Nairn Book and Arts Festival launches on Saturday 31st August with a Town Centre Takeover – a day of free performance, street theatre, poetry and live music ending with ‘A Walk on the Wild Side’ fancy dress parade. Bucking economic trends, the festival has broken all of its previous records for ticket sales.
Jackie Kay credit Denise Else, Irvine Welsh credit Desiree Adams and Penguin Random House.
The festival’s theme this year is ‘Wild Sides (Wilder Edges)’; the broad ranging programme features author and playwright Irvine Welsh, broadcaster and writer Sally Magnusson, author and presenter James Crawford, former Makar and lauded poet Jackie Kay and BAFTA winning composer John Lunn. It encompasses a varied range of live music and performance, from leading Scottish singer songwriter Findlay Napier to literary-folk duo The Bookshop Band and Early Scots music from Laudonia.
The festival is bookended by two family-friendly days of free outdoor performance, slam poetry, street art, music, nature-based activities and fancy dress parades.
Creative workshops include short story writing, screenwriting, editing, and painting in the wild, while tours take in Nairn Golf Club’s unique archive, the extensive art collection at Cawdor Castle and Nairn’s Black Isle Bronze Foundry.
Ronald Skeldon, Festival Chair commented: “Audiences have responded very enthusiastically to our programme this year - its popularity is reflected in our record -breaking ticket sales. We have more author events, featuring well-known and respected names such as Irvine Welsh, Jackie Kay and Sally Magnusson, but also exciting young debut authors such as C.E. McGill and Victoria MacKenzie.
We will be joined by Findlay Napier, one of the country’s greatest traditional musicians, and the well-known composer John Lunn, of Shetland and Downton Abbey fame, as part of our extended music programme.
Our creative workshops include editing and screenplay writing for the first time, and we have increased our outreach, with supported events in Cawdor, Tornagrain and rural East Nairnshire, and a larger schools programme than ever before.
The festival would not get off the ground without its funders and sponsors. Haventus has generously agreed to support us for three years, while Tornagrain has also been a key supporter this year. And we are very grateful to receive public funding, with Creative Scotland and EventScotland, part of VisitScotland’s Events Directorate, playing an essential part in ensuring we can continue to offer a fresh, accessible and creative programme of events, as the longest-standing and largest annual festival of its kind in the North and East of Scotland.
Audiences are bigger than ever, despite the challenges facing us all, and we are really looking forward to seeing them at what we expect to be a busy and exciting festival.”
Alan Bett, Head of Literature & Publishing at Creative Scotland said: ‘It is wonderful to see this year’s festival attracting such attention and ticket sales. The programme is filled with exciting names from Scotland’s literary roster, from the high profile such as Irvine Welsh to highly-considered debut writers like Victoria Mackenzie. This is a key event in the North East of Scotland, reflecting local arts and culture and bringing writers and performers from across the country to audiences in Nairn.’
Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, commented: “EventScotland is proud to be supporting Nairn Book and Arts Festival through our National Events Programme.
“Events play an important role in our communities, helping bring social and economic benefits while also providing the chance to connect, enjoy and share memorable experiences.
“It is wonderful to see this annual celebration of literature, art, music, drama and film has already broken its previous ticket sales record, delivering sustainable impacts for Nairn and reinforcing Scotland’s reputation as the perfect stage for events.”
Festival highlights include
- A Town Centre Takeover! on Saturday 31st August with free performance and music, including stilt walkers, aerial demonstrations, Nairn Youth Theatre, Kinross Peace Choir, Mad Hatters of Moray, Green Suitcase, ‘Walkaboot Bard’ Hamish MacDonald , street artist Fresh Paint, and other street performers and choirs.
- Scottish slam poetry champion Hamish MacDonald returns to the festival with street performance and readings from his book, Wilson’s Ornithology & Burds in Scots
- Jackie Kay, former Scots Makar and one of the UKs most loved and lauded poets, will discuss her career and latest work at her festival talk, and will also visit the local secondary school, Nairn Academy.
- Irvine Welsh makes his debut public appearance in Nairn, to talk about his extensive career as author, playwright, screenplay writer and director.
- Sally Magnusson returns to the festival to discuss her latest novel, Music in the Dark- she will be interviewed by leading literary agent, Jenny Brown OBE.
- James Crawford, author and presenter of BBC1 Scotland’s Scotland From The Sky, will talk about his recently-published book Wild History: Journeys into Lost Scotland.
