“The Shapeshifter’s Daughter” by Sally Magnusson is a powerful and poignant tale of reclamation and self-discovery as a god of death and a dying mortal meet in an enchanted location where myth and history mingle under the wintering solstice sun Book your tickets today: bit.ly/sallymagnussontickets

In a year that Scotland will play in a first #WorldCup in a generation, legendary broadcaster Dougie Donnelly will join us to talk about his life in sport and showbusiness. You can join him live or online to hear of his storied career and candid encounters with the stars: bit.ly/DougieDonnelly

Boswell Book Festival 2026 8–10 May Tickets are on sale for the 2026 @bozzybookfest.bsky.social, the world’s only festival of biography & memoir. The festival is a programme of stories taken from the inspirational lives of people past & present #biography #memoir 💙📚 www.boswellbookfestival.co.uk

@nicolasturgeon.bsky.social's appearance at the Boswell Book Festival is a triumphant homecoming for the former First Minister, who was born in Ayrshire. Her new memoir, 'Frankly', provides a compelling window into a life lived in private and public spheres. www.boswellbookfestival.co.uk

@tonyjuniper.bsky.social has dedicated his career to protecting and recovering the natural world He will be joining us to talk about his life as a tireless campaigner and ‘Just Earth: How a Fairer World will Save the Planet’ his new manifesto of hope You can book now: www.boswellbookfestival.co.uk

Justin Marozzi is an acclaimed historian and journalist steeped in the history and cultures of the Muslim world His book Captives and Companions is a compelling account of how captivity has shaped the past and the continuing story of a world region www.boswellbookfestival.co.uk

Following her first appearance in 2015 we are thrilled to announce that Jung Chang will return to our Festival this year with the long-awaited follow up to her bestselling memoir 'Wild Swans' Jung Chang will be speaking on Friday 8 May at 18.00. Tickets are available now: boswellbookfestival.co.uk

Very excited that this is my first book festival as a speaker and not a little intimidated by the rest of the lineup. Book now 👇

Our 2026 programme is now LIVE! You can now visit our website to see our amazing selection of talks for this year. Tickets are available from March 19. Though you can unlock priority booking and get ahead of the crowds by becoming a Friend of the Festival. www.boswellbookfestival.co.uk

Dumfries House is one of many things that makes the Boswell Book Festival such a special weekend As the Headquarters of the King’s Foundation, our treasured venue stars in "Finding Harmony: A King’s Vision" Tune in to see Dumfries House & the brilliant people who make our festival happen each May!

I am really looking forward to this, as I will be talking about my latest book, The Road to Mons Graupius...more details to follow.

The Boswell Book Festival returns this spring! Across May 8-10 our festival will present a rich tapestry of real-life stories, along with explorations of art, history, music, sport, food, and everything that makes life worth living We hope you will join us for a stimulating and fun-packed weekend

Boswell Book Festival shortlisted for award! We are honoured to join the Helping It Happen Awards 2025 shortlist as one of Scotland’s rural champions. Organised by Scottish Land & Estates the #HiH2025 awards recognise the people and projects driving positive change in rural Scotland.

First @bozzybookfest.bsky.social interview of the year done ... Rupert Everett!

The brilliant Rupert Everett at the Boswell Book Festival. His new collection of short stories are inspired by film pitches that never got made. @bozzybookfest.bsky.social #booksky

Ingrained is an inspirational homecoming story of Callum Robinson leaving the world of commercial design to return to his workshop in the Scottish hills There he handcrafts bespoke furniture for people who will pass it on in a refreshing antidote to a culture of disposability bit.ly/Bozzfest

New event alert! 📢📢📢 The Inside Scoop: Magnus Linklater, Allan Little & Sally Magnusson For a one-off festival event, we are assembling three influential commentators who have all reported on the revolving door at No. 10 This scintillating trio will gather at 18:30, Sun 11 May bit.ly/Bozzfest

