Fresh from a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Jo is bringing her new tour show, Here Comes Trouble to a host of venues across the UK. Here Comes Trouble is a solid 90 minutes of stand-up comedy where Jo gets her claws into everyone (and everything) that annoys her. From stories about the pitfalls of buying a new mattress, what happens when you gate-crash your husbands boys night out and trying to recapture the magic in a long-term relationship, this is pure stand-up, delivered with nothing more than a microphone and a bad attitude. My tour show is made up of some of my favourite jokes from my last few Fringe shows and some brand-new material about what I've been up to since my last tour, so I think its going to be a lot of fun to get out there and tell these stories, and generally talk about everything that's happened and annoyed me since I was last out on the road like this.

Join us for a magical evening with Karen Dunbar. Spend an unforgettable evening in her company as she share stories, jokes and insights from her incredible career. Don’t miss out on this amazing opportunity to see Karen live – book your tickets now!

Solo performance from a singer songwriter whose musical influences include indie, acoustic, folk and blues. Playing ‘live’ on acoustic/electric guitar, and piano. Added to the mix you’ll hear the occasional acapella tune, a wailing harmonica, a couple of interesting cover versions, some tall tales and a positive vibe that will leave you feeling so glad you came to see the show. Entry: £12 via email, phone or door / £13.33 Eventbrite (includes booking fee) Enquiries: [email protected] Tel: 01667 453476

This special double bill features two standout acts from Scotlands vibrant folk scene. Award-winning trio Assynt bring their bold blend of Highland tradition and contemporary flair. With BBC Radio Scotland Young Musician of the Year finalists Graham Mackenzie (fiddle) and David Shedden (pipes/whistles), and BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award winner Pablo Lafuente (guitar), their music is refreshingly contemporary (Folk Radio UK) while rooted in Scotlands rich traditions. In a separate set, Hannah Rarity showcases her exceptional voice and dynamic stage presence. A leading figure in the Scottish folk scene, the former BBC Young Traditional Musician of the Year has collaborated with Blazin Fiddles, Rura, and Cherish the Ladies, and is a familiar face at Celtic Connections, where she hosts the popular Late Night Sessions and Brew & A Blether. Shell be joined by one of Scotlands most sought-after accompanists, Innes White.

Following the success of last years inaugural Northern Soul Night, were spinning back into action with another evening of floor-filling tunes strictly on original vinyl. Join us for a night of classic Northern Soul with guest DJs Steve Willox and Colin Strachan from Aberdeen Northern Soul Club, along with Nairns very own Helen Graham. Steve helped launch legendary all-nighters at Aberdeens 62 Club in the late 70s and now runs an annual soul weekender at the Beach Ballroom. Colin began DJing in 2006, and both have extensive experience playing across Scotland and at iconic soul events such as the Cleethorpes Weekender. Helen, co-owner of Nairn's Vinyl 2 Vintage, started DJing in 2015 with Inverness's Ready Steady Go Go club nights, sharing her favourite Soul, Motown, R&B, Mod, and Northern Soul sounds. Dont miss your chance to dance the night away soulful sounds, good vibes and a packed dancefloor guaranteed. Bar open until midnight.

Louise Welsh is the award-winning author of ten novels, including The Cutting Room and her latest, To the Dogs. Acclaimed for her compelling storytelling, she has also collaborated on opera projects with composer Stuart MacRae for over a decade. Louise is co-creator and co-founder of the podcast Who Owns the Clyde? with architect Jude Barber and is Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow. A Fellow of both the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Royal Society of Literature, she lives in Glasgow with her partner, novelist Zo Strachan. Join us as Louise discusses her distinguished literary career and her latest gripping novel. A Times 'Best New Crime Fiction of the Month', To the Dogs is a darkly comic, gritty novel exploring organised crime, institutional corruption and moral compromise in Glasgow.

When Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine, millions of lives changed in an instant: people were suddenly on the move and in this great flow of people was a journalist from Shetland. Jen Stout left Moscow abruptly, ending up on a border post in southeast Romania, from where she began to cover the human cost of Russian aggression. Working alone, her firsthand, vivid reporting brought the war in cities across Ukraine, first Odesa, then Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Kyiv and Donbas home to readers in Scotland. A writer always seeking to understand the bigger picture of the history, hopes and fears in this war in Europe, in her first book Night Train to Odesa Jen brings to life stories from those on the ground, from those enduring and surviving the daily catastrophe of the conflict, from the night trains, birthday parties, military hospitals and bunkers.

O aw the airts the wind can blaw, I dearly like the West. In his memoir of growing up in Ayrshire, Billy Kay refers to this song as an Ayrshire anthem, one of many by Burns which gave people their strong Scottish identity. Here, Billy is joined by one of the countrys finest exponents of Scots song, Robyn Stapleton, from Galloway. Billy will talk about the culture, history, folklore and literature of his home in the Irvine Valley and read passages in a powerful Scots that is shot through with a sense of belongingand a sense of humour! Billy and Robyn performed Born in Kyle at the National Library of Scotland and the Edinburgh International Book Festival last year, and had a tremendous response, so the audience in Nairn is in for a treat.

Local piano player & composer Kenna Ross hosts an evening of live music, featuring a stellar lineup from her singer-songwriter friends. A homegrown talent with global reach, Kenna has spent over a decade collaborating with both local & international artists as a session player, leading to performances at Celtic Connections, Montreux Jazz Festival & Lollapalooza Paris. In 2024, Kenna released her debut instrumental album In The Moment, described as a superb soundscape by Netsounds. Expect heartfelt vocals and original songs from Dylan James Tierney, Jaden Larue, Scott C. Park, and more all beautifully accompanied by Kenna on the keys.

Following a first round in June, the final of Nairns Young Musician Competition will open the 2025 Nairn Book and Arts Festival. In partnership between the festival and the Rotary Club of Nairn with support from Music Nairn, this live showcase celebrates local talent aged 8-18 across genres including classical, folk, jazz and pop. Finalists will compete for cash prizes, trophies donated by Music Nairn and the opportunity to perform at the Rotary Charity Concert in November. All will also receive tickets to that evenings concert by Kenna Ross once a rising young star of Nairn herself and now forging a successful career as a pianist. Judging the final are three respected figures from the music world: Christopher Josey, an internationally acclaimed opera and concert tenor, now a vocal tutor based in Aviemore; Alison Mackenzie, founder of the award-nominated Croy Live and former Principal Teacher of Music; and D James Ross, a well-known local performer and director of ensembles from early music to cabaret. Join us in celebrating our young local talent!

In 2025, the Nairn Literary Institute celebrates its 150th anniversary, an astonishing survival for an institution across an era of dramatic change. In this session, a panel will consider the origins and role of the Lit, as it is known, its links with the museum, the proposed anniversary volume, and its future challenges as it enters its next 150 years. Ronald Skeldon, our Festival Chair, and also President of "the Lit", will chair a panel to address the issues and outline the events planned.

Frank will discuss two of his books: his latest, Among the Layers of the Land, reflects on the different ways that we look at the natural environment, alternating thoughtful non-fiction pieces and short stories that explore a fictional perspective. It celebrates our relationships with landscape and place from some surprising angles to uncover the layers of the land that enrich our understanding of the world. The Changing Outer Hebrides: Galson and the Meaning of Place is a fascinating and intimate account of the inter-relationship between one small island village in the Hebrides and the wider world, and won the Highland Book Prize in 2020. Frank was Professor of Sustainable Rural Development at the University of the Highlands and Islands, Scotland, and is a Research Associate at the UHI Environmental Research Institute. Formerly he was Head of Research at Lews Castle College UHI. A natural scientist, he tutored on the MSc in Sustainable Rural Development and the MSc Digital Pedagogy.

Join us for an evening with author Andrew OHagan as he discusses his celebrated state-of-the-nation drama, Caledonian Road. Andrew OHagan was born in Glasgow. He has been nominated for the Booker Prize, was voted one of Grantas Best of Young British Novelists in 2003, and won the E. M. Forster Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He is Editor-at-Large of the London Review of Books and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. An entertaining romp with political bite. Sunday Times Books of the Year. Extraordinary. Marina Hyde. A masterpiece. John Lanchester.

