The Good Egg Project 2026/27 Creative Festivals Guide

Hello! Welcome to The Good Egg Project guide to 2026/27 Creative Festivals!

It’s time for our final round-up of the season!

And today, it’s all about writing and book festivals.

I say this a lot, but there are SO MANY cool things happening in Scotland with book festivals and this year, we’ve seen a few more spring up!

This year, I started volunteering at book festivals and had a fab time at CYMERA helping people navigate and watching events. It was very cool to hear snippets of novels and to listen to authors talking about their work.

There are loads of opportunities to get involved in the festivals and for anyone aspiring to be a writer or author, it’s a brilliant way to meet other writers and build your writing community!

Take a look at what’s going on below.

Below is a non-exhaustive list of book, arts, and literary festivals* taking place across Scotland. It might seem odd to run the year from August to July, but with so many festivals taking place from August into autumn, then spring and into early summer each year, this is what makes most sense to me.

I’ve included quotes from each festival’s website or social media to give you an idea of what each is about and their stories.

*Some festivals haven’t announced their programmes yet, so I’ll be updating this guide with highlights as they release.

Book Fringe
Various locations, Edinburgh, August 14-30, 2026

Book Fringe returns for 2026, this time Lighthouse Books and Argonaut Books are teaming up with Greenhouse Records to present this ‘accessible, bookshop run, alternative August literary festival! Bringing in bookshops across the city to deliver a programme of events that highlight each bookshop’s personality.’

‘The 2026 festival, themed ‘From the Center to the Margins’ spans the city with events at Lighthouse in the Old Town, Argonaut in Leith and Greenhouse Books & Records in Bruntsfield.’

From writing workshops and readings to panels and film screenings, the Book Fringe has something for everyone in its programme. Here are a few highlights from the overall programme: a talk with Layla McCay celebrating queer bookshelves on August 14, a writing workshop with Camilla Grudova on August 17, a discussion on how we build a city with Gabriella Bennett on August 23, and a history of music from Edinburgh on August 29.

Check out the Book Fringe programme on the Lighthouse Books and Argonaut Books websites

Edinburgh International Book Festival
Various locations, Edinburgh, August 15-30, 2026

‘The Edinburgh International Book Festival is a charity which has been bringing outstanding writers and thinkers from around the world together with curious audiences for over forty years. We celebrate the power of words, examine pressing issues, shift perspectives, and create joyful experiences for those of all ages. Our programme sparks essential conversations about the world around us, our place in it, and how we can improve it, together. Making these discussions accessible to anyone is at the heart of everything we do, in August and beyond.

Here, a book is a beginning – of a conversation, of a better understanding, of a debate, of a memory. What happens next is up to you.’

Edinburgh International Book Festival is back at the Edinburgh Futures Institute and across the city this August with a packed programme of 600 events in 16 days. Here are some highlights from across the programme: High-Octane Folklore with Naomi Ishiguro and Katalina Watt on August 16, Rock the Boat: Poetry Open Mic on August 18, Poetry in Practice with Ryan Van Winkle and Colin Bramwell on August 19, a table talk with Julie Lin author of Sama Sama on August 19, a talk with Natalie Jayne Clark and Simon Preston about The Malt Whisky Murders on August 21, Migratory Patterns with Hannah Lavery, Jennifer Wong, Nidhi Zak/Aria Eipe, and Catherine Wilson Garry on August 27, Love on the Brain with Ella Risbridger, Caden Armstrong, Nadine Aisha Jassat, and Alisha Fernandez Miranda on August 27, and Writing the Darkness with Patrick Ness on August 28.

Browse the programme on the Edinburgh International Festival website

ScotlandsFest
Various locations, Edinburgh, August 19-27, 2026

‘ScotlandsFest is Luath Press’ annual festival during the Edinburgh fringe, celebrating the vibrant literary, cultural and political landscape of Scotland. There are many Scotlands, so many ideas of what Scotland is and can be. Each of us carries our own vision, our own experiences and our own perspectives of our nation. At ScotlandsFest, we celebrate these many Scotlands as seen through the eyes of the poet, the artist and the scholar.

