Following rave reviews from her performance at Edinburgh’s Comedy Fest 2012 we are delighted to have lured this highly original comic to Nairn.

Sara regularly performs solo stand up shows to capacity crowds and has been voted one of Time Out Magazine’s Rising Stars of Comedy.

A regular weekly star of the Channel 4 Series Stand up for the week, she has also appeared on Live at the Apollo, Comedy World Cup and Don’t sit in the front row.

Drinks available with music to entertain you from 8.30pm with Sara live at 9.30pm.

“Always clever, occasionally exquisite” (Independent).

We are delighted to welcome to the festival, one of Britain’s best known broadcasters, James Naughtie originally from the northeast of Scotland. We hear him daily on Radio 4’s Today programme; he chairs the Book programme and he is a writer of note on many subjects.

Here he takes us behind the scenes of Radio 4’s Today programme and talks about a life in newspapers and broadcasting that has taken him round the world. He has met an extraordinary cast of characters and had a ringside seat at many of the events that have shaped our times. 
 

Nairn Book & Arts Festival is looking for budding song writers to enter our song writing competition. The competition will be judged by two of Scotland’s premier writer/musicians, Findlay Napier and Gillian Frame of Back of the Moon and Bar Room Mountaineers fame. The winners will receive a cash prize and the opportunity to perform their song at a concert headlined by Findlay and Gillian on Wednesday 4th September. 

Entries from under-18s and 18 and over will be judged separately and two prizes awarded in each category. Entries should be submitted as an audio file (MP3 or similar) or on CD. The focus of judging will be on the nature and content of the song, rather than performance. Deadline for all entries is Wednesday 31st July.

There are three Prize Groups:

1. Under 12 (Primary School)

2. Under 18 

3. Over 18

Theme - Any subject.

Prizes for each group:

1st - £25 plus canvas or mdf enlargement. Courtesy of iolaire.

Runners-up - Certificate of Commendation.

Entry is free. Hand in entries and forms to Nairn Community & Arts Centre between Saturday 20th July - Saturday 10th August 2012. 

2013 Programme launched

11th June 2013

The Festival Programme was launched with true pizzazz last night,  by broadcaster and journalist Nicky Marr, at Nairn Court House. Nicky admitted that our headliner, James Naughtie is a hero of hers, and revealed that not only is Festival exhibitor Eugenia Vronskaya a very talented artist - she makes pretty potent frozen vodkas too.

Launch guests were also treated to a gorgeous performance by fiddle player Duncan Chisholm; he played a set which included excerpts from Kin, which he will perform in September.  And huge thank you goes to Big Bloomers for making the court room look gorgeous with their beautiful bouquets.

Everyone loves the programme, commenting on the variety and quality of our speakers and performers this year. Multi media events, incorporating music, photography and spoken word,  join more traditional book readings. Couturier Sandra Murray’s beautiful designs will be exhibited during her talk.  We’re excited that comedian Sara Pascoe - who got rave reviews last year at the Edinburgh Festival -  joins us this year. Our food fair is a first for the Festival, showing local artisans’ wares. And many people are delighted that we are having a debate on Independence, and are already working on their questions for the panel..

We are pleased to announce that Creative Scotland has awarded a grant of £10000 to assist with the growth and development of the Nairn Book and Arts Festival.  We are all delighted with the grant, which is essential to secure the quality and variety of the Festival programme.

The full programme will be launched in June of this year - watch out for it.