THE former National Poet for Scotland is among the attractions at this year’s CoastWord festival.

The countdown is under way to the event, which takes place at the end of next month, with Liz Lochhead joined by fellow writers including Claire Askew, Rachel McCrum, Janice Galloway and Michael Pedersen.

CoastWord is now in its third year, with 2016 proving the Dunbar festival’s most ambitious yet with a bevy of writers coming to the town as part of the celebrations.

Hannah Lavery, festival director, was counting down to the event, which runs from May 27 to 29.

She said: “CoastWord’s committee of volunteers has worked especially hard to make this year our most ambitious festival yet.

“There’s a wealth of talent to enjoy, with household names and cutting-edge talent coming to Dunbar to help us celebrate what will be a glorious weekend of words and music.

“We’re also giving more focus to East Lothian than ever before with our Spotlight on Dunbar events.

“We’re delighted to bring such a cavalcade of writers and performers to Dunbar and to show off the wealth of talent we have in our town.”

This year’s highlights include Ann Cleeves discussing her Vera and Shetland novels (now televised to great acclaim); a workshop and talk from Saltire Award winner Janice Galloway, who will be reading from her recent short story collection Jellyfish; and ex-Makar Liz Lochhead, recipient of the Queen’s Gold Medal for Poetry, headlining the festival’s ever-popular Words to the Beat event.

CoastWord’s Coorie-in, another perennial favourite, is this year headlined by Edinburgh songstress Kim Edgar and includes local favourites Davie Robertson, Firefly Fortyfive, the Dunbar Sings community choir and Dunbar’s Writing Mums.

Local talent is also well represented through this year’s special Spotlight On Dunbar events.

Dunbar-based poet and Calder Wood Press publisher Colin Will is joined by authors to read favourite works from their publications in Calder Wood Press Retrospective.

Respected John Muir authority Will Collin introduces John Muir’s The Story of My Boyhood and Youth while Dunbar folk pair Richard Klein and Karen Dietz present their Tales of Love, Death and Fishing.

Dunbar historian Roy Pugh is featured in discussion with Colin Will in Dunbar Up Close, a history peppered with stories and poetry.

For more information, go to coastword.co.uk