Your Questions Answered

Spring is here, and we're looking ahead to A Write Highland Hoolie 2025!

We’re busy putting together a fabulous programme of events for you – look out for some exciting announcements coming soon! In the meantime, though, we thought we’d answer some of the questions we’re most often asked by people thinking of attending the Hoolie.

Hopefully these will cover any queries you have, but if not, don’t hesitate to get in touch. We’re always happy to help.

Whether you’re a seasoned Hoolie regular or you’ve never been to the festival before, we hope to see you in Mallaig later this year!

Q. What is A Write Highland Hoolie?

A Write Highland Hoolie is Scotland’s friendliest book festival! It’s held every year over the second weekend in November in the West Highland Hotel, Mallaig.

Q. How can I attend?

Event tickets go on sale via our website over the summer. You can book for as many events as you like as our carefully thought-out programme means there’s no danger of sessions overlapping. Many of our guests like to book for every single event so they don’t miss out!

Q. Can I stay in the West Highland Hotel when I attend the Hoolie?

Yes! Our accommodation package at the West Highland Hotel includes a two-night stay, all meals and musical entertainment in the bar after dinner each evening. This can be booked by calling 01687 462210 once reservations open.

Q. Which should I book first – the hotel or my event tickets?

The hotel package goes on sale earlier than the event tickets and books up very quickly, so we recommend securing your accommodation first if you want to stay in the West Highland Hotel.

Q. Does the price of the hotel package include event tickets?

No. The Hoolie weekend rate at the West Highland Hotel includes bed, breakfast, lunch, dinner and after-dinner music over the duration of the festival, but guests need to book and pay  separately for tickets for the events they wish to attend.

Q. Is other accommodation available in Mallaig?

Yes, there are several other accommodation and eating options available in and around Mallaig for festival attendees who are not staying at the West Highland Hotel.

Q. Which genres of books are featured?

Our programme is eclectic and varied, covering fiction, crime, memoir, nature, folklore, history and outdoor pursuits – and poetry, too.

Q. Is it all about books?

Books are at the heart of the Hoolie, but there’s so much more happening, too! Musical entertainment is provided by some of Scotland’s best-loved traditional musicians, and there are plenty of opportunities to socialise and make new friends. We also run a full programme of outreach events, taking our authors and musicians into local schools.

Q. Can I buy books at the events?

Yes. The Highland Bookshop of Fort William runs a well-stocked bookshop at the festival, where you can buy all of the books featured over the weekend and many others, too.

Q. How can I keep up to date with announcements?

Follow us on social media and keep an eye on our website for news as the programme is confirmed.

Let's Hear It For The Hoolie!

Warning! We are about to indulge in some serious blowing-of-our-own trumpet in this blog post. We hope you’ll excuse us . . .

A time-consuming and sometimes frustrating, but nevertheless essential, part of running a small book festival is trying to secure sufficient funding. Without it, the Hoolie would be unable to continue, and we are grateful to everyone who supports us financially.

We leave no stone unturned in our efforts to secure donations. And we’re not above a spot of name-dropping! Endorsements from internationally acclaimed authors and musicians help the cause enormously.

To that end, we recently asked some favourite Hoolie authors and musicians to each write a testimonial for us to use in funding applications. They duly obliged, and we were blown away by their kind words! They were too good not to share . . .

"A Write Highland Hoolie is one of the most vibrant and enjoyable festivals I've attended. The calibre of guests was exceptional and every event was packed to the rafters by tremendously engaged audiences. The weekend format also provides numerous opportunities for authors to meet and chat to attendees beyond the signing table. The organisation of the events was flawless and I can't praise Polly Pullar and her team highly enough. Polly works tirelessly to make this event happen and is a charming and welcoming host. All in all, The Hoolie is a model of how a boutique literary festival should be run. Five stars!” Graeme Macrae Burnett, author.

