Colonsay Book Festival
26th & 27th April 2025
Welcome
The people of Colonsay, like many communities large and small, have always shared a love of books and literature, joining in book groups and participating in fringe poetry sessions at the music festival. At a community meeting in June 2011, the idea of a book festival for the island was tentatively mooted, and ten months later, at the end of April 2012, we were welcoming our first six authors and an eager audience. 2025 marks our 12th Book Festival and we are thrilled to welcome such a great line up to Colonsay for what promises to be another great festival.
“To say this is a
BRILLIANT festival
– simply the best –
is not to say too much…”
Liz Lochhead
Colonsay Book Festival
26th & 27th April 2025
Saturday 26th April 2025
| 12pm Light lunch and refreshments available for purchase |
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| Venue Colonsay Village Hall |
| 1.30pm E.S. Thompson |
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| Author of the Jem Flockhart series of Gothic murder mysteries, Elaine will be in conversation about how her PhD in the History of Medicine has provided fuel for her darkly vivid tales – and will be reading from her latest novel, Underground. |
| 3.00pm Janette Ayachi |
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| Award-winning poet Janette Ayachi will read from her work, including from her latest book, QuickFire, Slow Burning. She’ll explore themes such as heritage, the mystic, nature, lost landscapes, and lost loves. She’ll be joined by sound artist Alanna Craig for a special performance of a piece that reflects a poet’s journeying superstition and identity through her mixed-race ancestry. |
| 4.30pm Coinneach MacLeod |
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| Join Coinneach MacLeod, aka ‘The Hebridean Baker’, in a tour through the makings of a 'A Hebridean Gathering' focusing on Hebridean culture, recipes, Gaelic and storytelling—bringing together the history and traditions of the islands with some foodie inspiration and maybe a song or two! |
| 9pm Film night |
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| Picture - to be confirmed - FREE Venue Colonsay Village Hall |
Individual sessions £12 except where otherwise noted. Tickets for all sessions available on the door.
Sunday 27th April 2025
| 10am Gaelic singing workshop with Coinneach MacLeod |
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| Venue To be confirmed - £5 |
| 12pm Light lunch and refreshments available for purchase |
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| Venue Colonsay Village Hall |
| 1.30pm Caro Ramsay |
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| Caro Ramsay, writer of “intelligent nail biter” crime fiction, will be talking about her award-nominated Anderson and Costello series and her latest in DCI Christine Caplan series, Out of the Dark. Time and nails permitting she may also get to talk about The Killer Cookbook for the Million for a Morgue campaign, uses of her Forensic Medical Science Diploma and acting with the Crime Writing Players. |
| 3.00pm Adam Nicolson |
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| Award-winning nature writer Adam Nicolson will be talking about his passion for Scottish landscape and the myriad of birds that inhabit it. His latest book, Bird School: A Beginner in the Wood, traces his adventure setting up a small shed on the edge of a field and getting to know the birds who inhabit it, and is woven through with philosophy, literature, science and emotion. |
| 4.30pm Ben Macintyre |
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| Ben Macintyre, multi-million copy bestselling author of books including Colditz, Agent Sonya, SAS: Rogue Heroes, The Spy and the Traitor, and Operation Mincemeat, will present the story behind his latest book, The Siege, The Remarkable Story of the Greatest SAS Hostage Drama. |
| 5.30pm Festival closing |
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| Join us in a farewell glass or two…FREE |
“This was a wonderful start to a literary festival that I am sure will become one of the most enjoyable festivals on offer. Everything worked so well and the atmosphere was extraordinarily friendly.”
