Aye Write…

But Aye Write always has at least a few standouts and this year these include Janice Galloway reading from a new collection of short stories, Louise Welsh launching her new novel Naming the Bones, Don Patterson, alongside fellow poet Robin Robertson, reading his latest poems and Martin Stannard talking about his recent biography of Muriel Spark.

But if I had to choose two to recommend, which I don’t but I will, they would be Edwyn Collins and his wife Grace Maxwell discussing Grace’s moving book Falling & Laughing which details Edwyn’s recovery, and her own vital role in it, from a major brain hemorrhage to making music once more.

The other ‘must see’ is a double bill of young novelists; Dan Rhodes and Alan Bisset. I’ve seen both of these guys read before and it as much about the performance as it is about the literature. I can guarantee that they will be funnier than many comics working the Comedy Festival elsewhere in the city.

P.S. I’ve just noticed that Tom Leonard is also reading from a new collection of poetry. Forget all of the above, if you only go to one thing at Aye Write, go and see Tom Leonard instead. You won’t regret it.