I can’t quite believe this is happening - Sir Ian is turning the tables! Thank you to the Royal Society of Edinburgh for putting this event on. Tickets are free and the event is in Edinburgh. I hope to see you there!

Get tickets here.

I’m joined by historical fiction legend Maggie O’Farrell to discuss her novels Hamnet and The Marriage Portrait, star of the Windrush series Three Little Birds, Rochelle Neil, reveals the books that inspire her, and winner of the first Caine Prize for African Writing, Leila Aboulela shares the origins of her latest historical novel River Spirit. Lifelong fans of The Colour Purple by Alice Walker share why they love the novel, and Colin Grant, Michael Pedersen and Jackie Kay share their personal histories told in memoir and poetry.

Join us on BBC Scotland, Tuesday 24th October, 10.30pm-11.30pm.

We're back! Join us on Tuesday 17th October, BBC Scotland at 10.30pm for a Crime Special. My guests are Irvine Welsh, Ann Cleeves and Lauren Lyle. We're talking true-crime podcasts, revenge in Edinburgh and truth in Shetland.

If you miss the show, you can catch up on BBC iPlayer. Thanks to all my guests, to IWC for producing and to you for watching and sharing.

Watch here!

Damian will be hosting a Salon at Edinburgh International Book Festival! Join him for an evening of lively discussion, readings, and performance as he brings together some very special guests for this Edinburgh edition of the Salon. Damian will be joined by Monica Heisey, and more guests. 

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Damian Barr’s Maggie & Me is a bestselling memoir of growing up in Thatcher’s Britain. A decade since its publication, he returns to discuss that memorable period with Catherine Taylor whose own memoir, The Stirrings, offers her account of growing up in 1970s and 80s Sheffield. Join us for a fascinating conversation between two writers exploring the hopes and fears of adolescence during that time. Chaired by Mary Robson.

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To mark the end of Pride month 2023, Audible and Out on the Page are hosting a ‘Celebration of Queer Storytelling‘ at Barbican on Tuesday 27th June, a one-off panel event which invites attendees to engage in a dynamic and joyous discussion about queer representation in modern storytelling.

I will be joining a panel of established, emerging and celebrated members of the LGBTQIA+ writing community, including award-winning writer, performer and theatre maker Travis Alabanza (None of the Above); award-winning author and Lecturer in Creative Writing Okechukwu Nzelu (Here Again Now, The Private Joys of Nnenna Maloney); award-winning Young Adult author Lisa Williamson (The Art of Being Normal, All About Mia); poet, playwright and education facilitator Gayathiri Kamalakanthan, and presenter and broadcaster Shivani Dave set to host and steer the panel discussion.

Tickets are available for ‘Celebration of Queer Storytelling‘ on Eventbrite.

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Damian Barr’s Literary Salon returns to The London Library on Thursday May 25th, with Monica Heisey and a world premiere from Jenni Fagan. Hosted by Damian Barr.

We’re back in person and online for our first Salon of 2023! With two bold and brilliant writers.

Every story starts with a writer alchemising their own experience. Whether it’s a memoir or epic fiction, the truth of the writer is in there somewhere. Join us as we explore two equally superb, but wildly different, books where the writer uses their own story to powerful effect.

Really Good, Actually is Monica Heisey’s debut novel. Her heroine is Maggie, 29, who manages to get divorced before most of her friends have even considered getting married. And her marriage ended just 608 days after it started. Sure, she’s alone for the first time in her life, can’t afford her rent and her obscure PhD is going nowhere . . . but she’s fine – she’s doing really good, actually. Like Maggie, Monica is a ‘Surprisingly Young Divorcée TM’. Here she uses fiction to tell a bigger truth than her own. It is so funny I have lightly stained some pages. Monica has contributed to The New Yorker, the New York Times, Vogue and the Guardian. And she’s written on shows including Schitt’s Creek!

