AN online version of the Borders Book Festival begins this month.

Festival co-director Paula Ogilvie says “the sky’s the limit” for the series of talks, which kick off on July 12 and run every Sunday for 12 weeks.

Stalwarts, including Rory Bremner and James Naughtie, will be back to entertain fans in the pre-recorded sessions.

But they will also be joined by new names including YouTube chef Suzanne Mulholland – aka 'The Batch Lady' – and children’s author Chris Lloyd.

After each talk plays out live, authors will be available to answer questions at the end.

The series has been organised because of the cancellation of the physical festival, which had been due to be held in June at Harmony House, Melrose.

“We thought it was quite an important thing to do,” said Mrs Ogilvie, on the idea of a virtual version.

“It’s not a perfect experience and we can’t replicate the real event, but at least the author is still there and still interacting with the audience.”

While audiences won’t be sitting “shoulder to shoulder and seeing the whites of the authors’ eyes”, it does mean more people will be able to join the festival, albeit virtually.

Mrs Ogilvie said: “We’ve got festival goers who now live in far flung places.

"We had a bit of response with people saying, ‘I live in Canada now, I was really missing the festival but I can be part of it – I can watch it.’ So there’s a good up side to it.”

The festival will also be able to talk to authors on the other side of the world.

“For the August programme, we’ve got some names that are not based in the UK,” said Mrs Ogilvie.

“This allows us to have authors and thinkers who ordinarily we’d have a bit of a challenge to get to the UK, never mind the Scottish Borders.”

But launch day will see one guest who is always happy to return to the Borders – festival favourite Rory Bremner, in conversation with festival founder Alistair Moffat.

“Rory Bremner is a real stalwart of the festival,” said Mrs Ogilvie.

“He’s been with us since 2006, he appears every year and has also helped us to shape the programme.

“He’ll do what Rory does – there’ll be impersonations, and a lot of chat about the last 15 or so years that he’s been involved in the festival and the highlights from that, so that’ll be fun.”

Also appearing on July 12, in the 4pm slot, is internet sensation Suzanne Mulholland, aka The Batch Lady.

The Batch Lady, whose book of the same name is out now, has garnered 100,000 followers on her YouTube, Instagram and Facebook channels. She has also appeared in Hello magazine, the Daily Mail and The Sun.

“She’s quite a phenomenon,” said Mrs Ogilvie. “She’s already super popular but is gathering more momentum and I love the fact she’s based in the Scottish Borders.

“For her event with us she’ll talk about her book, but also do a 40-minute demonstration with a number of different recipes from the book.”

Other highlights of the July programme include journalist and broadcaster Kirsty Wark in conversation with former Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman, and an evening with award-winning crime writers Mark Billingham and Chris Brookmyre.

Moving the 16-year-old book festival online might have been a “steep learning curve”, according to Mrs Ogilvie, but it has also been essential to keep the event alive, and books and authors in the limelight.

“It just means we can start to shine even more of a light on the Scottish Borders and our authors and what the festival does,” said Mrs Ogilvie. “The sky’s the limit.”

Borders Book Festival's July programme

July 12

11am: Make Your Own Rockpool Book with Jill Calder

4pm: The Batch Lady

7pm: Rory Bremner in conversation with Alistair Moffat

July 19

11am: Joseph Coelho & Fiona Lumbers: Luna Loves Art

4pm: Alexandra Shulman in conversation with Kirsty Wark

7pm: James Naughtie

July 26

11am: Humanimal – Incredible Ways Animals are Just Like Us! with Chris Lloyd

4pm: Paul Murton in conversation with Alistair Moffat

7pm: Mark Billingham in conversation with Chris Brookmyre

Author names for August and September will be released at a later date.

For more information, go to the Borders Book Festival website.