Discover Georgian London's hidden black community with Marcia Hutchinson and Kate Griffin, co-authors of historical novel The Blackbirds of St Giles, writing together as Lila Cain. Set in the depths of one of the most notorious slums of the 18th century, the book follows the progress of formerly enslaved siblings Daniel and Pearl. Named The Sunday Times Historical Fiction book of the month for February 2025, The Blackbirds of St Giles is an almost Dickensian adventure full of hope, family, loyalty, love and betrayal. What is the true cost of freedom? An Oxford graduate and former lawyer, Marcia Hutchinson was named one of the best debut novelists of 2025 by The Observer for her book The Mercy Step, and was awarded an MBE for services to Cultural Diversity in 2010. Kate Griffin was the Head of Press for the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) until 2019, and won the 2012 Faber/Stylist Magazine competition to find a new voice in crime. Fyneshade, her homage to Governess Gothic, was a Sunday Times Historical Fiction Book of 2023.

Natalie Jayne Clark is a neurodivergent poet, author and producer based in Perth, Scotland. Her debut novel, The Malt Whisky Murders, was snapped up in a thrilling pre-emptive book deal from Polygon, Birlinn within a few days of her highly commended pitch at Bloody Scotlands Pitch Perfect. When a dilapidated distillery comes up for sale in rural Kintyre, Eilidh and her wife Morag jump at the chance. But their ambition to run the first women-owned whisky distillery in Scotland seems to be scuppered when a grisly, decades-old secret is revealed: two dead bodies have been stuffed into barrels, perfectly preserved in single malt, hidden for over fifty years. Adult ticket price includes a glass of wine.

Douglas Skelton has published 12 non-fiction books, 14 contemporary crime thrillers, and 5 historical thrillers. Before becoming a full-time writer, he built a colourful CV that includes stints as a bank clerk, tax officer, shelf stacker, meat porter, taxi driver (for two days), wine waiter (for two hours), reporter, investigator, and newspaper editor. Hell share highlights from his varied career and delve into The Other Side of Fear, the latest instalment in his Rebecca Connolly series, along with insights into his other works. Adult ticket price includes a glass of wine.

In the early hours of New Years Day 1919, more than 200 servicemen returning from the First World War drowned when their boat sank at the entrance to Stornoway Harbour. The tragedy of HMY Iolaire continues to cast a long shadow across the islands, many of whose residents have close connections with the men who perished. 100 years after the event and inspired by John Finlay MacLeod, whose heroism and quick thinking helped save dozens of lives that night, Julie Fowlis and Duncan Chisholm created a new work entitled An Treas Suaile (The Third Wave) which brought audiences closer to this devastating story. The production was part of 14-18 NOW, the UKs five-year arts programme marking the centenary of the First World War. The work was originally co-commissioned with An Lanntair to mark 100 years since the Iolaire disaster. An Treas Suaile gives a powerful insight into the events leading up to the tragedy, together with incredible stories of survival, community and faith. Join Julie and Duncan for an extraordinary evening of music, song, conversation and a presentation of filmed elements of the original work.

Ali Smith was born in Inverness in 1962. She is the author of several novels and short story collections including The Accidental, Hotel World, How to Be Both and the Seasonal Quartet, the latter described by The Guardian as masterful works of deeply moral writing. She has been four times shortlisted for the Booker Prize, has won the Goldsmiths Prize, Orwell Prize, Costa Best Novel Award and the Womens Prize. Ali Smith lives in Cambridge. This event is held in partnership with The Highland Book Prize, with support from the William Grant Foundation.

M.T. ODonnell is founder of Scotlands national gardening magazine, Scotland Grows, host of the Scotland Grows Show podcast, and Vice President of The Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society. Everything she does celebrates real gardening in Scotland. M.T. will be joining us to talk about the myriad of health benefits gardening brings to our physical and mental wellbeing, come and hear more about why gardening makes us feel so good.

