DETAILS have been unveiled of five events taking place in Cove next month as part of this year's Book Week Scotland celebrations.

The events, all part of the Cove and Kilcreggan Book Festival, will be held in Cove Burgh Hall on the weekend of Saturday, November 26 and Sunday, November 27, and are the only Book Week Scotland events being held anywhere in Argyll and Bute this year.

On the Saturday at 2pm there's 'What Nobody Knew About Rab C. Nesbitt', a fascinating talk with Melanie Reid, the journalist who co-wrote the biography of much-loved Scots actor Gregor Fisher.

Then, at 3.30pm, crime writer Chris Brookmyre, winner of the McIlvanney Award at this year's 'Bloody Scotland' festival, will talk about his latest darkly comic novel, Black Widow.

The final Saturday event, at 7.30pm, sees the former Scots Makar, Liz Lochhead, read and talk about her latest poetry collection in what promises to be an unforgettable evening with a national treasure.

And there are two more book festival events on Sunday, November 27: at 2pm the award-winning writer and journalist Alistair Moffat unveils Scotland's history, from the earliest times until the present day, and at 3.30pm, author, TV presenter and 'Munro-bagger', Muriel Gray will close the weekend's celebrations with a family-friendly and wonderfully entertaining talk.

Other events on this year's Cove festival programme include a special event for children with Mairi Hedderwick (creator of Katie Morag), at 10.30am on the Saturday, and a talk by Jan Patience and Louise Wyllie on the work, life and legacy of the renowned Inverclyde sculptor George Wyllie.

Marc Lambert, chief executive of the Scottish Book Trust, which organises Book Week Scotland, said: “It’s a fantastically positive endorsement of Scotland’s thriving literary scene that Book Week Scotland is now entering its fifth year, bigger, better and bolder than ever before.

“Authors, booksellers, libraries, readers and partners too numerous to mention have really taken this national festival to heart and made it what it is – a joyful, democratic and inclusive celebration of reading’s unique capacity for empowerment, enrichment, education, solace, pleasure and growth.

“The 2016 programme is our best yet, with world-class authors and more programmed events than ever before.”

Fiona Hyslop, Scotland's cabinet secretary for culture, tourism and external affairs, added: “Book Week Scotland has gone from strength to strength since it was established in 2012, gaining the support of some of Scotland’s leading authors, including Christopher Brookmyre and Liz Lochhead.

“The importance of reading for pleasure cannot be underestimated. It can be a force for good in so many ways, helping people realise their potential.”

Elsewhere, Book Week Scotland events for this year include appearances by such literary heavyweights as Will Self, Jodi Picoult, Alexander McCall Smith, Alan Cumming and Tony Robinson.

In tandem with the main Book Week Scotland events, an outreach programme wiill work with grassroots organisations such as Dyslexia Scotland, the Scottish Prison Service and Fare Scotland during the course of the festival, which runs this year from November 21 to 27.

For more information on this year's Cove and Kilcreggan Book Festival, see www.coveburghhall.uk and search for 'Book Festival 2016'.

* An incorrect version of this article, which mistakenly stated that Gregor Fisher would be appearing at the event, was published in the October 27 issue of the Helensburgh Advertiser.