BOOKMARK Book Festival

Perthshire's Book Festival


Message from Gail Wylie

Billy Kay’s visit to BOOKMARK on Saturday 15th April at St Catharine’s was a terrific start to our 11th year of events. Scots: The Mither Tongue was an enthralling way to spend an afternoon as Billy, a popular and award-winning broadcaster and writer, and fan of BOOKMARK, not only reminded us of the richness of the Scots language but treated us to the first reading from his forthcoming memoir Born in Kyle‘The best lecture I’ve ever heard’ said aloud by one of our packed-out audience members which we certainly agreed with!


Billy’s talk underlined what BOOKMARK is all about – writers are for listening to, not just reading! 

The next event is the Ticket Launch at 2pm on July 29th in St Catharine’s. (We’re hoping that the popular writer Jenny Colgan will be our guest on that date.)  The full programme of 10 events for our Festival in October, this year on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 October, will be revealed and Weekend and Day Pass tickets will be on sale at greatly reduced prices. This is always a popular event, so please buy your tickets in advance!

The 10 events offer a wide variety of authors, themes and presentations and they all have one thing in common – high-quality, entertaining, thought-provoking, engaging conversations. From panels to one-to-one discussions; readings and song; household names and new talent make BOOKMARK a book festival that more and more writers want to come to. Don Paterson, Liam McIlvanney, Rachel Joyce, Sally Magnusson, Magnus Linklater are just a few of our guests. Discussions about nature writing, memoir, crime novels, history and the diaries of a famous actor promise a wealth of interest! On-site catering, professional sound and lighting, comfortable seating make our audiences always want to come back and bring new friends with them.

If you want to buy books or talk about your own writing, Blairgowrie’s independent bookshop Adventure into Books will be there as will Dundee’s Nethergate Writers and Perthshire Writers – as well as independently published authors.

The winners of the Christine Findlay Prize, run for senior pupils at Blairgowrie High School, and the Book of the Year 2023 will be announced. (All six titles for the Book of the Year are available at Blairgowrie Library.)

Our hugely popular Authors in Schools programme will be happening in the Autumn too!

Tickets for the Launch can be bought from our 
Treasurer 01250 875613 or
Adventure into Books or
Perthshire Box Office

Book of the Year Award 2023 shortlist:

Paper Cup by Karen Campbell
Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton
My Name is Yip by Paddy Crewe
Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes
The Second Sight of Zachary Cloudesley by Sean Lusk
Sell Us the Rope by Stephen May

For Kate's Books of the Month for May
please click here

 


Background:

BOOKMARK established in 2012, has developed a reputation for being a friendly, well organised Book Festival which offers a wide range of events to suit all interests.

Our Next Event:

Saturday 29 July

BOOKMARK 2023 Launch

Location: St Catharine's Community Centre, PH10 6EY

With Jenny Colgan tbc

More info >>
All Upcoming Events >>

Find Out More:

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Events Calendar

Find out what we have planned for you in 2023 ...

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Authors

BOOKMARK has, right from the start, attracted important writers. Look who has been with us!

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Committee

Our Committee and find out how to get involved.

Latest News

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Kate Davies' Book Selection for May 2023

I was asked recently to give some suggestions for books that might be suitable for an off-grid retreat. It’s a bit like the Desert Island...

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Kate Davies' Book Selection for April 2023

This month’s list of recommendations has its roots in March, when the Women’s Prize for Fiction Longlist 2023 was announced, and when storytelling work took...

Books of the Month

May 2023


A Poem for Everyday of the Year

A Poem for Everyday of the Year by Allie Esiri

Writing Landscapes by Linda Cracknell

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

The Circle by Dave Eggers

Sparrow by James Hynes

See Details >>

Testimonials