Glasgow’s much-loved Aye Write book festival will make a full comeback this autumn, running from Thursday 6 November to Sunday 16 November as it celebrates its 20th anniversary. After last year’s main programme was cancelled amid funding challenges, organisers will once again host an 11-day feast of readings, panel discussions, workshops and fringe events across the city’s libraries and cultural venues.
The 2024 festival was reduced to a series of pop-up events following Creative Scotland’s decision to decline its funding application. A timely £65,000 donation from the charitable foundation of the late EuroMillions winner Colin Weir enabled those pop-ups to proceed, keeping the festival spirit alive. Highlights included late-night poetry sessions, family storytelling hours and author meet-and-greets that proved hugely popular with Glasgow readers.
This year, Aye Write has secured renewed support. Glasgow Life has been awarded £262,500 from Creative Scotland’s 2025–28 Multi-Year Fund to deliver the festival in 2025, 2026 and 2027. The funding package will not only underpin the flagship November festival but also ensure the return of Wee Write, the event dedicated entirely to young readers, in March 2026.
Bailie Annette Christie, Chairwoman of Glasgow Life, said:
“We’re really looking forward to the return of Aye Write this year and marking an incredible 20 years of Glasgow’s much-loved celebration of books, storytelling, and the love of reading. We are grateful to Creative Scotland for their support and our festival team is busy planning an inspiring and diverse programme of pop-up and festival events. We can’t wait to welcome readers, writers and book lovers back to Aye Write over the coming months and during November.”
In the lead-up to the main festival, organisers will stage a series of free and ticketed pop-up events. The first of these will feature prize-winning crime novelist Liam McIlvanney in conversation with Scottish literature expert Dr Valentina Bold. They will discuss McIlvanney’s new psychological thriller, The Good Father, at the Mitchell Library on Thursday 31 July. Tickets are on sale now via the Aye Write website.
Details of the full Aye Write 2025 programme, including headline authors, panel topics, ticketing and venue information, will be unveiled in the coming months. Past festivals have played host to a stellar line-up of writers spanning fiction, poetry, graphic novels, biography, memoir and children’s literature. The forthcoming festival promises similarly broad appeal, with strand themes likely to include environmental writing, Scottish language and culture, crime fiction, and narratives of migration and identity.
Wee Write 2026, which caters for children and young people, will return in March, offering storytelling sessions, creative writing workshops and author events for ages 3 to 18. Wee Write has become an increasingly important fixture for schools and families, often selling out well in advance.
More Read
Festival director Fiona Kelly commented:
“Aye Write has always been about community—bringing readers and writers together in shared celebration. After last year’s challenges, we’re thrilled to be back with a full-scale festival. The support from Creative Scotland and Colin Weir’s foundation demonstrates the value placed on literature and culture in Glasgow. We’re determined to repay that faith with an exceptional line-up and accessible events for everyone.”
With Glasgow once again designated UNESCO City of Literature, the festival is expected to attract authors and attendees from across the UK and beyond. Venues typically include Mitchell Library, Glasgow Women’s Library, the University of Glasgow and a host of independent bookshops and cafés, creating a city-wide hub of literary activity.
Booklovers are advised to sign up for Aye Write’s newsletter and follow the festival on social media for early-bird ticket alerts and programme announcements. As Glasgow gears up for a fortnight of storytelling, debate and creativity, the 20th anniversary of Aye Write promises to reaffirm the city’s status as a beacon for readers and writers alike.
