Hilary Mantel among book festival's highlights

Hilary MantelGetty Images

Hilary Mantel is among the authors at this year's Borders Book Festival

At a glance

  • The Borders Book Festival was effectively cancelled last year due to Covid

  • Organisers have moved the event to a new time of year and venue for 2021

  • It is expected to return to its traditional location next year

The two-time winner of the Walter Scott Prize for historical fiction, Hilary Mantel, will be among the authors appearing at the Borders Book Festival this year.

The event has moved to a new time of year and venue for 2021.

Instead of its traditional site in Melrose, it is being held at Sir Walter Scott's former home, Abbotsford House.

More than 60 events are planned over the six-day programme which begins on 2 November.

Others appearing at the festival include Alexander McCall Smith, Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, Christopher Brookmyre and Denise Mina.

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The festival is being held at Abbotsford House this year

Director Alistair Moffat said: "We are absolutely delighted to be welcoming the book-loving public back to the Baillie Gifford Borders Book Festival this year, even more so in light of everything that the last 18 months have thrown at us."

He said the festival would feel a "little different" being held in November rather than June and at Abbotsford instead of the Harmony Garden in Melrose.

However, he said the change of venue seemed "totally fitting" in the year of the 250th anniversary celebrations of the birth of Sir Walter Scott.

"We very much look forward to returning to Harmony Garden in June 2022 but, for now, we are thrilled to have so many wonderful authors joining us at Abbotsford this November for six days of unbridled literary pleasure."

The full programme for the festival is available on its website.

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