“If we could make a map of Scotland’s cultural gems with notes on it of the fusion of our cultures through music, stories, poetry and song, the exchange of laughter and wisdom, the lifeblood of our seasons, our landscapes and our shared horizons, we couldn’t help but notice the glowing light over Mallaig where the unbreakable spirit of A Write Highland Hoolie unites all those who have gathered there to be amongst friends, and sometimes friends you never knew you had but will never know how much you have missed them. May that light never be dimmed.” Jim Mackintosh, poet. 

“Having spoken at book festivals the length and breadth of Britain, I can report that A Write Highland Hoolie in Mallaig is magical, unique and precious. Nowhere else do writers meet and celebrate so gladly with readers all of the glories of the written word. Stories are how we understand the world, and in the midst and the warmth of a Highland ceilidh, unforgettable stories are told, links made and remade, and at the end of a memorable weekend, the world seems somehow better.”  Alistair Moffat, author. 

“So many festivals, even very good ones, can blend into one another in the memory, but A Write Highland Hoolie is a truly unique undertaking in a striking location. It creates a compelling sense of shared creative endeavour as writers, musicians, artists and readers gather not merely to discuss books, but to throw their lot in with one another in a common space for 72 hours. I can’t think of any other festival that offers a comparable experience, and with it drawing consistently large crowds and commensurate book sales, it remains one of the highlights of the Scottish festival calendar.” Chris Brookmyre, author.

“I have been honoured and lucky enough to have been involved as a guest musician at A Write Highland Hoolie on two occasions now. My first appearance at the festival involved a concert and a chat where I went through my inspiration and the process behind my writing with author Paul Murton. My second visit to A Write Highland Hoolie was with a multi-media performance of “Beyond the Swelkie” which was a tribute to the life and works of the great Orcadian poet George Mackay Brown. On both weekends I also had the privilege of explaining my compositional techniques to pupils of Mallaig High School during a special event for the Hoolie School of Music Sessions. Together with multi-instrumentalist Hamish Napier, we wrote tunes with these talented young people. My experience of sharing my music and inspiration at this wonderful event with audiences and fellow creatives alike has been both enriching and inspirational to me. A Write Highland Hoolie is a friendly, community driven event which entices some of Scotland’s finest writers to the west coast of the Highlands. It is a jewel in the calendar for everyone who supports it.” Duncan Chisholm, musician.

Making Plans

A belated happy New Year to all friends of A Write Highland Hoolie!

Though the next Mallaig book festival is months away yet, we’ve been making the most of the cold, dark days of January. It’s the perfect time for planning ahead, and when it comes to this year’s Hoolie, we’ve started already.

Organising the Hoolie is pretty much a year-round labour of love. Though we take a brief break immediately after each festival, by January our thoughts have turned to all things book-related once more.

The first decision to be made is the date. For 2025, the Hoolie will once again take place over Remembrance weekend, which this year is Friday November 7 to Sunday November 9. It’s become a tradition to include a Remembrance Day tribute and tune on the pipes on the final day of our festival, and this year will be no exception.

Once the date is inked in, the fun part can begin! We have already spent hours trawling through book catalogues and press releases, scouring social media and pestering our contacts, searching for the best authors and most entertaining events to bring you this November.

There’s so much to consider. Who has a new book out, and are they good at speaking in public? Will they be willing to make the long journey to Mallaig in November? How do we ensure a broad range of genres and subject matter? Some authors are very prolific, but as a rule we try to avoid repeat appearances at the Hoolie to give our audiences something new and exciting every time.

Eventually, we draw up a wishlist, with options and alternatives to bring into play should Plan A fall through at any point. And then the hard work starts, with letters and emails going out to authors, agents and publicists, requesting appearances and setting out terms.

That’s where we are now – initial approaches to a handful of authors have been made and we’re awaiting responses. Each time an author is confirmed, we move on to the next name on the list, until we have a full line-up.

In the weeks ahead, we’ll be sharing more details about this year’s Hoolie. For now, though, don’t forget to Save the Date! We’re looking forward to seeing you in November.