There’s a new kid on the block, or at least on the very busy calendar of book festivals taking place annually across the UK. The inaugural St Andrew’s Festival in London took place in the week running up to and including St Andrew’s Day, 30 November 2024 – in a variety of venues across central London. Many of the talks took place in St Columba’s Church with others at Scotland House and the Caledonian Club. From the Birlinn and Polygon lists, we were delighted that a number of our authors and team were selected to appear: Alexander McCall Smith x 2 events, Alistair Moffat x 2 events, Rosemary Goring x 2 events, Alan Taylor, Jen Stout, Hugo Rifkind, Lynsey May and Jan Rutherford. And the venues were buzzing with leading journalists, critics and thinkers.

St Andrew is also the patron saint of Ukraine and it was fitting therefore that Jen Stout appeared on the Saturday, in conversation with Gavin Esler, just after winning the Saltire Awards Debut Writer of the Year Award for her remarkable book, Night Train to Odesa. (Rosemary Goring who was also appearing talking about her book, Homecoming, had abridged Jen’s Book for BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week)

Walking down Whitehall late on 30 November it was a remarkable sight to see the Saltire and the flag of Ukraine flying side by side high above all the government buildings.

Jen went on to receive TWO mentions in parliaments in the following days, in London and Scotland.

Watch out for this festival next year.