JJA Harwood is The Sunday Times bestselling author of The Shadow in the Glass, The Thorns Remain, and A Steep and Savage Path . She grew up in Norfolk and studied History at the University of Warwick, working on the first draft of The Shadow in the Glass when she should have been writing her essays. Her latest novel, A Steep and Savage Path , is an enemies-to-lovers romantasy set in Transylvania that follows Irinas attempts to recover her younger sisters soul from the land of the dead, and avoid being eaten by the vampire she strong-armed into helping her.

In this 'in conversation' event, author Noreen Masud talks about her Women's Prize for Non-Fiction shortlisted book A Flat Place: about how flat landscapes in Scotland, England and Pakistan offer her a language for strange, unarticulated kinds of life and experience. The book ranges through Orkney, the Cambridgeshire Fens, Suffolk, Morecambe Bay and Newcastle Moor, finding in these apparently 'dull' and empty spaces, a new way of thinking about 'emptiness' and 'blankness' in personal and postcolonial trauma.

Ever written a character and they just arent evil enough? There arent enough explosions, evil laughter, or heroes getting dunked in swimming pools... Come along to this childrens creative writing workshop where you can learn the building blocks to creating a realistic bad guy. Children must be accompanied by a parent/responsible adult. Recommended age 7+ years.

In this immersive talk, award-winning author Nicholas Jubber combines history, mythology and storytelling to take us on a global tour through the history of monsters and in the process shows the human story too. From the Bavarian dragon to the werewolf of Louisiana, the vampire of the Balkans and the modern monsters pioneered by Mary Shelleys Frankenstein, this will be an action-packed journey through monster tales, showing how these stories can illuminate our own troubles and our collective histories, as well as connecting us with communities around the world. Nicholas Jubber is the author of six books of non-fiction and a winner of the Stanford/Dolman Travel Book Award. He has spoken at many literary festivals, including Hay-on-Wye, Edinburgh and Cheltenham, as well as writing for The Guardian, BBC Online and The Irish Times.

Step into the world of C.J. Cooke, the acclaimed award-winning poet, novelist and academic whose captivating work has been published in twenty-three languages. As a Reader in Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow, she brings a unique depth to her storytelling, exploring themes from motherhood to mental health. Join her as she discusses her latest compelling novel, 'The Book of Witching'. Separated by four hundred years but bound by an ancient text, two women stand imperilled. Can they unlock a centuries-old mystery? A BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick, 'The Book of Witching' is hailed as 'Chilling and beautifully written... C.J. Cooke's finest novel yet' (Emilia Hart) and 'A spellbinding thriller' (Scots Magazine). Sponsored by Nairn Bookshop.

Donald S Murray, recently described in a review as a gallivanting citizen of the universe, is from Ness in the Isle of Lewis. Now living in Shetland, his work includes non-fiction, short stories, drama, poetry the latter including Achanalt which won the Callum MacDonald award and novels such as As the Women Lay Dreaming (Saraband) which won the Paul Torday Award and was shortlisted for others. His play Sequamur has been chosen as a text for Higher English by the SQA. His latest novel, to be discussed at the Festival, has been linked to various musical events, including one at Celtic Connections, and is The Salt and the Flame.

Iain Kelly was born and bred in Glasgow, so knew he was being optimistic when he set his latest thriller, Full Sun, during a heat wave in the city. After a spell in prison, Cal Jackson returns home looking for a quiet life, but when his sister marries into the family of corrupt businessman Francis McArthur, Cal finds himself caught in the middle of an ongoing war between his new family and the police. When a childhood friend, the mysterious and enchanting Elise Moreau, disappears, Cals got his work cut out to find her and discover what links her to McArthur. And thats before the first dead body turns up. After exploring the Western Isles in coming-of-age drama The Barra Boy, and Edinburgh in the historical thriller All We Cannot Leave Behind, Full Sun marks a return to the authors home city, and is the start of a series of books to feature the main character, Cal Jackson. Adult ticket price includes a glass of wine.

