Encounters with Scottish wildlife, tips for foraging and cooking with natural ingredients and conservation efforts in local rivers are among the topics that feature in the diverse range of indoor and outdoor events.
Organised by Stirling Council’s Libraries Service, the 18th edition of the Off the Page Festival gets underway on Thursday 8 May and will run until Thursday 15 May, offering plenty for bookworms in the area.
The festival will also feature a lively evening of spoken word performances and conversations with Stirling Makar, Kevin P Gilday, alongside guests; Alan Bissett, Hannah Lavery and Jane Borges.
'A lot to enjoy'
Community Wellbeing and Housing Convener, Cllr David Wilson said: “Off the Page is continues to be a key fixture in Stirling’s cultural calendar, attracting locals and visitors every year due to its exciting events programme. From cooking up a storm in a library to conversations with top authors Book lovers of all ages will once again find a lot to enjoy this year’s line-up,
“The efforts of our hardworking libraries team make the Off the Page festival the success that it has been for the best part of two decades. Make sure to reserve your tickets early to avoid any disappointment.”
The Off the Page programme for 2025 includes:
- Children’s book illustrator, Kate McLelland leading an art workshop for 6-9 year olds at St Ninians Library
- A meet the author session with Jim Crumley, a regular columnist for Scots Magazine on his career as a nature writer. He has written over 40 books on the wildlife and landscapes of Scotland, many of them making the case for re-introduction, rewilding and conservation
- A river walk with author and conservationist Tom Bowser who will also talk about the wildlife in our local rivers at Cornton Library (this event is for children aged 8-11). Tom is a nature writer, journalist and wildlife guide. From his family farm near Dunblane he runs the award-winning Argaty Red Kite project.
- MasterChef: The Professionals finalist Theo Chana providing a live demonstration at Stirling Central Library on how to forage and cook using natural ingredients to support sustainable, healthy living.
Places at all events must be booked in advance, the full programme and details on how to reserve a place are available on the Stirling Council website.