11 February 2016

10 highlights from this year's Aye Write!

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Claire McGowan is among the Irish contingent at this year's Aye Write! literary festival in Glasgow. She will be on the panel discussing "Criminal Neighbours" on 20 March in the Mitchell Library at 6 pm.

Here are 10 more festival highlights with a crime fiction flavour:
  1. Matt Johnson talks about his debut crime novel (11 March, 6 pm). Johnson is a former soldier and police officer who was at the Libyan embassy in London when PC Yvonne Fletcher was shot and killed.
  2. Best-selling author Noel 'Razor' Smith, who has spent over 30 years in prison for everything from armed robbery to prison escape, will talk about his dictionary of criminal slang (12 March, 3 pm).
  3. Mason Cross, Douglas Lindsey and Mark Leggat discuss why some Scottish crime writers avoid the Tartan Noir route to give their books a more international setting (12 March, 7.30 pm).
  4. Glasgow writers Craig Robertson, Anna Smith and Anne Randall talk about their latest novels (13 March, 1.30 pm).
  5. Denise Mina and Brooke Magnanti host Noir at the Bar, a crime salon based on the popular US format. The pop-up bar will have readings, drinks and the occasional surprise (13 March, 7.30 pm). 
  6. Journalists Neil Mackay and Ben McPherson discuss their new thrillers (13 March, midday).
  7. Alex Gray, co-founder of the Bloody Scotland crime festival, talks about her latest DCI William Lorimer book (15 March, 7.30 pm). 
  8. Peter Arnott and Graeme Macrae Burnet head a panel on "Murdering the Genre" (15 March, 7.30 pm). 
  9. Gillian Slovo and Helen Fitzgerald discuss contemporary issues in recent thrillers (19 March, 3 pm).
  10. Phil Redmond of Grange Hill and Brookside fame talks about his debut thriller, Highbridge (19 March, 7.30 pm).
All the above events take place at the Mitchell Library on North Street.

An Irvine Welsh special 


Aye Write! 2016 runs from 10 to 20 March. In addition, Irvine Welsh will be in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on 5 April.

As the film of the sequel to Trainspotting begins shooting, he will talk about its most infamous character, Francis Begbie, in his new novel The Blade Artist. The event will be recorded by BBC Scotland for later broadcast.