Islay Book Festival have revealed our 20th anniversary programme. The festival will take place from Thursday the 27th of August to Sunday the 30th of August across the Hebridean island.
Islay book festival was set up in 2006 by a group of local women who were running a book group. Since then, the Festival has gone from strength to strength and has become a permanent fixture on the island calendar, attracting both a local and off-island audience.
Big names who will appear at the 2026 festival include: Booker-Prize winner and Oprah Winfrey Book Club pick Douglas Stuart, who will be there to talk about his forthcoming novel, John of John, renowned historian, TV presenter and the author of The Mirror of Great Britain: A Life of James VI & I, Clare Jackson and The Cutting Room novelist, Louise Welsh, who will be at the festival to discuss her latest thriller, The Cut Up.
Other notable names include: Scottish broadcasting legend, Dougie Donnelly, celebrated Scottish chef and MasterChef finalist, Julie Lin, and multi-award-winning novelist, poet and screenwriter, Jenni Fagan.
School engagement is always at the heart of Islay Book Festival and this year is no exception. School pupils across the island will enjoy author visits from Moray Watson, translator of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien in Gaelic, A’ Hobat, the prolific Scottish illustrator and colouring book extraordinaire, Eilidh Muldoon, and former air steward turned children’s author, Justin Davies. Linda Macleod, who is a firm favourite of the Islay’s school pupils will also visit Bowmore Primary’s Gaelic Medium Unit.
Young ornithologist, environmentalist and diversity activist, Mya-Rose Craig, will entertain school pupils and families alike, delivering both a school visit and this year’s family event with a session around her breathtaking illustrated guide to birds and migration, Flight.
Islay’s local history will also be explored and celebrated with a number of events. Ian Buxton, author of the bestselling non-fiction title, 101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die will deliver a talk and whisky tasting and naturalist and conservationist, Polly Pullar, will present her forthcoming book, In the Company of Sheep, a ‘personal story centring around [her] lifelong passion for sheep and the vital importance of the culture that surrounds them’.
Local authors, Stuart Graham and Peter Roberts, will also present their long-awaited respective books about Islay in the Second World War and Islay birds, the latter having come out recently, while the former will be published in the run up to the festival.
Islay’s budding young authors will also be encouraged to take part in the Festival’s creative writing competition which was set up as a way of engaging Islay’s youngsters and providing a platform for local talent.
Islay Book Festival’s Creative Director, Charlène Busalli said: ‘We are thrilled to have gathered such an incredible lineup for this year, which marks the 20th anniversary of our island festival. In the current political climate, building connections between people is absolutely vital, and that’s what all book festivals, big or small, aim for. We are so lucky to have a wonderful community here in Islay, and it’s a privilege to work with schools, local charities and small businesses, in order to promote the love of reading, given the empathy reading both fiction and nonfiction helps us develop from an early age. Over the last few years, we’ve been working on making the festival as inclusive as possible, and our goal for the future is to continue in our efforts to bring moments of collective joy to islanders and visitors alike.’
Tickets for the 2026 festival will go on sale in June, but off-island visitors are encouraged to book their travel arrangements and accommodation soon, as the island does fill up during the summer.
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