A dozen sold-out events, the highest ticket demand since its inception and the launch of a new “summer read” will greet the opening of Glasgow’s literary festival today.
The Aye Write! Glasgow’s Book Festival, which runs until next Saturday, has experienced the highest interest since it began and has sold out of tickets for a stream of events, including tonight’s appearances of William Boyd, Alain de
Botton, and Albie Sachs.
Other sold-out events include sessions with Germaine Greer, Louise Welsh, Robert Douglas, Jasper Fforde, Brian Keenan, Robert Service, Aardman Animations, Adrian Mitchell and Tariq Ramadan.
The festival, which is in its fifth year and has the Herald and Times Group as its media partner, features Scottish writing talent alongside national and international authors for a celebration of books at the Mitchell Library in the city.
In addition to author sessions it features family events, community projects, debates and another extensive schools programme.
Demand for tickets is the highest it has been since the festival was inaugurated, but tickets are still available for events such as the appearances of Sir Ian Blair, the former Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Joss Ackland, the Glasgow Cookery Book, Janet Paisley and Manda Scott.
This Sunday will also see the launch of the Tesco Bank Summer Read. Readers across the country will help choose this year’s book via an online vote, from a shortlist of 20 titles.
The winning author will be announced in August and the shortlist will be promoted by reading events across Scotland’s libraries in the summer months.
The 20 books are: Andy Goram’s The Goalie; After the Fire by Karen Campbell; Kick-Ass by Mark Millar/John Romita Jr; Ordinary Thunderstorms by Willam Boyd and Rain by Don Paterson.
All the Colours of the Town by Liam McIlvanney; Pandaemonium by Christopher Brookmyre; Surviving by Allan Massie; The Complaints by Ian Rankin and The Tin Kin by Eleanor Thom.
New and Collected Poems for Children by Carol Ann Duffy; What Becomes by AL Kennedy; Tabby McTat by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler; Grass by Cathy McPhail and Corduroy Mansions by Alexander McCall Smith.
The Complete Novellas by Agnes Owens; Cocoa and Crabs Coco is Crubagan; A Hebridean Childhood by Flora MacDonald; My S*** Life so Far by Frankie Boyle; Katie’s Year by James Robertson and Karen Sutherland; and Transition by Iain Banks.