We are honoured to bring you the world premiere of the long-awaited memoir by the award-winning, genre-bending genius Jenni Fagan. Ootlin has been twenty years and a lifetime in the making. Jenni takes us on her journey through the broken care system from birth to the age of 16. It is a story of loss, love and longing. Of trying to find your way and finding your place in an often-hostile world. It is a story about the stories we tell ourselves of ourselves. It is powerfully alive and heart-breaking and ultimately hopeful because Jenni’s story lives in every page she’s ever written. Ootlin is sure to be a classic.

We return to The London Library! The London Library opened in 1841, it’s the largest independent lending library in the world and supported by its esteemed Members. Alumni include Bram Stoker and Virginia Woolf. Today you might spot Inua Ellams or Sarah Waters scribbling among the stacks. Apparently, they all have favourite desks!

Doors open at 6.30pm and so will the bar! The Salon starts at 7.30pm. Tickets are seated-early arrivals swoop on the seats at the front. There will be no interval.

The first wave of tickets will be on sale on from 9am for newsletter subscribers and the second wave will be available from 12pm for everyone.

• Early bird (in person) tickets are £15.

• Newsletter Subscriber (in person) tickets are £22.50.

• Standard (in person) tickets are £22.50.

• Online tickets (watch live and after event) £5

• All plus Eventbrite booking fees.

Covid Safety at Salon and The London Library: please do not come to the Library if you have tested positive or are showing symptoms for covid. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in keeping everyone at the Library safe. For more information about the London Library go to www.londonlibrary.co.uk/whats-on. You can also find out about accessibility there.

The event will be livestreamed and we will also record it for our podcast after! Thanks, as ever, for all your support.

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RSL x RVT: An Evening with Damian Barr ‘The Grand Hotel survives. So does Maggie. So will I.’ Tuesday 25th April, 7pm.

For the first time, the Royal Society of Literature joins forces with the legendary Royal Vauxhall Tavern for a night of celebration and conversation, marking the tenth birthday of Damian Barr’s memoir, Maggie & Me.

RSL Fellow, writer, broadcaster and Salon host Damian Barr is delighted to be in conversation with award-winning writer and broadcaster Sathnam Sanghera. They will discuss: Maggie & Me, the years since publication, the arts of memoir, fiction, and adaptation and the importance of telling your own story. And speaking of friends, Damian and Sathnam will be joined by some very special guests.

Join us at the RVT, a vital part of the London LGBTQ+ community since the 1950s, to raise a glass to a landmark memoir and a remarkable story, beautifully told.

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NEW DATE ANNOUNCED!

Join us on the 21st November for an in-person and online Salon at The British Library, as we celebrate Marple: Twelve New Stories, a brand-new collection of original tales penned by some of the world’s most acclaimed and bestselling female writers. Each story takes inspiration from Agatha Christie’s classic originals to feature a new mystery for Miss Marple to solve. As ever, she knows more than she appears to.

Damian Barr will be joined by contributing authors Lucy Foley and Kate Mosse, as well as Agatha Christie’s great grandson and CEO and Chairman of Agatha Christie Ltd, James Prichard. The evening will feature exclusive readings, expert insights, and special appearances from Marple super-fans, celebrating the incomparable, enigmatic spirt of Jane Marple and her legendary creator Agatha Christie.

Tickets start at £10 for the in-person event (concessions are available) and £5 online. A ticket and book bundle will also be available and books will be on sale on the night. The box office and bar open at 6.30pm and the Salon will start at 7pm. Lucy Foley and Kate Mosse will also be signing books after the event.

The British Library is the national library of the UK, collecting an unparalleled archive of books, manuscripts, maps, newspapers, sounds and even websites. It’s collection of over 170 million items span both the momentous and the everyday, from Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks, Jane Austen’s early writings, and Benjamin Zephaniah’s handwritten poetry to rare sacred texts, feminist literature and the UK’s earliest newspapers. The Library shares these collections with thousands of people every day, helping to inspire the next great idea or moment of joyful discovery.

See you there!

