Fond farewell to Ullapool Book Festival as final guest prepares to close chapter on much-loved Wester Ross event
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A lot of people are expected in Ullapool this weekend as the last-ever book festival is a sell-out and if you believe one of the guest writers Doug Johnstone and his latest book, even aliens are among them.
When news came earlier this year that the successful festival was finishing there was a shocked reaction as Ullapool Book Festival had been an institution and has built up a reputation across Scotland and beyond.
But the team of volunteers and committee members led by Joan Michael wanted to retire and the one concession was that this weekend’s final festival would happen.
A few days before Friday’s first events, Joan Michael is saying with her dry sense of humour: “I’m so glad it’s the last one! I’d forgotten how much work it is, of course there are other people doing stuff. But you contact people who email you in reply asking you what you have just told them! Yesterday I took a break after tea and again about 8.30pm, then I sat down with the laptop till about half 12.
“But I’m one of these people where everything has to be in its space and time and I have schedules of the whole thing, what you should be doing between this and this time, for the volunteers and they have that and their roles.”
It’s a glimpse of the work that takes the team behind the festival all year, the meticulous planning partly explaining why the festival is so highly thought of by the writers who have praised it to the skies over the year.
Award-winning Scottish poet Don Paterson will guest with poetry and music at the final event of the last-ever festival.
SEE MORE: Dip into the Ross-shire Journal's coverage of Ullapool Book Festival
“It’s a real honour, given all the terrific writers the festival has hosted over the years, and the model the UBF has become for other small book festivals in Scotland and beyond.”
How does it feel to be the final guest?
“I’m feeling the pressure a bit, so I’m relieved to have the wonderful Graeme Stephen – Scotland’s greatest guitarist, in my humble opinion – there to cover for me.
“But I still hope that someone else may take up the reins again in the future, after Joan Michael and her team step down for an extremely well-earned rest.”
Joan is adamant there won’t be another festival. But she has confirmed that occasional book events will be planned for the future. So in a small way it’s not the end.
Don said: “It has always been wonderful. It was the book festival that made me an Ullapool addict, and now we’re up here a couple of times a year.
“It’s just so beautiful, and such a swingin’ wee town. And the festival always made everyone feel so welcome.”
Like Don Paterson, Doug Johnstone is a writer and also a musician and he is remembering his first time playing at the book festival back near the start of it.
“I have appeared there a few times. The first time with Aidan Moffat - I did some songs, maybe a decade ago?”
Like Don, asked what it is about Ullapool Book Festival that has made it so special, he has theories.
“I think any other writers I know who have been to the festival rank it amongst their absolute favourites because the atmosphere is so great.
“It is a small place and relatively hard to get to from the centre of Scotland – it’s a four-hour drive for me this weekend – which is not crazy, but it means the festival has a real sense of community.
“People come from all over the Highlands and they come to all the events – most of the events, and the writers tend to go to other writers’ events, so there is a really nice community feel.”
Not only has Ullapool made its mark on Doug, but on his work too. His latest novel, his first sci fiction, is partly set in Ullapool, and the sequel – which he is researching during this visit – will take place just north of it.
“Both myself and Kirsten Innes [who shares an event with Doug] have books that take place partly in Ullapool.
“It has always been a very interesting and eclectic blend of authors – really great local Highland writers and also writers from elsewhere in Scotland and the UK and also usually one or two fascinating international authors that have some kind of a link to the Highlands or to Ullapool indirectly. So it is always a really interesting mix.”
That is down to the committee, who Joan reveals read widely, checking out reviews and authors to put together the “eclectic blend” Doug talks about.
And the good news is that the blueprint for the Ullapool festival has been a model for other small book festivals.
Joan said: “I can think of at least 10 different phone calls I’ve had from people wanting to set up small book festivals. So our constitution has been sent out – there was one in Mallaig, they got in touch and had a chat with me.”
When you ask Joan about people asking to be part of future book events, she said: “Say you are interested, don’t send a book. We choose carefully, we invite people …”
Maybe it’s no surprise that after the festival is over, Joan plans to take a holiday – accompanied by a bag of books.
“I don’t get much time to read.”
To find out more about the festival, see its own website here.
