Crowned the bookish capital of Scotland more than two decades ago, Wigtown attracts thousands of eager readers every year.
Now, with physical bookshops forced to shutter for the time being, the cherished town is bringing its literary sensibilities directly to readers.
Wigtown Book Festival has launched a series of online events allowing book fans to embrace literature from the comfort of their homes.
Coined #WigtownWednesdays, the festival’s virtual line-up kicked off this week as more than 100 people gathered in their homes to listen to broadcaster and Sunday Times bestselling author Sally Magnusson discussing her new novel The Ninth Child.
Future #WigtownWednesdays will feature adventurer Robert Twigger on Walking The Great North Line and philosopher Julian Baggini on lessons from a crisis.
There are even plans for a virtual version of the Wigtown’s Got Talent competition, and there will also be the chance to take part in Stuart Kelly’s literary pub quiz, which is one of the most popular events of the annual book festival.
And a monthly virtual book
club will hold its first get-together
next Wednesday.
Those who join in will be able to virtually meet author of the memoir Native, Patrick Laurie – a Dumfries and Galloway-based conservation hill farmer. Nature writer, Polly Pullar,
will also be on hand.
Mr Laurie’s latest book explores his love of the Galloway countryside and his efforts to reconnect with its natural and farming heritage.
He is well known in Dumfries and Galloway for his work to revive the traditional Riggit Galloway breed of cattle and to farm in a way that creates the right conditions for fragile bird species such as black grouse, grey partridge, curlews and lapwings to thrive.
Plans are also in place to introduce a regular podcast and some exclusive long reads are being specially commissioned.
The initiative is completely free thanks to support from Baillie Gifford, but the Festival is asking for public donations to help cover the costs.
Adrian Turpin, creative director, Wigtown Festival Company, said: “The elephant in the room for everyone working digitally is money,
“It’s hard to charge for online content, and we want it to be as accessible to as many people
as possible.”
Wigtown Book Festival is still scheduled to go ahead in from September 25 to October 4.
Welcoming around 10,000 visitors every year, the event generated
£4.3 million for the economy last year.
Of the new online venture, Mr Turpin said: “We couldn’t just sit here in silence at a time like this, so we decided to bring some of the spirit of Wigtown Book Festival.
“At a time when many are likely to have time to read, and may take comfort from reading, we decided to introduce new ways for people to enjoy with literature, with authors and with Scotland’s National Book Town.
“Book festivals are about more than reading, they are about talking, listening and experiencing. Our aim has been to find different, and sometimes quirky, ways that people can engage with literature, authors and storytelling."
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