LITERARY events featuring tributes to Nelson Mandela, the late Iain Banks and the comedian Frankie Boyle will be among the most sought after tickets this morning when tickets for the Aye Write!

book festival go on sale today.

In the 2014 programme, avail­able exclusively in The Herald today, there are appearances by a host of writers, journalists, historians and commentators, including William McIlvanney, James Robertson, Liz Lochhead, Kirsty Wark, Tom Leonard, Iain Macwhirter, AL Kennedy, Margaret Drabble and Val McDermid.

The sometimes controversial comedian Frankie Boyle will talk about the works that influenced him most in a strand of events called The Books Who Made Me.

The festival, based at the Mitchell Library in Glasgow, also features a celebration of the life of Nelson Mandela and an appearance by Vicky Pryce, who was sentenced to eight months in prison with her former husband, MP Chris Huhne, for perverting the course of justice.

The festival, for which The Herald & Times is media partner, runs from April 4 to 12 and the Remembering Iain Banks event will be on the first day.

It will feature readings from friends, including the writers Ken MacLeod and Ron Butlin.

The programme also features three Man Booker winners, and international writing with representatives from South Africa, Pakistan, Malaysia and New Zealand.

The broad theme this year is a celebration of the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games and there will be a special event, Reporting The Games, to discuss the sporting occasion.

l Tickets can be bought from the www.ayewrite.com or by calling 0141 353 8000.