Irvine’s Tidelines book festival is set to kick off in person for the first time in three years later this month.

The festival will be running between Friday September 23 and Sunday September 25 at the Harbour Arts Centre (HAC).

Interviews with authors, poetry readings, storytelling and drama workshops for young children, and live music are all on offer for visitors.

Kicking off the festival, Stuart Cosgrove will be discussing his new book Hey America! with Ayrshire writer David Ross, followed by music from jazz musician and winner of the Scottish Jazz Awards Best Vocalist 2020, Kitti.

Across Saturday and Sunday, local children’s entertainment company Moxie is running storytelling and drama workshops for two to nine year-olds based around classic children’s literature characters Paddington and The BFG.

Non-fiction authors Leonie Charlton, Catherine Simpson, Iain Cameron, Clare Hunter, and Jennifer Morag Henderson will also be there to talk about their work on Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday evening romantic fiction author, Jenny Colgan, will discuss her new book An Island Wedding while Ayrshire writers Tracy Patrick, Michael Malone, and Morven Gow will discuss their work alongside local writer and tutor David McLaughlan.

The It’s a Crime event on Sunday will see Scottish crime writers Caro Ramsay, Gordon Brown and Olga Wojtas come together to talk about crime fiction.

To close the event, performance poet Imogen Stirling, below, will perform her poetry collection Love the Sinner accompanied by a live musician.

Irvine Times: Poet Imogen Stirling will close the festival (Cred: Mihaela Bodlovic)Poet Imogen Stirling will close the festival (Cred: Mihaela Bodlovic) (Image: Mihaela Bodlovic)

Flexible ticket prices have also been introduced with attendees being asked to pay between £6-10 depending on their financial situation.

Festival Coordinator Siobhan Staples said: “We recognise that in the current economic climate someone in work could have less disposable income that someone who’s retired so we created the flexible ticket price.

“We want as many people as possible to be able enjoy the Tidelines experience, no matter what their age or employment status.

In keeping with the accessible nature of the festival, budding writers can come along to perform their work on the Saturday evening.

Tickets for the festival can be booked by calling the HAC box office on 01294 274059 or via the Tidelines Festival's website.

More information and the full programme are available here.