Festival Blog

Hello, sorry I haven't been in touch, but you can understand just how frantic things have been - the storms down South really threw a spanner in the works but fortunately we didn't have to cancel many events.

 

Tony Parsons was a real trooper and, when his early morning flight was cancelled because of bad weather at Heathrow, he got into his car and drove all the way up - arriving just a few minutes late and running on stage still with his coat on!  Another star that evening was Andy Woolley, a colleague from Scottish Enterprise Glasgow, who stepped in with 5 minutes to go to take on the role of chair and did a wonderful job of interviewing Tony until the original chair turned up 25 minutes late.

 

However the real star of Monday night was Miss Kathleen Turner, star of stage and screen who completely wowed a packed theatre and had us all completely entranced. We laughed with her as she told irreverent stories of filmmaking and cried with her as she described her battle with RA and alcohol.  She totally lit up the stage when she smiled and we all left with a warm glow that we had been in the presence of a real old-fashioned Hollywood icon - what a voice and what a woman!

Thanks to those of you who have responded to my blog – great to know you are enjoying it as much as I am.

Ticket sales have just gone through the roof and most events are packed out which really adds to the buzz.

We had some technical problems with the sound on Saturday (now sorted out, thankfully) – I think our sound engineers were thrown by the two lovely women who accompanied Louis de Bernières on Friday night using the giant Aye Write! book props as impromptu changing cubicles! 

The Archie Hind event was very moving and his wife and lots of his family came along. We have decided we are going to form an Archie Hind Archive at the Mitchell and will try to trace any manuscripts, letters, play scripts etc. that may still be in existence – his family have very little and don’t know what has happened to it – if you know of anything please get in touch.

To everyone’s surprise and delight, Edwin Morgan himself came along to Sunday night’s tribute From Saturn to Glasgow and had a wonderful time – he was really moved by the warm reception from the audience.

Had another hour of self indulgence when I chaired the event of three of Glasgow’s leading writers - Janice Galloway, Louise Welsh and Ann Donovan - all reading from works in progress, novels due to be published this year – can’t wait!

Today’s storm in England has thrown travel arrangements for some of our authors, a real blow that Nick Davies has not been able to make it and some cannot get home, organising an event like this can be a real hassle at times.

Tonight its glad rags and a warm Glasgow welcome for the glamorous Kathleen Turner – what a star!

From Karen Cunningham, Director of Aye Write!

First day over and a fantastic success - I don’t think I have ever seen the Mitchell so busy - it is what a library should be like! 

All of yesterday’s events went extremely well including the final of the Scottish Poetry Slam Championship 2008 in association with St Mungo’s Mirrorball.  A first in Scotland - it delivered exactly what it said on the tin - edgy, passionate and blue!  Audience participation raised the roof of the Main Hall cheering on their favourites.  Winners carried off GIANT Aye Write! Bank of Scotland mock cheques and promptly spent them in the local pubs.

 

The Aye Write! School Poetry Slam took place earlier in the day and it was the first time I have experienced a poetry event where 300 teenagers are stamping their feet, waving banners and chanting for ‘more’.  One young person, when asked if they had enjoyed it replied ‘it was cool, cool.  I wish we could come here every week’.  An elderly gent, who happened to be caught up in the crowds exiting the theatre, having asked what the event was, couldn’t believe that a poetry event could stimulate such excitement in young people.  Lourdes Secondary School was the overall winner and jubilantly carried off their trophy.

 

Johnny Walker was an extremely cool guy, as expected he had the audience eating out of his hand and charmed everyone who met him.  He was very impressed with the Mitchell and hadn’t expected such a grand building.

 

My first event to chair was Liberties, Crime and Punishment with Dame Helena Kennedy, Clive Stafford Smith and A.C. Grayling discussing civil liberties.  A really interesting event and I was so proud of the Glasgow audience who asked such searching and well-informed questions.  Dinner with the authors later was great fun, everyone on a high feeling we had had a really successful first day; the authors feeling they had had a great reception and all really impressed by the Mitchell and how amazed that we had a public library as fabulous as this.

 

Helena was joined over dinner by her good friend, Elaine C Smith, so you can imagine how entertaining the “debate” was.  We spent a lot of time teaching Clive and Anthony “Glaswegian” phrases and Clive has gone back to America with new respect for Glasgow women now he understands what a “Glasgow kiss” is.

 

Looking forward particularly to the tribute to Archie Hind tonight and, of course, Louis De Bernieres Band.

 

Welcome to the opening day of Aye Write! 2008 - Glasgow's literary festival. This year promises to be better than ever.

My blog will keep you up-to-date with what's going on behind the scenes, let you know any gossip that develops and highlight what I think will be the hot tickets.

 

Everyone here has been pulling out all the stops, the Mitchell Library looks great dressed in the AyeWrite! livery and is already really buzzing. The first event is the final of the Glasgow school's poetry slam with 270 S1 and S2 pupils - and a rap band - transforming my quiet library(?) into a riot of noise and mayhem!

 

Tickets are selling really well and already 18 events have sold out in what promises to be a great festival.

 

Kicking off tonight we have the man often described as the 'John Peel' of the 60's', Radio DJ Johnnie Walker talking about the 60's and the bands he helped onto the road of fame. Get your flares out and come along.

 

Politics and current affairs are also in the spotlight this weekend with Norwegian journalist and writer Asne Seierstad, author of The Bookseller of Kabul, reporting on another conflict zone in her new book The Angel of Grozny: inside Chechnya.

 

I am really excited about tonight's session, Liberties, Crime and Punishment with Dame Helena Kennedy , Clive Stafford Smith and A.C. Grayling discussing civil liberties. Helena and I were both judges together in the Orange prize for Fiction, the year Andrea Levy won with Small Island and I have incredible respect for her opinions and commitment. She has spent her professional life giving voice to those who have least power within the system, but being Glaswegian, she also has a fabulous wit and great sense of humour. I am really looking forward to chairing this session - and a really hot topic!

 

Musician and Novelist Doug Johnstone and would-be musician Toby Litt will be in discussion with  Idlewild's Roddy Woomble about music and being in a band on Saturday afternoon.

 

Sunday features a celebration of the works of Edwin Morgan. Thousands of people across Glasgow have been reading a special collection of Edwin's works as part of the Citywide Read which culminates with this special evening of poetry, discussions and music.  Confirmed so far are Iain M. Banks, Richard Holloway, David Kinloch, Liz Lochhead, Jim McGonigal, Willy Maley, Robyn Marsack, Donny O'Rourke, James Robertson, Hamish Whyte, Roddy Woomble.and more.

 

I'm thrilled that once again, this year's programme offers something for everyone - hope to see you here!