TOBERMORY Book Festival will return this autumn with a three-day programme packed with writers exploring the history, flavour and future of Scotland’s Highlands and islands.
The third incarnation of the festival, West Over Sea, which was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid restrictions, will take place from Friday to Sunday, October 28-30, with discussions, readings and author dinners.
Hugh Andrew, one of the organisers, said: “After two years away, we are very excited to bring back the Tobermory Book Festival with a programme packed with superb speakers.
“Whether you’re a resident or a visitor to Mull, there is something for everyone as we explore not only the wildlife, landscape and people of our island, but the traditions, community and history of Scotland’s Highlands and islands, and enjoy some of the very best flavours and foods the region can offer.”
Festival dinners will be hosted by Ghillie Basan on the Friday, with recipes and stories from A Taste of the Highlands, her showcase of Scotland’s larder and food heroes, and on the Saturday by Sally Magnusson, after a conversation about her bestselling novels The Sealwoman’s Gift and The Ninth Child.
Mull’s natural history, the story of the island’s people and how the two co-exist will be explored by Stephen Littlewood and Martin Jones while Diana Ambache will tell the story of Felix and Fanny Mendelssohn’s trip to Mull and Staffa, which inspired the Hebrides Overture.
Patrick Laurie, author of Native – shortlisted for the Wainwright prize in 2020 – will be joined by Andrew Painting, author of Regeneration, to talk about rewilding.
Ian Bradley will tell the fascinating story of The Coffin Roads, taking his audience along The Street of the Dead on Iona and the road through Morven to Lochaline exploring the traditions, beliefs and mourning practices in the communities who created and used these routes.
Nigel Leask will explore the roads built by General Wade after the 1745 uprising and discusses how these roads, designed to suppress the north of Scotland, opened up remote areas to visitors and created the concept of the Romantic Highlands.
Ailidh Forlan, author of Street Food Scotland, will join Sally MacColl (The Tobermory Seafood Bible) for lunch and a conversation about Scotland’s natural harvest.
Full details of the programme can be found at www.westoversea.co.uk and tickets are available from An Tobar and Mull Theatre at www.antobarandmulltheatre.co.uk.
West Over Sea is curated by Duncan and Sally Swinbanks of Tackle and Books, Hugh Andrew of Birlinn Ltd, Lesley Graham, Hugh Raven and Jane Stuart Smith of Ardtornish and Frances Sutton of Garron Communications. The festival showcases Tobermory as the book capital of the Hebrides and is supported by Caledonian MacBrayne and the Western Isles Hotel.
