Festival highlights in a superb weekend

BWF chair Hayley Emberey invited writers to talk about their work.

There were many Borders Book Festival highlights, indeed, many more than we have column inches!

Nina Conti was a scream on the opening night, plucking members out from the audience to play her Dating Game.

Martin O’Neill, former Celtic manager, telling attendees the only thing Bobo Balde lacked as a player … talent.

Bake Off winner Giuseppe Dell ‘Anno sharing just how much of presenter Noel Fielding’s rants he actually understood.

Impressionist Jon Culshaw beginning a sentence as Sir Patrick Moore and finishing it as Professor Brian Cox.

And crime writer Doug Johnstone ending his talk on his foray into science fiction by picking up his guitar.

But the tent which would have won the prize for most writers under canvas was the Borders Writers’ Forum event, in which 10 members of the forum read excerpts from its latest and seventh anthology, titled Who Am I And How Did I Get Here?

Hayley Emberey, chair of the BWF said: “It was such a lovely, successful evening with so much support and encouragement for memories to be shared, personal stories to be aired and hearts to be bared with no judgement.

"Thank you to the readers, the support of the forum, the audience and to the Book Festival for enabling such an occasion.”

The anthology – a selection of prose and poetry based on memoirs of one’s own past or someone else’s – has now been launched and is available by emailing the membership secretary at [email protected]

A very warm marquee, grateful for two fans and all the audience were provided with water beforehand.

A full house for the first year in a long time. Delighted to see so many old and new faces.

Creative excellence and some very heartfelt experiences and emotions were shared.