Changes to the line-up have been announced for this weekend’s Cove and Kilcreggan Book Festival due to two absences.

Author Kerry Hudson will be unable to join the festival taking place in the Cove Burgh Hall on Saturday, November 25 and Sunday, November 26.

Rebecca Smith will now be visiting to talk about her new book, Rural, at an event that will still be chaired by director of the Open University in Scotland, Susan Stewart.

Regular chair and BBC Radio Scotland presenter Janice Forsyth will also be unable to attend.

A festival representative said: “Although she now lives in Falkirk, Rebecca was originally raised on an estate in Cumbria where her father was the landowner’s forester.

“Like so many rural homes the house was tied – so, if made redundant, you lost your home as well.

“She examines a lot of rural workforces including miners, mill workers, farm hands, labourers, weavers, slate workers, and hospitality/tourism.

“She also looks at the impact of second home owning on the Scottish rural economy.

“Unfortunately, one of our regular chairs, the BBC’s Janice Forsyth, has also been instructed to do no more work of any kind until she has a chance to recharge her batteries. She is most apologetic.”

Janice was due to chair Darren McGarvey and Hannah Lavery’s events on Saturday.

Darren’s event will now be hosted by James McAneny, who he worked with at the Aye Write Festival, and Hannah’s event will be chaired by Chris Dolan of the Ullapool Book Festival.