Linda Porter and @huntingrebels.bsky.social combine to discuss two Queens The Thistle and the Rose is the story of the misunderstood and underestimated monarch, Margaret Tudor Captive Queen vividly describes the long incarceration of Mary Queen of Scots Join us in-person or online bit.ly/Bozzfest

Adam Nicolson is an award-winning nature writer with a deep knowledge of the Scottish landscape. He joins us to discuss his new book, Bird School, a lyrical and philosophical exploration of (seemingly) ordinary birds and our relationship with the wild. Book for in-person or online bit.ly/Bozzfest

How do we sustain feelings of happiness and contentment? Best-selling author and Buddhist Monk Gelong Thubten joins us to discuss his 'Handbook for Hard Times', an invaluable guide to sustaining happiness by transforming our perceptions of suffering and freeing ourselves from fear: bit.ly/Bozzfest

Legendary DJ and journalist Billy Sloan has lived his life for music, championing emerging artists who would soon define their era Billy will be joined by Heather Suttie, to talk about his storied career and his many enduring friendships with the stars Join us in person or online: bit.ly/Bozzfest

Just one week to go! We look forward to welcoming you all to the gorgeous grounds of Dumfries House for the only festival dedicated to biography & memoir anywhere in the world. We hope you will join us for this rich celebration of stories, ideas, lives, and people! www.boswellbookfestival.co.uk

In his moving memoir Slum Boy, celebrated visual artist Juano Diaz shares his experiences of growing up between bouts of poverty and adoption and the role that public museums played in nurturing his imagination You can join us for this inspirational story both in-person and online: bit.ly/Bozzfest

Just one week to go! We look forward to welcoming you all to the gorgeous grounds of Dumfries House for the only festival dedicated to biography & memoir anywhere in the world. We hope you will join us for this rich celebration of stories, ideas, lives, and people! www.boswellbookfestival.co.uk

Hitlers People by renowned historian Robert J Evans is an examination of the people whose complicity enabled atrocities. Just how different are attitudes towards dehumanisation today? You can join him for this fascinating topic in-person or online www.boswellbookfestival.co.uk/2025/events/429

Witch hunts ripped through the country for over 150 years, with at least 4,000 accused, and with many women’s fates sealed by a grizzly execution. Claire Mitchell, KC and Zoe Venditozzi tell the stories of these terrible injustices. Join us in person or online: bit.ly/Bozzfest

What do you know about the "Forgotten War"? Acclaimed historian Robert Lyman tells the story of war in Burma, a catastrophic defeat for the allies that was transformed into a crucial victory whose consequences have shaped the geopolitical situation of modern Asia Book your ticket: bit.ly/Bozzfest

If you love the skirl of the Bagpipes, then Richard McLauchlan will transport you musically and anecdotally through the storied history of Scotland’s iconic instrument. You can join Richard in person or online: www.boswellbookfestival.co.uk/2025/events/434

Delighted I'm returning to @bozzybookfest.bsky.social next weekend. Chairing several events @sarasheridan.bsky.social Juano Diaz & Charlie English, I'm also discussing my book Joshua in the Sky with @msmeghanbean.bsky.social ↘️↘️↘️. Whose life gets to be remembered, when we record real lives? And how?

The traditional biography details a full life of achievements. Joshua in the Sky from @rodgeglass.bsky.social instead memorialises the author's nephew, Joshua, who lived for just 3 hours. This is is a journey through loss and an exploration of the nature of biography itself. bit.ly/Bozzfest

Just two weeks until I'll be at Dumfries House for @bozzybookfest.bsky.social, talking with @huntingrebels.bsky.social about Margaret Tudor and Mary Queen of Scots, in a session chaired by @agroundwater.bsky.social . Cannot wait!