GET TICKETS

The Big Scottish Book Club is back for episode 4 of the new series!
20th November 10pm
BBC iPlayer & BBC Scotland
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001dtz8

The Big Scottish Book Club is back on Sunday 20th November, 10pm for episode four of the new series!

Damian Barr chats to best-selling writer Patrick Gale about his latest novel, Mother’s Boy; footballing legend Pat Nevin talks about the books he loves and his memoir, Accidental Footballer; and award-winning journalist Chitra Ramaswamy discusses her story of a very special friendship, Homelands.

The Forth Valley Reading Group for Blind and Partially Sighted People give their verdict on Scottish classic Sunset Song, by Lewis Grassic Gibbon, and there are reading recommendations from the people of Insch.

Watch us live or catch-up with past episodes on BBC iPlayer & BBC Scotland!

WATCH HERE

The Big Scottish Book Club final episode of series 4!
18th December 10pm
BBC iPlayer & BBC Scotland
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001dtz8

The Big Scottish Book Club’s final episode of series 4 will broadcast on Sunday 18th December, 10pm!

Damian Barr chats to writer and radio presenter Reverend Richard Coles about his best-selling debut novel, ‘Murder Before Evensong’; award-winning writer and poet Lemn Sissay shares his favourite books; and musician and broadcaster Cerys Matthews reveals her love of Dylan Thomas and discusses her new adaptation of ‘Under Milk Wood’. The readers of St Boswell’s share their thoughts on Scottish classic ‘Trumpet’, by Jackie Kay, and recommend the books they would give to a friend.

Watch us live or catch-up with past episodes on BBC iPlayer & BBC Scotland!

WATCH HERE

The Big Scottish Book Club is back for episode 2 of the new series!
6th November 10pm
BBC iPlayer & BBC Scotland
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001dtz8

The Big Scottish Book Club is back on Sunday 6th November, 10pm for episode two of the new series!

Damian's joined by Armistead Maupin to discuss his classic Tales of the City series, Glasgow-based comedian Josie Long reveals the writers that inspire her, and Andrew Cotter talks about his books Dog Days and Olive, Mabel and Me.

The Edinburgh Gay Men’s Book Group rate Scottish classic 'Trainspotting' and regulars at The Portobello Bookshop give their recommended reads.

Watch us live or catch-up with past episodes on BBC iPlayer & BBC Scotland!

WATCH HERE

The Big Scottish Book Club is back for episode 3 of the new series!
13th November 10pm
BBC iPlayer & BBC Scotland
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001dtz8

The Big Scottish Book Club is back on Sunday 13th November, 10pm for episode three of the new series!

Damian Barr chats to Booker-nominated author Graeme Macrae Burnet about his latest novel, Case Study. Best-selling writer Denise Mina discusses her literary inspirations and new crime thriller Confidence, and broadcaster Stuart Cosgrove shares his love of soul music and his books Hey America! and Cassius X.

The students of Perth High School give their thoughts on Scottish classic The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, by Muriel Spark, while the teachers reveal their recommended reads.

Watch us live or catch-up with past episodes on BBC iPlayer & BBC Scotland!

WATCH HERE

The Big Scottish Book Club Returns!
30th October 10pm
BBC iPlayer & BBC Scotland
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001dtz8

We're back! The Big Scottish Book Club returns to BBC iPlayer and BBC Scotland! Join us for the first episode of series four!

Damian chats to international best-selling novelist Kate Mosse about her love of Miss Marple and her new book, 'Warrior Queens and Quiet Revolutionaries'. Bafta-winning actress Elaine C. Smith shares the books she loves, and former police officer turned hit writer Karen Campbell discusses her latest novel, 'Paper Cup'.

The readers of Arran give their thoughts on Scottish classic 'The Trick is to Keep Breathing', by Janice Galloway, and people at The Great Tapestry of Scotland in Galashiels reveal their reading recommendations.

