Latest news with #GillianShirreffs
Glasgow Times
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Book lovers invited to unique fundraising event in Glasgow
A Bookface Sip & Swap will take place on Saturday, October 25, at Saints of Ingram in Glasgow, from 3pm to 6pm. This gathering is set to offer a relaxed afternoon of book swapping, drinking, and fundraising for the Beatson Cancer Charity. The event will put the spotlight on Elephant, a new book by Dr Gillian Shirreffs, which provides a humorous take on topics like grief, friendship, and survival. Read more: 'We were blown away by the response': Book swap event helps displaced people Following her bestselling debut Brodie, Dr Shirreff draws from her own experiences with illness in her new book Elephant, which has already received praise for its unique and honest style. The event is particularly personal for Dr Shirreffs, who was treated for breast cancer at Beatson Cancer Charity. It is organised by Heather Suttie, a broadcaster and the founder of Bookface. Tickets for the event include two drinks, and there will be a luxury raffle to raise funds for Beatson. They can be purchased online at Read more: Iconic Glasgow museum named among the world's best Attendees are encouraged to bring along up to four high-quality books for swapping, with any leftover books to be donated to charity. The event is part of the larger Bookface community, an online and in-person space for readers across Scotland. With more than 5000 members, the community offers an opportunity for readers to discover new authors and connect with fellow book enthusiasts.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Book lovers invited to unique swap and sip event in Glasgow
Book lovers are invited to a special event to raise money for the Beatson Cancer Charity. A Bookface Sip & Swap will take place on Saturday, October 25, at Saints of Ingram in Glasgow, from 3pm to 6pm. This gathering is set to offer a relaxed afternoon of book swapping, drinking, and fundraising for the Beatson Cancer Charity. The event will put the spotlight on Elephant, a new book by Dr Gillian Shirreffs, which provides a humorous take on topics like grief, friendship, and survival. Read more: 'We were blown away by the response': Book swap event helps displaced people Following her bestselling debut Brodie, Dr Shirreff draws from her own experiences with illness in her new book Elephant, which has already received praise for its unique and honest style. The event is particularly personal for Dr Shirreffs, who was treated for breast cancer at Beatson Cancer Charity. It is organised by Heather Suttie, a broadcaster and the founder of Bookface. Tickets for the event include two drinks, and there will be a luxury raffle to raise funds for Beatson. They can be purchased online at Read more: Iconic Glasgow museum named among the world's best Attendees are encouraged to bring along up to four high-quality books for swapping, with any leftover books to be donated to charity. The event is part of the larger Bookface community, an online and in-person space for readers across Scotland. With more than 5000 members, the community offers an opportunity for readers to discover new authors and connect with fellow book enthusiasts.
Scotsman
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Bookface Sip & Swap with Dr Gillian Shirreffs to raise funds for Beatson Cancer Charity
Book lovers are invited to a special Bookface Sip & Swap on Saturday 25th October, taking place at Saints of Ingram in Glasgow from 3–6pm—a relaxed afternoon of swapping books, sipping drinks, and raising money for Beatson Cancer Charity. Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... This event will spotlight Elephant, the true, raw, darkly funny new book by Gillian Shirreffs. Following the success of her bestselling debut Brodie, Elephant draws on Shirreffs' own experiences of illness to explore grief, friendship, humour and survival with unsentimental honesty. The book has already received critical acclaim for its originality and emotional clarity. Hosted by broadcaster, avid reader and founder of Bookface, Heather Suttie, this popular event gives readers the chance to refresh their shelves, discover new authors, and connect with fellow book lovers— and participate in a luxury raffle to raise funds for charity. Glasgow-based Dr Shirreffs lives with MS and was treated for breast cancer at Beatson Cancer Charity. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Guests are encouraged to bring along up to four good-quality books to swap. All genres are welcome, and any leftover titles will be donated to charity. Elephant Tickets include two drinks, there'll be raffles, book chat, and you'll be able to purchase a copy of Elephant on the day. Expect a warm, informal atmosphere and plenty of recommendations. This event is part of the Bookface community—an online and in person space for readers with over 5,000 members across Scotland. Event details: Bookface Sip & Swap Dr Gillian Shirreffs Saturday 25th October Saints of Ingram, Glasgow 3–6pm Tickets:
