5 Questions with Zoe Blamire

Tell us about your connection to Wigtown and the Book Festival

I have been coming to the festival for years. If I could, I would stay for the whole ten days but it’s also a busy time in my art gallery in Castle Douglas so I share my time away at the festival with my business partner and mother, Jill.

Sum up your festival experience in 5 words

Absorbing, relaxing, inspiring, energising, enlightening 

What's your favourite festival memory?

Seeing the artist Martin Creed. The audience was quite divided between those who loved what he did and how he presented his talk and others who just didn’t get him at all. The mix of people there lead to a lively Q&A session at the end!

Who would be your dream author to appear at the Festival?

I love cookery books and often read them in bed to wind down after a long day. I would love to hear either Yotam Ottolenghi (Author of Plenty and many other fine titles) or David Lebovitz  (My Paris Kitchen and others – all his recipe books contain good stories to go with the food). Both authors have lead very interesting lives and their stories of food and cookery involve moving their lives to different parts of the world.

Give our visitors one recommendation or top tip for Wigtown, the Festival or D&G

If you want to stay near Wigtown I recommend any of the houses of the Galloway House Estate. I stayed at High Lodge earlier in the year - an ‘off grid’ bothy overlooking Garlieston Bay and it was the most relaxing holiday ever.

Zoe and Jill are Wigtown Book Festival Ambassadors. Find out about their gallery here.