Join us live on on BBC Scotland or BBC iPlayer - we'll be on every Sunday for eight weeks and you can catch up whenever suits you. Thanks for all your support!

Watch The Big Scottish Book Club on Sunday, 30th October at 10pm, BBC Scotland and BBC iPlayer.

WATCH HERE

SALON POSTPONED!

We are very sorry, but An Evening with Miss Marple has been postponed. The event was due to take place tomorrow, Tues 13th Sept, but will now be held at a later date. The British Library has cancelled all events until after the Queen's funeral.

We will let you know as soon as a new date has been confirmed. All ticket holders will be contacted by the British Library.

Join us on the 13th September for an in-person and online Salon at the British Library, as we launch Marple: Twelve New Stories, a brand-new collection of original tales penned by some of the world’s most acclaimed and bestselling female writers. Each story takes inspiration from Agatha Christie’s classic originals to feature a new mystery for Miss Marple to solve. As ever, she knows more than she appears to.

Damian Barr will be joined by contributing authors Lucy Foley and Kate Mosse, as well as historian, presenter and Christie biographer Lucy Worsley. The evening will feature exclusive readings, expert insights, and special appearances from Marple super-fans, celebrating the incomparable, enigmatic spirt of Jane Marple and her legendary creator Agatha Christie.

Tickets start at £10 for the in-person event (concessions are available) and £5 online. A ticket and book bundle will also be available and books will be on sale on the night. The box office and bar open at 6pm, theatre doors at 6.45pm and the Salon will start at 7pm. Lucy Foley, Kate Mosse and Lucy Worsley will also be signing books after the event.

The British Library is the national library of the UK, collecting an unparalleled archive of books, manuscripts, maps, newspapers, sounds and even websites. It’s collection of over 170 million items span both the momentous and the everyday, from Leonardo da Vinci’s notebooks, Jane Austen’s early writings, and Benjamin Zephaniah’s handwritten poetry to rare sacred texts, feminist literature and the UK’s earliest newspapers. The Library shares these collections with thousands of people every day, helping to inspire the next great idea or moment of joyful discovery.

See you there!

GET TICKETS

Hamnet was a runaway bestseller before winning the Women’s Prize for Fiction in 2020. Unsurprisingly, Maggie O’Farrell’s latest novel is one of the most hotly-anticipated of 2022. Today, in conversation with Damian Barr, the Edinburgh-based writer launches The Marriage Portrait, a portrayal of the battle for survival by a captivating young duchess in 16th century Florence. Welcome to the irresistible world of Lucrezia de’ Medici.

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Kit de Waal’s influence across contemporary British literature is so broad as to be almost immeasurable. So how is it that one of our titans of the written word grew up with only the Bible to read? De Waal comes to this year’s Festival to chat about a childhood caught between three worlds and her unforgettable new memoir Without Warning & Only Sometimes with Damian Barr.

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I will be in conversation with Dr Eve Poole, Chief Executive of the RSE, to discuss the important moments in my life, get to the heart of issues I care about, and the inspirations behind my work.

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World premieres from Kit de Waal and Abi Morgan at The London Library, Thurs 5th May, doors and bar open at 6.30pm and the Salon will start at 7.30pm and finish at 9pm.

Tickets will be available to newsletter subscribers at 9am on 23rd March and to the general public at 12pm. Prices start at £15 plus booking fee.

Kit is the award-winning and bestselling author of My Name Is Leon and edited the pioneering collection Common People. Without Warning & Only Sometimes: Scenes from an Unpredictable Childhood is her story of growing up in a household of opposites and extremes. Her haphazard mother was a devout Jehovah’s Witness who believed the world would end in 1975. Her father was the opposite. Kit was caught between three worlds: Irish, Caribbean and British in 1960s Birmingham. It’s funny, honest and as compelling as her fiction.

Abi Morgan is the BAFTA and Emmy-winning playwright who created The Iron Lady, Suffragette and The Hour. She shifts from screen to page for This Is Not A Pity Memoir. From the very first page it is intimate and within five pages I was falling in love with her and her husband Jacob: ‘This is the man I love, the man I have known for nearly twenty years. The man who have fought with and laughed with and loved with. The man who is never going to be the same again.’