Whether you live here or are visiting, make the most of your time at the Fringe. Discover ScotlandsFest. Big thinking in a small country – thought-provoking discussions, immersive storytelling, history, poetry, politics and more.’

Highlights from the programme include: Fortunes From Flesh - Scotland and Slavery with Kate Phillips on August 20, Trust Issues, Fake News, Real Poems with Alan Riach on August 24, and Between the Stones: Scotland Through Outlander with Willy Maley, Gillebride Macmillan, and Lisa Kelly on August 25.

Browse the ScotlandsFest programme on the Luath Press website

Festival of Politics
Scottish Parliament, Holyrood, Edinburgh, August 27 and 28, 2026

‘Join us at Holyrood for engaging discussions, lively debate and thought-provoking panels with expert speakers and inspiring voices debating the issues shaping Scotland, the UK and beyond.

From AI, climate change and the manosphere to poverty, housing and free speech – events focus on some of the most pressing social, political and environmental topics of our time.’

Highlights from the programme include: The future of Scottish colleges and universities with Gavin Donoghue, Claire McPherson, Garrett Stell, and Justine Pédussel on August 27, Can we take politics out of museums? with Neil Curtis, Salma Ali, and JP Reid on August 27, The soft power of culture and sport with Professor Gayle McPherson, Francesca Hegyi OBE, Professor John McKendrick, and Deputy Presiding Officer, Clare Adamson MSP on August 28, and Civil disobedience - from rent strikes to Kenmure Street with Katherine Mackinnon, Tabassum Niamat, Paul English, Cllr Roza Salihis, and Deputy Presiding Officer, Katy Clark MSP on August 28.

Browse the programme on the Festival of Politics website

Islay Book Festival
Various locations, Islay, August 27-31, 2026

‘Founded in 2006, Islay Book Festival grew out of a small book club in the village of Port Ellen into the thriving, volunteer-run event we know today. Set against the stunning backdrop of Scotland’s whisky isle, we are now firmly established within Islay’s busy annual events calendar and Argyll’s wider cultural scene.

Since our first festival in 2006, Islay Book Festival has brought a colourful mix of authors, poets, and storytellers to the Hebrides, including Clive Myrie, Ali Smith, Val McDermid, Iain Banks, Chris Brookmyre, Julia Donaldson, Alistair Moffat, Mairi Hedderwick, Alan Warner, Bernard MacLaverty, Jenny Colgan, and Ian Rankin.’

Highlights from the programme include: Jenni Fagan: The Delusions on August 28, Moray Watson: A’ Hobat on August 29, and Polly Pular: In the company of sheep on August 30.

Browse the programme on the Islay Book Festival website

Nairn Book and Arts Festival
Various locations, Nairn, August 29-September 6, 2026

‘Nairn Book and Arts Festival is the annual celebration of literature, art, music, drama and film in the Scottish Highlands. Staged in the historic seaside town of Nairn on the beautiful Moray Firth, each year the festival presents a unique and innovative programme of events.

As a registered charity, the festival is committed to supporting community-focused arts, while providing a platform for writers, artists, musicians and performers from across Scotland and the UK.’

Highlights from the programme include: Photography, Ecology, and Place with Fergus Heron on August 30, Generative AI - boon or doom of the creative industries with Barbora Gáborová, SJ Groenewegen, Heather Parry, and Sean Lusk on September 1, The legacy of the printing press with Tim Honnor on September 2, the New Writing showcase on September 2, and Memory, Sound, and Image: An Interactive Workshop with Arun Sood on September 4.

Browse the programme on the Nairn Book and Arts Festival website

Writing as Resistance Festival
Online, September 1-30, 2026

‘The 2026 Writers’ HQ Writing as Resistance Festival theme is Here Where We Live: an exploration of what home means, both physically and metaphysically, and how we write it.

