Wigtown Book Festival has come full circle as its original birthplace has become its new HQ, just in time for the 2025 event.
Wigtown Festival Company (WFC) has just completed a hight-speed flit from 11 North Main Street to 26 South Main Street to benefit visitors at the 27th annual festival, which runs from 26 September to 5 October.
Dumfries and Galloway Council Depute Leader, Katie Hagmann, met WFC board members, staff, volunteers and participants to congratulate them on the move.
This year’s 10-day festival will be the biggest ever, bringing thousands of visitors to the town.
Cathy Agnew, WFC Chair, said: “It’s quite remarkable to be coming full circle like this and moving back to the place where Book Town and its festival began.
“This is a big year for us as we try to build a sustainable future for the festival and for Scotland’s National Book Town, expanding our work to support and strengthen the community.”
In 1998 Number 26 was the base for the Machars Action charity, and the place where the bid to become Scotland’s National Book Town, complete with annual book festival, was co-ordinated.
When the judges announced their decision it was shouted from the window to the crowd which gathered outside to hear the result. The first Book Town Development Officer was then based in the building.
This year Wigtown Festival Company (WFC) is benefiting from a £7,000 increase in its annual support from Dumfries and Galloway Council.
The council’s £34,000 funding for 2025-26 contributed to the development of Number 26 and many other projects – one of the most important being the continued drive to use Wigtown’s Book Town identity to boost economic, social and cultural benefits for the whole community.
The new headquarters, largely funded by South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE), has a new-look bookshop and box office and more office space for the festival’s growing team. It also gives WFC the security of owning its own building.
Cathy said: “Our long-standing partnership with the council is fundamental to this, bringing very real gains to Wigtown and the whole of Galloway.
“Thanks to investment from SOSE, and other funders, we are delighted to own a home of our own, where the festival company can continue its mission to use the power of the word to generate economic, social and cultural benefits for all.
“And this will start straight away, with Number 26 as the place where we’ll welcome thousands of visitors when this year’s festival begins.”
The festival is one of Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Signature Events – a programme designed to make the region Scotland’s leading rural events destination.
Councillor Hagmann said: “Dumfries and Galloway Council is proud to support the Wigtown Book Festival, a cornerstone of our region’s cultural life. Our investment in the development of its new headquarters marks a major step forward – securing a permanent home for this brilliant festival and its hard-working, dedicated team.
“This funding strengthens the festival’s future and reinforces our commitment to the creative sector, economic growth, and community identity in Scotland’s National Book Town.”
WFC, will not be saying a complete farewell to Number 11, which it has rented since 2017.
Each year the festival runs a temporary bookshop selling the titles by authors attending the 10-day event, and for 2025 it will be in Number 11, along with an exhibition by Historic Newspapers – the world’s largest privately owned newspaper archive, which is based in Wigtown.
Russel Griggs, Chair of South of Scotland Enterprise, said: “SOSE is delighted to have helped Wigtown Festival Company to secure their first permanent home. It is wonderful that 26 South Main Street is also the address where the festival was born a quarter of a century ago and will now reside under the leadership of their new CEO, Isla Rosser-Owen.
“Our investment supports one of the South of Scotland’s most successful and high-profile annual events, cementing their presence and supporting their ambitions to continue to grow the internationally renowned festival to bring more visitors to this beautiful part of Scotland.”
An official opening of Number 26 will take place at a later date.
Other funders and supporters of the project include the Coastal Benefits Fund (D&G Council) and the Community Led Local Development Fund (Third Sector DG).
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