Tickets will be available to newsletter subscribers at 9am on 23rd March and to the general public at 12pm. Prices start at £15 plus booking fee. Doors and bar open at 6.30pm and the Salon will start at 7.30pm and finish at 9pm.

Join us for this very special Salon all about memoir. And it’s the world premiere for both books! See you there.

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The Literary Salon with Douglas Stuart, author of Shuggie Bain. Interviewed by Damian Barr At Ironworks Studios in Brighton.

On Friday April 22nd 2022, 730-9pm. Doors and bar open 6.30pm (bar will be open after the event too).

Douglas Stuart will be in conversation with Damian Barr, talking about his new novel, Young Mungo. Join us in-person in Brighton. It’s going to be quite the night!

We will have books on sale and Douglas will be signing after the event.

Shuggie Bain broke our hearts and publishing records, winning the Booker Prize and launching Douglas Stuart. We’re proud to say we premiered Shuggie Bain at a special online Salon in June 2020 and we’re delighted to continue the conversation with the much-anticipated Young Mungo.

Young Mungo is the story of two boys, two tribes and two Scotlands. Catholic James and Protestant Mungo live in the violent, macho world of Glasgow’s council schemes. Gangs brawl along sectarian lines and life is divided. But love will always find a way. And so, James and Mungo find each other. Mungo and James dream of escaping the gangs and the grey, fractured city. Will their dream come true?

This is the Scotland Douglas Stuart grew up in. It’s also where and when Damian grew up, with a Catholic mother and Protestant father – his family as divided as the community around them. So, he can’t wait to sit down with Douglas and talk about that place and time, divided loyalties, the unintended consequences of ‘love’ and the lives of boys like James and Mungo. You will love them, and Young Mungo, just as much as you loved Shuggie Bain. And you’ll carry them in your heart forever after.

Arrive early to find your seat (seats are not allocated beforehand) and enjoy a drink in the colourful and relaxing bar area. Ironworks Studios is a brand new event and performance space in the heart of Brighton’s North Laine. Find out more here.

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#RACHELSBACK! Celebrate the return of Rachel with Marian Keyes and Special Guests at Damian Barr’s Literary Salon!

The phenomenal, multi-million-copy, internationally bestselling author Marian Keyes returns for an exclusive digital Literary Salon to reveal one of the most anticipated books of 2022: ‘Again, Rachel’.

This long-awaited sequel is Marian’s fifteenth novel. Her books have rightly become beloved world-wide for their heartwarming combination of wit, love and fearless honesty depicted through down-to-earth characters we feel we know. 'Rachel’s Holiday', in which Rachel Walsh debuted 25 years ago, is regarded by many fans as their favourite. Since then, readers have been dying to know just what happened to Rachel, and some fella named Luke Costello…

As well as her new novel, Marian will be chatting about her own writing journey and craft, where she draws her inspiration from, and how she brings humour to some of today’s most important contemporary issues.

Damian Barr will be your host for this very special Salon conjuring a fabliss evening for you all! Expect Very Special Guests and plenty of fun and games. The brilliant broadcaster, journalist and Marian-superfan, Alex Clark will be interviewing Marian. Alex, often heard on BBC R4’s such Front Row and Open Book, was a judge for the (then) Man Booker Prize - expect a gripping and gorgeous conversation! And you’ll have the chance to get your questions answered by Marian!

The Salon runs online from 7-8.30pm. We have various ticket options including an extra special book-and-ticket bundle, which gives you the chance to get your hands on a copy before the Salon and before it even hits the shelves! This is one FABLISS evening for every true fan whoever and wherever you are.

If you can’t join us live on the night, don’t fret, as you'll also be able to watch the Salon back whenever you want afterwards. It’ll be just as much fun! We really look forward to you joining us.

