CROSSWAYS 2019, the Irish Scottish cultural and literary Festival takes place in Glasgow, for the second time, from 7 to 11 May.

The event, organised by the Irish literary periodical Irish Pages, aims to "provide a unique forum for dialogue across the North Channel."

Each year Crossways focuses a portion of its programme on an ethical issue, last year’s being Brexit and its implications for people living on both sides of the Irish Sea.

The festival’s 2019 topic is “Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery”.

It will open with a reception at Glasgow’s City Halls on 7 May, an opening reception followed by a traditional musical performance from Joy Dunlop, Frances Morton and Doimnic MacGiolla Bhríde, and conclude with a reading by award-winning writer Paul McVeigh, followed by a discussion with Irish Pages editor Chris Agee.

The festival will include a keynote speech by the Scottish novelist Louise Welsh, entitled “It Wis Us: Artists, Activists, Independent Historians, & the Exposure of Scotland’s Slavery Past”.

The festival concludes with a literary lunchtime reading by Christie Williamson and Philip Cummings, from Scotland and Ireland, followed by the launch of “The Belfast Agreement: Twentieth Anniversary Issue” – the new issue of Irish Pages – at which Chris Agee, Ruth Carr and Stephen Dornan will read from their contributionsm, and a musical event at City Halls with Brian Ó hEadhra and Fiona MacKenzie, followed by an Irish-Scottish poetry reading from Bernard O’Donoghue and Andrew Philip.

This year Crossways is sponsored by The Open University in Ireland and Scotland.

www.irishpages.org

DAME Seona Reid has been appointed the new Chair of British Council Scotland’s advisory committee, succeeding Willy Roe.

Ms Reid will act as an ambassador for the British Council in Scotland.

Ms Reid is currently chair of the National Theatre of Scotland, a board member of the Edinburgh International Cultural Summit, a board member of Tate Gallery and chair of Tate Britain Advisory Council.

Until recently she was Chair of Cove Park, an artist residency centre in Argyll, deputy Chair of The National Lottery Heritage Fund and chair of the Scotland Committee and Scotland’s Commissioner on the UK–US Fulbright Commission.

She was director of the Glasgow School of Art between 1999 and 2013 and director of the Scottish Arts Council between 1990 and 1999.

Ms Reid said: "It will be a great pleasure and privilege to be part of the British Council, helping to shape and promote its crucial international work across education, culture and civil society in Scotland. I look forward particularly to serving alongside such a distinguished group of committee members and Council staff."

www.scotland.britishcouncil.org/

THE children and education programme director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival is leaving her role after eight years.

Janet Smyth is to leave her role as Children and Education Programme Director at the beginning of July.

In 2018, more than 13,000 school pupils and 21,000 children and families visited the Book Festival in August and children’s book titles have featured heavily in the top 10 bestselling books in the Book Festival’s independent bookshops.

She said: "I have had an incredible 8 years at the Book Festival – no year has ever been the same!

"I am immensely proud to have had the opportunity to share so many writers, illustrators, performers and artists with our incredibly engaged and passionate audiences; to share a love of books and celebrate the importance of culture in our lives. I leave with a heavy heart and many friendships but look forward to the next creative opportunity.”

The director of the Book Festival, Nick Barley said: “It has been an incredible experience working with Janet since she joined us in 2011: her enthusiasm and passion for bringing books and ideas to new audiences is nothing short of inspirational. She has constantly challenged everyone at the Book Festival to be more creative and imaginative in our approaches."

www.edbookfest.co.uk