What does home mean in a world where the security of the ground under our feet is increasingly insecure – through genocide, war and climate change – and how do we, as writers, tackle this? The live workshops focus on the human face of history, diaspora and belonging.’

Highlights from the programme include: Speculative Oral Histories of Home with Eman Abdelhadi on September 9, Writing The Sound Of Home with Arwa Haider on September 16, and Beginnings, Belonging & Beyond with Akshay Gajria on September 23.

Browse the programme on the Writers’ HQ website

Outwith Festival
Various locations, Dunfermline, September 2-6, 2026

‘Outwith is a five-day celebration of creativity and community in Scotland’s newest city. Across five strands – Art, Film, Music, Theatre, and Writing – it brings high-quality cultural experiences to the ancient capital of Dunfermline.

It is inclusive, affordable, and accessible – with most events just a short distance from each other within the compact city centre. The festival is community-minded and volunteer-led, and strives to celebrate Fife’s cultural heritage, support its economy, and enhance the wellbeing of its citizens.’

Highlights from the programme include: Failure is always an option with Steve Mason and Nicola Meighan on September 4, The Angels’ Share screening on September 5, Spoken Word Open Mic night on September 5, and Found object storytelling on September 5.

Browse the programme on the Outwith website

St Duthac Book and Arts Festival
Various locations, Easter Ross Peninsula, September 8-13, 2026

‘This year’s Festival is a wonderful mixture of the written word and creativity. BBC Radio 4’s Bookclub’s James Naughtie is returning after his sell-out appearance in 2022, while Newsnight former presenter Kirsty Wark dons her fiction hat to chat about her novels.

We get theatrical with Theatre Director John Doyle, born in Inverness, but who went on to win Tony Awards for his Broadway Musicals. More theatre from Scott Kyle, whose start in life was not the best, but as he says, “It’s not where you start.” There’s murder in a distillery, crime in the Court House and a shepherdess telling tales on crabbit old crofters! The Pro-Loco Arts Competition takes place in the grounds of Balnagown Castle, there’s a Primary School Art Competition too and more Artisan Craft Workshops than you can shake a willow stick at!’

Highlights from the programme include: A talk with Natalie Jayne Clark about The Malt Whisky Murders, The Picts of Easter Ross, Talk and optional Walk with Jason Ubych, a talk with Rebecca Marr about When the Grass Dances, and From Medicine to Murder: A Pathologist’s Journey into Crime Fiction with Allan Gaw.

Browse the programme on the St Duthac Book and Arts Festival website

Creative Balance Wellbeing Festival
Civic House, Glasgow, Sunday, September 13, 2026

‘We’ve spent a year learning from racialised creatives about what wellbeing actually looks like. On September 13, we’re launching our first wellbeing festival, celebrating those conversations and inviting you to shape what comes next. Workshops, performances, community meal, a keynote from a major political voice, flash talks and more.’

Highlights from the programme include: Keynote speech from Dr. Q Manivannan, the roots beneath our feet workshop with Tariqua Rooted, sound, movement, and songwriting workshop with The Sound Lab, and performances and commissions by Sanjay Lago, Bea Webster-Mockett, Andrés N. Ordorica, and many more.

Find out more about the festival on the Creative Balance Wellbeing Festival website

Bloody Scotland
Various locations, Stirling, September 18-20, 2026

‘Bloody Scotland established itself as the leading Scottish International Crime Writing Festival in 2012 with acclaimed writers Lin Anderson and Alex Gray at the helm, then joined by Craig Robertson and Gordon Brown. Based in Stirling, Bloody Scotland has brought hundreds of crime writers new and established to the stage with always enthusiastic attendees who make the festival every bit as much as the writers do.’