Scotsman
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Author Dr. Gillian Shirreffs raises over £30,000 for Beatson Cancer Charity
Scottish writer Gillian Shirreffs has now raised more than £30,000 for Beatson Cancer Charity—thanks to the overwhelming response to her latest fundraiser, held to mark the launch of her second book, Elephant. Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The event, hosted by broadcaster Laura Boyd and featuring a live performance from Brownbear, brought in over £2,600 in a single afternoon. It was a warm, emotional gathering—full of generosity, laughter and music—with supporters coming together to celebrate Gillian's remarkable resilience and her powerful new book. Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021, Elephant is Gillian's unflinching account of what followed: 800 days shaped by 22 rounds of chemotherapy, 15 radiotherapy sessions, two major surgeries, and the long, strange aftermath. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Told through WhatsApp messages, emails, tweets, stories and photos, it's a fragmented but deeply human portrait of life during illness. Heartbreaking, funny, and brutally honest, Elephant captures what it feels like to keep going when everything falls apart. Dr Gillian Shirreffs This is Gillian's second book. Her 2023 debut, Brodie, raised over £27,000 for Beatson and won acclaim for its dark humour and sharp insight. Although Elephant is not a charity publication, the launch event was a fundraiser in honour of the support Gillian received from Beatson during her treatment. 'I didn't intend to write Elephant. It's a book that found me and I'm so happy that readers are now finding it,' said Gillian. 'I'm so grateful to everyone who came to Elephant's fundraising launch for Beatson Cancer Charity. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "It was a brilliant afternoon of laughter, friendship and generosity, made all the more special by our incredible host Laura Boyd and our special musical guest, the amazing Brownbear'. Elephant Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2007, Gillian began writing while bedbound. A former HR director and English teacher, she holds a Doctor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, with her thesis exploring how illness changes how we see the world—something that runs through every page of Elephant. Elephant isn't just about cancer. It's about love, pain, disconnection and being stitched back together by the people who show up. It's a story of survival, told in moments—funny, sharp, chaotic, and utterly real.
Scotsman
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Books and Beats: Fundraising book launch for 'Elephant' by Gillian Shirreffs in aid of Beatson Cancer Charity
A not-to-be-missed literary afternoon celebrating the power of words, music and community will take place on Saturday, June 14 from 12 noon to 2pm at Glasgow University Union, as bestselling author Gillian Shirreffs launches her much-anticipated second book Elephant, in aid of Beatson Cancer Charity. Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Hosted by Laura Boyd, STV News entertainment reporter, the event will also feature a live acoustic performance by Matt Hickman aka Brownbear and his band. Tickets include drinks and nibbles and a charity raffle with 100% of ticket and raffle proceeds going directly to Beatson Cancer Charity to support cancer patients and their families across Scotland. Gillian Shirreffs—originally from Haughhead and now based in Glasgow—made waves with her 2023 debut Brodie, which raised over £27,494 for Beatson. Elephant is her bold and unflinching story of her own treatment for breast cancer. Told through messages, tweets, and emails, it's a modern, darkly funny and deeply personal story about life tilting sideways Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I'm thrilled to be sharing Elephant at this special fundraiser with Beatson Cancer Charity. The book was written in the hardest of times, but it's filled with humour, honesty and hope. I can't wait to share it with readers—and to raise more funds for a cause close to my heart,' said Gillian Shirreffs. Elephant Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2007, Gillian started writing while bedbound. A former HR director and English teacher, she holds a Doctor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, with a thesis exploring how illness alters our understanding of life and connection—core themes that run through Elephant. Guests can expect an afternoon of moving conversation, brilliant music, and generosity in action. You'll also be able to purchase signed copies of Elephant.
