Aye Write Glasgow’s Book Festival
Glasgow's Book Festival, Aye Write, will celebrate its 20th edition across 11 days this November, with a series of pop-up events coming before!
About Aye Write Glasgow’s Book Festival
| 6th Nov 2025 to 16th Nov 2025 | |
| See event website for details | |
| Various Locations Glasgow | |
| This is a free event | |
| Event organiser/part of Aye Write! | |
| Visit the event website here | |
| Facebook information can be found here | |
| Follow ayewriteglasgow on Instagram |
The highly popular celebration of books will run from 6-16 November 2025, when it will mark its 20th anniversary with a packed programme featuring 130 events showcasing established authors and the next generation of writers.
The event, which takes place ahead of Book Week Scotland (17-23 November 2025), spans various genres and includes discussions and debates with 180 authors from Glasgow, Scotland and around the world.
Among the most familiar names in the wide-ranging line-up at this year’s Aye Write festival are Irvine Welsh, Jeanette Winterson, Sally Magnusson, Dougie Donnelly, Nicola Sturgeon in conversation with Josh Smith, Justin Currie and Ambrose Parry (Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman). The bill also includes John Harris, Natasha Brown, Nigel Planer, Ted Kravitz, Len Pennie, Terry Deary, Helen Lederer, Robert Elms in conversation with Stuart Cosgrove, Sarah Vine, Huey Morgan, Julie Nimmo and Greg Hemphill, and Sophie Gravia.
Having appeared at the first-ever Aye Write in 2005, Denise Mina, Louise Welsh, A L Kennedy, Quintin Jardine and Liz Lochhead will be welcomed back during its 20th anniversary year.
Genres at the 2025 Aye Write include memoirs and autobiographies, poetry, crime fiction, true crime, LGBTQI+, historical fiction, and science fiction.
The festival will also cover a range of current topics and themes, from music, sport, current affairs and politics to crafting, history and the environment.
Music fans can hear Alison Stroak, Fiona Shepherd and Jonathan Trew discuss Glasgow’s contribution to pop music during the ‘Glasgow’s Greatest Hits’ event which also offers a chance to sing with a live band.
Followers of the beautiful game can head along to a ‘What’s the Matter with Scottish Football?’ discussion with Pat Nevin and Paul Goodwin.
Broadcast journalist Sally Magnusson presents a powerful reimagining of a Norse myth in ‘The Shapeshifter’s Daughter’; Del Amitri singer Justin Currie reflects on life as a touring musician in the shadow of his life-changing Parkinson’s diagnosis in his memoir ‘The Tremelo Diaries’; and Dougie Donnelly, one of Scotland’s best-loved presenters and the former face of the BBC’s Grandstand and Sportscene shows, recalls the highlights of his life in sport, which include presenting at World Cups and broadcasting as Europe won the Ryder and Solheim Cups.
Aye Write audiences will have the chance to listen to legendary artist Ken Currie as he looks back on his life and paintings, and learn about Jim Swire’s fight for justice for the daughter he lost in the Lockerbie bombing. There will also be opportunities to hear from chefs Julie Lin and Ferrier Richardson, whose stories exemplify and share all that is great about Glasgow’s flourishing food scene.
Elsewhere, Raja Shehadeh and Penny Johnson reflect on their book ‘Searching for Palestine’s Hidden Places and Lost Memorials’; Lara Lewington’s ‘Hacking Humanity’ explains how technology can save your health and your life; Chris McQueer and James Bloodworth examine the toxic subcultures of ‘the manosphere’; and Ryan Gilbey’s ‘It Used to be Witches’ takes audiences on a treasure hunt through queer cinema past and present with a special screening of Pier Paolo Pasolini’s ‘Teorema’ at Glasgow Film Theatre.
Aye Write will continue to give new voices and perspectives a platform, and audiences can look forward to hearing from the likes of Chris Kohler and Lisa Smith as part of the festival’s ‘Ones To Watch’ events. The ‘Ones To Watch’ series shines a light on the many up-and-coming writers making their Aye Write debut, which this year also includes Niamh Ni Mhaoileoin, Oraine Johnson and Seth Insua.
