Celebrate World Book Night at your local library

Edinburgh City Libraries are preparing for a day of celebration of books and reading as World book Night kicks off tonight (Tuesday 23 April) when a host (shouldn’t that be ‘chapter’ or ‘volume’? – Ed) of local authors will participate in a series of events in libraries across the city.

The annual World Book Night celebrates reading and books by recruiting tens of thousands of passionate volunteers across the country to give out specially chosen titles in the community and share their love of reading.

Councillor Richard Lewis, the city’s Culture and Sport Convener, said: “World Book Night is one of the key events in the literary events calendar and it involves tens of thousands of people across the country, putting books directly into the hands of those who might never otherwise engage with reading.

“Here in Edinburgh we’re gearing up for a fantastic evening of celebrations in a number of our libraries and I know many people are looking forward to our headline event – Alexander McCall Smith at the Central Library. It shows yet again that libraries are not just places to borrow books, but a hub of cultural and literary activity in the city, supporting and encouraging the development of reading in the community.”

Local World Book Night events include:

Leith Library (10am – 8pm)

World Book Night – Online Pirates of Leith Treasure Hunt

Solve all the clues about Leith using our fabulous Our Town Stories website (http://www.ourtownstories.co.uk/). Then come and claim your booty from some real live pirates! Successful adventurers will take home copies of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic ‘Treasure Island’. Yarrrr!

Keep an eye on the Leith Library blog at http://leithlibrary.wordpress.com/ and @LeithLibrary Twitter for more details! First clues due around 2pm.

Muirhouse Library (6 – 7pm)

World Book Night with Allan Guthrie

Prize winning Edinburgh based crime writer, author of many gripping stories including ‘Slammer’ and ‘Bye Bye Baby’, will read from and talk about his books. His books have been described as having the power to ‘make you writhe in agony’ while dealing ‘heart stopping suspense’.

To book a place call 0131 529 5528 or email muirhouse.library@edinburgh.gov.uk

Blackhall Library (6.30 – 7.30pm)

World Book Night with Andrew Greig

Listen to this Scottish novelist, poet and writer, read and discuss prose from ‘At the Loch of the Green Corrie’ and ‘Found At Sea’, a book-length sequence of narrative poems. The event will be chaired by Ryan Van Winkle, Edinburgh City Libraries’ writer in residence.

To book a place call 0131 529 5595 or email blackhall.library@edinburgh.gov.uk

Crime writer to visit Muirhouse Library on World Book Night

Muirhouse Library will welcome a special guest to mark World Book Night tommorow evening – come and meet Edinburgh-based crime writer Allan Guthrie (pictured below) at 6.00pm. Free tickets available at the library.

World Book Night, a celebration of reading and books which sees tens of thousands of passionate volunteers gift specially chosen and printed books in their communities to share their love of reading.

World Book Night is about giving books and encouraging reading in those who don’t regularly do so. But it is also about more than that: it’s about people, communities and connections, about reaching out to others and touching lives in the simplest of ways, through the sharing of stories.

World Book Night aims to raise the profile of reading through a mass engagement project which works at a grass roots level to inspire those who don’t regularly read to do so, placing books into the hands of those who don’t regularly read. It also raises the profile of reading for pleasure through a series of celebratory events, which helps to improve literacy and can also bring communities together.

Get set for Book Week Scotland

Scottish crime writer Alex Gray’s visit (see previous post ‘Top Crime Writer to visit Muirhouse Library’) is the perfect start to Book Week Scotland, Scotland’s first-ever celebration of reading. And whether you want to spend the entire week celebrating books and reading – or if you have just have a single hour to spare – there’s time enough to fall in love with books!

Book Week Scotland runs from Monday November 26 until Sunday December 2, 2012, and people the length and breadth of Scotland will be encouraged to engage in the first ever week-long national celebration of reading and participate in a range of free events.

Initiated by the Scottish Government, Book Week Scotland will be delivered on behalf of Creative Scotland by Scottish Book Trust, the leading agency for the promotion of literature, reading and writing in Scotland. Scottish Book Trust is working with authors, workplaces, libraries and schools across the country to deliver a packed programme of free projects and events, bringing Scots of all ages and from all walks of life together to celebrate books and reading.

Key partners including Scottish Libraries and Information Council, Publishing Scotland, and Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature will help to deliver Book Week Scotland activity.

Launching the initiave earlier this year, Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, said: “Book Week Scotland will be a national, inclusive celebration of reading. It will encourage Scots from all backgrounds, of all ages and with all interests, to embark or continue on a reading journey. It will also provide a platform – in our Year of Creative Scotland – to celebrate our nation’s exceptional cultural, creative and literary talent.

“The Scottish Government is firmly committed to increasing learning through the arts and culture, and to promoting the value of taking part in cultural activity. Through Book Week Scotland, we hope to engage the whole of Scotland in these important aims.”

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “Above all, Book Week Scotland will be a celebration of books and reading, providing everyone across Scotland with the opportunity to get involved, and with the inspiration to begin or continue their reading journey, to share old favourites and to discover new must-reads.”

Andrew Dixon, Chief Executive of Creative Scotland, said: “Book Week Scotland will celebrate Scotland’s love of writers and reading. It’s a great national initiative for this Year of Creative Scotland and has the potential to grow into another calendar event for Scotland.”

The development of Book Week Scotland is being supported with £150,000 from Creative Scotland’s Year of Creative Scotland programme, which is funded with investment from the Scottish Government and the National Lottery. Scottish Book Trust is working with a range of partners to lever additional funding and support.

As part of the national celebration, Scottish Book Trust will publish an anthology of writing celebrating Scotland‘s favourite places. Written by members of the public and commissioned authors, thousands of copies of My Favourite Place will be distributed free throughout Scotland during Book Week Scotland.

If a week of books and reading is too much, how about just an hour? At 11 a.m. on St Andrew’s Day (Friday 30 November) thousands of people across Scotland will stop what they’re doing and read. The Reading Hour will happen anywhere and everywhere and you can easily be a part of it. Whether you’re on a train, bus or ferry; in a library, at work or at school, or simply at home in your favourite chair; all you need to do is sit down with a good book.

If you’d like some advice on choosing a book then get in touch with the League of Extraordinary Booklovers, Scottish Book Trust’s band of citizen book experts who are on hand to make sure your next book is a good one.

Events are also happening across the country to mark the nation’s first ever Reading Hour. Come along to the Read-In at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh or click here to find other Reading Hour events throughout Scotland.

For more information about Book Week Scotland, visit the website here. Follow @Bookweekscot on Twitter, check out the #happyreading hashtag or ‘like’ the Book Week Scotland Facebook page.

Will you be taking part in Book Week Scotland? Reading Hour, then?

What’s your favourite book?

Let us know!