It’s just weeks to go until Ayrshire’s fifth Tidelines Book Festival, which promises everything from crime to comedy and cycling to soul music.

The event, in Irvine’s harbourside, will run from Thursday, September 21 to Sunday, September 24. Cyclist and author Graeme Obree will open the festival at Irvine’s Harbour Arts Centre on September 21.

Ayrshire’s Graeme broke the UCI world record on his hand-built bike Old Faithful and went on to become the world pursuit champion twice.

On Friday, September 22, Banned Books and Prohibition Cocktails will be on the menu at the Puffer’s Cafe.

Readings from banned books of the era will come with two cocktails of your choice as part of the ticket price.

Then at 8pm, Stuart Cosgrove will give a talk on soul music and social history.

It will include readings from his bestselling books Detroit 67 and Young Soul Rebels.

Youngsters are in for a treat at the HAC on Saturday, September 23 at the HAC when Mark Smith presents Slugboy Saves the World.

The festival shifts to Irvine’s Scottish Maritime Museum on Saturday afternoon for A Tale of Two Shipwrecks: Victorian Heroes and Villains at Sea, by Gill Hoffs.

Another great event for youngsters will be held in Irvine’s Fullarton Connexions on the Saturday afternoon, with The McDougall’s Fairytale Fun.

Saturday afternoon will also see a talk by Su Bristow on her book Sealskin at 2pm in the HAC.

Based on the legend of the selkies - seals who can transform into people.

At 4pm in the HAC, author and artist Fiona MacIntosh will give a talk on her work Rosa of the Wild Grass, The Story of A Nicaraguan Family.

Fiona’s artwork is already on display at the arts centre. Nasty Women, by 404 Ink, comes to the Harbour Arts on Saturday at 5pm.

This collection of essays by 20 new writers looks at what it is to be a woman today.

Fans of a dram won’t want to miss Whisky Island by Fiona Rintoul, at Puffers cafe on Saturday, September 23 at 6.30pm. The £8 admission price includes three tasting drams.

Chris Brookmyre makes a welcome return to the festival on Saturday at 7pm to present Want You Gone.

His latest Jack Parlabane novel is a tale of family love, blackmail and the dark world of cyber crime.

Nordic Noir has produced some critically acclaimed novels in recent years and two of the finest authors in the genre will be at the Harbour Arts Centre on Saturday, from 8.30pm.

Agnes Ravatn and Gunnar Staalesen will give readings and discuss their work. On Sunday, Casting Off - Pensioners Have Rights as Well as Puffins, was described as the feelgood book of 2016.

Based on his sell-out play, author Philip Paris tells the story of residents in a Highland care home.

TV screen writer Chris Dolan will present Wee Screens, Big Stories, discussing TV as an overlooked art form.

Then at 4pm, he will talk about his experiences during 25 years of writing for page, stage and screen at the HAC.

Dane Love has unearthed 50 lost villages in Ayrshire that no longer exist.

At 6pm on the festival Sunday at the HAC, he will talk about many of them at an event sponsored by Kilwinning Heritage.

Tidelines 2017 will conclude at the Harbour Arts Centre on Sunday September 24 with Carry On Sleuthing.

Join crime writers Caro Ramsay, Theresa Talbot, Michael J Malone and Douglas Skelton in a murder mystery play for radio in which the audience is invited to solve the crime by finding clues amongst the jokes.

For further information and ticket details, visit www.tidelinesbookfest.com.