Return of Glasgow's Aye Write book postponed despite funding boost

Glasgow Times

01-05-2025

Aye Write was expected to make a comeback in May for its 20th anniversary edition after landing a three-year funding deal from Creative Scotland.
However it has now been postponed and it is not yet known when the festival - which was replaced by a small series of "pop-up events" in 2024 after a funding bid was controversially rejected by Creative Scotland - will be going ahead.
No details for a 2025 festival have been announced, despite Aye Write and sister festival Wee Write, which features a dedicated programme for children and young people, being allocated £87,500 from the government arts agency for its next programme.
Organisers have suggested the funding decision came too late to put on the festival in May, when it has been held in recent years.
They are still looking at "the best time of year" to hold the festival after shelving plans to stage it this May.
Creative Scotland was forced to delay decisions on hundreds of applications for three months after ministers insisted they would have to wait until the Scottish Budget was announced in December.
Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has previously appeared at the Aye Write book festival in Glasgow. (Image: PA)
Glasgow Life, the council-funded trust which has run the event since its inception, has been unable to confirm any dates for the festival or special events.
Officials are still said to be looking for a suitable slot in the calendar to bring back Aye Write and avoid it clashing with other events in the city and book festivals elsewhere in Scotland.
The delay for Aye Write's return has emerged ahead of the first programme announcement for this summer's Edinburgh International Book Festival in August.
Andrew Marr has previously appeared at the Aye Write book festival in Glasgow.
There is no mention of Aye Write on the official website for Glasgow 850 - the programme of events marking the 850th 'anniversary' of the city.
It is understood the festival has not been allocated any funding by either the city council or council-funded trust Glasgow Life, which runs other festivals include Celtic Connections, the Merchant City Festival, the World Pipe Band Championships and the Glasgow Mela.
Aye Write has been excluded from the official programme of events to mark the 850th 'anniversary' of the city.
However a new council-funded music festival, Clyde Chorus, will be launched at the end of May as part of the official Glasgow 850 programme, with Nathan Evans, Nina Nesbitt, The Supernaturals and Scottish Opera already confirmed in the line-up.
Aye Write became firmly established as one of Scotland's leading literary events after it was launched in 2005, with the event featuring more than 250 authors across 180 events at its peak.
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.
Other special guests have included singer-songwriter Karine Polwart, musician Stuart Braithwaite, comics Frankie Boyle and Ruby Wax, and broadcasters Robert Peston, Andrew Marr and Archie Macpherson.
However there was widespread dismay in the Scottish publishing industry last March when it emerged that the 2024 event would not be going ahead due to a £77,500 funding rejection from Creative Scotland.
The then First Minister, Humza Yousaf, pledged that the Scottish Government would explore 'potential support' for the event, while his predecessor, Nicola Sturgeon expressed dismay at the demise of the festival.
A number of pop-up events eventually went ahead under the Aye Write banner between April and August.
Aye Write won a three-year funding deal from Creative Scotland at the end of January, after the government agency secured an additional £40m to fund festivals, venues and organisations over the next three years in the Scottish Budget announcement in December.
Glasgow Life also secured three-year support for Celtic Connections, the Tramway arts centre, the visual art festival Glasgow International, the Merchant City Festival, the Glasgow Mela and a 'creative communities' programme.
At the time, Glasgow Life said: 'This welcome funding will play a key role in progressing a thriving and sustainable cultural ecosystem in Glasgow at the heart of the city's ambitious culture strategy to 2030.
'Thank you to Creative Scotland for this support, and to everyone who makes the transformative impact of culture and creativity happen in Glasgow.'
Arts organisations and events had initially expected to get news of their three-year funding applications to Creative Scotland in October, but were forced to postpone an announcement on the long-awaited programme until the government confirmed its overall culture budget in December.
One publishing industry insider said: "There was an expectation that Aye Write would return in its previous form in May after it secured three-year funding.
"It seems very strange that nothing at all has been announced about the festival given its previous scale and standing."
A spokesperson for Glasgow Life said: 'Glasgow Life applied to Creative Scotland's multi-year fund to support the future of the Aye Write and Wee Write festivals, and we are grateful for this support.
'It reflects the importance of these literary festivals in fostering a love of books, reading, and storytelling in Glasgow and beyond and how valued they are to those who attend and perform at these events.
'Confirmation of funding was received at the end of January, which has impacted planning for this year's festival.
'With Aye Write traditionally taking place in May, this created a shorter timeframe to prepare the vibrant, high-quality programme our audiences expect.
'Glasgow Life remains committed to the Aye Write festival. We are excited to move forward with plans to develop and deliver a programme for the coming three years.
'We are looking at the best time of year to hold the festival, given the scheduling of other Scottish literary festivals and city events. We are working hard to finalise planning details and look forward to sharing more information soon.'
A spokesperson for Creative Scotland said: "Aye Write is one of 251 organisations awarded multi-year-funding for the next three financial years.
"The exact timing and nature of their programme during that time period is a matter for Aye Write to develop and to deliver, and we will discuss that with them as appropriate."