By Iona Stevenson

Copyright thesouthernreporter

The 64-year-old retired occupational therapist is one of the festival’s 100-strong team of dedicated volunteers, the backbone of the 10-day literary celebration running in Scotland’s National Book Town from 26 September – 5 October. Gillean’s connections to the area span generations. Her dad, Alistair Cruickshank, was born at Moat Brae in 1936, the iconic Dumfries sandstone mansion which helped inspire author JM Barrie to write Peter Pan. “My parents attended Wigtown Book Festival during its early years,” Gillean explained. “I was working in the US at the time, and I’d hear great things about it from them – they were always very enthusiastic about the festival.” For Gillean, her priority after moving from Stirlingshire to Wigtownshire with her husband Jonathan, who is also a volunteer at the festival, in September 2022 was clear. One of the first tasks on her list, aside from moving boxes, was to get her tickets for the festival, to enjoy talks from authors including Jeremy Bowen. The following year, Gillean was invited to be a volunteer by friends made at u3a, a UK-wide movement of locally run interest groups, and this is a position she has held proudly each autumn since. Discussing her decision to volunteer ahead of the 27th annual Wigtown Book Festival, Gillean said: “I love books, and I knew the festival would be a lovely, stimulating, creative environment to be involved in. It’s an opportunity to meet a lot of great people, go to brilliant events, and buy some incredible books. There’s nothing quite like hearing from an author first-hand – it’s fascinating.” As well as having a passion for literature, Gillean dedicates her time to making a difference in her local community. She is a board member of the charity Crossroads Care and Support, and currently also volunteers in the Wigtown Community Shop, “The festival is so important to Wigtown and the surrounding area – it’s vital for an area like this to be able to offer events and attractions,” said Gillean. This year marks an evolution in the team behind Wigtown Book Festival’s success. Back in August, Bladnoch, Scotland’s oldest privately-owned Scotch whisky distillery, announced a partnership with the festival, to support the event’s unsung heroes. As part of this, Bladnoch will sponsor the event’s team of volunteers for the first time, ensuring festival champions like Gillean receive the support, training and recognition they deserve. Part of the sponsorship includes a dedicated training event at the distillery for festival volunteers, designed to share information about various volunteering roles – from helping with authors’ transport, to hosting venues – and to thank volunteers for their immense contribution of more than 2,000 hours to support the festival and its 11,000 visitors. “Bladnoch Distillery has been part of this community for more than 200 years, so I think it’s a wonderful partnership,” said Gillean. Far from being a short-lived venture, Wigtown Book Festival – much like Bladnoch Distillery itself – is deeply rooted in the local community, spanning generations of families, including Gillean’s. The importance of festivals such as Wigtown for the local area, and for Scotland’s wider economy, can’t be overstated. Running from 26 September – 5 October 2025, Wigtown Book Festival is a ten-day literary celebration in Scotland’s National Book Town, which is also home to the 208-year-old Bladnoch Distillery. Founded in 1999, Wigtown Book Festival is one of the UK’s most prominent literary showcases, with more than 200 events including music, theatre, food, visual arts and a prestigious cast of authors. Rescued from closure in 2015 by Australian entrepreneur David Prior, Bladnoch Distillery is a major local employer and a hub for cultural events and whisky tourism in Dumfries & Galloway. This resilience and commitment to regeneration is at the heart of all the distillery does, including supporting the bold Galloway spirit of Wigtown Book Festival’s dedicated team of volunteers. For more information about Bladnoch Distillery, please visit www.bladnoch.com. For more information about Wigtown Book Festival, please visit www.wigtownbookfestival.com.