Festival paused while organisers plan a reimagined return
Glasgow’s flagship book festival, Aye Write, will not take place in its usual form this year after organisers announced the annual event had been shelved for the second time in three years.
Glasgow Life, the council‑funded charity that runs Aye Write, has said the festival will be replaced in 2026 by a small series of events — four one‑off occasions — with a fuller but scaled‑back festival scheduled for spring 2027. The 2027 edition will run for five days instead of the festival’s customary 11‑day programme.
Organisers described the 2027 programme as a “reimagined” version of Aye Write and signalled a number of strategic changes aimed at widening reach and reflecting Glasgow’s cultural diversity. Those changes include new venues, theatre‑style or participatory “immersive experiences”, and a renewed emphasis on Gaelic and Scottish‑language material.
Glasgow Life said the 2027 festival would include new venues, “immersive experiences” for audiences and events “looking back at earlier editions of the festival”.
What the pause means for the city and the festival
Aye Write has run for more than two decades and has previously hosted nationally‑known writers and broadcasters. The decision to suspend the full festival again comes despite recent public funding being secured from the Scottish Government for the wider cultural programme.
Organisers have also pledged a programme of additional pop‑up and podcast events throughout 2027 as part of the reshaped festival model. The stated aim is to create a festival that is more mobile across the city and more reflective of Scotland’s languages and literary traditions.
- Four one‑off events will be staged in 2026.
- Five‑day festival planned for spring 2027 (reduced from 11 days).
- Expanded Gaelic and Scottish‑language content, new venues and immersive events.
- Additional pop‑up and podcast programming across 2027.
Recent history and funding context
The festival’s interruption is the latest chapter in a turbulent recent history. Aye Write was cancelled in 2024 after Creative Scotland rejected a funding application from Glasgow Life, a decision that prompted criticism from prominent authors and politicians at the time, including the then First Minister, Humza Yousaf.
Since that cancellation, Aye Write staged an edition in 2025 featuring a range of guests. The new plan means 2027 will be only the second full edition of the 21‑year‑old festival to be held since 2023.
Glasgow Life has said it secured more than £260,000 in long‑term funding from Creative Scotland as part of recent arrangements, underlining that the pause is not solely a funding refusal but part of a deliberate restructuring of the festival model.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Full festival cancelled after funding application to Creative Scotland turned down |
| 2025 | Festival staged with a range of guests |
| 2026 | Full festival shelved; four one‑off events planned |
| 2027 | Reimagined five‑day festival planned, with pop‑ups and podcasts across the year |
Reactions and implications
The announcement will be met with disappointment among regular festivalgoers, authors, independent booksellers and community groups that have come to rely on Aye Write as a focal point in Glasgow’s cultural calendar. For some, the festival’s scaling back raises questions about the future role of major, centrally programmed events versus smaller, dispersed activities across the city.
Glasgow Life’s stated intention to broaden Gaelic and Scottish‑language provision could be welcomed by those seeking greater representation for Scotland’s languages on the city’s cultural stage. The shift to new venues and more varied, immersive formats also fits with wider trends in festival programming aimed at attracting different and younger audiences.
Organisers will now face the logistical challenge of delivering a coherent citywide programme across a series of smaller events while maintaining the national profile Aye Write has previously enjoyed. How authors, agents, venues and funders respond in the coming months will shape whether the reimagined festival can regain the momentum of its earlier years.
Further details about the 2026 one‑off events and the full 2027 programme are expected to be published by Glasgow Life in due course.