For every ‘book and ticket’ package sold we will offer a free online ticket so that someone who would not otherwise be able to enjoy the event get’s to join in. And, as with all online salons, this evening will be streamed free to any library that wants to take part - just email libraries@literary-salon.co.uk for details.

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Damian knows all too well the challenges writers face when they have to leave their desk and take their book out into the world. He’ll be joining ALCS for their Instagram Live series, Write Now, to share his advice on going from the solitude of your study to presenting yourself on stage at readings and events. Follow ALCS and Damian now to make sure you don't miss it on Insta Live, Tues 8th Feb at 8pm.

The London Library, Thursday December 2nd 2021. Doors 6.30pm. Salon starts 7.30pm. 9pm finish.

We’ve missed you! The buzz, the beauty, the JOY of being together!

Award-winning actor, creator of a myriad of unforgettable characters from Lady Whiteadder to Gertrude Stein, Miriam truly is a national treasure and possibly our very favourite lesbian. She’s made us wait until now for her extraordinary life story. And it's far richer and stranger than any part she's played. From declaring her love to Vanessa Redgrave to being told to be quiet by the Queen, this book is packed with brilliant stories. This Much Is True she claims. Will one evening be enough?

We met Mohsin Zaidi when he was finishing his memoir and worrying about it. A Dutiful Boy is an instant classic - told with humour and love. Raised in a strict Muslim household in East London, Mohsin dodged gangs on his way to school. All the while reckoning with his sexuality. He escaped to Oxford on his way to a career in law. Does he manage to reconcile seemingly irreconcilable worlds?

What a night it’s going to be!

We’re popping up at the London Library, where we launched The Giver of Stars with Jojo Moyes. The London Library opened in 1841, - it’s the largest independent lending library in the world and supported by its esteemed Members. Alumni include Bram Stoker and Virginia Woolf. Today you might spot Inua Ellams or Sarah Waters scribbling among the stacks. Apparently, they all have favourite desks!

Doors open at 7pm. The Salon starts at 7.30pm. Tickets are seated-early arrivals swoop on the seats at the front. There will be no interval. We finish around 9pm but you’re very welcome to stick around after—the bar will be open. This event will be COVID-safe. The London Library is all ours for the night. We will release more tickets on the day and if you can’t make it, we will be sharing highlights.

• Early bird (in person) tickets are £15 inc welcome drink.

• Newsletter Subscriber (in person) tickets are £25 inc welcome drink.

• Standard (in person) tickets are £25 inc welcome drink.

• Online tickets (watch live and after event) £5

• Plus Eventbrite booking fees.

For more information about the London Library go to www.londonlibrary.co.uk/whats-on. You can also find out about their event access and COVID guidelines www.londonlibrary.co.uk/EVENTS-ACCESS-GUIDELINES.

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The Big Scottish Book Club
28th November 10pm
BBC iPlayer & BBC Scotland
Theme: Crime
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000bc3j

Join us for episode five of the new series of The Big Scottish Book Club.

This week Damian is talking crime, murder and mayhem with writers Alan Johnson, Ian Rankin and Alan Parks. There is also poetry from Nasim Rebecca Asl.

Join us live on BBC iPlayer or on BBC Scotland - we're on every Sunday night and you can catch up whenever suits you. Thank you for all your support!

Join us live on BBC iPlayer or on BBC Scotland - we're on every Sunday night and you can catch up whenever suits you. Thank you for all your support!

The Big Scottish Book Club is produced by IWC, a Banijay company.

Watch The Big Scottish Book Club on Sunday, 28th November at 10pm, BBC Scotland and BBC iPlayer.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000bc3j

The Big Scottish Book Club
21st November 10pm
BBC iPlayer & BBC Scotland
Theme: Families
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000bc3j

Join us for episode four of the new series of The Big Scottish Book Club.

This week Damian is talking Families and his guests are Bobby Gillespie, Kirsty Capes and Séamas O’Reilly. And there's poetry from Mae Diansangu!