As well as the many events held to entertain and inform book lovers, Aye Write is also set up to support budding authors. Aye Write’s ‘Getting Creative’ workshops give beginners guidance on how to form a structure, develop a plot, create characters and use dialogue in novels.
More experienced writers can get involved in Aye Write masterclasses on writing style and genres led by a panel of publishing industry experts, as well as University of Strathclyde Centre for Lifelong Learning taster courses on various topics.
This year’s Aye Write will also feature the first airing of the Great Big Glasgow Poem. The poem is part of Glasgow’s 850th birthday celebrations and has been written by Glasgow residents of all ages who have each added a line to express what Glasgow means to them. The Great Big Glasgow Poem will be presented for the first time by Glasgow’s Poet Laureate, Jim Carruth, at The Mitchell Library on Saturday 15 November (4.15pm).
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.
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Other Events at Various Venues or Aye Write!
Creative Writing Taster Classes within Aye Write Book Festival
The Centre for Lifelong Learning has been involved with the Aye Write Festival for many years, 2025 is no different, with talks and workshops available during November!
READ MOREAye Write: Sunday Best: Daniel Gray
Author and journalist Peter Ross welcomes Daniel Gray to a Sunday evening in the Mitchell Library to chat about Daniel’s new book, Sunday Best: Travels Through the Day of Rest.
READ MOREAye Write: There She Goes: Esa Aldegheri with Linda Cracknell and Claire Askew
Editor Esa Aldegheri sits down with contributors Linda Cracknell and Claire Askew to discuss their new book, There She Goes.
READ MOREAye Write: Young Once: Nigel Planer
Fresh off the back of a sold-out tour, expect witty, self-deprecating stories told masterfully by the mischievous, once-young Nigel Planer as he offers a glimpse into his remarkable career.
READ MOREAye Write: Pop Scars: Anthony Kavanagh with Carrie Marshall
One-time teen popstar Anthony Kavanagh takes to the Aye Write stage to discuss his searingly honest memoir, Pop Scars.
READ MOREAye Write: Wild Mountain Times: Gary Robertson with Gabriella Bennett
Dundee-based author Gary Robertson joins journalist Gabriella Bennett for a lively discussion about Gary's new book, Wild Mountain Times as part of Aye Write 2025!
READ MOREAye Write: Universality and Alive in the Merciful Country: Natasha Brown and A L Kennedy with Gabriella Bennett
Award-winning Scots writer, academic, and occasional stand-up comedian A L Kennedy returns to Aye Write to discuss her latest acclaimed novel.
READ MOREAye Write: The Secret Christmas Library and Christmas at the Movies: Jenny Colgan and Anne Marie Ryan with Dawn Vallance
A talk with a festive flair as Glasgow Life Principal Librarian Dawn Vallance joins two authors in conversation about their respective Christmas-themed books for Aye Write 2025!
READ MORE
Aye Write: Revolting: Terry Deary
From the peasants to the slaves, the martyrs to the mutineers, Terry Deary's Revolting celebrates the resilience and determination of those who dared to challenge the status quo.
READ MORE
Aye Write: Dead Man’s Tale and Acts of Malice: Quiintin Jardine and Alex Gray with Douglas Skelton
In this special Aye Write event, crime writer Douglas Skelton welcomes two contemporaries to the stage to discuss their new books — each with a grizzled Scottish detective and a murder to solve.
READ MORE
Aye Write: Following Sam: Jon and Sam’s Journey Conquering the 42: Jon Attenborough
Jon Attenborough discusses Following Sam, his memoir chronicling his experience of visiting all 42 Scottish Professional Football League stadiums with his guide dog, Sam.
READ MORE
Aye Write: Unfinished Business and Thrive: Henry McLeish & James Mitchell and Lesley Riddoch with Kirsteen Paterson
In this special sit-down examining the potential future of Scotland and Scottish politics, Kirsteen Paterson is a journalist with 20 years experience of covering politics and policy in Scotland.
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