Lanarkshire author leads new book events at Bothwell hub
A host of authors will be opening up and sharing their stories at a new monthly event launching a new chapter for Bothwell's community hub.
Local novelist Elissa Soave has arranged a series of 'Authors in Conversation' evenings, which will see two visiting writers interviewed about their work and taking questions from audience members at the town's former library building, now transformed into a community space.
Elissa will be one of the first two writers in the hotseat this Friday, May 30, alongside Gillian Shirreffs, while a further eight authors are lined up to visit the town on dates scheduled until the end of September.
Uddingston resident Elissa is the author of Ginger and Me, set in her home town and featuring local landmarks including the Tunnock's factory and scenes around Birkenshaw and Viewpark seen by bus driver protagonist Wendy, and new release Graffiti Girls – featuring 40-something friends Amy, Carole, Lenore and Susan who embark on a campaign of feminist grafitti around their hometown of Hamilton.
She said: 'Bothwell Futures are doing great work and want to bring more people in to the hub. I'd got in touch to see about doing something together and now we have this series of author events on the last Friday of each month, which is quite fitting as it's the former library.
'I've been in touch with quite a few authors and two per month will be interviewed about their books, motivation, and take part in a question and answer session, and we've also partnered with independent bookshop Daydreams from Milngavie who will sell books.
'Our idea is that books and reading are for everyone and we want to bring authors to the heart of the local community. We hope there will be lots of local support and that it will take off as it's a great venue; and we hope the events will also benefit the community as people might come along and then go for a meal or out for the evening in the surrounding area.'
She and fellow author Gillian will be interviewed by South Lanarkshire librarian Scott Montgomery at Friday's event, for which tickets cost £10 and are available at www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/authors-in-conversation-with-elissa-soave-and-gillian-shirreffs-tickets-1349767162919.
Elissa will then turn interviewer for the following four conversation evenings – featuring Sarah Smith and Karen Campbell on June 27; Tom Brogan and Andy Bollen on July 25; Claire Wilson and Callum McSorley on August 29; and George Paterson and Peter Bennett on September 26.
Author Elissa won the inaugural Primadonna Prize six years ago, earned agency representation and months later landed a publishing deal with Harper Collins. She was also a finalist for the Bloody Scotland Pitch Perfect award in the same year and has had work published in various journals and anthologies.
Ginger and Me was published in 2022 and was shortlisted for the Saltire Society Scottish first book award, while Hamilton-set Graffiti Girls was published in March and her third, The Allotments, is due to be published next March 2026.
She said of Graffiti Girls: 'It's about four women in their late 40s who live in Hamilton and find that life isn't as good as they thought it would be when they were at school together, and they embark on a graffiti campaign around the town to highlight issues.
'There's a lot of local interest – my first novel was set in Uddingston and there was a lot support too, as people like to see themselves represented in literature and Lanarkshire as county has lots of great authors like Julie Kennedy and Graeme Armstrong.
'Graffiti Girls is a fun book and I'm looking forward to being interviewed by Scott, answering questions and having people coming along to the book events at the Bothwell Hub.'
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