- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
A Write Highland Hoolie, Mallaig’s Book Festival, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year with an outstanding programme featuring some of Scotland’s finest authors, poets and musicians.
From Friday November 6 to Sunday November 8, the town’s popular West Highland Hotel will be the venue for a weekend of stories, music, friendship and fun. It’s Scotland’s friendliest book festival and everyone is welcome!
The festival opens at 5.30 pm on Friday November 6 with A Write Highland Extravaganza, which blends the irrepressible energy and wit of Edinburgh Makar Michael Pedersen, the lyrical poetry of Scotland's Makar Peter Mackay (Pàdraig MacAoidh) and the musical brilliance of songwriter Rachel Sermanni in a truly magical performance that celebrates the richness, diversity and vitality of Scotland's creative culture. The ticket price includes a complimentary welcome dram of Torabhaig single malt whisky and admission to the after-dinner music in the bar with Donald Livingstone and Iain Cameron of the Cast Ewe Ceilidh Band.
Saturday’s busy programme begins with Elaine Thomson, whose haunting, atmospheric novel Saltwater transports readers to the Isle of Stroma in 1896, where the construction of a new lighthouse is plagued by difficulties, not all of them easily explained. Then award-winning crime writer Shona MacLean (S.G. MacLean), author of The Bookseller of Inverness, reveals the real-life inspiration behind her latest book, The Cromarty Library Circle, which is set on the Black Isle in the 1830s.
Botanist Gregory Kenicer, from Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Garden, gets Saturday afternoon off to a great start with Plant Magic: The Supernatural Side of Botany, a fascinating exploration of the way plants have been used in magical traditions across Europe. He’s followed by naturalist and former sheep farmer Polly Pullar, whose book In the Company of Sheep explores what seaweed-eating sheep, remote islands and a cast of unforgettable shepherds can teach us about Britain. Polly will be in conversation with Mark Stephen, the presenter of BBC Radio Scotland's much-loved Out of Doors programme.
Another BBC presenter and broadcaster, Sally Magnusson, has been inspired by Norse mythology in her latest novel, The Shapeshifter’s Daughter, which is both a powerful reimagining of the myth of Hel, queen of the underworld, and a celebration of the joy of reclaiming our stories.
Our final event of the day brings acclaimed folklorist, singer and writer Margaret Bennett together with musicians Gary Innes and Ewen Henderson of Mànran, and Allan Henderson of Blazin’ Fiddles, in a fitting celebration of the Hoolie’s first decade. It promises to be an unforgettable evening that will weave together Highland tunes, Gaelic song, stories, humour and friendship in a real ceilidh atmosphere.
After dinner, Gary, Ewen and Allan will provide entertainment for ticket holders and residents in the hotel bar, with talented local musicians more than welcome to join in the party atmosphere.
Bestselling crime author Chris Brookmyre starts Sunday in style with his new novel Quite Ugly One Evening, an ingenious locked-room mystery that sees the return of rogue journalist Jack Parlabane, 30 years after his appearance in Quite Ugly One Morning.
The traditional Remembrance Day reading will be given by Mark Stephen, host of BBC Radio Scotland’s Out of Doors programme, followed by a minute’s silence and piping by Alan MacKenzie.
A large audience is expected for Sunday’s showpiece event, which pays tribute to pioneering Scots who have entered the record books for their adventurous exploits and intrepid endeavours. Mark Stephen will be in conversation with the famous Maclean Brothers, who hit the headlines last year when they rowed the Pacific Ocean unsupported and non-stop, setting a new Fastest Known Time and becoming the first team ever to achieve the feat. Jamie and Ewan will discuss the challenges, triumphs and occasional moments of madness they experienced on their journey before being joined by legendary adventurer Tom McClean. A veteran of both the Parachute Regiment and the SAS, Tom became the first man to row solo across the Atlantic from west to east in 1969 and later crossed the ocean again in the smallest boat ever to make the voyage. Expect inspiring tales of breathtaking bravery and lots of laughs!
