Beyond Borders: Over the Borderline
Beyond Borders is back for its tenth year of literary and political talks against a backdrop of rolling Peeblesshire hills
It’s time for the return of Beyond Borders – Traquair House's yearly assemblage dedicated to small-nation dialogue and cultural exchange. The festival follows the model that has seen such popularity in Ireland (the likes of Donegal’s MacGill Summer School, or Wexford’s Kennedy Summer School spring to mind), of a couple of days filled with panels and interviews on the political and the literary.
Traquair House is thought to be Scotland's oldest continuously inhabited house, built on the site of hunting grounds used by medieval Scottish kings (of more interest to modern-day visitors might be the Traquair House Brewery, which is located directly beneath the estate chapel, and specialises in rich dark ales). Traquair itself is a small village nestled in the rolling glens of Peeblesshire, and the festival’s programmers juxtapose conversations about the nature of global politics and modern-day conflict with activities that capitalise on the calming scenery and natural surroundings, such as storytelling walks in the woods, tea-making from the wild herbs and plants growing in the grounds, and a meditation session led by Rajesh Rai (meditation expert by day, human rights barrister also by day).
On day one alone, the programme features discussions on the Scottish years of Mary Queen of Scots (the ill-fated monarch spent a short stay in Traquair House in 1566), the rise of the festival, and what's next in the leadership of the US and the United Nations in a world dominated by conflict – for this, the BBC's Razia Iqbal will be interviewing Salman Ahmed, Assistant Secretary of State for the US Department of State, and David Harland, Executive Director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue.
Later, in what is set to be a highlight of the festival programme, Oscar Guardiola-Rivera will interview Irvine Welsh about his new book The Long Knives – a detective novel of sorts that is the sequel to 2008’s Crime (itself a sequel to 1998’s Filth). Though anyone reading this will be well acquainted with Welsh’s work, Guardiola-Rivera is by no means a less interesting figure – nowadays an author, philosopher and lecturer in international law at Birkbeck, in the 90s he led a Colombian student movement that precipitated a wave of constitutional reform across Latin America. Following Detective Ray Lennox as he works the case of an MP murdered in a Leith Warehouse, The Long Knives touches on corruption, politics and the media – all topics these two are sure to dive into at length.
Then, Colin Grant will be giving a talk on WritersMosaic, a new website and initiative launched by the Royal Literary Fund that serves as a showcase of the work of writers from a variety of voices and cultures across the UK (hence the mosaic). He’ll also be talking about his upcoming book, I’m Black So You Don’t Have to Be, a memoir that germinated from his 2018 essay of the same name. This expanded work promises to be a powerful intergenerational family portrait, examining the evolution of racial politics and the Black British experience.
Day two will delve further into current affairs, with Alastair Campbell appearing to talk about the Blair years and Brexit, discussions on the legacy of COP26, and a panel of 1325 Beyond Borders Women Peacemaking fellows, who will talk about their experiences as women on the frontline of conflict prevention and resolution. What’s been a long intermission in the run-up to the festival’s tenth iteration is finally at an end, and it’s returning better than ever.
Beyond Borders takes place in Traquair House, 27-28 August. To reach Traquair House from Edinburgh in two hours, get to train to Galashiels followed by the X62 bus to Innerleithen, or alternatively hitch the X62 all the way there – either way you'll have a walk of about 20 minutes at the other end. If you're travelling from Glasgow, Dundee, or further afield, your best bet is to travel first to Edinburgh and then catch the bus or train. If you’re coming for the weekend, there are many hotels and B&Bs that can act as a base camp during your stay.