Clockwise from top: Morten Strøksnes, who appears at the festival on 22 Sep; Bythell’s The Diary of a Bookseller; John Gray who appears on 21 Sep; aerial view of Wigtown P H O T O
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: J U S T N E S T O D D A R T
‘one of the things I always say to people coming down here is to take time out to explore, even if that means leaving the book festival!’
There’s plenty for young people to enjoy too,
especially the ‘festival within a festival’ WTF. Aimed at (and run by) 13–25 year olds, this strand began in 2012 when it became clear that for the children who’d grown up with the festival as part of their lives, there came a point in their early teens when events aimed at them dried up. Turpin explains: ‘WTF was developed as a way to i ll that hole. It’s peer-programmed by a group that, with a little bit of help and support, follow their own interests and put it together.’
Young people under 26 – locals and visitors alike – can also book free tickets to most events in the main programme, while those younger still can look forward to the freshly redesigned children’s strand, Big Wig. Turpin describes it as ‘something that will grow in future years and will have a bit of silliness attached in one way or another’.
The big birthday year is a good time to rel ect on Wigtown’s successful reinvention, especially in two decades that have seen the internet revolution and the rise of online giants like Amazon. ‘I think that the people who i rst set up and championed the Book Town always tried to bring Wigtown with them,’ says Turpin. They did this by working with bookshops, venues, accommodation providers and the community (there are now around 100 volunteers who help out during the festival and throughout the year) to try and create an organic change that was always respectful and celebratory of the town’s history. Now more than ever, the town, its stories and its heritage are front and centre in the festival’s programme; and of course, in this anniversary year, there are plenty of opportunities for a good knees up – and rightly so. ■ Wigtown Book Festival, Fri 21–Sun 30 Sep, wigtownbookfestival.com
1 Sep–31 Oct 2018 THE LIST 25