Douglas Stuart, Judy Murray, Andy Burnham, Archie Macpherson and Will Carling to appear at leading Scottish book festival

Politicians, sports pundits and comics will appear alongside stars of Strictly and the Great British Bake Off (GBBO) at one of Scotland’s biggest book festivals when it celebrates its 20th edition this summer.

Former prime minister Gordon Brown, Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, impressionists Jon Culshaw and Rory Bremner, and ventriloquist Nina Conti have all been confirmed in the line-up for the 2023 Borders Book Festival.

Tennis coach Judy Murray, sports broadcasters Archie Macpherson and Andrew Cotter, former Strictly panellist and dance choreographer Arlene Phillips, and GBBO winners Peter Sawkins, Giuseppe Dell’Anno and Rahul Mandal are all due to appear when the four-day event returns in June.

Big-name authors heading to the festival, which has previously attracted more than 30,000 book-lovers to Harmony Gardens, in Melrose, include Booker Prize winners Douglas Stuart, Robert Harris and Sebastian Barry, Jenny Colgan, Val McDermid, Christopher Brookmyre, Mark Billingham and Doug Johnstone.

The Borders Book Festival will be returning to Harmony Garden in Melrose in June. Picture: Lloyd Smith

Special events will mark the 300th anniversary of the birth of the Scottish economist and philosopher Adam Smith, while Kate Bingham, chair of the UK’s Covid-19 vaccine taskforce, will deliver the festival’s McInroy & Wood Lecture.

Other guest speakers in a programme that features more than 100 different events include civil rights campaigners and lawyer Baroness Helena Kennedy, former England rugby star Will Carling and ex Scotland football internationalist Pat Nevin. Children’s writers Lauren Child, Vivian French, Martin Brown and Kjartan Poskitt will also be appearing at the event, which runs from June 15-18.

Festival director Alistair Moffat said: “We could not be more excited about our programme this year, which brings some of the best-known and most respected thinkers, writers, leaders, commentators and personalities from around the UK – and beyond – to our beautiful Harmony Garden at the height of the Scottish summer.

“This year’s book festival feels even more special because we have the absolute pleasure of celebrating our 20th edition, a milestone that I could not, in my wildest dreams, have imagined reaching when I started the festival back in 2004.

The Borders Book Festival will be returning to Harmony Garden in Melrose in June. Picture: Supplied

“The endurance of the festival is testament to the phenomenal array of devoted writing talent on offer in Scotland and beyond, to the dedicated book festival team who work tirelessly year-round to ensure the festival’s success, to the many sponsors and funders who make the festival possible and, not least, to the loyal audiences who continue to push us to bring even bigger and better events to them every year.”

Paul Bush, director of events at national tourism agency VisitScotland, said: “The festival brings together an exceptional line-up of renowned writers and thinkers to share their stories with locals and visitors alike, all against the picture-perfect backdrop of Melrose’s Harmony Garden.

“Scotland is the perfect stage for events and cultural gems like the Borders Book Festival showcase the vibrancy and quality of our country’s enviable events portfolio.”

Viccy Adams, literature officer at arts body Creative Scotland, added: “Two decades of celebrating Scottish writers and bringing literary delights to Scottish readers in the Borders is a wonderful achievement.

Nina Conti will be appearing at the Borders Book Festival when it returns to Harmony Garden in Melrose in June. Picture: Claes Gellerbrink

“This year’s programme is another classic, set to bring together audiences, entertain the whole family, encourage conversation, and do what the Borders Book Festival does so well – a fantastic, fun-packed day out in beautiful surroundings, with brilliant writers.”