Wigtown Book Festival got underway with an appearance from Justin Currie, singer with the Scottish band Del Amitri, who spoke about the challenges of living with Parkinson’s disease.
Currie, who was in discussion with former BBC journalist Rory Cellan-Jones, who also has the incurable neurological condition, described the impact on his work as a musician, and also on his ability to perform simple tasks, such as tying shoelaces.
At Friday afternoon’s event he said the band was planning a new album and hoped to tour with it next winter (2026).
In a wide-ranging conversation ranging from the economics of the music industry to his decision to go public about his diagnosis only after his mother had died, Currie said he and the band had strategies in place to ensure they could keep performing as long as possible.
His biggest fear is no longer being able to sing – but he relies on his bandmates to tell him when he can no longer perform well.
Currie, whose new book is a memoir called The Tremolo Diaries, said: “I do relatively frequently ask them ‘am I getting away with this?’ and I’m pretty sure they’ll be honest enough to say when they think it’s time. But that’s my huge fear – the voice thing.”
The annual 10-day festival takes place in Scotland’s National Book Town from 27 September to 5 October and features more than 200 events – from author talks to poetry, theatre and music.
The festival caters for all ages and interests, with young adults’ strand plus the Big Wig series of events for children.
Wigtown Book Festival always attracts an abundance of well-known names. Tis year they include Nicola Sturgeon, Helen Lederer (star of top 80s TV comedies like Ab Fab) TV anchor Louise Minchin (discussing her novel Deception Island), and BBC newsreader Reeta Chakrabarti (with her debut novel Finding Belle).
Still Game’s Greg Hemphill and Balamory star Julie Wilson Nimmo will also be there, having followed up their TV Wild Swim series with a book celebrating the joys of a dip in Scotland’s chilly lochs and seas.
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Notes
- For more about Wigtown Book Festival see www.wigtownbookfestival.com
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Wigtown Festival Company Ltd, 11 North Main Street, Wigtown, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland, UK, DG8 9HN. Wigtown Festival Company Ltd is a company limited by guarantee with charitable status. Scottish Charity No. SCO3798