Highlights from the programme include: Chris Brookmyre and Abir Mukherjee in conversation on Friday, September 18, Where does free speech end and extremism begin? with Professor Lara Frumkin on Friday, September 18, True Crime Walking Tours across the weekend, History in the making with DV Bishop, AE Goldin, and Cressida Downing on Friday, September 18, Twists and turns with Gilly Macmillan, Dorothy Koomson, and Claire Douglas on Friday, September 18, Rogue agents with Kim Sherwood, David Goodman, Paul Warner, and CJ Merritt on Saturday, September 19, Dark Caledonia with Morgan Cry, Kate Foster, Louise Heren on Sunday, September 20, and the 2026 Pitch Perfect pitching session on Sunday, September 20.

Browse the programme on the Bloody Scotland website

Byres Road Book Festival
Various location, Glasgow, September 24-27, 2026

‘The Byres Road Book Festival is organised by Visit West End - the brand name of the Byres Road & Lanes Business Improvement District (BID). We work year-round to make Glasgow’s West End vibrant and welcoming, supporting local businesses through marketing, events, and community projects.

The book festival is an example of our events connecting culture with community. It brings together authors, readers, visitors, and local businesses for a programme that celebrates creativity and the unique spirit of the West End.’

The programme isn’t available yet, but I’ll be back with highlights when it’s published!

Get more information on the Byres Road Book Festival website

Braemar Literary Festival
Various locations, Braemar, September 25-27, 2026

‘The Braemar Literary Festival returns for its fifth year in 2026 and will feature an inspiring programme of talks by leading authors, thinkers, storytellers, and cultural voices. Drawing inspiration from the works of Aberdeenshire modernist writer and poet, Nan Shepherd, the festival is proud to celebrate women’s writing and next-generation literary talent across the spheres of nature, art, food, and fiction. Tickets are now on sale, read on to view the programme and book.’

Highlights from the programme include: The Forgotten Her Story with Manuela Wirth, Celia Pym, and Catherine Goodman on September 26, Chitra Ramaswamy in Conversation with Ali Stoner on September 26, A Cookbook for Iwan with Tom Parker Bowles in Conversation with Manuela and Iwan Wirth on September 26, and a Women’s Prize Trust panel with Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin, Lorna Elcock, and Kiran Millwood Hargrave on September 27.

Browse thee programme on the Fife Arms website

Wigtown Book Festival
Various locations, Wigtown, September 25-October 4, 2026

‘A ten day literary celebration in Scotland’s National Book Town. Wigtown is a traditional market town, set in the beautiful countryside of Dumfries & Galloway, south-west Scotland. It is also Scotland’s National Book Town, a designation that reflects its seventeen secondhand bookshops and annual literary festival.

After a period of dereliction in the nineties, it was announced on 16th May 1998 that Wigtown was to become Scotland’s National Book Town. Wigtown Book Festival was established the following year and is now is now one of the UK’s best-loved literary events.

This year we are hosting more than 200 events and activities for all ages, including theatre, music and visual art. Big Wig children’s programme runs within Wigtown Book Festival, with previous guest lists boasting such prestigious names as Mairi Hedderwick, Julia Donaldson and Cathy Cassidy. Wigtown YA, our festival for young people features young adult literature events and entertainment.’

Highlights from the programme include: Gaelic and Scots Signwriting with the Dumfries Women’s Signwriting Squad on Saturday, September 26, Witches, Time Switches, and Ancient Curses with Aimee MacDonald and Rebecca Ferrier on Saturday, September 26, What We Leave We Carry: Voices of Migration to Britain with Colin Grant, Clementine Burnley, and Marjorie Lotfi on Saturday, September 26, the Scots Poetry Showcase with Taylor Dyson on Saturday, September 26, screenings of Refugia: A Celtic Rainforest on September 27 and 30, Middle-Aged Women Get Sh*t Done with Lucy Porter on Monday, September 28, Sandwiched: Caring Up and Caring Down with Catherine Simpson on Tuesday, September 29, Curious Histories and Questionable Tales with Hugh McMillan on Wednesday, September 30, The Bookshop Band in Concert with Beth Porter and Ben Please on Thursday, October 1, Scotsferatu, The Vampire in Scottish Culture and Folklore with Dee Lawlor on Thursday, October 1, CYMERA at Wigtown: Enter the World of Dark Romantasy with Elizabeth May and LR Lam on Friday, October 2, and the Sunday Sessions with Morag Anderson, Susi Briggs, and Shasta Hanif Ali on Sunday, October 4.

