3 September 2025

2025 Aye Write programme announced as tickets go on sale for Glasgow’s book festival

Three people are looking at books together in a bookshop. They are smiling at each other and each has a book in their hands. Two of them are sitting down, with one standing behind.

Tickets are now on sale for Aye Write, Glasgow’s long-established and much-loved book festival.

The highly popular celebration of books will run from 6-16 November 2025, when it will mark its 20th anniversary with a packed programme featuring 130 events showcasing established authors and the next generation of writers.

The event, which takes place ahead of Book Week Scotland (17-23 November 2025), spans various genres and includes discussions and debates with 180 authors from Glasgow, Scotland and around the world.

Aye Write is produced by Glasgow Life, with support from Creative Scotland. In January this year, Glasgow Life was awarded £262,500 from Creative Scotland’s 2025-28 Multi-Year Fund for the delivery of Aye Write in 2025, 2026 and 2027.

Among the most familiar names in the wide-ranging line-up at this year’s Aye Write festival are Irvine Welsh, Jeanette Winterson, Sally Magnusson, Denise Mina, Dougie Donnelly, Nicola Sturgeon in conversation with Josh Smith, Justin Currie and Ambrose Parry (Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman). The bill also includes John Harris, Natasha Brown, Nigel Planer, Ted Kravitz, Len Pennie, Terry Deary, Helen Lederer, Robert Elms in conversation with Stuart Cosgrove, Sarah Vine, Huey Morgan, Julie Nimmo and Greg Hemphill, and Sophie Gravia.

Having appeared at the first-ever Aye Write in 2005, Denise Mina, Louise Welsh, A L Kennedy, Quintin Jardine and Liz Lochhead will be welcomed back during its 20th anniversary year.

Genres at the 2025 Aye Write include memoirs and autobiographies, poetry, crime fiction, true crime, LGBTQI+, historical fiction, and science fiction.

The festival will also cover a range of current topics and themes, from music, sport, current affairs and politics to crafting, history and the environment.

This year’s Aye Write will also feature the first airing of the Great Big Glasgow Poem. The poem is part of Glasgow’s 850th birthday celebrations and has been written by Glasgow residents of all ages who have each added a line to express what Glasgow means to them. The Great Big Glasgow Poem will be presented for the first time by Glasgow’s Poet Laureate, Jim Carruth, at The Mitchell Library on Saturday 15 November (4.15pm).

Full details of the 2025 Aye Write programme and links to book tickets are available on the Aye Write website.