We’re delighted to confirm that the Pentlands Book Festival is back for its twelfth year, running from 26 October to 25 November 2026. Once again, we’ll be bringing free author events, community talks and local celebrations of reading to Colinton, Currie, Juniper Green and Balerno — all in partnership with Currie and Colinton Libraries.
This year’s programme brings you 15 events across the festival’s four-week run — 13 author talks, plus our POSt artists’ talks and Library of Mistakes visit.
A Word on Tickets
Please note: tickets will not be available from either library before 1 October 2026. We know some of you like to plan ahead, but booking simply won’t open until then — so please don’t call or head to Currie or Colinton Library looking for tickets before that date. We’ll let you know the moment booking opens, so keep an eye on your inbox and our social channels. At that time, tickets will also be available online — links on our website.
Who’s Joining Us
We’re thrilled to welcome an outstanding line-up of authors, including Kate Atkinson, Jenni Fagan, Elaine Thomson, James Oswald, Alistair Moffat, Brian McGeachan, Kate Stephenson, Helen Graham, Mark Baillie, Kate Mayor, Jonathan Findlay, Peter Lamont, Esa Aldegheri and Anne Pia.
Beyond the Author Talks
Alongside our 13 author events, this year’s festival features a Pentlands Open Studios (POSt) artists’ talks event, giving local artists a chance to share their work and creative process with the community.
We’ll also be closing the festival with a special Library of Mistakes visit — a donations-based afternoon exploring the fascinating (and sometimes costly) history of financial missteps.
Help Us Keep the Festival Free
The Pentlands Book Festival has always been free to attend, and we’d love to keep it that way. If you’re able to support us, our Crowdfunder campaign launches soon and runs right through to the close of the festival on 25 November. Every donation — large or small — helps us keep bringing brilliant authors to our community.
We’re also always looking for volunteers to help the festival run smoothly. If you’ve got a few hours to spare, we’d love to hear from you.
Stay in the Loop
Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @pentlandsbookfestival for event reminders, author spotlights and behind-the-scenes updates in the run-up to the festival. Don’t forget to tag your posts with #PentlandsBookFestival and #LiveLiterature — and if you’re heading along to the Pentlands Open Studios talks, look out for #PentlandsOpenStudios and #Postudios2026.
We can’t wait to welcome you to another wonderful year of the Pentlands Book Festival.
For full event details and updates, visit pentlandsbookfestival.org where you can read details of each event and download the flyer.
Pentlands Book Festival: 26 Oct - 25 Nov 2026 