A SCOTTISH book festival has announced its 10th anniversary lineup, with tickets on sale from today, including an event hosted by former first minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Tidelines Festival, based in Irvine in North Ayrshire, is set to welcome a host of authors and cultural figures from across Scotland.
Former SNP leader Sturgeon, who was born in Irvine, will host "Mayflies: To Irvine With Love" to commemorate Andrew O'Hagan's novel Mayflies, which draws much inspiration from Irvine and has since been turned into a BBC One drama series.
It will see O'Hagan discuss the role of the town in his story and the challenges of bringing it to the screen, and he will then be joined on stage by pupils from Greenwood Academy, who will perform sections from the BBC script
Other guests include The National's contributor Alan Riach, Elaine C Smith, Pat Nevin, Sally Magnusson and James Crawford.
O’Hagan, who is also the festival’s patron, said: “Tidelines Book Festival is 10 years old this year and a brawer wee seaside festival of books you will not find.
“Entertainment, fun, mental nourishment, debate, passion, remembrance, intrigue: these are the elements not only of great writing but of great book festivals, and I’m proud to say that Tidelines is an absolute must every September.”
As well as events for adults, a number of children’s events have also been announced, including an interactive workshop on the much-loved children’s story The Tiger Who Came To Tea, and a series of free author visits to schools with Graeme Armstrong, Alan Dapre and Amy B Moreno.
Other events, such as a literary walking tour, have also been planned, with a focus on mental health and wellbeing.
Siobhan Staples, Tidelines co-ordinator, said: “Our 2023 programme is definitely one of the most exciting line-ups the festival has ever run, with a range of accessible, entertaining events to suit all tastes from some of Scotland’s top authors.
“If you’ve never tried a book festival before this could be the year to dip your toe in, and with tickets for some events from as little as £6 it needn’t break the bank either.”
Tidelines will take place in Irvine’s Harbour Arts Centre between September 21-24, operating a flexible ticketing policy where audiences can choose from a pricing range that best suits their income.
A taster event with Judy Murray will take place on September 11.
