Book Week Scotland gets ready for adventure

One Scot will find a voucher for a year's worth of books in one of this year's free Book Week Scotland books!

Article Source: Book Week Scotland
Last Updated: 2 November 2023 11:08

Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives with reading and writing, has launched the line-up for Book Week Scotland 2023, which will be themed around ‘adventure’. Book Week Scotland, this year taking place on 13–19 November, is Scotland’s national annual celebration of books and reading, with events taking place in libraries and community venues across the country.

People picking up a copy of this year’s free Book Week Scotland book, Adventure, may be lucky enough to find one of seven special silver tickets, celebrating Scottish Book Trust’s 25th anniversary, tucked inside the pages. The silver tickets are redeemable for book tokens, with six worth £100 and one valid for a year’s worth of books (to a value of £500). The tickets will be sent across Scotland, so readers far and wide are in with a chance of discovering one.

The book has been published by Scottish Book Trust, featuring true stories from people across Scotland as well as exclusive contributions from Len Pennie, Summaya Usmani, current Scots Scriever Shane Strachan, Mae Diansangu, and Gaelic writers Alistair Paul and Seonaidh Charity. 70,000 copies of the book will be given out for free during Book Week Scotland through libraries and community spaces, and it will also be available to order online alongside audio and ebook formats.

The Book Week Scotland festivities will kick off with an exclusive midnight launch of Jenny Colgan’s new book, Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop, at John Kay’s Shop in Edinburgh. Tickets are available to win at bookweekscotland.com.

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: ‘Book Week Scotland is one of the highlights of Scotland’s literary calendars, with events for all ages and interests taking place across the nation. Despite the fact that Book Week Scotland is now operating on a shoestring budget due to repeated funding cuts, working with and through our fantastic partners across the country we have been able, even so, to offer an exciting and accessible programme of events at a local and national level. We could not do this without the support of the Scottish Library and Information Council, library services and the many other community partners we collaborate with. And this is vital, because developing a love of reading is a lifelong adventure which brings much pleasure and many benefits to the individual and the communities they live in.’

Pamela Tulloch, chief executive of the Scottish Library & Information Council said: ‘Book Week Scotland is an important opportunity to bring communities together to celebrate the power of reading which is why SLIC is proud to be a partner. With a brilliant programme of events lined up in libraries across the country, there’s something for everyone. We hope people will take this opportunity to rediscover all that local libraries have to offer.’

Head of Literature & Publishing at Creative Scotland, Alan Bett, said: ‘Book Week Scotland is a highlight in Scotland’s literary and cultural calendar which continues to provide joy by connecting the reading public with Scotland’s authors and their books. Featuring some of the biggest names in our literary scene, this year’s programme showcases homegrown talent and provides the space to empower writers and readers alike, across the country and within their own communities.’

Highlights from Book Week Scotland 2023 will include:

• The Pleasures of Reading with Val McDermid at Portobello Bookshop, Edinburgh – Thursday 16 November, 7–8pm (free ticketed event)

• Alan Moore in conversation with Heather Parry (free online event) – Sunday 19 November, 3–4pm

• An exclusive story by Ambrose Parry, told over the course of the week through Scottish Book Trust’s newsletter

• Football Journeys with a Bearded Genius: Nooruddean Choudry in conversation with Daniel Gray from Nutmeg Magazine – Saturday 18 November, 7–8.30pm (free ticketed event)

Scottish Book Trust has also funded three events through its Emerging Programmers scheme for first-time book event programmers: Being Mixed @ Book Week Scotland in Waterstones Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, on Tuesday 14 November; the Working Class Writers Showcase at The Music Hall, Aberdeen, on Friday 17 November; and Angus Og’s Cartoon Ceilidh in Portree Community Library on Saturday 18 November.

The Book Week Scotland 2023 programme is now live, with more events to be added in the lead up to the week itself.

Image: Len Pennie credit Chris Scott

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Book Week Scotland gets ready for adventure

One Scot will find a voucher for a year's worth of books in one of this year's free Book Week Scotland books!

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