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Great writers
making waves
S ince starting out as a writer nearly 25 years ago, I think I
have attended most book festivals in the known world, and
no two are the same. I knew Hay-on-Wye before wi-fi, I
knew Edinburgh when the audience was four coos and a
Town Clerk, and I can tell you there’s nothing better than
direct contact between an author and a reader. For the
author, it’s a chance to look your audience right in the eye,
and for the book-buyer, it can be a joyous and unforgettable chance to meet a
person who has altered your life, changed your thinking, entertained you or
scared the hell out of you. In Australia and Greenock, in China and Wigtown, I’ve
known the sheer magic of book festivals, and now every great part of Britain
has one. And since there is no part of Britain greater than North Ayrshire, it’s a
treat every year to see the Tidelines Book Festival put on a grand show. In 2019,
it has the strongest line-up yet.
This is a cultural festival with a local flavour — a feast for the heart and the
mind. As Patron, it makes me proud to see the area I grew up in celebrate
great writing in such style. Join in, book your seats, and I look forward to seeing
you at our own, homegrown bookfest.
Andrew O’Hagan,
Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature
Patron of Tidelines Book Festival
Pop up festival bookshop in the HAC all week-end,
courtesy of Timberbooks, West Kilbride
Tidelines is a registered charity SCO45075