Browse the programme on the Wigtown Book Festival website

Words of the Wild Book Festival
Online and Various locations, Edinburgh, September 29-October 3, 2026

Also new in 2026 is the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Words of the Wild Book Festival. ‘Kicking off on Tuesday 29 September, enjoy a series of events over five days by some of today’s most notable nature writers. From online talks to panel discussions to creative writing workshops, there are lots of ways to get involved in the festival.’

Highlights from the programme include: a Zine-making workshop with Riverwoods on Saturday, October 3, Stephen Rutt on The Waterlands: Follow a Raindrop from Source to Sea on Saturday, October 3, and a comic making workshop with Julie Campbell on Saturday, October 3.

Browse the programme on the Scottish Wildlife Trust website

Ness Book Fest
Various locations, Inverness, October 2 and 3, 2026

‘NessBookFest is a Community Effort to bring a #NoBarriers book festival to Inverness and the Highlands. All of our events are completely free, and this is made possible by all our wonderful sponsors and volunteers. With a regular programme taking place throughout Inverness, there’s something for everyone; from crime & thriller to science fiction, academic and creative, workshops, readings & panels, illustrators and a full children’s programme brought to local schools. We’re keen to support and promote local creators.

The Festival is designed to showcase the Inverness area as a creative centre, which produces a considerable amount of home-grown talent. We provide opportunities for local emerging authors to share a platform with well-established writers from further afield. Reflecting and celebrating the strong arts scene in Inverness and the Highlands, NessBookFest is of benefit to the whole community.’

The programme isn’t available yet, but I’ll be back with highlights when it’s published!

Get more information on the Ness Book Fest website

WayWORD Festival
Various locations, Aberdeen, October 3-11, 2026

‘WayWORD empowers young people to produce a cross-arts literary festival in Aberdeen. Celebrating new work and ideas, amplifying diverse voices and breaking down barriers to culture in our community, WayWORD is part of the WORD Centre for Creative Writing at the University of Aberdeen.’

Highlights from the programme include: an Animation Workshop with Jim Parkyn on Saturday, October 3, the Ekphrastic Poetry Prizegiving on Saturday, October 3, Trilingual Open Mic: Bàrdachd/Poetry in Gaelic, Scots & English with Marcas Mac an Tuairneir on Saturday, October 3, Sea Shanty Workshop with Elisabeth Flett on Sunday, October 4, Fantasy World Building with Hanna Kaner and Georgia Leighton on Sunday, October 4, North East Voices with Tishe, Deborah Leslie, Will Cozens, Cameron Stewart Grant, AiiTee, and Rachel Groves on Tuesday, October 6, Poetry as Activism with Loraine Masiya Mponela on Thursday, October 8, Is imagination stronger than reality? Writing as escapism with Hossa Skandary-Macpherson on Thursday, October 8, Causeway/Cabhsair Magazine Launch on Friday, October 9, Scottish Poetry Today with Hannah Lavery, Colin Bramwell & Aditya Narayan on Saturday, October 10, and the We Are Nature Film and Publication Sharing on Sunday, October 11.

Browse the programme on the WayWORD website

Out: Scotland’s Queer Book Festival
Smith Art Gallery, Stirling, Saturday, October 17, 2026

New for 2026, ‘the inaugural OUT: Scotland’s Queer Book Festival takes place on 17th October 2026 at the Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum. The event will see LGBTQ+ authors, writers and poets come together for the first Queer Book Festival to be held in Scotland.’

