event sells out
Kirkcudbright Book Week has its first sell-out event of 2024 with the last tickets having gone for the talk by Donna Brewster on Wednesday March 6 at Kirkcudbright Library, one of our free events. Author Donna will tell how research into the history of her home in Wigtown led to her writing a novel entitled…
Book Week promises a good yarn
Pictured from left, Frances Griss, Irene Henry and Yvette Hinchliff with their creations Horace the bookworm, the Knitty Professor and The Hungry Caterpillar. Pictures Laura Dean Three creative supporters of the forthcoming Kirkcudbright Book Week have proved that they know a good yarn when they see it. The women have created characters that will form…
It’s a crime – tickets still available for events
Traditionally, events featuring crime writers are very popular at Kirkcudbright Book Week and tend to sell out. However, with just three weeks to go until the beginning of the event, there are still plenty of tickets available for the three crime fiction offerings. Crime writers due to appear include: Monday March 4 Ryan Stark Selkirk…
Do we have poetry during Book Week? Sure do!
We recently received a request from someone who is keen to attend Kirkcudbright Book Week events and is particularly interested in poetry. Did we have any poetry events being staged during Book Week, came the question? Do we have poetry? Boy, do we have poetry! Events include: Monday March 4 John Keats and Me with…
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Kirkcudbright Book Week 