The Borders Book Festival

The annual Borders Book Festival in Melrose, Scotland, is traditionally the venue for the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction winner announcement in June. 

Set in the shadow of Melrose Abbey, in the beautiful Scottish Borders, a short distance from Scott’s home Abbotsford, the Borders Book Festival is one of the UK’s most prestigious book festivals, with four days of talks, readings and performances by a host of world-class speakers, writers and entertainers.  The 2024 programme and box office can be viewed here.

The full 2025 programme and tickets for the Walter Scott Prize events will be available in April 2025.