The trio behind plans for a new festival in North Ayrshire celebrating the life of poet Edgar Allan Poe say their dream is to host a masquerade ball at Irvine’s Maritime Museum.

Actor Steven Duffy, journalist Neil Smith and Helen Aitken are working to bring together the first North Ayrshire Edgar Allan Poe-Fest.

It will celebrate the work of the poet who lived in Irvine during his youth and will see the production company host drama workshops, sessions looking at Poe’s writing and ultimately, huge community event in the town.

In 1815 Poe was brought to Irvine to visit his adopted aunts and attended the school next to the town’s Parish Church and it is widely believed that he was inspired by the gravestones in the Pairsh Churchyard.

He is considered one of the earliest American creators of the short story genre and attributed to creating the detective fiction genre.

Steven, who found fame starring in Glasgow gang classic Small Faces alongside Kevin McKidd, Iain Robertson, along with Neil and Helen formed Ayrshire’s Poetic Justice Productions, explained why they were passionate about Poe’s work.

“Edgar Allan Poe is a worldwide respected literary figure and we want to celebrate his connection with Irvine through the festival,” said Steven.

“We formed a production company with a view of staging a legacy festival and what we would ideally like is a festival that involves everyone in the community.

“We want to work with school children in the area through drama workshops, holding sessions about his writing.

“Our ultimate goal is to host a masquerade ball at Irvine’s Maritime Museum in the style of Poe’s Masque of the Red Death, get everyone in the community involved.

“We know given the times we live in just now it is hard to plan but we are working hard to bring elements of the festival together.”

The members of Poetic Justice Productions want to put Irvine on the map, similar to Whitby with its gothic tourism with thousands of Dracula fans flocking to the seaside resort for festivals.

Pupils at Irvine Royal Academy have recently created a Poe-inspired magazine and podcast celebrating the life and work of the poet by writing their own dark stories inspired by the writer.