The 19th Ullapool Book Festival will take place on Friday 5th and Saturday 6th May 2023.
The last ever!
It is with sadness that the committee makes this announcement, but also with pride in what we have achieved since the first UBF in 2005.
The reason we are finishing is simple…. none of the committee will see 60 again. When the festival started in 2005 some of us were already in our late 50s – do the sums!
Ullapool Book Festival is a voluntary body – we are of a generation where volunteering and dedicated commitment comes naturally. To have it any other way would destroy the ethos on which we are based.
Although the festival is only a weekend long it takes a lot of time and huge effort to organise it to the high standard audiences and authors have come to expect.
‘UBF is legendary among writers,’ says Honorary President, Chris Dolan, ‘from Scotland and across the world, as one of the most hospitable, best organised and enjoyable literary festivals anywhere. We have welcomed sell-out audiences, attracting regular followers and first-time visitors every year. And in the most beautiful of settings. In 2023 we intend to go out with a bang!’
Enormous thanks go to all our authors and poets, musicians, our chairs, festival volunteers, our honorary presidents, our techies Gary and Martin.
Our gratitude is immense towards our funders and local sponsors who have had faith in us.
Creative Scotland has been very supportive – and not just financially. Our warm thoughts are with the late Gavin Wallace who, when the chair first approached him in advance of the 3rd UBF said: “I’ve been waiting for you!”
After Gavin’s untimely death Emma Turnbull took up the cause. Latterly we have been very fortunate to have had Alan Bett’s support.
‘We mustn’t forget,’ Dolan adds, ‘the extraordinary work, commitment, knowledge and skills of the Festival’s committee. All women, all readers, each with a wealth of experience in organising events and a keen eye for established and emerging writers. Under the leadership of the untiring and astute Festival chair, Joan Michael. Those of us who have enjoyed UBF for so long, and have such great memories of them all can’t thank you enough.’
Most importantly, we extend grateful thanks to our loyal audience members without whom there would never have been any UBF. We will miss you all…
However, we will not be disappearing from the literary world entirely. We will organise occasional one-off events, appropriate to Ullapool and the Highlands.
Joan, Liz, Effie, Audrey, Sheila, Catriona, Kathy, Margaret.
Ullapool Book Festival committee
Funded by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland