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Andrew O’Hagan, Mayflies: To Irvine, with love

Fullarton Connexions Church St, Irvine, United Kingdom

Tidelines is delighted to present this one-off event celebrating ‘Mayflies’, Andrew O’Hagan’s award-winning novel and now a critically acclaimed BBC drama. Join Andrew as he talks about the role of Irvine in the ‘Mayflies’ story and the challenges of helping produce his novel for the screen.

£10

Hushabye Lullabye with Sacha Kyle

Harbour Arts Centre 116 Harbour St, Irvine, United Kingdom

Join Sacha Kyle, creator of CBeebies series ‘Hushabye Lullabye’ for a chilled-out session including a relaxing story time for wee ones, with a reading of the Goodnight Dreams picture book featuring character favourite Dillie Dally.

£5

Writing for Wellbeing with Michael Malone

Harbour Arts Centre 116 Harbour St, Irvine, United Kingdom

Whether we write for our own pleasure or with the aim of publication, putting pen to paper can be a wonderful way to make sense and meaning of both the difficult times and the joy in our lives. This event will give you plenty of ideas and tips for how writing can provide a positive outlet for life’s challenges. 

£10

MacDiarmid: Poetry & Landscape with Alan Riach

Harbour Arts Centre 116 Harbour St, Irvine, United Kingdom

Join us for an illustrated talk from poet, writer, editor and Professor of Scottish Literature at University of Glasgow, Alan Riach. With its unique blend of poetry, art, biography and national history, ‘The McDiarmid Memorandum’ maps a nation where nature is interwoven with and inseparable from our political history.

£6 – £10

Wild History: Journeys into lost Scotland with James Crawford

Harbour Arts Centre 116 Harbour St, Irvine, United Kingdom

Tidelines are thrilled to welcome James Crawford, presenter of acclaimed BBC One documentary Scotland from the Sky, to this year’s festival. In his latest book ‘Wild History’, James presents a unique exploration of off-the-beaten-track sites across the length and breadth of Scotland.

£6 – £10

Elaine C Smith: My Life in Books

Harbour Arts Centre 116 Harbour St, Irvine, United Kingdom

Elaine C Smith is one of Scotland’s best-known performers. Join her in conversation with her friend and ours, Tidelines Patron Andrew O’Hagan, as she charts her life through the books she has loved. 

£10

Wellwood Tours

Wellwood Burns Museum 28 Eglinton Street, Irvine, Ayrshire, United Kingdom

A visit to Wellwood is a must for anyone interested in writing and publishing, or the history of Robert Burns in Irvine. The tour includes a unique presentation on Burns in Irvine, and a chance to see the Templeton Bookshop chair, where Burns once sat and dreamt of becoming a poet. The tour includes access to the exhibition.

Free

Letters & Literary Treasures Exhibition 

Wellwood Burns Museum 28 Eglinton Street, Irvine, Ayrshire, United Kingdom

This special exhibition includes letters from Charles Dickens and Arthur Conan Doyle, along with more recent letters from Seamus Heaney, Ian Rankin, and Tidelines patron Andrew O’Hagan.

Free

Dougie Donnelly: My Life in Sport

Harbour Arts Centre 116 Harbour St, Irvine, United Kingdom

Join us for the festival’s opening event in the company of one of Scotland’s most successful and best loved broadcasters. My Life in Sport tells his story with humour and insight, and with the true smooth Donnelly style and voice we know and love. 

£10

Moxi Creative Kids: The Hungry Caterpillar Storytelling Session

Harbour Arts Centre 116 Harbour St, Irvine, United Kingdom

‘In the light of the moon a little egg lay on a leaf.’ ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ themed interactive storytelling session, with singing & sensory play. Two sessions: 10 to 10:40 am (babies) and 11 to 11:40 am (crawlers & movers under 2).

£5

Writing @ The Maritime: Poetry, with Simon Lamb

Scottish Maritime Museum Harbour Road, Irvine, Ayrshire, United Kingdom

An engaging and hands-on writing workshop with poet Simon Lamb, using Irvine's Maritime Museum as creative inspiration.

£15

Wellwood Tours

Wellwood Burns Museum 28 Eglinton Street, Irvine, Ayrshire, United Kingdom

A visit to Wellwood is a must for anyone interested in writing and publishing, or the history of Robert Burns in Irvine. The tour includes a unique presentation on Burns in Irvine, and a chance to see the Templeton Bookshop chair, where Burns once sat and dreamt of becoming a poet. The tour includes access to the exhibition.

Free

Letters & Literary Treasures Exhibition 

Wellwood Burns Museum 28 Eglinton Street, Irvine, Ayrshire, United Kingdom

This special exhibition includes letters from Charles Dickens and Arthur Conan Doyle, along with more recent letters from Seamus Heaney, Ian Rankin, and Tidelines patron Andrew O’Hagan.

Free

Moladh na Gàidhlig: Celebrating Gaelic in Poetry and Song

Harbour Arts Centre 116 Harbour St, Irvine, United Kingdom

An entertaining celebration of the Gaelic language, in the company of poets Niall O’Gallagher and Catrìona Ross, with music from North Ayrshire’s very own Largs Gaelic Choir.

