Dalbeattie Book Festival

Dalbeattie's first ever book festival celebrating writers from Dalbeattie and beyond. Genres include crime, natural History, science fiction, poetry and LGBT literature. Free family storytelling at Dalbeattie Library(another first).

The library have ordered books in so that families can borrow rather than buy.Authors include Shalla Gray from Curly Tail Books, Jayne Baldwin from Froggie Toddle Books Wigtown, and Sara Shackleton reading from her book "Into The Wild", followed by a Margeret Morrison Movement dance. A dressing up rail will also be located in the library.

Explore the Granite town and stretch your legs following the Golden Hedgehog trails in Dalbeattie wood, composing poems using poetry pebbles along the way.Pre-readrers can make their own very first book using stamps, telling their own story without the written word. Southlight magazine , one of region's longest publications will be letting the editors speak at Birchvale Theatre , along with poetry performance with "Hexameter". Free writing workshops or pay what you can aimed at all ages and writing levels.

The Nail Factory will host "Word" exhibition focusing on poets such as the late Mary Smith, David Mark Williams,Liz Lofthouse Stuart Paterson, Derek Ross, John Burns and gaelic contributions from Angus McMillian.Writing groups from Stewartry writers to "Writeyard" from Annan will be sharing their current projects. Saturday 15th wil host fun outdoor science experiments with Christine Johnston, from Love Science Dumfries.

Most of the busineses along Dalbeattie high street have agreed to during the week to put on book themed displays themed displays. The festival opens with Adam Blake, bottlenose blues and finishes with Mary Barclay and Doug Carrol at the Birchvale Theatre.

The aims of the festival are to promote a love of reading and playing with words, making a book festival accessible to who would not ordinarly consider enaging with a literary event, but encourage visitors to explore Dalbeattie with it's woods, history, cycling with Rocks and Wheels and close proximity to local unspoilt coastlines.