New event Alert! 📢 One of the outstanding scholars of the Golden Age of Dutch painting, Tico Seifert, will be joining the Pullitzer prize-winning Benjamin Moser, to discuss the Dutch masters who have shaped their lives and work Join in-person or online www.boswellbookfestival.co.uk/2025/events/453

Firestorm is John Valliant’s account of the terrifying inferno that enveloped the city of Fort McMurray Recipient of the Baillie Gifford Prize for non-fiction, he joins us remotely to be interviewed by Cal Flyn on the subject of our ever-hotter world Join us online or in person: bit.ly/Bozzfest

Want to hone your foraging skills? Mo Wilde is a forager & herbalist who joins us to talk about her book, Free Food, a gorgeously illustrated guide to the edible plants and medicinal species that can be found in Scotland’s natural larders. Book for in person or online attendance: bit.ly/Bozzfest

Our Children's Festival welcomes families to the gorgeous grounds of Dumfries House for a weekend with leading children's authors and illustrators, featuring stories and workshops, treasure hunts with our book fairies and a little owl magic too... Browse & book: www.boswellbookfestival.co.uk

Is there such a thing as Finland? And what is so special about Denver International Airport? Join Dom Joly as he navigates the strange world of conspiracies, exploring the appeal of eccentric theories and those who are drawn towards them www.boswellbookfestival.co.uk/2025/events/428

Foreign Fruit is the unique and inventive debut memoir from @extrateethmag.bsky.social editor Katie Goh. Peeling back layers of history, Goh demonstrate how something as seemingly humble as the orange can explore sweeping themes such as colonialism, identity, & mythologies both personal and global.

Rebecca Achieng Ajulu-Bushell is a trailblazing athlete, a graduate of Oxford, and the CEO of the 10,000 Interns Foundation, kickstarting thousands of careers. Her memoir, 'These Heavy Black Bones', is a visceral exploration of ambition and sacrifice. Join us in person or online: bit.ly/Bozzfest

Ayrshire's own Andrew O'Hagan shares his irresistible state-of-the-nation novel, Caledonian Road. O'Hagan's sweeping narrative takes readers from Oligarchs and businessmen to street gangs and traffickers with a breadth and complexity to rival Dickens and Zola. Book your tickets: bit.ly/Bozzfest

The Great Post Office Scandal by @nickwallis.bsky.social tells of Horizon, a faulty financial system that ruined the lives of innocent postal workers. Join us live or online to hear these stories of corporate callousness and incompetence and the long fight to clear their names. bit.ly/Bozzfest

George Villiers was infamous across Europe, with his looks and promiscuity a thing of legend and satire. The Scapegoat is a biography written with a novelist’s touch, conjuring a hedonistic court and a society on the brink of cataclysmic change Join us in-person or online: bit.ly/Bozzfest

The Invention of British Art by @bendorgrosvenor.bsky.social celebrates visionaries in a rich journey of cultural exploration. Learn what makes British art so distinctive, when and why it was made, and why it took so long to emerge. Like what you see? Join us in person or online: bit.ly/Bozzfest

The CIA Book Club is the true story of a covert intelligence operation that smuggled literature and philosophy into the Eastern Bloc. Charlie English highlights the extraordinary people who risked incarceration so that they might liberate their minds. Join us in person or online bit.ly/Bozzfest

Daniel Hahn's Catching Fire: A Translation Diary is a fascinating record of #translation, unfolding in real time as a conversation between the original work of art and the one that he is making Daniel joins us to discuss this fascinating memoir with author Lucy Hughes-Hallett #books #reading

Wayne Sleep is Just Different The legendary ballet dancer reflects his glorious career. By turns moving and hilarious, Just Different is the story of how Wayne danced his way to success, overcoming obstacles all the way. Join us at Dumfries House on May 10. Live stream available: bit.ly/Bozzfest

Boswell Book Festival @bozzybookfest.bsky.social, the world's only festival of biography and memoir, takes place on 9-11 May at Dumfries House, featuring Lionel Dumas-Perini's documentary on the intertwined lives and times of James Boswell and Corsica’s Pascale Paoli. Some events will be streamed.

This week's news included Library Genesis, a vast database of pirated materials stolen from authors to train #AI systems. Wise Animals explores the relationship between humanity & #tech, and the impact that algorithms capable of generating and reshaping creative work are having on authorship.