Welcome to Aye Write!
Glasgow's Book Festival
This is the seventh Aye Write! Glasgow’s Book Festival, delivered by Glasgow Libraries. This year we’ve got the usual exciting range of Scottish and international writing. We’re looking at: football and sectarianism; money and the economy with Phillip Coggan and Alistair Darling; China; atheism, faith and religion; exploration; global revolution; the monarchy and a republic; George Mackay Brown; the dark side of the Internet; the purpose of universities; the Spanish Holocaust; middle age; the history of the trumpet.
We mark the 100th anniversary of the Titanic disaster with a special session including music you would have heard on board the ship; examine the story of film with Francine Stock; and offer special science sessions hosted by the Observer’s science editor, Robin Mckie, on extinction, the origin of our species, our place in the universe and more.
There’s also philosophy, Leningrad, what the ancient Greeks can tell us about life; the wars about schools with Melissa Benn; Owen Jones on chavs; and Marina Warner on the Arabian Nights. TV and film comedy features strongly with sessions on Les Dawson, Dad’s Army, Marty Feldman, and Aardman Animations and their new film The Pirates!.
We’re also delighted to be hosting an evening celebrating the life and work of George Wylie. We also celebrate Glasgow and the Clyde with an evening of talk, music and poems. We look back at the work of Angela Carter. And we bring together three national laureates for a special evening of poetry. We’re also running our first creative writing school with Strathclyde University.
With all this, our award-winning free children’s programme, the free community events and the Mitchell itself – it’s a treat for all. And there’s more: we also launch Scotland’s Bookshelf – the best books from Scotland over the last century – to mark the 100th anniversary of the Mitchell: the proud home of the festival.
As ever, check the website for further details, latest news, chairs of events, biographies of speakers and links to reviews, and join the debates and discussions on Facebook, Twitter, the website and at the events themselves.
Karen Cunningham, Director, Aye Write!
Head of Glasgow Libraries
Andrew Kelly, Programme Director