Boswell Book Festival draws in the crowds with another successful year
Crowds flocked to the Boswell Book Festival as the world's only festival dedicated to biography and memoir was held at the weekend.
Audiences were treated to a star-studded line up with the likes of Chloe Dalton, Helen Lederer, John Suchet and Wayne Sleep taking to the stage at Dumfries House near Cumnock.
Sold-out events featured Rupert Everett in conversation with Fiona Armstrong about his book, The American No, and Pam Ayres - one of the UK's best-selling poets - with her book Doggedly Onward.
A rare opportunity for tours of Auchinleck House, the family home of James Boswell, were also snapped up.
Dom Joly took audiences on a tour of conspiracy theories around the globe including the funny and the quirky but also attempting to understand what makes people so drawn them.
Ayrshire was at the heart of the festival - named after Auchinleck's James Boswell, the father of modern biography.
Kilwinning author Andrew O'Hagan brought the house down in a riotous keynote that celebrated the dialect and humour of Scotland.
Download the Ayrshire Live app today
The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now.
Get all the local news in your area – plus features, football news and the latest on the coronavirus crisis – at your fingertips 24/7.
The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories while you can customise your page with the sections that matter to you.
The Ayrshire Live app is available to download now on iOS and Android.
Rob Close and Gillian Hope gave an insight into the lives of soldiers from Ayrshire and Sanquhar on the front lines during World War 1 on the weekend that the 80th anniversary of VE Day was commemorated.
The history of witchcraft and the persecution of 'witches' in Scotland was highlighted by Claire Mitchell and Zoe Venditozzi alongside their book, How to Kill a Witch: A Guide for the Patriarchy.
Events for all ages were a plenty on the Saturday and Sunday with Alison Galbraith, Alan Dapré and Vivian French entertaining as part of the Boswell Children's Festival.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Daily Mirror
'I sold my face to AI for £1,500 - now I'm terrified I'm trapped in a nightmare'
Lucy was approached with the opportunity to become an AI model just like the celebrities she'd seen on her social media feed. But the easy money soon spiralled into a living nightmare When Lucy* was approached with a message on Instagram about becoming an AI model, she was immediately intrigued. The 23-year-old had noticed stars like Kendall Jenner creating their own AI avatars and fancied giving it a whirl. The AI start-up behind the offer dangled a carrot of £1,500, which to Lucy seemed like easy money and a fascinating venture – so she inked the deal without further counsel. However, Lucy didn't grasp that she had effectively relinquished her rights over her image for life in paid adverts. Now bound by a legal agreement, she's faced with the possibility of her likeness being hawked to endorse products or causes unbeknownst to her. It comes after a warning everyone using Android must restart their phones now as 'critical' warning issued. "It was just an initial DM reach out from a scout wanting to use me for an AI model," Lucy recounted to the Manchester Evening News. "The money is mostly what attracted me. I guess I also found it interesting the whole concept of being an AI model as I've seen celebrities do the same thing in the past on social media so I thought it would be fun to try it myself too." Lucy concedes she signed a complex contract that she now recognises she didn't fully comprehend – a pact that required her to provide numerous video clips to develop her AI model, reports the Manchester Evening News. For more stories like this subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Weekly Gulp, for a curated roundup of trending stories, poignant interviews, and viral lifestyle picks from The Mirror's Audience U35 team delivered straight to your inbox. "The contract in a nutshell says I can't accept money for brand endorsements," she said. "So if I ever wanted to be a user generated content creator, I can't do that – something I realised actually when we filmed the documentary." She has become the focus of a fresh documentary shot in and around Manchester examining the growing phenomenon of AI models within the user generated content sector. The 20-minute film, created by documentary maker and producer Sam Tullen, delves into the emergence of AI creators. "I remember being on an AI website and just seeing pages upon pages of faces, each capable of reading any script you fed into the site," Sam told the M.E.N. "I was interested to try it out and was mind blown. "I researched further into it and learned that a lot of the AI models on offer across various websites are actually modelled using real people. From that moment, I knew I had to bring attention to it." He explained that whilst Lucy's predicament isn't widespread, it 'could be very soon'. "I think some people are scared that AI companies will take their image from the web without permission anyway so I can see why some may be more accepting of lowball offers. "Lucy now faces the issue of her face being used to say or promote things without her knowledge." He hopes his documentary 'I sold my face to AI for £1,500' will help highlight awareness surrounding these significant technological developments, and the dangers they might present. "We wanted to release this programme online so it can reach global audiences in the hopes it would spark discussion about this issue," she stated. "With the technology advancing faster than the laws surrounding it, there does need to be more awareness, and I hope this doc contributes in some way to that conversation." *Names have been changed to protect anonymity.
