St Andrew's Book Festival
25 November - 1 December 2024
Scots in London is delighted to be running the first ever St Andrew’s Book Festival in London this November. From 25 November to 1 December locations across central London will host an exciting mix of Scottish bestselling authors, debut novelists and events for schools and families.
A dedicated festival website is currently under construction at www.standrewsbookfestival.org. Head over to the website to subscibe to the Festival newsletter to make sure you keep up to date with all the latest information and ticket launches. [Please bear with us while the website is established.]
“Scotland is a moveable feast, and London is one of its depots. It was Robert Louis Stevenson who once
praised ‘a strong Scots accent of the mind’, and I’ve listened for that accent in Piccadilly and King’s Cross as
much as in Ayrshire and Edinburgh. Therefore, I’m delighted that there is a new
Scottish Festival in London, which promises to be one of the richest and most various cultural events in the capital."
Andrew O’Hagan, bestselling author of Mayflies, now an award-winning BBC drama
Festival Headliners
A taster of our headline writers
Sir Alexander McCall Smith
A prolific writer of well over 300 books Sir ‘Sandy’ McCall Smith is arguably best known for his worldwide bestselling series The No 1 Ladies’ DetectiveAgency and 44 Scotland Street. With four new books due for release in 2024, there will be plenty to talk about.Photo (c) Kirsty Anderson
Judy Murray
Judy Murray (OBE) is a former Scottish international tennis player and has 64 national titles to her name. Judy is a powerful voice in the battle for equality of opportunity for women in sport and was awarded an OBE for services to tennis, women in sport and charity. Alongside her tennis and coaching achievements, Judy was Costa Book Award judge in 2021 and made her debut at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2022. Her memoir Knowing the Score was a Sunday Times bestseller and nominated for Sports Book of the Year. The Wild Card is her first novel..Photo Sane Seven Photography
Sir Ian Rankin
Sir Ian Rankin is the multimillion-copy worldwide bestseller of over thirty novels and creator of John Rebus. His latest Rebus novel Midnight Blue is due for release in October 2024 and the St Andrew’s Book Festival is delighted to be hosting Rankin just weeks after the book’s release.
Photo (c) Hamish Brown
Andrew O'Hagan
Andrew O’Hagan has been nominated for the Booker Prize three times, was voted one of Granta’s Best of Young British Novelists in 2003 and won the E. M. Forster Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
At the Festival he will be discussing his latest novel coming in April 2024 Caledonian Road. A novel full of crimes, secrets and scandals it follows art historian and celebrity intellectual Campbell Flynn as he enters the precarious world of his beguiling and provocative student Milo Mangasha.
Photo by Christina Jansen
Gavin Esler
Gavin Esler is a journalist, TV presenter and author. He was the mainpresenter of BBC Newsnight for 12 years, and is a public speaker, political commentator, journalist and Chancellor of the University of Kent. His latest book Britain is Better Than This explores the British political system in peril and how we can save it.
Photo (c) Danny Burrows
Ann Cleeves
A mystery crime writer, Ann Cleeves is possibly best known for her Vera Stanhope and Jimmy Perez novels which have been turned into the TV series Vera and Shetland. Her latest novel The Raging Storm centres around the story of a village lifeboat crew, with 2024 being the 200th annivesrary of the RNLI.
From Bestsellers to Uncovering the Newest Debut Talent
The Festival will make a dynamic range of Scottish talent accessible to a London audience, from novelists and poets to historians, politicians and a whole host of non-fiction genres. As well as household names the festival is pleased to beable to support up and coming talent through events with debut authors. The wide-ranging programme is being curated by Handheld Events, the experienced team behind a whole host of the UK’s literary festivals
Book Festival Membership
Join us for these amazing benefits.
Friend
£75 per person
Benefits include:
Advance booking
Programme posted to your door
Submit feedback and event ideas
Gold Membership
Limited to 24 people
£1500 per person
£2500 per couple
Enjoy all the Friends' Benefits plus:
4 complimentary tickets
Green room access
Reception and launch party invitation
And more!
Platinum Membership
Limited to 12 people
Enquire now
Enjoy all the Gold Benefits plus:
6 complimentary tickets
Opportunity to sponsor an event of your choice
Champagne reception
Join our review committee
And more!
Schools and Families
Free events for schools will also be at the centre of the weekday programme. For more information please contact the team at info@standrewsbookfestival.org. There will also be an exciting programme for families over the weekend.
Central London Venues
The Festival will take place at venues across central London including:
Scotland House - Blackfriars
St Columba’s Church - Knightsbridge
The Caledonian Club - West End
Corporate Sponsorship and Members' Club
Opportunities are still available for corporate sponsorshp of the book festival, and also for individuals and couples to join the exclusive Members' Club. To express an interest or for more information contact the team today at info@standrewsbookfestival.org
Contact us
© 2024