The Wigtown Book Festival is a ten-day literary festival held each autumn in Wigtown, Dumfries and Galloway, south-west Scotland. The festival was first held in 1999 and has grown to be the second biggest book festival in Scotland.
2024 Festival
In 2024, the festival took place between 27 September - 6 October. The 2024 festival had over 250 planned events, with a focus on discussing the Galloway Coast and climate change. ==History==
History
The first festival took place in 1999. In 2013, there were 7500 visitors to the festival, more than half of which were from outside Dumfries and Galloway. A report commissioned by the Wigtown Festival Company in 2013 estimated that the festival contributed £2 million to the regional economy each year. This was three times higher than that estimated by a similar study in 2008. It resumed as a physical festival in September 2021. The 2023 festival took place from the 22 September to 1 October. Performers and readers included Nigel Planer, Kate Mosse and Jo Caulfield. ==Events, Competitions and Prizes==
Events, Competitions and Prizes
Regular festival events include the annual James Mirrlees lecture, which marks the local Nobel Prize economist. Poetry competition The festival runs an annual international poetry competition and awards three separate prizes for compositions in English, Scottish Gaelic and Scots. Prizes are given to winners. ==References==