Kick off your Tidelines weekend with this very special event of two halves. Award-winning crime writer and lifelong Kilmarnock FC supporter Liam McIlvanney interviews ex-footballer, manager and thinking person’s pundit Pat Nevin about his new book, ‘Football And How To Survive It.’
Join writer, filmmaker and poet Sarah Grant as she takes us on a pop culture voyage from Bridgerton to Bridget Jones’s Diary, Pride and Prejudice to The Vicar of Dibley. Complete with live music from Nyla Ahmad, this event will be fun, feminist, and fearless – and the perfect way to spend your Friday night!
‘Excuse me, but I'm very hungry. Do you think I could have tea with you?’ Two ‘The Tiger who came to Tea’ themed interactive storytelling sessions with drama, music and games, suitable for ages 2–3 and 4–6.
Bookshop owner William Templeton takes you on a literary tour of 18th century Irvine, where his young friend Robert Burns often spends hours sitting in the Templeton Bookshop chair, lost in the books around him.
Critically acclaimed writer Catherine Czerkawska returns to Tidelines to discuss her latest non-fiction work ‘The Last Lancer’. Exploring her own family history, the book tells an intimate story of a Polish family torn apart by war, and of survival against the odds. Saltire Award-winner Eleanor Thom will discuss ‘Connective Tissue’, a novel based on the life of her grandmother, Dora, who escaped the horrors of the Holocaust.
Based on the real-life story of Sally’s own great-grandmother, ‘Music in the Dark’ is a beautiful exploration of unlooked-for love in later life, about resilience, memory, and those parts of who we are that nobody can take away.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
‘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).
An engaging and hands-on writing workshop with poet Simon Lamb, using Irvine's Maritime Museum as creative inspiration.
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.
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.
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.
‘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).
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.
