Minister joins Scottish literary stars at book festival
Published on 24 September 2024 3 minutes read
A Church of Scotland minister is joining a host of contemporary Scottish literary greats at a major new book festival.
Rev Neil Glover is taking part in the inaugural St Andrew's Book Festival in London in November alongside Sir Ian Rankin, Sir Alexander McCall Smith, Andrew O'Hagan, Christopher Brookmyre and Ann Cleeves.
TV host Lorraine Kelly, tennis coach Judy Murray, poets Jackie Kay and Liz Lochhead and journalists Andrew Marr and Alan Taylor are also taking part in the week-long programme, (25 November-1 December) which includes crime fiction, poetry, history, cookery, economics and the environment.
Mr Glover, minister at Aberfeldy, Dull and Weem, and Grantully, Logierait and Strathtay parish churches and convener of the Church of Scotland's Seeds for Growth fund, is the author of Finding Our Voice.
He describes the book as "almost a manifesto" and a passionate call for the Church of Scotland and similar mainline churches to change and reverse the steep decline in numbers they have experienced for over half a century.
Mr Glover will be interviewed by Rev Scott Rennie, minister of Crown Court Church in London.
The St Andrew's Book Festival is being organised by Scots in London, a group set up to advance Scottish culture and heritage and to promote the social inclusion of people.
It was founded by Scottish organisations in London, including St Columba's Church and Crown Court Church and the patron is HRH The Princess Royal.
Sir Alexander, a prolific international best-seller of well over 300 books including the No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency and 44 Scotland Street series, said: "Scottish writers have always kept an eye on London and London has always kept an eye on Scottish writers.
"This exciting festival keeps an eye on that tradition and I can't wait to be a part of it."
Rich cultural event
Mr O'Hagan added: "Scotland is a moveable feast and London is one of its depots.
"It was Robert Louis Stevenson who once praised ‘a strong Scots accent of the mind', and I've listened for that accent in Piccadilly and King's Cross as much as in Ayrshire and Edinburgh
"Therefore, I'm delighted that there is a new Scottish Book Festival in London, which promises to be one of the richest and most various cultural events in the capital."
The festival is being staged at St Columba's Church, Scotland House and the Caledonian Club.
It will showcase authors and Scottish themes including Sir Ian with his latest Rebus novel which will be hot off the press at the end of October and Ms Murray and Ms Kelly with their debut novels Wild Card and The Island Swimmer.
Ann Cleeves will discuss her famous detective stories featured in BBC One's Shetland.
The programme opens with a Spoken Word Gala on 25 November, supported by the National Library of Scotland.
Chaired by Michael Pederson it will feature two former National Poets of Scotland Ms Kay and Ms Lochhead appearing alongside Bill Drummond and Bee Asha.
The next day will bring a special event hosted by The Scotsman featuring the winners of this year's Saltire Awards and an evening session with Andrew Marr.
Tickets
From Thursday through to Sunday, St Columba's Church of Scotland in Pont Street will host a programme of author events plus a debut showcase supported by National Lottery funding through Creative Scotland.
The line-up includes Sir Alexander, Mr O'Hagan and Mr Brookmyre, creator of investigative journalist Jack Parlabane.
There are memoirs and biographies from Simple Minds guitarist Derek Forbes, Scottish writer and broadcaster Damian Barr who hosts The Big Scottish Book Club, plus Chitra Ramaswamy on the story of her decade-long friendship with Holocaust survivor Henry Wuga.
There will be politics from Gavin Esler and James Naughtie, best known for presenting BBC Newsnight and Radio 4's Today programme respectively, and journalist Jen Stout discussing her coverage of the human cost of the conflict in Ukraine.
Alistair Moffat, one of Scotland's most respected popular historians, journalist Mr Taylor who is currently writing an ‘autobiography' of Edinburgh and Rosemary Goring with her biography of Mary Queen of Scots will also appear.
The St Andrew's Book Festival will have its Scottish launch on Thursday evening at Prestonfield House in Edinburgh.
Mr Rankin will speak alongside Susan Pym, a member of the festival team and an elder at St Columba's Church where many of the events will take place between 25 November and 1 December.
The public box office opens on 23 September and advance booking for Festival Friends and Members begins from 16 September.
An annual Friends membership costs just £75 and each membership helps to support this new and exciting festival.
