2018: A book-based film, some whisky, and murder in the church.
In addition to all our regular events, Pentlands Book Festival collaborated with Balerno Village Screen to project The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. And JG bowling club hosted a Pentlands Book Festival whisky-tasting.
Catherine Walker of Napier University gave an illustrated talk on the war poets’ time at Craiglockhart and organized a visit to the archive she had created.
In a collaboration with Pentland Art Club, renowned botanical artist Janet Dyer delighted us with her personal story and her superb paintings.
We made the first of three attempts to get Jackie Kay to speak, both to an evening audience but also to secondary school pupils of the city.
Our biggest audience so far (about 300) enjoyed a rollicking evening with Val McDermid in JG church, programmed as Killing People for Fun and Profit. It was chaired by Philippa Cochrane from the Scottish Book Trust. Blackwell’s came to sell McDermid’s books that night.
Karen Wilson, Shauna Dickson, and Gill Marriott (Currie High School librarian) all joined the committee.
Pentlands Book Festival: 6 Nov - 3 Dec 2025 