THE director of a popular Scottish literary festival is to step down after 20 years.
Adrian Turpin announced that he would be quitting as the director of the Wigtown Book Festival after the 2025 event.
Turping first worked at the festival in Dumfries and Galloway in 2006, and in 2017 was awarded an OBE for services to literature and the economy of the region.
The Wigtown Book Festival will this year take place from September 26 to October 5, with the extended programme being one of Turpin’s innovations.
Announcing his decision to leave, the festival said Turpin had “overseen a programme of expansion that saw the festival move from three days to 10, quadrupling its audience to more than 20,000 and generating £4.2 million a year for the region”.
Turpin said: “This autumn’s festival will be my 20th at Wigtown, a run I’d have never imagined when I programmed my first event in 2006.
“The past year has been a huge one for the organisation, securing vital three-year support from Creative Scotland, acquiring a permanent new home, and winning the national Thistle Award for Scotland’s Outstanding Cultural Event or Festival.
“After the long haul of rebuilding audiences following the pandemic, it feels like a very natural moment to pass on the baton, and I’m excited about new creative opportunities ahead.
“Wigtown has given me so much. It’s been a privilege to be part of this unique event and to get to know so many people in this extraordinary community.
“I would like to thank colleagues past and present, volunteers, writers, booksellers and audiences – everyone who has made the festival and Scotland’s Book Town so vibrant and welcoming.
“With this level of collective support, I’ve no doubt the festival will continue to inspire, surprise and enrich people’s lives.”
“The high regard in which Wigtown Book Town and the annual Wigtown Book Festival are held is testament to Adrian's creative flair and inspiration. He has been the driving force behind the organisation for 20 years and his energy and enthusiasm are infectious.”
Wigtown became Scotland’s National Book Town in 1998 and the festival began the next year, intended to help regenerate a rural area that was facing severe economic challenges following the closure of the local creamery and distillery.
The programme for this year’s event is due to be announced in August.
