Nairn Book & Arts Festival

Always a popular event:  Saturday morning at the cinema, with Laurel and Hardy short films accompanied live by Andy May on the piano.  Nostalgic fun for all ages.

For this entertaining and popular evening, members of Nairn Drama Club will read and perform some selected poems, monologues and playlets written by the members of the local creative writing group, The Pen and I.

The hero of this much-loved tribute to neurotic New York City is a TV comedy writer contemplating a switch to serious literature while also fretting about the women in his life.  With sumptuous black and white cinematography and a gorgeous Gershwin soundtrack, it’s no wonder this film often appears in lists of all time greats.  Time Out said it would be hard for Allen to make anything better.  It is a reminder of why life, although complicated, is worth living.  Starring actors Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Mariel Hemingway, Michael Murphy, and Meryl Streep.  Classification: 15, running time 92 minutes.

Come along to our Beagan Spòrs / Fun with Gaelic Workshop at the start of Nairn Book & Arts Festival.  Suitable for all ages, all levels welcome - no experience needed – learn some easy words and phrases through songs and simple games (comfortable clothing advised).

In conjunction with Fèis Inbhir Narainn.   

Off the Peg is the community art event in Nairn High Street.  Unframed paintings pegged inside shop windows for all to see and buy.  10% of sales will be given to the Children’s Art Club. 

The exhibition is supported by Nairn Art Society whose Summer exhibition takes place at the Court House from 2nd August.

Event Information (DOC)

A fun drop in workshop run by Nairn’s Childrens’ Art Club, where children of all ages are welcome to join us and to create their own colourful print to take home with them.

Donald Paterson’s new novel Homecomings gives an intimate insight into the mind of Hugh Ross, a crofter who emigrates from Moray in the Nineteenth century, as it follows him on a journey through Canada and America.  Donald is a teacher at Millburn Academy, and lives in Fortrose.  He will discuss his book with his publisher, Sharon Blackie, from Two Ravens Press.

Esther Woolfson was brought up in Glasgow and studied Chinese at Jerusalem and Edinburgh universities.  She has won prizes and received enthusiastic reviews for both her short stories and nature writing.  Corvus – a Life with Birds tells of sharing a home in Aberdeen for twenty years with birds – in particular, a rook, crow and magpie,  part of the corvids bird group.  The book blends the personal, ornithological and scientific, describing the closeness humans can achieve with wild creatures.  It has been read as Radio 4’s Book of the Week.

The Nairn Camera Club will exhibit entries for their competition, which has three categories: Under 12 (or attending Primary) 12 – 18 and Over 18’s.  The competition which is free to enter and open to all allows a choice of subject and either colour or black and white for the photographs.

Download Competition Poster
Download Entry Form

From their early successes at international competitions through being selected as British ‘Rising Stars’ in l998, the Gould Piano Trio is now one of the UK’s finest chamber ensembles.  The Trio boasts an impressive discography, and undertakes numerous appearances at prestigious festivals and extensive European, American and Far Eastern tours.  For this concert the pianist Benjamin Frith (well known to Nairn audiences for his recitals at Clifton House) and founder-member violinist Lucy Gould will be joined by ’cellist Martin Storey, who was also a founding member of the Trio, and steps in to replace Alice Neary, now away on pregnancy leave.  Since 2001 Martin has lived in the US where he has had an active career as a soloist and member of several chamber ensembles.  He has recently accepted the position of Principal ’Cellist with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.  The Trio will perform works by Beethoven, Frank Martin and Dvorak.