Highlights from the programme include: Writing Queer Feminism with Hannah Kaner, Elle Machray, and MK Hardy, AJ West in conversation with Lavender Menace, Queers and Queens: History Panel with Anthony Delaney, Gareth Russell and HRH Aphrodite I, and Jackie Kay in Conversation with Nicola Meighan.

Get tickets for Out on Ticket Tailor

CYMERA Loves Romantasy
The Pleasance, Edinburgh, October 17 and 18, 2026

‘Cymera Loves Romantasy will be a 2-day festival at The Pleasance on 17th & 18th October 2026, dedicated to exploring the full breadth of romantasy, dark romance and paranormal romance. Headline authors will include Chloe C. Penaranda, author of New York Times bestselling series The Nytefall Trilogy.’

The programme isn’t available yet, but I’ll be back with highlights when it’s published! Tickets for CYMERA Loves Romantasy will be available for CYMERA members and weekend pass holders from August 28, get more ticket information on the CYMERA website.

Browse the programme on the CYMERA Festival website

Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival
Various locations, Scotland, October 19-November 8, 2026

‘Led by the Mental Health Foundation, the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival (SMHAF) is one of the world’s leading arts events dedicated to mental health.

The 20th Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival (SMHAF) will take place from 19 October to 8 November 2026, exploring the theme of Reflections.’

The full programme is yet to be released, but the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival run a year-round programme and have several events running in the lead up to the festival, including: The Postcard Project with sessions in August, September and October, and the Participatory Arts and Mental Health: A Good Practice Resource Online Launch on Tuesday, September 8.

Browse the programme on the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival website

Scottish International Storytelling Festival
Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh, October 21-31, 2026

‘The Scottish International Storytelling Festival is one of the most admired storytelling events in the world and the largest of its kind – both from a programming and participation perspective - encompassing a wealth of cultures, traditions and styles. A world of stories within the Festival City.’

The full programme isn’t available yet, but I’ll be back with highlights when it’s published! You can book tickets for the family programme, which starts on October 10.

Get more information on the Scottish International Storytelling Festival website

Edinburgh Women’s Fiction Festival
Location TBA, Edinburgh, Saturday, October 24, 2026

‘The Edinburgh Women’s Fiction Festival is a new literary festival celebrating writing for, by, and about women. We are an inclusive event and welcome everyone who finds joy in reading women’s fiction - commercial, romance, historical, literary, book club and beyond. Our festival showcases authors of genres that are often overlooked, and our aim is to give readers the opportunity to connect with their favourite writers.’

The programme isn’t available yet, but I’ll share highlights when it’s published! You can check out this year’s authors on the EWFF website.

Get more information on the Edinburgh Women’s Fiction Festival website

Pentlands Book Festival
Locations TBA, November 2026

‘The Pentlands Book Festival is an annual festival with talks by local authors held in local venues. It runs each autumn and coincides with Book Week Scotland and is organised by local people for the community in conjunction with Currie and Colinton Libraries.

The Pentlands Book Festival has been going since 2015.

Events are free, with an opportunity to donate, and are held at Currie and Colinton Libraries and various other locations locally. Each event lasts approximately one hour.’

The programme isn’t available yet, but I’ll be back with highlights when it’s published!

Get more information on the Pentlands Book Festival website

Radical Book Fair
Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh, November 5-8, 2026

‘Edinburgh’s annual alternative, independent and entirely bookshop run flea market of books and ideas!’

The programme isn’t available yet, but I’ll be back with highlights when it’s published!

Follow the Radical Book Fair on Facebook to stay up to date

Aberdeen Queer Arts Festival
Lemon Tree, Aberdeen, November 5-8, 2026

‘Aberdeen Queer Arts festival is a bright, bold celebration of the LGBTQ+ community in Aberdeen and beyond, inviting audiences to come together for a genre-spanning line-up of performances, workshops and events featuring the very best LGBTQ+ artists and performers from near and far.

