Near the end of June each year the literary world comes to Melrose. In only 8 years the Borders Book Festival has established itself as one of Britain’s premier festivals. Amongst the flowers and trees of beautiful Harmony Garden, marquees are set up, a bookshop and a cafe open and thousands flock to hear writers and performers, politicians and commentators, storytellers and artists. The glorious sense of celebration is crowned by the Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction. With the kind sponsorship of the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch, their kinsman’s great achievement is honoured with a prize of £25,000 for the best historical novel of the year.
The festival came from humble beginnings as a pilot programme at the Wynd Theatre in Melrose in 2004. Four authors, Melvyn Bragg, Willie Dalrymple, Allan Massie and Norman Davies, spoke to audiences of 80 or so but the event was greeted with such enthusiasm that it was continued. When Michael Palin, Germaine Greer, James Naughtie and Ian Rankin came the following year, the festival was at once established and it has grown and developed since then.
In 2010 more than 10,000 came to Harmony Garden and all the indications are that this remarkable, atmospheric festival will attract even more interest in 2011. Live and unrepeatable, the Borders Book Festival is by definition unique. Don’t miss it!
