Our fifth Winter Words took place from 22nd to 25th of January.

We had a cracking line-up of wordsmiths, authors and presenters, including some new and some very well-kent faces: from Brian Blessed, Janice Galloway and Paul Murton, to Nell Nelson, Jess Smith and Andrew Greig. And then there was Julia Donaldson, who began her very own Gruffalo 10th Anniversary celebrations here at Winter Words, where “Scotland’s literary year gets into gear” (The Scotsman).

During all four days, there was events to entertain, engage and stimulate: poetry, history, fiction, memoirs, stories of places and people, of travel and exploration. A number of themes wound their way through the Festival this year – gardens and gardening, the great outdoors, Scotland's history and identity – though which our host of entertaining authors and raconteurs charted very different paths.

Our ever-popular How To Workshops offered opportunities to develop and expand your own creative writing skills, while for younger visitors, the hiper programme always offered something different (this year, with added Gruffalo!). And to round it all off on Sunday evening, we held a unique Burns event to mark the 250th Birthday of Scotland's Bard and the official start of the Year of Homecoming.

As thousands of happy literature lovers have already discovered, Winter Words provides the perfect antidote to those mid-winter blues. We look forward to seeing you in January 2010.