NessBookFest 2025

Ness Book Fest 2025: First Events Revealed!

The wait is over! The first events for Ness Book Fest 2025 are here, and we’re so excited to give you a sneak peek of what’s in store! From 2nd to 4th October, we’ll be bringing stories to life across Inverness at Eden Court Theatre, Discovery College, and The Bike Shed. As always, it’s completely free and full of variety, with something for book lovers of all ages.

We’re thrilled to welcome Philip Paris as this year’s festival headliner. Philip will launch his brand-new novel, A Fire in Their Hearts, a gripping story set in 17th-century Scotland. Known for his powerful historical fiction, Philip weaves together love, sacrifice and the fight for freedom in a time when the country was on the brink of transformation. It’s going to be a memorable way to kick off the weekend.

For those passionate about Scotland’s languages and culture, we’re honoured to host Billy Kay, one of the most respected voices promoting the Scots language. Billy will be joined by the brilliant Robyn Stapleton, whose singing brings Scots poetry and song to life. Together, they’ll offer a powerful evening of literature and music in our country’s second most spoken language.

Writers, take note: Merryn Glover, former Writer in Residence for the Cairngorms National Park, will be leading a writing workshop open to all. Whether you’re just getting started or already deep into your writing journey, this session will offer encouragement, insight and creative spark. Merryn brings a global background to her storytelling, with roots in South Asia and Australia and a deep connection to Scotland. Her novels, including A House Called Askival and Of Stone and Sky, have captivated readers and listeners around the world.

We’ll also be bringing back some of our most loved events:

The Poetry Slam – always energetic and inspiring
Meet the Books – a chance to see, touch, and learn about old, unusual and rare books.
A special celebration for the Highland Schools Writing Competition winners

Ness Book Fest Chairperson Meilan Simanjuntak summed it up perfectly:

“We’re thrilled to unveil a programme that truly reflects the heart of Ness Book Fest – accessible and engaging with something for everyone. This year’s events celebrate the voices, history and creativity of Scotland and the Highlands, and we’re proud that the festival remains free and open to all.”

We can’t wait to welcome readers, writers and curious minds of all kinds to this year’s festival. Whether you’re joining us for the first time or returning for another year, Ness Book Fest 2025 promises to be a warm and welcoming celebration of stories, community and creativity.

The full programme will be confirmed in August, along with details on how to book free tickets, so keep an eye on our website and follow us on social media for updates.

See you in October!

**Philip Paris: A Fire in Their Hearts – Book Launch, Readings & Q&A**

We’re thrilled to welcome bestselling Highland author Philip Paris to open this year’s NessBookFest with the launch of his powerful new novel, A Fire in Their Hearts. This gripping work of historical fiction transports readers to 17th-century Scotland, telling the extraordinary true story of Violet and Samuel, childhood sweethearts caught in a brutal civil war that tore their country apart.

Through a mix of captivating readings and a friendly, engaging talk, Philip will explore the lives of ordinary people who resisted King Charles II’s demand to control the Church of Scotland. Attacked, captured and banished to the Caribbean, their harrowing journey reaches its climax aboard the doomed Crown of London.

Following the reading, there will be an open Q&A session, allowing audiences to delve deeper into the real events behind the story and Philip’s writing process.

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from one of Scotland’s most versatile and acclaimed authors.

About the Author
Highland-based Philip Paris is the bestselling author of The Last Witch of Scotland, Waterstones’ Scottish Book of the Year 2024. Known for his diverse writing, his novel Men Cry Alone, which focuses on domestic abuse against men, won the Scottish Association of Writers’ Barbara Hammond Trophy. His non-fiction work Orkney’s Italian Chapel: The True Story of an Icon is regarded as the definitive account of the iconic WW2 site.

Billy Kay with Robyn Stapleton: Born in Kyle

Celebrated writer and broadcaster Billy Kay joins NessBookFest to reflect on a lifetime of language, identity, and belonging. A leading figure in the Scots language revival, Kay’s work has shaped how Scotland sees and hears itself. From Scots: The Mither Tongue to decades of powerful radio and television, his voice has championed the richness and value of Scots in everyday life.

In this talk, Billy Kay will be joined by singer Robyn Stapleton for an evening of literature and music in Scotland’s second most spoken language.

Kay is a passionate proponent of the Scots language and the author of Scots: The Mither Tongue, one of the foremost books on the language. Kay shares insights from his most personal work to date, Born in Kyle, a moving tribute to his upbringing in Galston in Ayrshire’s Irvine Valley. With warmth and wit, he recalls working-class family life, childhood pastimes, coal fires, paraffin heaters, and the vibrant Scots speech that coloured every corner of daily life. Expect stories, reflection, and celebration of a language rooted in place and people.

About the Author

Writer and broadcaster Billy Kay was born in Galston, Ayrshire, in 1951, and educated at Galston High School, Kilmarnock Academy and Edinburgh University. He produced and presented many radio and television documentaries on Scottish cultural history for the BBC. He is co-author, with Cailean Maclean, of the book Knee Deep in Claret. He is a passionate advocate of the Scots language and author of the classic work Scots: The Mither Tongue. His book, The Scottish World, on the phenomenal global influence of the Scottish diaspora, was published in 2006. In November 2023, he published his memoir in Scots, Born in Kyle, which he describes as a love letter to an Ayrshire childhood.

Merryn Glover Workshop

Join acclaimed author and nature writer Merryn Glover for a hands-on writing workshop exploring how landscape and the natural world can inspire powerful storytelling. Drawing on her experience as the first Writer in Residence for the Cairngorms National Park, Merryn will guide participants through exercises that awaken the senses, stir the imagination, and deepen connections to place.

Whether you’re new to writing or looking to sharpen your craft, this workshop offers a welcoming space to engage with nature through words. Expect inspiration from Merryn’s own work, including The Hidden Fires: A Cairngorms Journey with Nan Shepherd, a reflective and moving dialogue with the author of The Living Mountain.

This session is ideal for anyone interested in nature writing, creative non-fiction, or developing a more mindful approach to observation and description.

About the Author

Brought up in South Asia and Australia, Merryn Glover has called Scotland home for 30 years. Her plays and short stories have been broadcast on BBC Radio and widely anthologised. Her first novel, A House Called Askival, is set in India, and the award-winning Of Stone and Sky, in Badenoch. The first Writer in Residence for the Cairngorms National Park, Merryn is a contributor to the Guardian Country Diary. Her latest book is The Hidden Fires: A Cairngorms Journey with Nan Shepherd.

NBF Poetry Slam 2025

Poets go head-to-head to be crowned the NBF Poetry Slam Champion 2025!

Join us for an evening of poetry at The Bike Shed, where poets will go head-to-head in a battle to be crowned the new NBF Poetry Slam Champion 2025 and book their place in the Scottish National Finals in 2025.

Watch a diverse range of poets perform their work and be judged and scored on their performances, with a poetry champion emerging by the night’s end!