The organisers of Glasgow's annual book festival Aye Write! have paid a heartfelt tribute to Scottish writer Iain Banks, who had been due to appear at this year's event.
Banks, who last week announced he has only months to live, was scheduled to talk at the festival, which starts today, about The Hydrogen Sonata, the latest science fiction novel in his Culture series.
Karen Cunningham, director of Aye Write!, which is based at the city's Mitchell Library and is now in its eighth year, said: "Iain has been a true friend of Aye Write! and we were all looking forward to having him at The Mitchell Library for this year's event.
"Everyone who attends Aye Write! and works on the festival are among all those who share the sense of sadness and dismay at the announcement of his illness and the prospect of losing such a giant of Scottish literature."
Banks, 59, is suffering from cancer of the gall bladder, liver, pancreas and some lymph nodes.
He has cancelled public appointments and recently married his partner, Adele Hartley.
Last week she signed herself as "chief widow-in-waiting", when responding online to the outpouring of grief and support.
The new Mrs Banks said her husband "roared with laughter" at some messages left on his internet guestbook but was deeply moved by some of the notes from the public since news of his condition broke.
She wrote: "Thank you for showing my gorgeous, wonderful husband how much he is loved and appreciated beyond his own front door."
She added that Banks is reading "every single comment" written on the online guestbook established after his statement about his health last week.
His last book, he thinks, will be The Quarry, to be published on June 20 by Little Brown.
This year's Aye Write! programme, for which The Herald is media partner, has already sold out some events, with tickets scarce for several more.
Tonight's appearance of Sandi Toksvig has sold out, and there are only limited tickets for Will Gompertz, Tracey Thorn and Antonio Carluccio.
Over this coming weekend, Martin Palmer's Sacred Walks have sold out on Saturday and Sunday but there is still a chance to see the author of Sacred Land during his event on Saturday evening. The tribute to I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue has sold out, and the audience with artist David Shrigley is close to selling out.
Due to popular demand, Gavin Esler's talk has been moved to a bigger theatre venue, and there are limited tickets for Jeremy Vine and Alistair Moffat.
Tickets are selling fast for the Sunday Herald's Scottish Independence Debate on April 18, as well as appearances next week by David Hewson, Ken McCluskey and Ann Lorne Gillies.
The April 20 appearance by ballet dancer Darcey Bussell has sold out.
There are still tickets left for the appearances at the festival of Denise Mina, Mark Millar, Howard Marks, James Naughtie and AL Kennedy, as well as the discussion of Leveson Six Months On, with Brian Cathcart, Ruth Wishart and Chris Jeffries.
Other events include an examination of a life in theatre by leading Scottish playwright David Greig, an event with Ian Pattison, creator of Rab C Nesbitt, and Neil Forsyth on his comic creation Bob Servant.
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