The first-ever St Andrew’s Book Festival will take place this November in London, bringing a host of best-selling authors and notable figures to the city. Organised by Scots in London, a group connecting Scottish organisations in the capital, the festival will present a diverse week-long programme covering crime fiction, poetry, history, cookery, economics, and environmental topics.
The event promises an impressive line-up of authors, including celebrated Scottish writer Sir Ian Rankin, who will debut his latest Rebus novel, fresh off the press. Other literary figures include Judy Murray and Lorraine Kelly, who will discuss their debut novels Wild Card and The Island Swimmer, respectively. Detective fiction fans can also look forward to a session with Ann Cleeves, creator of the Shetland series, popularised by BBC One.
The festival kicks off on Monday, 25 November, with a Spoken Word Gala hosted by the National Library of Scotland. Chaired by poet Michael Pedersen, the event will feature former National Poets of Scotland Jackie Kay and Liz Lochhead, as well as writers Bill Drummond and Bee Asha. Following this, on Tuesday, The Scotsman will host a special event featuring winners of this year’s Saltire Awards, with an evening session led by journalist and broadcaster Andrew Marr.
From Thursday through to Sunday, St Columba’s Church on Pont Street SW1 will host a packed programme of author appearances. These sessions will include a showcase of debut authors, supported by National Lottery funding through Creative Scotland. Audiences can expect to see top names like Sir Alexander McCall Smith, who has written over 300 books, alongside writers Andrew O’Hagan and Chris Brookmyre, creator of the character Jack Parlabane.
Memoir and biography enthusiasts will be able to hear from Simple Minds guitarist Derek Forbes and Scottish writer Damian Barr, who will share stories from The Big Scottish Book Club. Chitra Ramaswamy will discuss her friendship with Holocaust survivor Henry Wuga, and Gavin Esler, James Naughtie, and Jen Stout will cover topics spanning from British politics to the war in Ukraine.
In addition to crime, history, and politics, the festival will feature culinary traditions from the Hebridean Baker, traditional historian Alistair Moffat, and a biography of Mary Queen of Scots by author Rosemary Goring. Journalist Alan Taylor will also discuss his latest work on Edinburgh’s history.
The festival has secured support from National Lottery funding via Arts Council England, which allows the event to offer a free programme for schools and home educators. Fundment, an investment platform, and Prestonfield House hotel are named as headline sponsors.
Tickets are available for the general public from 23 September, with an early booking option for Festival Friends and Members from 16 September. An annual membership is available for £75, with proceeds helping to support the inaugural festival and its future. The organisers are hopeful that this new event will become a major fixture on London’s cultural calendar, showcasing Scottish literature and fostering connections between authors and readers in the UK capital. To view the full programme and book your tickets head over to www.standrewsbookfestival.org