Back for Spring 2026
17th & 18th April
Meet the authors, discover the story behind the story
The Portsoy Book Festival is back with a programme of four fascinating authors. It's your chance to find out more about their writing, their ideas and their inspirations, ask questions and pick up a signed copy, of course.
We'll be welcoming back to Banffshire, Shona MacLean, twice winner of the Crime Writers' Awards Historical Dagger, to talk about her latest book, The Cromarty Library Circle. Kicking the festival off will be former BBC journalist Rory Cellan-Jones whose memoir, Sophie from Romania: A Year of Love and Hope with a Rescue Dog, became a best seller. He'll be joined by Portsoy's own Si Wooler, the trainer who helped Sophie, to talk about his own perspective on living with dogs, More Than Just A Dog. Taking us out with a dram and a dark measure of intrigue and murder is Natalie Clark, whose novel, the Malt Whisky Murders, was shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize.
Shona MacLean
Rory Cellan-Jones
Simon Wooler
Natalie Jayne Clark
The Festival Line Up
Here's what we've got lined up for a great weekend of books and chat.
Friday 17th April, 7pm, Portsoy Church Centre, Seafield Street
Rory Cellan-Jones
Rory was the BBC's principal technology correspondent until he retired in 2021. In January 2022, he and his wife, Diane Coyle, adopted Sophie, a Romanian rescue dog, who proved to be desperately anxious about everything about her new life. His social media posts about her progress turned her into an internet sensation and his book about the journey to win her trust, Sophie from Romania: A Year of Love and Hope with a Rescue Dog, became a best seller. . He is the author of two books about technology and society and a memoir, Ruskin Park: Sylvia, Me and the BBC, based on the letters he found after his mother died.
Rory will be joined on Friday by one of Portsoy's own...
Simon Wooler
Simon has been working as a trainer and behaviourist for more than 15 yers, specialising in fearful and reactive dogs. He worked alongside Rory and his wife Diane to help their fearful rescue Sophie to gain her confidence and discover the joy of life with her new family. With gentle humour and stories of the dogs he has helped, his book, More Than Just A Dog: Understanding, loving and living with dogs - An Essential Guide for Humans unlocks the heart of the relationship we have with dogs, demystifies the science behind dog behaviour and explains how they learn, communicate and what influences the powerful bond they have with their people.
Saturday 18th April, 2pm, Salmon Bothy, Links Road
Shona MacLean
Shona MacLean was born in Inverness and lives in Ross-Shire. She has a PhD in Scottish History from the University of Aberdeen. She started writing fiction while bringing up her four children on the Banffshire coast, where her first novel, The Redemption of Alexander Seaton, is set. She has twice won the CWA Historical Dagger for books in her Damian Seeker series and her standalone Jacobite thriller, The Bookseller of Inverness, was Waterstones' 2023 Scottish Book of the Year. Her latest novel, The Cromarty Library Circle, is set in the 1800s, on the Black Isle.
Saturday 18th April, 7pm, Salmon Bothy, Links Road
Natalie Jayne Clark
Natalie Jayne Clark is a neurodivergent author, poet and producer based in Perth, Scotland. Her bestselling debut novel The Malt Whisky Murders (published by Polygon, Birlinn) was shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize and was the fourth biggest selling title at the 2025 Edinburgh International Book Festival. She co-hosts a monthly poetry and prose open mic in Perth at the fabulous Osteria Bau Bau arts venue.
To get into the spirit, there will be an accompanying whisky tasting. (Over 18s only, of course).
Book your ticket
Tickets will be available soon.