Daily Record
04-08-2025
- Daily Record
Newmains man who drove to London to chase dream of being a professional wrestler is tearing it up in America
Luke Scouler, better known as Crixus, is a rising star in the USA. A Newmains man who packed in his job and drove to London to enrol in a wrestling academy run by a former WWE star could be on his way to superstardom in the United States. Luke Scouler, better known to wrestling fans as Crixus, had previously been a fitness instructor before working in residential care with young people at Inspire Scotland, a social care organisation that supports children and young people. The 33-year-old said: 'I really loved that job. But it was tough emotionally. I've always had a bit of a Batman complex - I thought I was going to save everybody. 'I was in a bad place with it. I knew it wasn't for me and I was burned out. Download the Lanarkshire Live app today The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now. Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7. The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you. Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android "I was in a bad place and I remember sitting in my house in Newmains watching TV with my dog, Odin, when wrestling came on and I just thought; 'Screw it. Let's go.' Scots have made it big in this business – why couldn't I?' That night, he drove to London accompanied by his dog Odin to enrol in a wrestling academy run by former WWE star Al Snow, who has shared a ring with the likes of legendary wrestling royalty such as the Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. 'I drove through the night with no plan and no place to stay,' Luke admitted. 'Me and the dog slept in the car for a bit. Eventually the guy who ran it asked if I was serious. I told him I'd already quit my job and left my house. That was it. We moved into the gym and didn't go back.' He first landed a place at OVW in 2019, Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW) – the cult American brand featured in the hit Netflix documentary Wrestlers – after placing first at a 300-person wrestling combine. OVW is the wrestling promotion that launched the careers of John Cena and Batista. However, just as things were taking off for Luke, the Covid pandemic hit and he ended up stuck in the UK for two years. Now based in Louisville, Kentucky, he became the first ever Scottish OVW champion and is now one of their biggest stars – something which he thinks his upbringing in Scotland prepared him well for. He said: 'We've got thicker skin. You're battle-ready by the time you leave primary school, so wrestling comes naturally to us. 'I'm a smartass cheeky b******, and the accent helps too. Over here in the States, people already think we're mental which helps. I just turned my personality up to 11. 'I wasn't pretending to be someone else – just the version of me you probably wouldn't want to sit next to in a pub. I get to act like an a*** and they still love me. They boo you, but they're cheering underneath.' The rise of Crixus comes in the wake of the success of fellow Scots such as Drew McIntyre, an OVW alumnus who became Scotland's first WWE Champion in 2020, and Edinburgh's Joe Hendry who made his WrestleMania debut this year. Portrayed by Zac Efron in the Hollywood movie The Iron Claw, former WWE Hardcore and European champion Al Snow, OVW's head trainer, said: 'With Crixus, we may have another superstar on our hands. His dedication has been incredible. "To make it in this business, you have to sacrifice and do things out of the ordinary. And that's why I think he's got what it takes.' * Don't miss the latest headlines from around Lanarkshire. Sign up to our newsletters here. And did you know Lanarkshire Live is on Facebook? Head on over and give us a like and share!
Daily Record
01-08-2025
- Daily Record
Lanarkshire eateries reach Spice awards grand final
Customers have voted for their favourite restaurants in the ceremony honouring the best pan-Asian food spots A host of Lanarkshire restaurants and takeaways are in the running at this year's Spice awards honouring Scotland's best pan-Asian food spots. Those leading the way with multiple nominations include Hamilton favourite House of Shah and Wee Gurkha Curry House in Blantyre – both of whom will be taking part in next month's live cook-off to determine the winner of the curry championship. Described as 'the hottest awards in the Scottish food calendar', the awards across a host of categories will be presented at a ceremony in Glasgow next month, following the initial round of nominations by the public and now a round of visits by expert judges to the shortlisted finalists Download the Lanarkshire Live app today The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now. Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire's recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7. The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you. Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android House of Shah and Wee Gurkha Curry House are also both finalists in the best chef category, along with Lanarkshire neighbours at the Tudor Hotel in Airdrie, Crowwood Hotel in Muirhead and Bombay Dreams in Cumbernauld. The Hamilton team at House of Shah are also shortlisted for both their pakora and kebabs, as is Asian Tandoori in Cambuslang. The other nominees in the best pakora category include The Kurry Lounge in Hamilton and Starrys Curry House in Airdrie; while those shortlisted for best kebab are Lamego's and Grillzz, both in Wishaw, and Spices Bellshill. Wee Gurkha is in the running for the title of best Nepalese restaurant, and is nominated for best team alongside Kurry Lounge, the Tudor and East Kilbride eateries Mekong and Punjab Tadka. Cumbernauld restaurant Bombay Dreams has also reached the final of the curry championships category along with the two South Lanarkshire establishments; and has also earned nominations in the category of best manager and for best family restaurant alongside Firangi in Cambuslang. The best newcomer category includes finalist places for Grillzz in Airdrie, Lamego's in Blantyre, Qabeela Shinwari in Hamilton and Tikka N Talk in Bellshill; and Firangi and the Tudor are both finalists for customer service. Nominees for best Indian takeaway include 11 Spices in Coatbridge, Cambuslang favourites Asian Tandoori and Firangi, and Real Spice in Cumbernauld; and the best Indian restaurant nominees include Firangi, the Tudor and Punjab Tadka in East Kilbride for the west title, and Tikka N Talk in the central area. Salt Hamilton and Oiishi East Kilbride are in the running for the title of best Japanese restaurant; I-Chai Express in Airdrie and Padi in East Kilbride are finalists for the Chinese takeaway title; and the best peri peri category has nominations for Figo's in Coatbridge, Grillzz in Airdrie and Wishaw, and the Blantyre branch of Lamego's – which is also nominated for social media. Awards director Warren Paul said: 'We are incredibly proud of the passion the Spice awards inspire across the whole of Scotland – the number of entries and votes this year was way beyond expectations. 'Thank you to everyone who has nominated or voted and good luck to all our finalists; this is already a big achievement as the volume of entries was staggering. The voting element has now concluded and our expert judging panel will get to work.' He added of the awards, now in their seventh year: 'They're growing every year and different ideas, cultures and talents are being recognised from across the Asian continent as we celebrate the massive impact on Scotland. 'This truly is a celebration of some of the best food on the planet – we are very lucky to have such a rich and diverse culture in Scotland's hospitality scene.'
