Alistair Moffat, MBE, was born and raised in the Scottish Borders. A former Director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Director of Programmes at Scottish Television, and founder of the Borders Book Festival, he is the author of more than thirty acclaimed books on Scottish history. He served as Rector of the University of St Andrews from 2011 and lives in the Scottish Borders. He was awarded the MBE for services to literature and culture in 2025.