Three poets. One alchemist.
A melding together of poetry from three local wordsmiths and spirits infused with the tastes of nature.
Enjoy an hour of good taste, in poetry and in spirit.
Over 18s only
Chris Campbell
Chris has been infusing fruit in alcohol for 20 years. It all began with a Strawberry brandy as he needed to do something with his excess strawberries other than make jam. Chris grows organic fruit e.g damsons, strawberries, apples, pears, raspberries and many more. He also forages seasonally for brambles, sloes and wild cherries and processes apples for a 10 week period every autumn (it’s a bit like an army punishment!!). All the fruit is infused in gin, vodka, brandy and whisky to make delicious tasting drinks and liqueurs which you will have the pleasure of tasting.
Christine Sparks
Christine Sparks is a multi disciplinary artist living in Girvan, South Ayrshire.
Her poetry vibrates with tenderness and moments of stark clarity, creating space for grief and awakening; holding the tension between what has been passed down, and what can be consciously reimagined. At its heart, her words speak to a common journey toward wholeness—where even in the darkest places, the possibility of hope begins to take shape.
Gillian Spiller
Gillian Spiller is a children’s picture book author from Scotland. She spent 20 years living in South East Asia and the Middle East, teaching and writing. She has three books available from Marshall Cavendish – The Blue Sock (2019), On the Shelf (2021) and A Shell for Cleo (2022). She is also a poet (Gillian Craig), with poems in a range of anthologies, magazines and journals. Her children’s poetry can be found on the British Council’s Learn English Kids website, and she is a regular contributor to The Dirigible Balloon poetry website for children.
Kay Cunningham
Kay’s love of writing poetry stemmed from two lovely female teachers at school. “Poetry is my expression of putting feelings onto paper,” she says. “Over the years I have written about, or for, occasions and recited mainly to friends and family; at birthdays, parties, weddings and funerals, and any other chance I get! My poems are mostly rhythmic and flowing with the odd story telling in the mix. In my opinion the best artistes, poets, actors, singers are the ones with themselves enthused in their performance. I am delighted to be given this opportunity to read some of my poems at The 2026 Girvan Arts Festival”