£6 – £10

Moxi Creative Kids: We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, Storytelling & Drama Workshop

Harbour Arts Centre 116 Harbour St, Irvine, United Kingdom

‘We’re going on a bear hunt. We’re going to catch a big one...’ ‘We're Going on a Bear Hunt’ themed interactive storytelling session, with drama, music & games. Two sessions: 10 am to 11 am (2–3 year olds) and 11:30 am to 12:30 pm (4–6 year olds).

£5

Letters & Literary Treasures Exhibition 

Wellwood Burns Museum 28 Eglinton Street, Irvine, Ayrshire, United Kingdom

This special exhibition includes letters from Charles Dickens and Arthur Conan Doyle, along with more recent letters from Seamus Heaney, Ian Rankin, and Tidelines patron Andrew O’Hagan.

Free

Irvine Lasses Harbourside Walk

Come and enjoy a historic walk along the harbourside with the Irvine Lasses. Learn about Irvine’s rich cultural heritage and the literary connections to this unique part of Irvine, including the history of the Harbour Arts Centre itself.

£5

Wellwood Tours

Wellwood Burns Museum 28 Eglinton Street, Irvine, Ayrshire, United Kingdom

A visit to Wellwood is a must for anyone interested in writing and publishing, or the history of Robert Burns in Irvine. The tour includes a unique presentation on Burns in Irvine, and a chance to see the Templeton Bookshop chair, where Burns once sat and dreamt of becoming a poet. The tour includes access to the exhibition.

Free

Coalfield Justice: The Miners’ Strike in Scotland

Harbour Arts Centre 116 Harbour St, Irvine, United Kingdom

At this event, Jim Phillips discusses his new book on the 1984–85 Miners’ strike and its injustices, using thirty oral history testimonies from strike veterans and family members.

£6 – £10

Victoria MacKenzie: Medieval Mystics and the Genesis of Women’s Writing

Harbour Arts Centre 116 Harbour St, Irvine, United Kingdom

Victoria MacKenzie joins us at Tidelines to read from her award-winning novel For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy On My Little Pain. This beautiful novel explores the real lives of two medieval mystics, Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe, who wrote the earliest known books in English by women.

£5 – £10

Billy Kay – Born in Kyle: A love letter tae an Ayrshire childhood

Wellwood Burns Museum 28 Eglinton Street, Irvine, Ayrshire, United Kingdom

Jyne Gawston boay Billy Kay for the Irvine launch o his book, whaur he describes the wey o life in the Irvine Valley when he wis a wean growin up there in the 1950s an 1960s.

£10

Writing @ The Maritime: Historical Fiction, with Steven Veerapen 

Scottish Maritime Museum Harbour Road, Irvine, Ayrshire, United Kingdom

In this workshop, novelist and writer Steven Veerapen will invite attendees to pick their favourite historical periods and then work on building the key elements of historical fiction: setting, character, narrative perspective, dialogue, plot, and structure.

£15

Irvine Lasses Harbourside Walk

Come and enjoy a historic walk along the harbourside with the Irvine Lasses. Learn about Irvine’s rich cultural heritage and the literary connections to this unique part of Irvine, including the history of the Harbour Arts Centre itself.

£5

Scotland’s Stories: Historic Tales for Incredible Places

Harbour Arts Centre 116 Harbour St, Irvine, United Kingdom

Join storyteller Graeme Johncock as he transports you the length and breadth of Scotland with some of the tales from Scotland’s Stories. Perfect for all who love legends, folklore or history to sit back, listen and explore. 

£6 – £10

Wellwood Tours

Wellwood Burns Museum 28 Eglinton Street, Irvine, Ayrshire, United Kingdom

A visit to Wellwood is a must for anyone interested in writing and publishing, or the history of Robert Burns in Irvine. The tour includes a unique presentation on Burns in Irvine, and a chance to see the Templeton Bookshop chair, where Burns once sat and dreamt of becoming a poet. The tour includes access to the exhibition.

Free

Letters & Literary Treasures Exhibition 

Wellwood Burns Museum 28 Eglinton Street, Irvine, Ayrshire, United Kingdom

This special exhibition includes letters from Charles Dickens and Arthur Conan Doyle, along with more recent letters from Seamus Heaney, Ian Rankin, and Tidelines patron Andrew O’Hagan.

Free

Kith: Scottish Seasonal Food for Family & Friends

Harbour Arts Centre 116 Harbour St, Irvine, United Kingdom

We are thrilled to welcome food writer and 2022 MasterChef finalist Sarah Rankin to Tidelines with her debut cookbook Kith – a celebration of Scottish flavours and seasonality.

£6 – £10

Adam Sharp: An Idiom Abroad

Harbour Arts Centre 116 Harbour St, Irvine, United Kingdom

Get ready to go on a journey around the world in idioms, proverbs, and general nonsense! Drawing on his book, The Wheel is Spinning but the Hamster is Dead, Adam will present fascinating, ridiculous and hilarious translations from every corner of the globe.

£6 – £10

Graeme Armstrong and Len Pennie: 21st Century Scots

Harbour Arts Centre 116 Harbour St, Irvine, United Kingdom

For this year’s closing event, Tidelines brings together two stars of Scotland’s new generation of writers. Both hailing from Airdrie, Graeme Armstrong and Len Pennie have reinvigorated the Scots language for the 21st century. This conversation will shine a fascinating spotlight on what it means to grow up in Scotland today.

£10