Raine has always had a love/hate relationship with hats because, in her opinion, she doesnt suit them, so it was out of desperation that she began making her own. Her mother was a milliner from the 1940s to the 1970s, but she hung up her hat blocks when off-the-shelf floppy hats became the new fashion of the 1970s. Sadly, she wasnt around to see her daughter take up the craft in 2010, after many years working as an interior designer. Raine trained with queen-of-hats Felicity Faichney in St Andrews, where she learned blocking and finishing skills and went on to create her own styles, which have developed into sculpted fascinators and headpieces. This course teaches the fundamentals of sculpting sinamay and the basics of fascinator creation, which is where Raine began. You will create and finish a beautiful fascinator that you will wear with pride! Please note that sharp tools will be used in the course of this workshop, and there is the slight possibility of minor injury. Staff/volunteers will be on hand to assist with First Aid if needed.

In this interactive workshop, author Marcia Hutchinson will help participants answer the question: what is memoir? What counts as memory and what as musing? How does memoir differ from autobiography? How do you find your own voice, and decide what to put in and what to leave out? And how do you deal with family secrets! The workshop will include a reading from Marcias autofiction, The Mercy Step, and you will have an opportunity to write and share your own work if you wish to, and to receive feedback. After attending Oxford University and working as a lawyer in the City, Marcia Hutchinson relocated back to Yorkshire where she founded and ran educational publishing company Primary Colours from 1997-2014. She was awarded an MBE for services to Cultural Diversity in 2010. Her debut novel The Mercy Step will be published in July 2025. She has also been included as one of the best debut novelists of 2025 by The Observer. Working with Kate Griffin under the pen name of Lila Cain, she has written The Blackbirds of St Giles, a historical novel published in January 2025. Marcia discusses The Blackbirds of St Giles with co-author Kate Griffin, chaired by author Sean Lusk, on Friday 5th September.

Following last years successful Pictish stone tour, heres a chance to get stoned again with Mike J.C. Morrison and enjoy an exploration of more local Pictish standing stones and medieval sites around Nairnshire and Moray. This 6-hour guided tour by executive bus includes visits to Rodneys Stone at Brodie Castle and Suenos Stone in Forres Scotlands tallest and most intricate early medieval sculpture. Youll take in views from Burgheads ancient Pictish fort, explore its unique underground well, and hear tales of the past (and what the seers predicted of the future). There will be a stop at Logie Steading for refreshments and a chance to browse the garden centre, shops, and art gallery. Please note that ticket price does not include refreshments. The meeting point is Nairn Community & Arts Centre. From there, we will walk to the Bus Station where the coach will be waiting.

Are you stuck and frustrated with your writing? Would you like to experience what its like to write from a place of calm? This workshop will help you identify what stops you from writing. Tanja will draw on the Japanese therapeutic massage called Shiatsu, holistic acupressure, Qi Gong, and simple visualisations to help you identify what stops you from writing and give you some tools to help overcome writing blockages. Tanja is an experienced writer and teacher, and a qualified Shiatsu practitioner. She regularly supports students and researchers with their writing process. This workshop is open to writers of all levels of experience expect some open discussion, wellbeing techniques, as well as writing tips. Tanja is a university lecturer, writer, and researcher, as well as a qualified Shiatsu and holistic acupressure practitioner. You can find more information about her at bodywisenaturalhealth.co.uk/therapists/tanja-bastia. She has written and edited four books and served as Director of the Rory and Elizabeth Brooks Doctoral College at the Global Development Institute, University of Manchester.

What would an otter, a starfish, or a strand of seaweed say to you about whats happening in our rivers and oceans? In this Creative Writing Poetry session, you will be guided to explore such conversations between The Sea and Humanity in relation to the Climate Crisis. By the end of the session, you will have these calls and responses shaped into a poetic form to take away with you. No previous poetry writing experience is required. Caroline's first full poetry collection, Verse Cycles, was published by indie-press The Jawbone Collective in March 2024. Her poetry has featured on BBC Radio 4 and been printed in BBC Sky at Night Magazine, and her short stories published by various journals, including the National Flash Fiction Anthology.