Now in its 23rd year, the Nairn Book and Arts Festival is set to come alive this August, with the theme of A Sense of a Place: Overland and Underground, with highlights to include former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon alongside the literary world’s leading lights, including Booker Prize winner Douglas Stuart, plus a celebration of two Scottish cultural giants – Alasdair Gray and Billy Connolly – in Alan Bisset’s critically-acclaimed play When Billy Met Alasdair.
A new storytelling focus for the Festival, Storriestreet is set to bring storytellers from across the Highlands and beyond into venues along Nairn’s High Street, culminating with a giant puppet parade on its Finale Day, which will form part of a final weekend that will host the premiere performance of Vision Mechanics’ extraordinary marionette show Circus Of Dreams, and outdoor dance performance on Nairn Beach.
One notable appearance will be John Pasche, who was Creative Director of the South Bank in London and one-time artist to the Rolling Stones – responsible for designing the famous ‘lips’ logo as well as posters for the band. There will be plenty of music, including Liberata Collective’s performance of Antonia, which shines light on the composers nurtured by Marie Antoinette, with a talk on Baroque gesture beforehand. Traditional music and transatlantic folk feature alongside the unique combination of An Dannsa Dub’s Scottish trad and dub.
Scots-language performer / writer and mental health advocate Len Pennie will talk about her work, and playwright, performer, and multidisciplinary artist Inua Ellams MBE will make an appearance. The tradition of Gaelic psalm singing is celebrated in Rob MacNeacail’s film Sailm Nan Daoine (Song of the People), and Rob will also lead a Gaelic psalm-singing workshop. Scots Makar Peter Mackay will visit Gaelic language students at local secondary school Nairn Academy, musician turned award-winning music journalist and author Daniel Rachel will talk about his book Isle of Noises, while music photographer Marc Marnie continues the story of his decades-long career in My Favourite Hour (Revisited).
Panel discussions will take place exploring the thorny issue of the role of AI in publishing, and there will be an exploration of the work of prolific and influential Highland writer Neil Gunn. An afternoon of crime writing includes Doug Johnstone, Marion Todd and Daniel Aubrey, with appearances by new and established authors.
There will also be a programme of workshops in creative writing with Kirsty Gunn, ‘craftivism’ with Sarah Corbett, film-making with Cassiah Joski-Jethi and a workshop on short-form film Kineku, plus a weekend of community puppet-making workshops, creating giant insects for the Finale Day parade. Musician, artist and curator Arun Sood discusses the art of music collage, exploring his book and album project Searching Erskine, about the lost community of the Isle of Vallay in the Outer Hebrides.
A New Writing event will showcase local talent and the winner of the festival’s short story writing competition, The Astley Prize. The Festival’s schools outreach programme will reach over 900 children and young people, featuring visits by authors and artists, plus fun music workshops.
An Open Exhibition will feature original work by artists from across the North of Scotland and the Islands, while the local WASPS studios will open their doors, hold a special exhibition and run an Art Car Boot sale.
The cover illustration for this year’s Festival programme, specially commissioned from a Highlands-based artist each year, has been designed by illustrator and animator Rachel Bevan Baker. The programme can be downloaded and further information can be be found at the Festival’s website.