Alexander McCall Smith
Colonsay Book Festival
26th & 27th April 2025
2025 Authors
| Janette Ayachi |
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| Janette Ayachi is an award winning, Scottish-Algerian poet known for her vibrant and evocative writing. Now based in Edinburgh, her first poetry book Hand Over Mouth Music (Pavilion, Liverpool University Press) won the Saltire Poetry Book of the Year Literary Award 2019. As well as performing at festivals internationally, she is a regular on BBC arts programmes while also collaborating with other artists in projects like the film-poem On Meeting a Fox. Her book QuickFire, Slow Burning (Pavilion, LUP) was Longlisted for The Laurel Prize 2024. She is now writing her travel memoir Lonerlust and her debut fiction novel Of Sweet Figs and Forget-Me-Nots. |
| Ben Macintyre |
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| Ben Macintyre is the multi million-copy bestselling author of books including Colditz, Agent Sonya, SAS: Rogue Heroes, The Spy and the Traitor, Agent Zigzag, Operation Mincemeat and A Spy Among Friends. He is a columnist and Associate Editor at The Times, and has worked as the newspaper's correspondent in New York, Paris and Washington. Several of his books have been made into films and television series, including Operation Mincemeat, A Spy Among Friends and SAS: Rogue Heroes. |
| Coinneach MacLeod |
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| Coinneach MacLeod was born and raised on the Isle of Lewis, the most northerly island of the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Inspired by traditional family recipes and homegrown produce, Coinneach rose to fame as the Hebridean Baker in 2020. He has inspired millions around the world to bake, forage, learn Gaelic, enjoy a dram or two of whisky and to seek a more wholesome, simple life. BBC Alba made a one-hour documentary A Year in the Life of The Hebridean Baker – which broadcast on Christmas Day 2023 and this year he will begin filming his own TV series which will air in 2025. |
| Adam Nicolson |
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| Adam Nicolson is an award-winning nature writer with a deep knowledge of the Scottish landscape. Notable works include Sea Room about the Shiant Isles, a group of uninhabited islands in the Hebrides, The Seabird's Cry about the disaster afflicting the world's seabirds and Life Between the Tides, a boundary-crossing account of the tides in human and animal life. Adam’s latest book, Bird School: A Beginner in the Wood, traces his adventure setting up a small shed on the edge of the field and getting to know the birds. Woven through with philosophy, literature, science and emotion, Bird School exposes our relationship as people with the wild. |
| Caro Ramsay |
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| Caro Ramsay’s break through novel, Absolution, was short listed for the Crimes Writers Association ‘New Blood Dagger’, and she has gone on to write another 12 books in the Anderson and Costello series. The third of her DCI Christine Caplan series, Out of the Dark, was published in August 24 to critical acclaim, and described by one reviewer as an "intelligent nail biter of a novel". She edited The Killer Cookbook for the Million for a Morgue campaign and holds a Forensic Medical Science Diploma to aid her crime writing. In between times she acts with the Crime Writing Players, and occasionally goes to work. |
| E.S. Thompson |
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| E. S. Thomson's work has been longlisted for the CWA Endeavour Historical Dagger, and shortlisted for the Saltire Prize, the Scottish Arts Council First Book Award and the William McIlvanney Crime Book of the Year Award. She has a PhD in the social history of medicine, and tries to fit as much medical history into her books as possible. She works as a university lecturer by day, and writes by night. Elaine lives in Edinburgh with her two sons. |
Past authors
2024
Victoria Bennett / David (D.V.) Bishop / Graeme Macrae Burnet / Eimear McBride / Michael Pederson / Polly Pullar
2023
Louise Gray / Kathleen Jamie / James Oswald / Sarah Thomas / Louise Welsh
2022
John D Burns / Karen Campbell / Martin Edwards / Alex Gray / Andrew O’Hagan / Robin Robertson
2019
Ann Cleeves / Robin A Crawford / Jen Hadfield / Clare Hunter / Sarah Maine / James & Tom Morton
2018
Malachy Tallack / John Glenday / Bathhurst Bella / Lin Anderson / Janice Galloway / A. L. Kennedy
2017
Sue Lawrence / Alexander McColl Smith / Karen Campbell / Jim Carruth / James Hunter / Christine De Luca
2016
Jim Crumley / Julie Davidson / Denise Mina / James Naughtie / Jacob Polley / Hew Strachan
2015
James Buchan / Mary Contini / William Letford / Sarah Maitland / Aline Templeton
2014
Christopher Brookmyre / Lesley Glaister / Andrew Greig / Jackie Kay / Val McDermid / Patrick Richardson
2013
Maggie Fergusson / Tom Pow / Ian Rankin / Angus Peter Campbell / Candia McWilliam / Sara Sheridan
2012
Sophie Cooke / Margaret Elphinstone / Liz Lochhead / James Robertson / Alexander McColl Smith / Kenneth Steven
Colonsay Book Festival
26th & 27th April 2025
Getting here
The island of Colonsay, one of the most remote and most beautiful in the Southern Hebrides, is a 2 hours, 20 minutes sail from Oban, on the west coast of Scotland. South of Mull and west of Jura and Islay, the island is about 8 miles long and 2 wide. Famous for its golden beaches, such as Kiloran and Balnahard, it is home to a wealth of bird, animal and plant life, and has a fascinating history and archaeology. Whatever your interest – walking, swimming, fishing, golf, painting or photography – you will be able to enjoy it here.Find travel and accommodation at Visit Colonsay.
