About Aye Write! Bank of Scotland Book Festival
Aye Write! started in 2005. Originally intended as a biennial event, it went annual in 2007 thanks to the continuing investment of Glasgow City Council, title sponsorship from Bank of Scotland, support from the Scottish Arts Council, Waterstone's and the University of Glasgow, and a media partnership with the Herald.
The festival builds on the great tradition of writing in Glasgow and Scotland, which continues today with the work of, among others, the Creative Writing School at the University of Glasgow. The festival brings together the best Glasgow, Scottish, British and international writing. It is dedicated to celebrating writing and publishing, promoting reading, and encouraging debate.
Aye Write! is committed to helping develop the next generation of readers and writers. It runs a free children's festival during the week of Aye Write! with over 70 events.
The festival takes place in the magnificent Mitchell Library - Europe's premier research library - and the city's cultural hub. The festival is only in its third year, but is already well established: over 200 authors attend annually, with over 25,000 people participating in the 2007 festival.
Aye Write's influence extends throughout Glasgow and the UK with the citywide read. In 2007 it joined with Bristol and South West England, Liverpool and Hull in the Small Island Read. In 2007 we are celebrating the work of Edwin Morgan, our Poet Laureate, with the free distribution of over 15,000 books.
The steering group members are:
Bailie Liz Cameron, Glasgow City Council
Karen Cunningham, Culture and Sport Glasgow
Rosemary Goring, The Herald
Janette Harkess, The Herald
Gillian Mackay, Material
Bob McDevitt, Hodder Headline
Michael Schmidt, Glasgow University
Karen Cunningham is the Festival Director