There’s something electric in the Glasgow air every time Aye Write rolls around. As a crime fiction reader and writer, this festival is always on my radar and one day, I might actually get to attend!
Held primarily at the Mitchell Library and run by Glasgow Life, Aye Write is Scotland’s unmissable celebration of words, stories, and the brilliant minds who craft them. From hard-hitting memoirs and pulse-pounding thrillers to poetry, music, and debates on current affairs, Aye Write offers something for every kind of reader.
If I could be there myself this year here are two events I’d absolutely make sure to catch.
🔪 The Friday Girl, Dead Man’s Shoes and Creepy Crawly
With Russell D. MacLean, Marion Todd and Andrew Lowe — hosted by Arusa Qureshi 📅 Saturday 8th November 2025, 6:00pm 📍 Mitchell Library, Glasgow
Three chilling titles. Three powerhouse authors. One night that promises to have readers gripping their seats.
Award-winning writer and editor Arusa Qureshi leads the discussion and what a line-up it is!
In The Friday Girl, R.D. MacLean transports us to 1978 Scotland, where a killer begins by targeting pets before setting sights on bigger prey. Detective Burnet’s investigation unravels into a blood-soaked finale that lingers long after the last page.
Next, Marion Todd delivers Dead Man’s Shoes, the ninth outing for DI Clare Mackay. Set in St Andrews, this case drags Mackay dangerously close to the criminal underworld when the murder of a young man echoes a notorious killer’s methods.
Then comes Andrew Lowe’s Creepy Crawly — a psychological gut punch featuring DI Jake Sawyer, who’s forced to confront his own demons while tracking a brutal murderer in his hometown. Dark, atmospheric, and deeply human — my kind of read!
🩸 Sit Down with Serial Killers: Shaun Attwood with Tariq Ashkanani
📅 Sunday 9th November 2025, 6:00pm 📍 Mitchell Library, Glasgow
Now this one sounds absolutely chilling and fascinating.
Former ecstasy kingpin turned author and podcaster Shaun Attwood makes his Aye Write debut, discussing his latest book, Sitdowns with Serial Killers & Murderers. Hosted by Tariq Ashkanani, this session promises to dig deep into the darkest corners of the human mind.
Attwood has spoken to some of the world’s most violent and manipulative offenders — from killers with fifty-two confirmed victims to career criminals who’ve spent decades behind bars. Expect jaw-dropping anecdotes, sobering insights, and a few moments that make you glance over your shoulder.
You can borrow Sit Down with Serial Killers from Glasgow Life Libraries before the event too!
