Booker Prize-winner Douglas Stuart, tartan noir star Denise Mina and broadcaster Gavin Esler will all be appearing at Cove and Kilcreggan Book Festival next month.
After an online event last year because of the pandemic, it is hoped that the 2021 event will be fully live in Cove Burgh Hall on November 27 and 28.
Douglas Stuart’s novel Shuggie Bain, the story of a boy growing up in 1980s working class Glasgow, has been translated into 30 languages.
It is hoped that the author will be in Cove in person for a talk on the Saturday evening, but if he cannot get back from his European tour on time there will be a Zoom interview live on the big screen in the burgh hall.
Opening the book festival at 10.30 on Saturday will be James Robertson, once again returning to Cove to discuss his latest novel News of the Dead.
He will be followed by two Scots authors who have written about Englishness, English nationalism and their implications for the UK.
Former BBC reporter Gavin Esler’s latest book is How Britain Ends – English Nationalism and the Rebirth of Four Nations, while Ailsa Henderson, a professor at Edinburgh University, has co-written a book titled Englishness – the Political Force Transforming Britain.
Lunch will be followed by Gavin Francis, the Edinburgh GP whose latest book, Intensive Care (A GP, a Community & Covid-19), chronicles his experiences of working through a pandemic.
Denise Mina will be the first speaker on Sunday – her new book Rizzio is based on a real character from the time of Mary Queen of Scots.
She will be followed by husband and wife duo Kirstin Innes, whose book Scabby Queen has enjoyed critical success, and Alan Bissett, whose novella Lazy Susan was published earlier this year.
There are three guests in the session after lunch – sports broadcaster Andrew Cotter with his labradors Olive and Mabel, who took social media by storm during the first months of lockdown last year.
Now back from covering the Olympics in Tokyo, Andrew will be discussing his book Olive, Mabel and Me.
The final speaker will be novelist Jenni Fagan, whose latest book Luckenbooth has earned huge praise.
Each session costs £7, or a £40 weekend pass will give access to all eight events.
Tickets will be available on the burgh hall’s website nearer the time.
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