5 Questions with Donald Greig and Darren Flint
1. Are there any particular events at the book festival this year that you’re excited about?
Scottish Tea Tasting – afternoon tea is our favourite meal of the day.
Jamie Byng – one of us has a background in publishing. It will be fascinating to hear Jamie Byng’s reflections on the last 21 years.
Robyn Stapleton – our own Dumfries and Galloway star, with a voice you could listen to for hours.
2. Your recent work adopts the phrase ‘slow travel’ – could you explain in more detail what this means and what the benefits of slow travelling across Scotland are?
Most people have heard of the Slow Food movement. Well Slow Travel draws on similar values. It’s about taking time to discover places in their entirety, really getting under the skin of a place and understanding what makes it tick. It’s a more organic approach to exploration, one in which you let events unfold rather than working to a tick-list of places. The benefit is that you come away with a much deeper understanding of somewhere and a far more profound sense of place which is as much about the people and culture as it is about geography and transport connections.
More information on our experience of slow travelling in Dumfries and Galloway can be found on our website: www.slowbritain.co.uk
3. What is it about Dumfries and Galloway that stands out to you against other locations across Britain?
It’s a combination of all of the things that you get to know in the course of ‘Slow travelling’ somewhere: its people, history, geography and geology and culture. This is a stunning region with a deep-rooted local pride, full of people from all walks of life.
4. If you could each pick any author, alive or dead, to appear at the festival this year, who would it be?
Donald: Jan Morris. She is one of the most articulate travel writers with an extraordinary ability not just to transport you to the places she writes about, but also to help you gain a deep understanding of those places – in true ‘Slow’ style. Her use of words is inspirational.
Darren: Dorothy Sayers. We would like to sit in Gatehouse with her over a pot of tea and discuss the golden age of crime fiction and her love of the area.
5. Apart from the books, what is it about book festivals that differ from other festivals you’ve attended? What makes them special?
The people. What could be better than spending several days immersed in bookish matters with lots of other people who share your passion?
Tickets are still available to Donald Greig and Darren Flint's 'Slow Travels Dumfries and Galloway' at 10.30am on Sunday 27th September. To book, please call the box office on 01988 403222. Tickets £6.