Cancelled Glasgow book festival Aye Write receives lifeline donation | Books
Aye Write, the Glasgow literary festival that was cancelled last month after its funding application was turned down by Creative Scotland has announced that it will present a slimmed programme after an “unexpected, but very welcome” £65,000 donation. The donation, from a foundation set up by the late lottery winner Colin Weir, will help fund a series of pop-up events throughout 2024, featuring authors including David Nicholls, Val McDermid and Lionel Shriver. The full multiday festival – which last year saw 175 authors appearing in more than 120 events across 10 days – will still not go ahead. However, Wee Write, a festival for children and young people, will now go ahead in autumn on a smaller scale. When the festival’s cancellation was announced, Aye Write said that it would be planning pop-up events. The donation “means there will be an increased number of these”. Val McDermid, Douglas Stuart and Andrew O’Hagan were among the authors who criticised the cancellation of the festival after its application for £77,500 of funding was rejected. McDermid said it …