BOOKMARK Book Festival

BOOKMARK 2025

 It was lovely to meet you again on another splendid day at BOOKMARK.  Please pass on my congratulations to all the team – the way we are welcomed and treated at BOOKMARK is exceptional.

BOOKMARK 2025

...thanks to  you and your excellent team for such a memorable event (Saturday).  You were all so kind and hugely helpful, which made my small contribution so much easier! [We]  all  enjoyed it and I am glad that everything went as planned. Magnus was of course brilliant… My warmest congratulations on such a successful event - long may it continue -  you all deserve an accolade!

BOOKMARK 2025

It was well worth the anxiety to get there. Lovely audience. Kate was great…  Blairgowrie BOOKMARK might not be the biggest in size of our national book festivals but it has the biggest heart. Welcoming, enthusiastic and ever glad to see you, it treats its participants - audience and presenters alike - with warmth and caring. 

I love this event and look forward to it.  Has introduced me to new authors as well as giving me the opportunity to listen to authors I already know.  My thanks to the organisers who do such a great job.

BOOKMARK 2025

This has been an outstanding BOOKMARK Festival.  Saturday’s sessions were enthralling from start to finish.  I was particularly impressed by Sean Lusk and Jen Stout and with Magnus Linklater as an interviewer.  Billy Kay and Lin Anderson stood out on Sunday for me.   Alistair Moffat’s fluency was impressive.  Andrew Cotter was fantastic – so modest and self-effacing. I confess to having no interest in sport (or dogs) but this did not detract from my (unexpected) enjoyment.

BOOKMARK 2025

Wow - what an end to BOOKMARK!  … but wanted to say personally to you that it was an amazing hour + and lovely to see Sally McNair as well. They bounced off each other so naturally.  Congratulations to you, and your team, who are warm, welcoming and chatty.  I'll be back next year having been blown away by each session I attended!

BOOKMARK 2025

Congratulations on another v successful BOOKMARK festival. 

Thank you and your wonderful staff, on behalf of Nethergate Writers, for hosting us at the BOOKMARK Festival.  It was a stimulating and delightful experience. Our members enjoyed the talks and the discussions thereafter.

BOOKMARK 2025

... thank you for inviting me back to BOOKMARK Blair. What a wonderfully welcoming and truly professional team you are. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with you (Saturday) and greatly appreciate your kindness and all the little touches that make us authors feel so appreciated. It makes you very special. 

BOOKMARK 2025

I just wanted to say thank you for the opportunity to be part of your lovely festival. The organisation, publicity, programme and author care was absolutely superb and a cut above many of the festivals I've been too.  Your whole team were lovely, as well as a great and engaged audience. Please pass on my thanks and the beautiful, personalised bookmark was a fabulous touch. Thank you so much and I shall be spreading the word to authors and readers for next year...

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BOOKMARK 2022 - It was lovely to be back in Blairgowrie and at the festival again, and great to have another opportunity to see Jock's Jocks.  Well done on another hugely successful festival to you and your brilliant team... all the best Caroline. P.s - I bought the new Andrew Greig from the festival bookshop and was pleased to see it came out top in your festival books.

BOOKMARK 2022 - Many thanks for inviting me back. Marisa and I had a lovely time, and the audience were gratifyingly warm and appreciative. Chris

BOOKMARK 2022 - Can I thank you and the Bookmark team for such an enjoyable afternoon with lovely hospitality and the delightful surprise of a goodie bag stuffed with such thoughtful thank yous. So, thank you all. Kind Regards Clare

BOOKMARK 2022 - Hi Ladies, I wanted to say a big thank you for a wonderful weekend. It's such a pleasure to take part. So wonderfully organised and friendly...a joy. As you heard from Chris...not all festivals are like this!!! Many thanks again. Lin

BOOKMARK 2022 - Thank you for a terrific Book Festival! All the sessions were brilliant, and it was incredible to have such variety. I didn't look in the goodie bag until I got home, and am stunned and delighted with all the wonderful contents, in particular the raspberry jam and the personalised bookmark!Hope Team BookmarkBlair manages to get some relaxation now, and we're looking forward to seeing you next year, Olga and Alistair

Message from Chris Whittaker - August 2022

It was only his second visit to Scotland and he loved his short time with us! 150 talks/chats about We Begin… and Gail, BOOKMARK Chair, managed to ask him a question he’d never been asked before!
'Thank you so much for having me, I’m already missing Blairgowrie!'

Thank you so much. I'm now back in London, which seems very grey in comparison — though it is evening, I suppose. I had a lovely day out and enjoyed it all. Thank you for persevering with me and for looking after me so well. - JR

Thank you ...  It was a pleasure to meet you today and take part in your event which I thought was excellent. - MB

Thanks to all who organised this excellent event! What a success! Insightful and engaging guest speaker and thoughtful introduction, interviewer and vote of thanks.  Quality food, stunning scenery, great company. 
Please can we have some more events like this - wonderful venue, meal, speakers and company.  Thank you.

I love the Blairgowrie Book Festival. So glad it's taking place this year.

Of Stone and Sky

An inspired move by this small but perfectly formed literary festival. 

https://twitter.com/merrynglover/status/1395467883661123586?s=11

Here are some of the wonderful remarks that attendees said at the end of the session:

Thank you to all those who have made this a lovely hour.

Thank you Richard for a great interpretation of your book and the modern meaning of pilgrimage.

Message from C J Schüler - October 2020

I have just received the beautiful bookmark, your lovely card and your kind words about the book. Many, many thanks. That feels like a win in itself.   Hope to see you in Blairgowrie next year...

Message received from Rachel - October 2020

'What a wonderful boost this award has been for me.'  
Read more: https://www.facebook.com/230422897014589/posts/3454929907897189/?extid=0&d=n

Message received, by postcard, from Ali 2020

BOOKMARK was my favourite Festival.

Interviewed in 2020

I always love coming to BOOKMARK as the atmosphere is so friendly and encouraging. I think Gail Wylie is an inspiration and what she and the committee have done here with BOOKMARK is fantastic. This is one of the best book festivals in the country and has really put Blairgowrie on the map.

Interviewed in 2019

I love the welcome that the excellent, professional BOOKMARK team of wonderful women gives to its authors and its ability to always bring together a terrific audience – really very special.

Interviewed in 2019

Very well done on the programming and organisation of the Festival. Most impressive again and getting Nicola Sturgeon to interview Ali Smith was a triumph. Proud to be associated with BOOKMARK.

Interviewed in 2019

I would like to thank you for inviting me and for making Pamela and I so welcome…We had a wonderful time…BOOKMARK is a wonderful festival and if you ever need someone to chair a session or help in any way, I’d be delighted.