Aye Write! Book festival brings the best to Glasgow

Celebrating the best in national, international and local writing, Aye Write! annually brings national and local speakers to Glasgow's iconic Mitchell Library, one of Europe's largest public libraries, allowing audiences to enjoy appearances from big name writers and emerging talent alike. 

From 14 - 31 March, there will be a range of talks, literary walks, readings and debates to inform and entertain all ages and interests.

Top name authors touching down in the city this year include; best-selling US novelist Lionel Shriver; award-winning war correspondent Ed Vulliamy; Captain Correlli author Louis de Bernier; and best-selling Edinburgh writer Alexander McCall Smith.

There’s more homegrown talent on show, as the cream of the Scottish Noir scene come together to debate crime fiction in all its gory glory; changing room tales of on and off-pitch challenges from former Scottish rugby international and Motor Neurone Disease campaigner Doddie Weir; and a night of gallus Glasgow humour as comedian and memoirist Janey Godley gives up some of her writing secrets.

Politics and pop will also take centre stage, as cultural critic and football pundit Stuart Cosgrove goes head to head with Glasgow journalist and Beatles aficionado Ken McNab, as they discuss the ‘Death of the 60s’.

And I’m afraid there’s no escaping Brexit, with a range of writers, political journalists, and pollsters each taking a hard look at the debate, Scotland’s historical links with Europe, and where we might be next year.

There will also be a series of ‘in conversation with’ events, where authors and other well-known faces reflect on the books that made and shaped them.

For would-be authors, there are also expert led creative writing workshops, where they can sharpen their wit, their pen, and their prose style.

One of the keynote events, the Tannahill Lecture, will be given by historian Sir Tom Devine, Professor Emeritus of the University of Edinburgh, who will talk about his new book, The Scottish Clearances: A History of the Dispossessed 1600–1900.

Little readers aren’t forgotten either, with the ‘Wee Write!’ strand featuring a wonderful mix of authors, illustrators and storytellers, offering something for every age and stage. Top children’s authors attending include Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Ross Collins, Meg McLaren, Coo Clayton and Alison Moya. The Wee Write programme will also be inviting local school children – the readers of tomorrow – to attend a range of fun, book-themed events.

For many children, Wee Write! is their first experience of meeting an author, bringing to life the magical world of books through an unforgettable introduction to reading and literacy.

You can find out more about the Aye Write! Glasgow Book Festival, and book event tickets here.