Wigtown book festival makes online switch

Adrian Turpin said the move online could help attract new audiences

Scotland's national book town has decided to take its annual festival online.

The Wigtown event will still run from 25 September to 4 October with the themes of resilience and connection.

Creative director Adrian Turpin said a key aim would be to raise the town's profile while looking forward to a time when the region could welcome visitors.

He said nobody had wanted the situation but it might help the event to reach new audiences.

A number of link-ups with other book towns around the world will feature as part of the festival.

As well as live online speaker events, the 2020 festival will feature its usual mix of art exhibitions, film events, music and performance.

The Magnusson lecture - in honour of Magnus Magnusson - will also go digital for the first time and be delivered by historian Rosemary Goring.

It is hoped the event will return in a more traditional format next year

Talking about her involvement in the festival, Sally Magnusson said: "I'm delighted that the Magnusson lecture will be online and that the festival will bring some of the previous lectures to a wider audience through the creative use of digital.

"Wigtown has already been engaging wonderfully with audiences during the crisis, and I've enjoyed participating myself.

"I can't wait for the autumn festival."

Mr Turpin said they had already put a lot of effort into creating new content but the hope was that they could return to a more traditional format in 2021.