Aye Write to make Glasgow comeback in festive season run-up

Glasgow Times

09-05-2025

The 20th anniversary edition of Aye Write will be held in November, six months later than normal, after a delay over a vital funding decision.
The festival will be the first full-scale version to go ahead for two and a half years when it finally returns.
However, it is expected to be several months before its line-up is confirmed as a programmer still has to be appointed to lead the organisation of the event, which was controversially shelved last year.
Glasgow Life, the council-funded trust which runs many of the city's flagship events and festivals, has pledged that this year's Aye Write will have 'the vibrant, high-quality programme our audiences expect".
Last year's festival was called off less than two months before it was due to be staged after Creative Scotland turned down a bid for Scottish Government funding.
A small number of 'pop-up events' featuring high-profile writers instead went ahead under the Aye Write banner between April and August.
Glasgow's Aye Write book festival will be returning in November. Picture: Newsquest
Aye Write has not had any dedicated funding from the city council or Glasgow Life in recent years. It was also excluded from the official programme to mark Glasgow's '850th anniversary' in 2025.
The festival had been expected to make a comeback in its usual slot in the calendar in May after Aye Write was allocated £87,500 in annual funding for the next three years by Creative Scotland in January.
However, our sister title The Herald revealed last month that its comeback had been put off indefinitely after Creative Scotland was forced to delay hundreds of long-term funding decisions due to uncertainty over its future government budgets.
The Mitchell has previously hosted Aye Write events Picture: Newsquest
At the time, Glasgow Life said the shorter timeframe had not left enough time to organise a 'high-quality' Aye Write and that it was looking for 'the best time of year' to hold Aye Write to avoid clashing with other major events in Glasgow.
Aye Write has been largely based in the Mitchell Library and Royal Concert Hall, which are both run by Glasgow Life. Other events have been staged at the Old Fruitmarket, the Drygate Brewery, the Tramway, the Centre for Contemporary Arts, the Glasgow Film Theatre, the City Halls and Glasgow University.
Leading Scottish authors who have appeared over in recent years have included Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, Chris Brookmyre, Jackie Kay, Liz Lochhead, Alexander McCall Smith, Darren McGarvey, Sally Magnusson, Louise Welsh and Sara Sheridan.
Val McDermid is among the writers to appear at previous editions of the Aye Write book festival in Glasgow (Image: PA)
Other special guests have included singer-songwriter Karine Polwart, musician Stuart Braithwaite, cyclist Graeme Obree, comics Frankie Boyle and Ruby Wax, and broadcasters Robert Peston, Andrew Marr and Archie Macpherson.
Bob McDevitt, one of Scotland's best-known book festival programmers, had led the organisation of recent editions of Aye Write. However it is not known if he will be involved in the return of the event in November.
A spokesperson for Glasgow Life said the exact details of this year's festival were expected to be confirmed by the end of this month.
She added: 'Planning is still progressing so as yet we cannot provide details on the format. However, we are committed to delivering the vibrant, high-quality programme our audiences expect.
'As with all multi-year funding recipients, we are working with Creative Scotland to agree revised plans following their funding announcement.
'As is the case with each Aye Write festival, programming is being led by Glasgow Life's libraries team with the support of a dedicated festival programmer.
'The contract for our previous festival programmer has concluded and we will be advertising a new contract, which will extend across our 2025 and 2026 festivals, in the coming weeks.'
Billy Garrett, director of culture, tourism and events at Glasgow Life, said: 'We're delighted to confirm that Aye Write will return in November 2025.
'The festival is a popular highlight in the city's cultural calendar and Scotland's literary scene and holds a special place in the hearts of the people of Glasgow and beyond.
'We know its return will be warmly welcomed by authors and attendees alike, and we are working hard to finalise our plans.
'We look forward to sharing more information and announcing the dates for this year's festival in the coming weeks.'