Islay Book Festival Notebook

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.

While some of our main events may include a wee dram or two, it’s not always about the whisky! We offer sessions on crime, historical and contemporary fiction, a range of non-fiction and island themes, new writing, children’s events, school visits, poetry, workshops, and lots more.

Providing a platform for Islay’s Gaelic culture is also a key goal of the festival, and every year we send authors to each of the schools across Islay, also inviting over the pupils of Jura.

We aim to reach as many class groups as possible, from nursery through to advanced higher, and to offer fun, engaging sessions that inspire our islands’ schoolchildren with an interest in reading, writing and creativity.

Keep checking our festival programme for news and updates as we continue to provide and enhance our festival for authors, their audiences, the island and its many visitors.