Byres Road Book Festival 2023 announced

The Byres Road Book Festival has announced its programme for next month.

Coinneach MacLeod, the Hebridean Baker, will be part of a trio of authors bringing a touch of Gaelic flair to Glasgow over the September weekend, 21-24.

Coinneach, Catriona Murray and Alasdair Whyte will feature at events taking place at venues up and down Byres Road.

Other highlights are author Andrew O’Hagan, screenwriter Andrea Gibb and producer Claire Mundell exploring the process of taking Andrew’s award-winning novel Mayflies from the page to the screen.

Showcase

For younger readers, sessions will take place at Hillhead library and Oxfam Bookshop with children’s writers Maisie Chan, Gerry Durkin, Beth Frieden and Catherine Grace.

Catriona Murray will talk about her bilingual anthology of the poems and songs of the Gaelic poet Murdo MacFarlane

Now in its fifth year, the festival aims to showcase emerging talent and celebrate established authors in friendly and accessible locations.

The event is produced by the Byres Road Business Improvement District in partnership with Glasgow Life, the Gaelic Book Council, Waterstones, the Oxfam bookshop and the Glasgow Grosvenor hotel.

Coinneach MacLeod said: “I'm so excited to be bringing a wee bit of the Hebrides to the west end of Glasgow.

“Sharing the recipes, stories and folklore of the Scottish islands in the best city in the world!”

The Byres Road & Lanes businesses are delighted once again to welcome bookworms and budding authors of all ages to our annual Book Festival.

John Turner

John Turner, chair of the Byres Road Improvement District, said: "The Byres Road & Lanes businesses are delighted once again to welcome bookworms and budding authors of all ages to our annual Book Festival.

“We have a wide range of events this year taking place at a number of different locations in the West End

“We begin with broadcaster and writer Sally Magnusson speaking about her new novel, Music in the Dark, and other speakers will include former Mogwai guitarist Stuart Braithwaite, Kirsty Logan and many more.

“And for those who thirst after literature, there are poetry events at Òran Mór, a trio of true crime writers in the Ubiquitous Chip and literary themed cocktails at the BeGin bar on Byres Road to refresh ‘those little grey cells’, as Monsieur Poirot would say.”

Writer Andrew O'Hagan in discussion about his award-winning novel Mayflies

The Oxfam Book Shop is hosting a broad range of events with Paul Wandrum, GJ Penney, Simpson Munro and Joy Dakers.

There are creative writers’ workshop with David F Ross and Kirstin Innes, and sessions with Michael Pederson and Rosalie Menon in conversation with Gordon Urquhart.