The Hoolie ends with the traditional afternoon tea party led by children’s author Alan Windram, whose new book, The Catventures of Sparky and George, is a fast-paced, laugh-out-loud story of feline mischief guaranteed to delight younger readers. Tea and cakes will be provided by Mallaig Primary School pupils, and the children will also perform a selection of delightful music and Gaelic song. Donations for refreshments will help to support Mallaig Primary School projects.
Ticket prices start at just £8 and are on sale now from www.a-write-highland-hoolie.com/book-now. To enquire about hotel reservations, call 01687 462210. We’re looking forward to sharing A Write Highland Hoolie 2026 with you!
- Apr 17
- 2 min read
A Write Highland Hoolie is proud to be supporting the National Year of Reading 2026, a fantastic UK Government initiative that aims to promote the benefits of reading for pleasure. It celebrates reading in all its many forms, from novels to comics, audio books, song lyrics and more, and encourages people to read about their passions and interests.
Reading for pleasure is consistently linked to positive educational, social and economic outcomes, yet in Scotland, only one in three children and young people say they enjoy reading in their free time. Just one in six read daily, and the decline is sharpest among boys, teenagers and low-income families.
This matters, because adults with the lowest literacy levels are five times more likely to be unemployed, and 43% of adults are lacking the literacy skills to understand everyday health information. Getting into the habit of reading for pleasure can improve life chances and reduce inequalities. It also helps people of all ages feel socially connected, build empathy and improve mental wellbeing.
The Go All In campaign from the National Literacy Trust is determined to make reading relevant again, and it’s an aim that everyone at A Write Highland Hoolie fully supports.
In 2026, our tenth anniversary year, we’ll Go All In to ensure that children and young people in Mallaig and the surrounding area have more opportunities than ever to discover the joys of reading. We’re preparing a packed programme of competitions and author-led events and workshops in local schools in the days leading up to the Hoolie, culminating in our Grand Finale prize-giving tea party which will close the festival weekend in style.
Our children’s events are free to attend and participate in, and we are very grateful to all the generous donors and benefactors who make this possible. We couldn’t do any of it without them.
We’re not forgetting the adults, either! Over the weekend of November 6-8, our fabulous authors and musicians will Go All In to entertain our audiences in the West Highland Hotel, Mallaig, as we all gather together once more to share our love of books, music and Scottish culture with friends old and new.
Tickets will go on sale this summer, so follow us on Facebook or sign up to our mailing list at www.a-write-highland-hoolie.com to keep up to date with all the latest news.
- Feb 2
- 2 min read
It’s our birthday!
This year’s A Write Highland Hoolie will take place from November 6-8, 2026, and it’s one that you won’t want to miss! This year marks the Hoolie’s tenth anniversary, and we intend to celebrate in style.
That means an exciting programme of events featuring a hand-picked selection of the most creative and brilliant authors writing in and about Scotland today, plus some of the country’s acclaimed traditional musicians.
Every single artist who appears on our programme has been chosen by Team Hoolie, who read an enormous and eclectic range of books every year in the search for the perfect mix of authors, genres and topics.
We pride ourselves on supporting Scottish literature in all its many guises, whether that means books written by Scottish authors, authors based in Scotland, or authors from other parts writing about Scotland.
We believe the literature inspired by our small but fabulous country deserves its place in the spotlight and we’re determined to continue to champion Scottish writing, Scottish writers and our wonderful history, heritage and culture.
We’d love you to join us this year to experience a warm Highland welcome! Our venue once again will be the cosy, comfortable West Highland Hotel in Mallaig, where authors and guests alike will gather to enjoy the unique atmosphere of a weekend house party with traditional music, friends old and new, and lots of books!
Right now, we’re still at the planning stage, but we aim to unveil our programme and open for hotel bookings in early summer. Keep an eye on our Facebook and Bluesky pages for more information or sign up to our email newsletter to stay in touch with all our news.
