Highland book lovers are snapping up tickets for this year’s Inverness Book Festival in greater numbers than ever before, with advance sales for the event, which will take place on the 3 – 6 October 2006, already exceeding the total sold for last year’s event.

Taking place at the Royal Highland Hotel in Inverness, the festival features fourteen top authors covering all styles and genres of writing from critically acclaimed novelists to newly published local writers and from film directors to investigative reporters.

The second of BBC star Adam Hart-Davis’s two appearances and children’s writer Matthew Fitt event have already sold out, with celebrated crime writer Christopher Brookmyre and award winning novelist Andrew Greigs’ appearances also selling particularly strongly.

Other featured writers include the writer of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, Louis de Bernières, best selling historical crime writer Anne Perry and Robin Hardy, director and co-author of the 1973 horror film the Wicker Man.

Book Festival director, Jason Rose said:

"To have sold over 800 tickets already speaks volumes. The festival is only in its third year but clearly Inverness has taken it to its heart and wants it to succeed. Maybe it's partly because we have so many topical authors. For example, what does Robin Hardy make of the Wicker Man remake? Does Joanna Blythman think an Asda would be good for Inverness? And it would be great to hear Nick Thorpe's thoughts on the new action plan for the fishing industry given that he hitch-hiked round Scotland by boat. I've been in touch with most of the authors over the last couple of days and I know they're excited and looking forward to their events, so a great time is guaranteed."


For more details and to reserve seats online visit www.invernessbookfestival.com  or www.eden-court.co.uk . To reserve seats call the Eden Court box office (01463) 234234 (Mon – Fri 10.30am – 5.00pm) or in person at the Eden Court box office in Debenhams (Mon – Sat 11.30am – 3.30pm). Tickets can also be purchased at the Royal
Highland Hotel from half an hour prior to each event.