Moncton’s Frye Festival is still five months away, but a major announcement is already creating a big buzz in the city.

Diana Gabaldon, the author of the international best-selling Outlander series, will be headlining the Maillet-Frye lecture.

Organizer Danielle LeBlanc says they have been trying to land Gabaldon as a guest since the summer.

“We started writing an invitation in July so it’s been a few months and we’ve known for a few weeks now that she said yes, and we’ve just been waiting to put our ducks in order to be able to announce it, but we really think this is huge for the Maritime provinces,” says LeBlanc.

Gabaldon’s first Outlander book came out in 1991 and she has sold millions of novels since. The popular book series also inspired an award-winning television series, which has been renewed for a third and fourth season.

John Patterson, president of the Greater Moncton Scottish Association, says the series likely resonates with many Maritimers because it’s set in 18th century Scotland – a country with a deep connection to the region.

“If you look at a lot of people in New Brunswick who are of Scottish descent, this is really historically where the journey began,” says Patterson.

This won’t be Gabaldon’s first visit to the Maritimes – she was in Halifax in 2009 – but this will be her first appearance at the Frye Festival in Moncton.

The Frye Festival runs from April 22 to April 29. Gabaldon is set to deliver the Maillet-Frye lecture on April 29 at the Capitol Theatre.