The 2026 Aberdeen Queer Arts Festival is dedicated to queer creativity; a chance to immerse yourself in a showcase of outstanding artistry, and truly a platform for queer brilliance.

Explore and revel in the creative joy of a passionate, diverse, resilient and courageous community over four days of music, theatre, spoken word, cabaret and more.’

Highlights from the programme include: Hen Hoose Collective Takeover with R.Aggs, Susan Bear, and Katya Mansell on Thursday, November 5, Mattachine by Civil Disobedience on Friday, November 6, Tales From Your Queer Elder on Saturday, November 7, and Within Reach by Alan Greig on Sunday, November 8.

Browse the programme on the Aberdeen Performing Arts website

Push the Boat Out
The Pleasance, Edinburgh, November 12-15, 2026

‘An event unlike any other, Push The Boat Out remains Scotland’s newest poetry and multi arts festival, with a growing year round programme and a strong community ethos.

We are inspired by the vibrancy and range of contemporary poetry, hip hop, and spoken word from Scotland, the UK, and further afield. We give poetry a new platform by creating an environment where all variations of this vital art form are encouraged to grow, evolve and even collide as we bend boundaries across artistic forms. We explore fresh, inventive ways to bring poetry and audiences together by challenging perceptions of what poetry is, how and where it can be enjoyed and who it is for.’

The programme isn’t available yet, but I’ll be back with highlights when it’s published! Push the Boat Out is holding some events in the run up to the festival, including: a workshop on Maintaining an online presence as a writer with Naomi Head (yep, me!) on Thursday, September 10, and a workshop on Overcoming imposter syndrome with Emma Collins on Thursday, September 24.

Get more information on the Push the Boat Out website

Lanarkshire Book Festival
Locations TBA, Spring 2027

‘A brand-new, vibrant and family-friendly celebration where books, creativity and community come to life in the heart of Lanarkshire. Created for readers, writers, artists, dreamers and little bookworms, Lanarkshire Book Festival is so much more than a day of browsing books. Meet the people behind the stories, discover incredible new authors and artists, get involved in creative experiences and step into worlds inspired by the books you love.

Lose yourself in romance, follow the clues into crime, escape into fantasy, celebrate Scottish stories or bring along your littlest readers for a whole new adventure. However you love your stories, there’s a chapter waiting for you.’

The programme isn’t available yet, but I’ll be back with highlights when it’s published!

Get more information on the Lanarkshire Book Festival website

StAnza Poetry Festival
Various locations, St. Andrews, March 2027

‘StAnza is a dynamic, welcoming poetry festival held in the historic town of St Andrews every March. StAnza is proud to bring together a unique range of voices each year for a jam-packed weekend to provide fresh perspective on an annual theme. The festival ushers in the spring with a lively and wide-ranging programme of events, spanning poetry, visual art, music, performance and much more.

As international as we are Scottish, our annual festival explores cutting-edge questions about poetry and its relationship with the world, alongside a commitment to enable ever greater numbers of people to enjoy poetry in all of its varied and wonderful forms.’

The programme isn’t available yet, but I’ll be back with highlights when it’s published!

Get more information on the StAnza website

Aye Write
Locations TBA, Glasgow, March 2027

Aye Write is ‘reinventing the festival experience for March 2027. Concentrating on 5 days with immersive author sessions, debates, pop-ups, and community events across the city.’

The programme isn’t available yet, but I’ll be back with highlights when it’s published! Aye Write is holding a selection of events across September, October, and November in 2026, browse their events on the Glasgow Life website.

Get more information on the Glasgow Life website

Boswell Book Festival
Various locations, Boswell, May 7-9, 2027

‘The world’s only festival of biography and memoir, set in the spectacular grounds of Dumfries House, draws an enthusiastic audience attracted by its unique theme.

