Today the Nairn Book and Arts Festival launches its much-anticipated 2012 programme, with famous names such as Kate Adie, Ian Banks, Lady Claire Macdonald, Dr Phil Hammond, Salley Vickers and the Temperance Seven as the headline acts in a packed line-up of prose and poetry readings, comedy, drama, musical performances and art exhibitions.

The festival, which will run from Tuesday 4 – Sunday 9 September, concludes with a performance by the award-winning Red Hot Chilli Pipers.

Elizabeth Findlay, Chair of the Nairn Book and Arts Festival committee, stated:

“This year’s Festival programme is growing more ambitious, both in scale and number of events, and in the quality of the writers and artists we attract. The fact that authors of the stature of Iain Banks and Kate Adie and well known personalities such as Lady Claire Macdonald and Dr Phil Hammond are coming to Nairn this year will I hope help to make it our busiest Festival yet, attracting audiences of all ages from across the country.

Liz Macdonald, Provost of Nairn commented: “I would like to congratulate the committee and membership of Nairn Book and Arts Festival for delivering such an exciting and interesting programme of writers and artists coming to our town. I look forward to attending some of the events and I know folk from Nairn and tourists will enjoy the activities taking place, which will be a great boost to our tourist industry and a tremendous benefit to Nairn”

Writer and chef Lady Claire Macdonald -a household name in Scotland – will delight cookery fans with a look back over 40 years at Kinloch Lodge on Skye, where she and her husband clan chief , Godfrey Macdonald of Macdonald created an internationally renowned restaurant.

Spines will be suitably chilled by the double bill of Professor Susan Black, forensic anthropologist known to many from BBC2 series History Cold Cases, and award-winning Norwegian crime writer Thomas Enger, author of Oslo-based chiller Burned, in an afternoon of Wine and Crime.

Well known comedian Dr Phil Hammond, a regular on Have I got News for You and columnist for Private Eye, returns to Nairn following his sell out appearance in 2009, and Stuart Campbell will read from Boswell’s Bus Pass, his hilarious retracing of the famous duo’s surly steps to the Western Isles. Poet, comedian, and musician James Ross will read poems from his published collections Life & Death & Stuff and Orkney Strata & Mosaics as well as brand new material.

Poet and author Donald Murray, will, with a Gaelic musical accompaniment, transport his audience to the outer isles of yesteryear with readings from his beautiful book Weaving Songs, winner of this year’s Robert Louis Stevenson Prize ; new Scottish writing will be represented by up and coming author Kirsty Logan, in conversation with editor Bryan Beattie. There will also be readings by authors Salley Vickers and Anne Scott.

Respected military historian Trevor Royle will explore Scotland ‘s role in the Second World War, while Commander Tim Honnor will describe the fascinating lives of submariners from first hand experience.

Archivist to the National Trust for Scotland Tim Riches will give an illustrated talk on the archives of the Trust at Brodie Castle; the same venue will be host to historical fiction writer Shona Maclean who drew much from the Brodie Diaries for her thrillers set in the 16th and 17th centuries. Scotland’s leading whisky expert Charlie Maclean will share some of his expertise and there will be a fascinating talk on Nairn Pottery by art historian Heather Jack. A presentation by photographer Andy Hall looks at his book A Sense of Belonging to Scotland ; the favourite views of the country by some of its’ best known personalities.

The Festival has more musical events on offer this year – legendary ensemble The Temperance Seven, with their unique 20s sound promise to keep lovers of jazz happy, while fans of traditional folk music will be delighted by fiddler Rua Macmillan; brought up in Nairn, Rua trained at the Scottish conservatoire, went on to win the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Folk Musician of the Year and has since performed around the world. A traditional ceilidh with local musicians will be held, and the Festival wraps up with a performance by the Red Hot Chilli Pipers and a hog roast at one of Nairn’s top hotels, the Newton.

The opening day of the festival is Children’s Day with a lively programme of visiting authors, children’s readings, museum visits, scriptwriting, and writing workshops. Scottish Opera will present A Little Bit of Northern Light – a musical story for young children.

Exhibitions include the Dr Dewar Centenary Exhibition at Nairn Museum, held to celebrate the centenary of his report, which led to the eventual setting up of the National Health Service. Some fairly frightening artefacts will be on display. There will be a talk on the history of Nairn’s Hospitals by historians Ian Leslie, Professor Steve Leslie and Dr Anne-Marie Tindlay. There will be an exhibition at the Nairn Court House, with workshops in traditional and digital media to complement it by artists such as Kirstie Cohen, and Francis Boag. Respected portrait artist William Mather will be creating 3 minute sketches of visitors throughout the Festival.

Nairn has its own Fringe, growing every year, with performances from Nairn Drama Club, local writers groups The Pen and I and Young Scribes, Nairn Ceilidh Group and the ever-popular silent film with live musical accompaniment at Cinema Nairn.

*COMPETITION* The Festival is holding a competition to win tickets to see the Red Hot Chilli Pipers at the Newton Hotel on Sunday 9th September – visit www.nairnfestival.co.uk for more details and to enter.

Other Festival competitions include a Photographic competition – entries are being sought from 21 July, and winners will be announced during the festival with a display of their work at the Nairn Community and Arts Centre. In addition a short story competition, sponsored by the David St John Thomas Charitable Trust is being run – entries must be submitted by 9 July. For further details visit www.nairnfestival.co.uk

Early booking is strongly advised, as many of the events will sell out quickly. To book tickets contact: 01667 453476 / 01667 455528 or email tickets@nairnfestival.co.uk

Source: Nairn Book and Arts Festival