Is There a Pigeon in the Room? is a deeply personal book about Cameron Wyllie’s remarkable four-decade career in teaching. It’s a tapestry of anecdotes and reflections on topics like drugs, parenting, refugees, tragic events, his own status as a gay man and tells us the story of Tes, an Eritrean boy who inspired hundreds of young people with his love of education.
Cameron taught over 8,000 students in his career. Having been once described as ‘the place where Jean Brodie meets Kenneth Williams’ the book also charts the surprising trajectory of a career which culminated in his appointment as Principal of George Heriot’s, one of Edinburgh’s most prestigious schools.
No Excuses charts an extraordinary principal’s journey in diary form from the moment she took over at a failing secondary school in a deprived area of the country, where less than a quarter of children attained five or more A*–C GCSEs, and how she set about the gruelling task of transforming its reputation using her zero-tolerance, tough-love approach.
Armed with only a wicked sense of humour, fearless energy and a powerful vision, Alison Colwell put in place a stringent set of rules, including a strict uniform policy and a complete ban on mobile phones, provoking resistance and hostility from some parents, the wider community and on social media.
Where possible we will update our listings to notify of cancelled, postponed and rescheduled events, however we STRONGLY ADVISE that you check with the venue/organiser in the first instance for updates.
All information (whether in text or photographs) is supplied in good faith but should not be relied upon as being a statement of representation or fact.GOT AN EVENT TO SHARE? It's free to post your events on What's On Glasgow, click here to find out more!
Want to be the first to hear about what's happening in Glasgow? Just hit 'Like' on our Facebook page, join the What's On Scotland Facebook Group and 'Follow' on our Twitter account and you're all set!Unearthed: The Power of Gardening, a free display at The Mitchell Library, explores the transformative, enriching and sometimes radical power of gardening.
READ MOREGlasgow Mitchell Library Classics Book Group runs on the first Thursday of each month with the library kindly providing books for all members, so there is no cost involved!
READ MOREAn afternoon of stories, crafts, and imagination awaits at The Mitchell Library at this Story Garden Kids Craft Session on Tuesday 15th July!
READ MOREAs Part of the Summer Reading Challenge 2025, Story Garden, join Glasgow Libraries for a storytelling workshop for children and families led by prizewinning author Janis MacKay!
READ MOREAward-winning crime author Liam McIlvanney in conversation with Scottish literature expert Dr Valentina Bold in a unique discussion of Scottish Gothic inspired by Liam's new psychological thriller.
READ MOREThe team at The Mitchell Library are hosting a fun day on Saturday 2nd August celebrating their exhibition Unearthed: The Power of Gardening!
READ MOREGlasgow's Book Fair, Books at the Botanics, is held every month in the Hopkirk building at Glasgow's Botanic Gardens!
READ MOREGlasgow Mitchell Library Classics Book Group runs on the first Thursday of each month with the library kindly providing books for all members, so there is no cost involved!
READ MOREAs part of the 20th Birthday Hamish McHaggis book tour, author Linda Strachan will be at Riverside Museum on Sunday 13th July holding readings and signing books!
READ MOREAs Part of the Summer Reading Challenge 2025, Story Garden, join Glasgow Libraries for a storytelling workshop for children and families led by prizewinning author Janis MacKay!
READ MOREBGCP Comic Con returns to Loch Lomond Shores on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th July for a family-friendly weekend suitable for heroes of all ages!
READ MOREJoin STREETrave to celebrate Irvine Welsh's sequel to his iconic bestseller Trainspotting, with the man himself himself behind the decks for a special DJ set, joined by Steve Mac and Carl Loben!
READ MOREAward-winning crime author Liam McIlvanney in conversation with Scottish literature expert Dr Valentina Bold in a unique discussion of Scottish Gothic inspired by Liam's new psychological thriller.
READ MORESequential Scotland is a brand new comic convention coming to Glasgow in August which will spotlight the amazing comic creators and micro-publishers from across Scotland and the UK!
READ MOREThis short course from the University of Glasgow offers you the chance to explore some of Glasgow's impressive libraries and their part in local civic history.
READ MORE