Taking place from the 5th to 7th September 2025, this weekend-long festival is a celebration of books and storytelling in the Stirlingshire village of Balfron. From author events and creative writing workshops, to family storytelling sessions, we’re excited to bring you a fun-filled programme for readers of all ages.
Follow our social channels to stay updated -we can’t wait to see you there!
Introducing...
Balfron
Book Festival
A brand new event for 2025
Bringing
you some
of your favourite authors...
Gill Sims
Why Mummy Drinks
The Highland Hutter
The Hebridean Baker
What's On
Balfron Book Festival brings together author signings, creative workshops, quizzes, storytelling sessions and more to spark the imagination and inspire a love of books. Browse our programme below to learn more about our events and book tickets.
*If you are unable to purchase tickets online, a limited number of event tickets are available to buy with cash at the Balfron Library. Just pop in to inquire.*
Pre-festival
Thursday 4th September
Friday 5th September
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Saturday 6th September
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Meet the Author
Peter MacQueen
Also known as the ‘Highland Hutter,’ join Peter as he enlightens us on all things hutting. From foraging, fire making and solar panels, to building a cabin, slowing down and enjoying the little things in life.
Saturday 6th September
2:30-3:30pm
Balfron High School
£5, booking essential.
All ages
Meet the Author
Paul Henke
'A book, a beer and basket' event
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Join Paul, a former bomb disposal expert who has published over 18 books. Option to enjoy some food after the event at the local pub with our 'a book, a beer and a basket' deal.
Saturday 6th September
2:30-3:30pm
The Pirn Inn Lounge, Balfron
£15 for entry, a beer and a basket meal.
£5 for entry only.
Booking essential.
Aged 18+.
Meet the Author
Sion Barrington
'A book, a beer and basket' event
Join retired local shepherd and author Sion Barrington for a lively discussion on his work. Option to enjoy some food after the event at the local pub with our 'a book, a beer and a basket' deal
Saturday 6th September
4:00-5:00pm
The Pirn Inn Lounge, Balfron
£15 for entry, a beer and a basket meal.
£5 for entry only.
Booking essential.
Aged 18+
Meet the Author
Callum Robinson
'A book, a beer and basket'
event
Join Callum to chat about his debut book, Ingrained: The Making of a Craftsman, and all things design and woodwork. Option to enjoy some food after the event at the local pub with our 'a book, a beer and a basket' deal.
Saturday 6th September
5:30-6:30pm
The Pirn Inn Lounge, Balfron
£15 for entry, a beer and a basket meal.
£5 for entry only.
Booking essential.
Aged 18+.
Sunday 7th September
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Beautiful Balfron
Nestled in the heart of the Stirlingshire countryside, Balfron lies at the foot of the Campsie Hills. Despite its rural charm and proximity to the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, Balfron is only 30 minutes from Stirling and 45 minutes from Glasgow.
Balfron Book Festival will take place across the village in a range of venues from the village pub to the community hall. Please check the individual event for full venue information.
Introducing our Official Bookseller
Daydreams Bookshop is an award-winning, female-owned, independent bookshop based in Milngavie, at the start of the famous West Highland Way walking route. It opened in September 2024 and in January 2025, won Best Newcomer from National Book Tokens, a UK-wide accolade! Small but perfectly formed, Daydreams aim to delight adults and children alike with their beautiful range of books and book-related items sourced mainly from local suppliers.
Daydreams Bookshop is honoured to be the official bookseller at Balfron Book Festival. Elaine and Sophie cannot wait to meet you at their pop-up bookshops located at all key venues over the weekend.
Meet the
Wolf Pack
"Wouldn't it be great to have a book festival in the village?"
Once upon a time, a bunch of bookworms were talking about how nice it would be to celebrate stories in Balfron. After some umming and ahhing, those bookworms decided to give it a go. Cue many (many) meetings, countless ideas (some incredible, some… interesting), several crises of confidence, an unholy volume of tea and cake, and here we are!
Over the past year our small but mighty team has been working to create a programme that upholds our mission to be a fun and friendly festival that brings together communities and nurtures passion for reading and creativity.
We are very excited about this first year of the festival and look forward to welcoming you along to some of our events.
The BBF Team
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Support Balfron Book Festival
Balfron Book Festival is a non-profit event and we are kickstarting our journey with a JustGiving campaign. Every donation makes a huge difference and supports costs such as venue hire, marketing materials and web hosting.
Thank you so much to everyone for supporting your local book festival - we couldn’t do it without you!
Fancy showing your support for our festival and looking stylish to boot?
Inspired by the legend of the Balfron wolf, we have designed some lovely lupine merch! From hoodies to bookmarks, kit yourself out with some branded goodies and support Balfron Book Festival.
A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
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