The first Lennoxlove Book Festival (13-14 November 2009) was a resounding success, with over 3,000 attendances, and eight sell-out shows over the two days. Visitors came from the west coast of Scotland, Fife and the north east of England, but a large proportion of attendees were from East Lothian residents, who turned out in force to support the festival.

Authors Simon King, Rory Bremner, Alexander McCall Smith, Kate Adie and Michael Morpurgo kept the audiences in the marquee rapt, discussing subjects as diverse as their favourite tickly animal, the sad lack of satirical material from the next wave politicians, staging an opera in Botswana, responding to a bomb alert in Northern Ireland, and writing about the Palestinian/Israeli divide for children. They all signed books in the House afterwards, which proved a popular adjunct to their performances.

Audiences also responded enthusiastically to a DNA mapping workshop with Dr Jim Wilson, a discussion between three writers about East Lothian, and storyteller Lari Don re-telling wolf legends and fables, which entranced children and adults alike inside the magnificent candle-lit Great Hall. Other popular performers included actress-turned-novelist Martine McCutcheon, who talked about the trials and tribulations of writing her first novel; author and raconteur Gervase Phinn; broadcaster and stand-up performer Hardeep Singh Kohli; and food writer and broadcaster Sue Lawrence.

Also part of events were performances by two local Pipe Bands, an exhibition by renowned stonemason Gardner Molloy, and a fully licenced café bar and bookshop within the grounds and house. Lennoxlove House itself became a star of the festival, with many visitors discovering its magnificent public rooms for the first time, whilst visiting authors enjoyed its private hospitality suites, one of which boasts a bed once slept in by Mary Queen of Scots.

Michael Morpurgo enthused about the festival: 'Everywhere welcoming faces. Will ye no come back again – aye, I will!', while Hardeep Singh Kohli said 'Lennoxlove – focus on the love!'. Sell-out performer Rory Bremner commented 'Here's to many more book festivals'.

Comments from festival-goers included:

"the whole idea of a book festival here is wonderful and we look forward to the next one!"

"the attendance indicated how much it was appreciated locally"

and

"a triumph and hopefully the first of many."