WIGTOWN’S world famous bookshop Airbnb has welcomed its 250th guest as the town prepares for its 25th annual book festival.
Author, inventor and entrepreneur Patricia Nolan-Brown, from near Boston in the USA, was attracted to The Open Book because she loved the idea of spending time running her own bookshop in Scotland’s National Book Town.
The author of Idea to Invention: What You Need to Know to Cash In on Your Inspiration, a handbook for inventors wanting to take ideas to market, she is the holder of four patents – including for a mirror that allows drivers to safely keep an eye on babies placed in rear-facing seats in the back of the car.
An avid reader, she also enjoyed spending time in its comfortable apartment. Patricia, who has just returned home, said: “I was drawn here by my love of literature and loved the idea of spending time in Scotland’s National Book Town.
“It’s a great place with such wonderful geography, and beautiful places to walk, like down to the old harbour. It’s such a comfortable and hospitable town, everyone has been so welcoming.”
The Open Book is run as a charity with funds going to support the Wigtown Book Festival. This year is an especially important one as it’s the 25th anniversary of Book Town status, something that has helped regenerate an area that was facing severe economic decline.
Operations director of Wigtown Festival Company Anne Barclay said: “The Open Book has been hugely popular. There are so many people who just love the idea of a bookshop holiday.
“It’s great that they can have that while helping raise funds for an event that means so much to other book lovers.
“The Open Book attracts guests from all over the world to stay and lots of them – like Patricia – turn out to have fascinating stories of their own.
“And once they’ve discovered Wigtown, they’re often eager to come back to the town time and again.”