Colonsay Book Festival
26th & 27th April 2025
Latest news
2025 INITIAL LINE-UP
Dec 8, 2024The Colonsay Book Festival is delighted to announce the bright lights of the line-up for its 2025 Festival. The initial seam of award-winning writers and authors appearing at the latest edition of the festival on 26 and 27 April 2025 are confirmed as: Janette Ayachi, Ben Macintyre, Coinneach MacLeod, Adam Nicolson, and Caro Ramsay. Further programme details will be released in due course. Early-bird tickets for what promises to be an entertaining weekend go on sale as from today. You can book them here
PROGRAMME CHANGE
March 24, 2024Sadly, ES Thomson is not now able to join us this year (though she is on a promise for another year…).We are pleased to announce however that David (DV) Bishop has agreed to assume the mantle (or should that be dagger?) of award-winning historical thriller writer at our wee festival.You can still buy weekend passes here – or individual tickets for author slots on the door.
2024 INITIAL LINE UP ANNOUNCED
December 12, 2023The Colonsay Book Festival is delighted to announce the core group of authors for its 2024 Festival. The initial raft of award-winning writers and authors appearing at this “wee gem of a festival on a jewel of an island” on 27 and 28 April next year are confirmed as: Victoria Bennett, Graeme Macrae Burnet, Eimear McBride, Michael Pederson and Elaine (E.S.) Thomson. Further programme details will be released in due course. Early-bird tickets for what promises to be a stimulating, engaging and thought-provoking weekend go on sale as from today. You can book them here.
PROGRAMME CHANGE
April 13, 2023As many of you may already know, in last few days CalMac have drastically changed Colonsay’s ferry timetable until mid May.However we can confirm that the Festival is going ahead. Friday’s ferry from Oban on 28th April is still timetabled, but Sunday 30th’s ferry back to Oban has been cancelled. Disappointingly, CalMac cancelled the Sunday ferry in the full knowledge that Festival is taking place. Foot passengers may be able to return to Oban by rib on the Sunday (please contact us for details). Passengers with cars will need to travel on the Monday service back to Oban.Sadly Bernard Maclaverty has had to withdraw from the Festival because of this disruption, but we are delighted that Zoe Strachan will join the author line up in his stead.
INITIAL LINE-UP ANNOUNCED
January 13, 2023The Colonsay Book Festival is delighted to announce the opening line-up for its 2023 Festival. The initial raft of award-winning writers and authors appearing at this “wee gem of a festival on a jewel of an island” on 29 and 30 April this year are confirmed as: Louise Gray, Kathleen Jamie, Bernard MacLaverty, Sarah Thomas and Louise Welsh. Further programme details will be released in due course, but tickets for what promises to be an engaging and thought-provoking weekend go on sale as from today.For the first time in twelve years, sadly, we’ve had to revise event ticket pricing to reflect the inevitable increases in costs we’ve seen over that time. Individual author sessions will now be £12, with a full weekend pass for all six sessions at £60 – but the ‘early bird’ weekend pass is just £55 if booked before the end of February. You can book it here.
EARLY BIRD EXTENSION
January 31, 2022Early Bird booking for this year’s Colonsay Book Festival has been extended until midnight on 15th February. As Covid rules are likely to remain in force we anticipate requiring contact details from everyone attending the festival. Using Early Bird booking is an easy way of logging your contact details and getting a discount on the ticket price. Book it here.