Inspired by the great Ayrshire biographer James Boswell of Auchinleck, at the heart of the Festival is a programme of stories taken from the inspirational lives of people past and present - told through talks, drama, art and music.’

The programme isn’t available yet, but I’ll be back with highlights when it’s published!

Get more information on the Boswell Book Festival website

Paisley Book Festival
Various locations, Paisley, 2027 Dates TBA

‘The Paisley Book Festival is a platform for celebrating books, reading and writing in Paisley over the course of three days. It is a festival with creativity and innovation at the heart of its programme, showcasing some of the best and most diverse voices being published today in Scotland and beyond.

The festival connects readers and writers with bold, contemporary ideas, engages established audiences, inspires new ones and serves as an effective marketplace for the writing and publishing world.’

The programme isn’t available yet, but I’ll be back with highlights when it’s published!

Get more information on the Paisley Book Festival website

CYMERA Festival
Location TBA, 2027 Dates TBA

‘Festival enthusiast Ann Landmann and Noel Chidwick, mastermind behind award-winning sci-fi magazine Shoreline of Infinity, were having a cup of tea and lamenting the lack of genre authors in book festival programmes. ‘So why not set up our own book festival?’ they asked each other.

Thus the idea for creating a festival for science fiction, fantasy and horror writing was born. It just happened that Ann needed a topic for her dissertation for her MA Arts, Festival and Cultural Management (as her lecturer said: ‘Make sure you do it on something useful!’). Armed with this excellent excuse to talk to people about the idea, Ann went out into the world to meet authors, publishers, agents, festival programmers, readers and convention/book festival attendees, collecting ideas and feedback.

CYMERA: Scotland’s Festival of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Writing ran its first festival weekend in 2019, and we’ve only grown since then—CYMERA now has charity status, a board of trustees and a fantastic team of volunteers helping to make the festival happen.’

The programme isn’t available yet, but I’ll be back with highlights when it’s published!

Get more information on the CYMERA website

Borders Book Festival
Harmony Garden, Melrose, June 17-20, 2027

‘Borders Book Festival began in June 2004, when Alistair Moffat had the idea of creating a small literary gathering in Melrose. Joined from the outset by Paula Ogilvie, that first event welcomed just a handful of speakers and an audience of around 400. Today, it has grown into one of the UK’s leading book festivals, attracting around 40,000 visitors each year for four memorable days of ideas, entertainment and conversation.

A great deal has changed since those early days in the old Wynd Theatre in the heart of Melrose, but the spirit of the festival remains the same: bringing people together through stories, debate and shared experiences. Alistair and Paula continue to lead the festival, supported by a dedicated small team and an enthusiastic network of volunteers.

Over the years, the festival has evolved and expanded, moving from the Wynd Theatre to the Corn Exchange, then the Melrose Festival Ball Marquee, before finding its long-term home in the beautiful surroundings of Harmony Garden in 2007.

In 2015, we added the family-friendly Harmony Orchard, now home to our lively Festival Village. Here you’ll find additional event spaces, our stretch tent bar, and a fantastic selection of food and drink traders serving everything from artisan ice cream and fresh coffee to delicious dishes for every taste.

Borders Book Festival continues to grow, evolve and inspire… a place where words really do come alive!’

The programme isn’t available yet, but it’s set to release in April 2026. I’ll be back with highlights when it’s published!

Get more information on the Borders Book Festival website

I hope this list helps you find new authors, new writing techniques and tools, and new favourite books as well.

I’ll be updating this guide across the rest of the year and into 2027, so make sure you’re subscribed to our newsletter to stay up to date with the Scottish book festivals calendar!

I’ll be back in a few weeks with a September round-up, the return of our prompt newsletters, and some other exciting stuff.

Until then, take care of each other,
Naomi

P.s. Do you know someone who loves book festivals? Share this newsletter with them!

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