Book Week Scotland in Wigtown

Help us celebrate Book Week Scotland next week in Scotland’s National Book Town! Scotland’s annual celebration of books and reading will see events taking place in libraries, schools and communities across the country from 19th to 25th November, and Wigtown will be no exception.

In fact, we’re so keen we’re starting early. Join us in The Print Room on Saturday 17th November for our Mental Health Forum, which takes a very necessary look at the stigma surrounding mental health and the challenges of discussing it openly. Lucy Nichol, our keynote speaker, will explore how mental health is viewed and tackle some of the stereotypes. Lucy, who is the author of A Series of Unfortunate Stereotypes, will then be joined in a panel discussion by Paula McGuire, author of Must Try Harder: Adventures in Anxiety, to talk about the challenges of overcoming our demons.

This year’s Book Week Scotland theme is ‘Rebel’, and we hope you’re feeling rebellious because we also have some unruly activities on offer! Throughout the week, we are inviting you to drop in to our Rebel Room to tell your tales of rebellion on the walls, windows and tables of The Print Room. And on Saturday 24th November at 6:30pm our resident storyteller Renita Boyle will lead a storytelling session around your Rebel Room stories in A Telling of Rebellious Tales. Come along and acknowledge your inner (and outer) rebel!

Meanwhile, as part of the Dumfries & Galloway Arts Live programme, at 7pm on 22nd November the County Buildings will be hosting Puffin, a family-friendly theatre production. Using music and movement, this is a charming play by Snap Elastic about the friendship that develops between a girl and a puffin and explores our relationships with each other, wildlife and the world around us.

And then it’s finally time to get into the spirit of the season at this year’s Winter Kist at the County Buildings on 24th and 25th November, 10am till 4pm. There’ll be a chance to eat, drink and be merry while browsing 26 stalls by local artists and artisans, crafters and producers, from glass to gin, baking to beer, and chocolate to clocks. And don’t forget to visit Santa in his grotto! To find out more about this year’s stalls, visit our Facebook page @TheKistWigtown.

Booking for our ticketed Book Week Scotland events is available here.

The Association of Wigtown Booksellers is also putting on a series of events from 23rd to 25th November on the Myths, Legends and Folklore of Galloway so you definitely won’t be short of things to do!