Dear loyal followers of Ullapool Book Festival, this is the website post we were desperately hoping not to have to write.
Following yesterday’s statement from the First Minister and after taking advice from the relevant authorities this morning we have to announce that our hoped for “live in Ullapool” Book Festival 2021 cannot now take place. We had been determined to stay optimistic as long as we could but that optimism was shattered yesterday. Despite all the Covid precautions we had in place, accommodations and hospitality being opened and no travel restrictions throughout Scotland by that time, there will be no consideration of indoor or outdoor events until 17 May. We are devastated but rules are rules and all of us have been meticulous in following them to date.
So we will move to Plan B. We will have an online series of sessions instead (with the same guest writers as we would have had at a live UBF) spread over a number of weeks on a set day and time. So every Wednesday evening at 8pm starting 12 May there will be a one hour session with a writer and chair introduced by a one minute film of Ullapool, different each week. You’ll also get a peek at some of the familiar faces of festival volunteers. The events will carry on weekly in the same running order as on the programme that we had already put up (this will get changed to dates shortly). We will also put up how to buy tickets (£4 each) for these individual sessions once we have this in place.
In the meantime stay safe and follow all the rules!
With warm wishes from all of us at Ullapool Book Festival
“Like sailing the same route it will aye be different and usually none the worse for that.” Quote from Ian Stephen, one of this year’s guests