Borders Book Festival 2008
Melrose
The fifth Borders Book Festival runs through June this year, and this year most of the events will be held within the gardens of Harmony House in the town. This year, the festival plays host to the 2008 Sundial Scottish Arts Council Book Awards, and we list the Scottish authors and events appearing at the festival.
Thursday 19th June
- 9.30pm - Ali Smith in conversation with the SAC's Gavin Wallace
Friday 20th June
- 10.30am - James Spence will be talking about his Scots translation of The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, the graphic novel
- 4pm - Literary Editor of the Scotsman David Robinson in conversation with Stuart Kelly
- 5pm - The Sundial Scottish Arts Council Book Awards, hosted by Rory Bremner
Saturday 21st June
- 12noon - Kenneth Cox share's his encyclopaedic knowledge of the Garden Plants of Scotland
- 3.30pm - Rosemary Goring, editor of Scotland: The Autobiography will be talking with broadcaster Fiona Armstrong
- 4.30pm - The launch of The Wall, the book of the new TV series about Hadrian's wall
- 7pm - Sir Menzies Campbell will be talking about his political career and his new autobiography
- 8pm - Robert MacFarlane explores the Wild Places of Britain
- 5.30pm - Children's Event - local author Lari Don will be appearing at Melrose Abbey to read from her new novel First Aid For Fairies
Sunday 22nd June
- 4pm - David Erdal, of the company Loch Fyne Oysters, discusses the company and the book Local Heroes: Harvesting Success the Loch Fyne Oysters Way
- 6pm - Kate Muir talks about her latest novel, West Coast
- 8pm - Alan Grant, the writer behind the graphic novels Kidnapped and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde, will be in conversation with Ian Rankin
- 2.30pm - Children's Event - Debi Gliori will be talking about her new book, Witch Baby And Me
Most of the events will be held in the Festival and Harmony marquees in the grounds of Harmony House, but some events will be at local libraries and Melrose Abbey.
To book, visit the book festival website or call the box office on 0844 357 1060.
- First Aid For Fairies And Other Fabled Beasts
A skilful blend of fable and fiction as Helen embarks on an exciting race through Scotland's diverse landscapes, accompanied by an array of creatures from mythology and folklore. - Garden Plants For Scotland
In this book, Scottish gardeners will find accurate information and hundreds of plants ideally suited to where they live. - Girl Meets Boy
'Girl Meets Boy' is a novel from the pen of Ali Smith, author of 'Free Love', 'Like', and 'The Accidental'. - Local Heroes: How Loch Fyne Oysters Embraced Employee Ownership And Business Success
This title presents the extraordinary story of Loch Fyne Oysters, a highly successful and environmentally pioneering seafood company. - Menzies Campbell: My Autobiography
Menzies Campbell became leader of the Liberal Democrats in February 2006. He's led a fascinating life - Olympic athlete, lawyer, politician - and fought a successful battle with cancer. Here, for the first time, he tells his extraordinary story in his own words. - Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped
Robert Louis Stevenson's 'Kidnapped' is here retold as a graphic novel. It is the story of 17-year-old David Balfour who sets out to find his uncle, never dreaming that he will narrowly escape being murdered or that he will be kidnapped and end up in the company of the fugitive Alan Breck. - Scotland: The Autobiography
The story of Scotland, of her history and culture in the words of the people who lived it, from the first century to the present day. Contributors range from Tacitus, Mary Queen of Scots and Oliver Cromwell to Adam Smith, David Livingstone, Billy Connolly and William Boyd. - Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde: The Graphic Novel
Following their acclaimed graphic novel version of 'Kidnapped', Alan Grant and Cam Kennedy turn their attention to another Stevenson story. John Utterson notices that his friend, Dr Henry Jekyll, has been acting very strangely. As he investigates, Utterson uncovers a terrifying and horrific story. - Unco Case O' Dr Jekyll An' Mr Hyde: A Graphic Novel In Scots
Following their acclaimed graphic novel version of 'Kidnapped', Alan Grant and Cam Kennedy turn their attention to another Stevenson story. John Utterson notices that his friend, Dr Henry Jekyll, has been acting very strangely. As he investigates, Utterson uncovers a terrifying and horrific story. - The Wall: Rome's Greatest Frontier
This title tells the story of Hadrian's Wall, its markers, and its effect and impact on northern Britain. The wall is a staggering phenomenon, originally stretching for 120 miles, its mass greater than all the Egyptian pyramids, it took 30,000 soldiers and craftsmen ten years to build. - The Wild Places
Macfarlane embarks on a series of journeys in search of the wildness that remains in the British Isles. At once a wonder voyage, an adventure story and a work of natural history, this text also tells a story of friendship and loss, mixing history, memory and landscape in a strange evocation of wildness and its importance.