Book festival organisers delighted by participant numbers
THOUSANDS of children took part in a mass reading event to set a new record for an Inverness book festival.
A total of 3479 primary pupils across the region read – or were read to – at the same time to launch NessBookFest which featured a broad programme of almost 40 free events over four days.
Festival committee member and organiser Barbara Henderson was delighted with the numbers taking part in the read-in.
"We were blown away by the response," she said. "Our previous record was only in the high hundreds. This has been fantastic."
It was the third running of the annual festival and among those taking part were Inverness-born award-winning author Ali Smith and crime writer Stuart MacBride.
Festival chairwoman Alicia Socas was thrilled with the event’s success.
"We are delighted with the buzz NessBookFest has generated this year and our committee is already really excited to plan another fantastic NessBookFest for 2019," she said.
Venues included Inverness Town House, the central library and Waterstones bookshop in the Eastgate Shopping Centre as well as Highland Print Studio, the Velocity café, Artysan’s café, the former Dunbar Hospital and the Bike Shed in Merkinch.
Events also took place at the children’s unit in Raigmore Hospital.