- Gerda Stevenson and Colin Bramwell will read from beyond - a posthumously published collection of poems by Aonghas MacNeacail. James Jauncey will speak about his biography Don Roberto: The Adventure of Being Cunninghame Graham – Jauncey’s great- great- uncle, a multi-faceted adventurer and campaigner for social justice. Scottish -Nigerian author Olukemi Ogunyemi, a fervent campaigner for racial equality, will discuss her memoir, Brown Girl in the Ring.
- C. E. McGill, queer author of sci -fi fantasy and historical fiction will talk about their debut novel, Our Hideous Progeny, while authors Sean Lusk and Flora Fraser will be in conversation about their respective historical fiction novels A Woman of Opinion and Pretty Young Rebel.
- James Macdonald Lockhart, shortlisted for the 2023 Highland Book Prize, will be in conversation with author and poet Peter Mackay.
- Gaelic New Writers Award winner Shelagh Campbell reads from her first book Far Na Slighe in a Gaelic language event, while Gaelic authors Calum L MacLeòid and June Graham will visit local schools.
- The popular Wine and Crime event returns with Claire Askew (The Dead Don’t Speak) and Margaret Kirk (In The Blood).
- Annie Worsley, a writer, geographer and crofter who lives in the North West Highlands, will be discussing her debut novel, Windswept, and experienced climber Anna Fleming will explore her emotional and physical connection to the mountains, eloquently expressed in her book Time on Rock.
- New writing in the region will be given a platform in a special event devised by Creative Writing students at University of the Highlands and Islands as part of an ongoing placement partnership with the festival.
- Findlay Napier has been described as Micheal Marra meets Elvis Costello, a Caledonian Loudon Wainwright III or a Scottish James Taylor. In a night dedicated to some of the finest traditional music around, he will be supported by Iona Lane Duo.
- A singer, songwriter and storyteller, Iona is a rising star of the folk scene, having supported Karine Polwart on her UK tour in 2023. She will be accompanied by Cammy Maxwell on double bass.
- Musicians from acclaimed Early Scots music ensemble Laudonia come to Nairn with The Thistle and the Rose - a stunning combination of world class soprano and lute.
- Soprano Susanna MacRae and pianist Claire Habbershaw present a fascinating night of music inspired by the writing of female authors from Jane Austen to Mary Wortley Montagu in Words of Women.
- There will be a night for fans of Northern Soul, with DJs from Northern Soul Clubs in Aberdeen and Perth.
- Photographer Marc Marnie displays just some of his huge archive of work featuring celebrated musicians photographed on stage and behind the scenes over three decades, including Muddy Waters, Bono, Joni Mitchell, James Brown, and Amy Winehouse. Marc will talk about his work in conversation with singer-songwriter Martin Stephenson at Nairn’s Little Theatre.
- An Open Exhibition with the theme of ‘The Domestic and the Wild’ will showcase artwork by professional and amateur artists from across the North and North-East of Scotland and the Islands.
- Finale Day: the festival ends with a day of free outdoor music and creative activity with Nature 4 Health and Naturally Useful, joined by environmental groups including Green Hive, the Scottish Dolphin Centre and Butterfly Conservation Group. The day kicks off with a fancy dress family parade ‘The Beasties and Butterflies Ball’ led by artist and storyteller Creeping Toad, with samba bands Guarana and The Penguins’ Tuxedo.
This year’s festival programme cover artwork is by Highland Pop artist Michael Forbes, featuring Nairn’s legendary regular visitor of days gone by, Charlie Chaplin.
The festival is supported by public funding from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland and Event Scotland.
For further information and to book, visit www.nairnfestival.co.uk.
Background
Nairn Book and Arts Festival has received confirmed funding from:
Creative Scotland
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland, distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com. Follow us on X, Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland and join in at www.ourcreativevoice.scot
EventScotland
EventScotland is working to make Scotland the perfect stage for events by securing and supporting an exciting portfolio of sporting and cultural events. It provides funding opportunities and access to resources and information to develop the industry. EventScotland is a team within VisitScotland’s Events Directorate, the national tourism organisation, alongside Business Events and Development teams. For further information about EventScotland, its funding programmes and latest event news, visit visitscotland.org/events.
David Summers Trust
ENCOMM
Hugh Fraser Foundation
Conundrum Charitable Trust
Gordon Fraser Charitable Trust
James T Howat Charitable Trust
Art Society Highland
Nairn Book and Arts Festival is a charity (SCO3715) and a Company Limited by Guarantee (SC283454)
Media contacts
Further information and images:
Tanera Bryden
T: 07951 116033
Olivia Parsons
T: 07557 282633