Thrillingly, Damian's mum and sister are in the audience - perfect for the family theme.

Join us live on BBC iPlayer or on BBC Scotland - we're on every Sunday night and you can catch up whenever suits you. Thank you for all your support!

The Big Scottish Book Club is produced by IWC, a Banijay company.

Watch The Big Scottish Book Club on Sunday, 21st November at 10pm, BBC Scotland and BBC iPlayer.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000bc3j

This event will be online & will have a BSL interpreter

Join us online for a very special night of stories and poetry as Damian celebrates three of Scotland’s most exciting voices: Len Pennie, Courtney Stoddart and Alan Cumming!

Len is a champion for Scots and isnae feart! Her poems have been enjoyed by millions online and she recently appeared with Damian in the BBC documentary In Search of Sir Walter Scott. Courtney is an acclaimed Scottish-Caribbean poet and performer. Her work focuses on racism, imperialism, womanhood and growing up in Scotland. Courtney has featured in various theatrical productions, including Lament For Sheku Bayoh at the Lyceum during Edinburgh International Festival 2019.

Alan is…Alan and his latest memoir , Baggage: Tales from a Fully Packed Life, sees him unpack the lot. It is an honest, poignant and joyful insight into his extraordinary life. He covers career highlights - from winning a Tony and an Olivier to filming with Stanley Kubrick and the Spice Girls. Alan also offers an honest account of the less glamorous, often painful, moments which underpin the values he fights for as a committed social justice and LGBTQI+ activist. And yes, there are Liza Minnelli stories.

Join us online live for a joyous, honest and uniquely Scottish evening!

We'll be raising funds for the Scottish Book Trust and a portion of your ticket will go towards their incredible work. Book Week Scotland is run by the Scottish Book Trust - a national charity bringing the benefits of reading and writing to everyone in Scotland since 1998. Every year, they deliver their world-class programmes and annual awards to well over two million people. From introducing books and storytelling to pre-school children to inspiring and empowering adult readers and writers, they believe it's never too early – or too late – to begin a magical journey with words.

We kick off at 7pm and finish at 8.30pm. You can post questions in the chat before and during the event and we will do our best to get to them. Remember it’s a safe space so please keep it all joyfully respectful. Alan, Courtney, Len and Damian will be in the YouTube chat after so feel free to join them there.

• Standard tickets are £5

• Concession tickets £2 (Concession tickets apply to people over 60, people with disabilities, students and people on benefits).

• Plus Eventbrite booking fees.

10% of all ticket sales go to charity. You can text READ followed by your donation amount to 70580 to give that amount*.

If you can’t join us live on the night don’t fret, as you'll be able to watch the Salon whenever you want using the link in the Online Event Page and in your ticket confirmation email.

This event is produced and presented by Damian Barr’s Literary Salon.

We look forward to welcoming you to this Book Week Scotland Special and thank you for your support.

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*Texts will cost the donation amount plus one standard network rate message, and you’ll be opting into hearing more from Scottish Book Trust. If you would like to donate but don't wish to hear more from the charity, please text READNOINFO instead.

The Big Scottish Book Club
14th November 10pm
BBC iPlayer & BBC Scotland
Theme: The Power of Stories
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000bc3j

Join us for episode three of the new series of The Big Scottish Book Club. This time the theme is The Power of Stories.

Damian Barr is at Motherwell Concert Hall discussing the power of stories with guests Bryony Gordon, Mohsin Zaidi and Darren McGarvey.

There is also poetry from Jeda Pearl, and the Durno book group give their thoughts on one of this week’s books.

Join us live on BBC iPlayer or on BBC Scotland - we'll be on every Sunday for eight weeks and you can catch up whenever suits you. Thanks for all your support!

The Big Scottish Book Club is produced by IWC, a Banijay company.

Watch The Big Scottish Book Club on Sunday, 14th November at 10pm, BBC Scotland and BBC iPlayer.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000bc3j