Rutherglen Book Festival
Rutherglen 900 and South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture Libraries Launch the first ever Rutherglen Book Festival
Your Library. Your Stories. Your Festival.
Rutherglen 900 and South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture Libraries are delighted to announce the launch of the inaugural Rutherglen Book Festival, a new celebration of books, storytelling and creativity taking place from 29 October to 21 November 2026.
As part of the Rutherglen 900 celebrations, the festival brings together an exciting line-up of acclaimed authors, artists and poets with strong connections to Rutherglen. With a programme of free events for adults, children and young people, the festival celebrates the town’s rich literary heritage while inspiring new readers, writers and creatives.
Keira Brown, Rutherglen Book Festival programmer, said:
“It’s brilliant to see that Rutherglen is proud of its heritage and celebrating the 900th anniversary with a focus on its local writing talent with an inaugural Book Festival this Autumn. We hope that it brings local residents and wider audiences to the stunning libraries in the town.”
“Our programme is a real mix and variety, reflecting the diversity and richness of Rutherglen, where there is pretty much something for everyone, whether it’s a collage poetry workshop in partnership with the Edwin Morgan Trust, discussion around true crime and moral dilemmas in forensics or a discussion about the journey from Glasgow underground comics to American superheroes.”
“We’re also delighted that our events are also free, in collaboration with South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture Libraries and Rutherglen 900, ensuring that everyone can get access to the events. It’s encouraging, and hope that it means that all will engage in the Book Festival in October and November, and I’m already excited to be welcoming you all.”
The festival has been made possible with the generous support of principal sponsor Specsavers Rutherglen, ensuring that all events are free to attend.
Alan Munn, optometrist director at the Specsavers Rutherglen store; says:
“Specsavers Rutherglen is delighted to support the first ever Rutherglen Book Festival as principal sponsor. The festival is a fantastic opportunity to bring people together, celebrate the incredible stories and creative talent connected to our town, and inspire a new generation of readers and writers. As a local business, we’re proud to play our part in the Rutherglen 900 celebrations and, importantly, help make this exciting programme of events free and accessible to everyone in our community.”
The festival opens with 900 Years of People and Place, where Carrick McDonald and Carol Foreman of the Rutherglen Heritage Society discuss their contributions to the recently published Rutherglen Heritage: 900 Years of People and Place. Through readings from the book and a live audience Q&A, they will explore the people, places and stories that have shaped the Royal Burgh across nine centuries.
Rutherglen-born and internationally acclaimed comic artist Frank Quitely joins interviewer Adam Smith for Drawing American Comics from Rutherglen. One of the most celebrated artists in modern comics, Frank will reflect on his remarkable journey from Glasgow’s underground comics scene to illustrating some of America’s best-known superheroes, offering a fascinating insight into a career that has taken him from Rutherglen to the global stage.
Award-winning crime writer Callum McSorley brings DCI Alison McCoist back in his latest detective novel, Rat Race. In Rutherglen’s Rammy: Tartan Noir and Rat Race, Callum will read from his acclaimed trilogy and discuss the inspiration behind his work, exploring urban Scotland, Rutherglen’s influence on his writing and the enduring popularity of Scottish crime fiction.
Bestselling author Denise Mina explores the darker side of fiction in True Crime: Talking The Good Liar. Inspired by her latest thriller, featuring forensic blood spatter expert Dr Claudia O’Shiel, Denise will discuss true crime, flawed criminology and the blurred boundaries between fact and fiction, alongside a reading from the novel.
Award-winning poet Michael Mullen returns to his hometown for Tawkin Goonie in Rutherglen, an evening celebrating his acclaimed collection Goonie. Raised in Rutherglen and writing in both Scots and English, Michael’s poetry captures the humour, grit and complexity of growing up on Scotland’s west coast, offering a powerful exploration of identity, language and place.
Families can enjoy Dougal and the Raiders of Dark Park with Rutherglen children’s author Clare Leonard. This lively storytelling session features a reading from Clare’s Rutherglen-set adventure, an opportunity to discover the local inspirations behind the story, audience questions and a fun craft activity, making it the perfect event for young readers and budding creatives.
Poet Nalini Paul invites participants to explore the connections between nature, memory and belonging in Place and Poetry. Through engaging, guided writing exercises inspired by wild landscapes and personal experience, Nalini will encourage participants to discover their own creative voice while reflecting on their connection to Rutherglen during its 900th anniversary year.
Aspiring poets can experiment with words and visual storytelling in the Collage Poetry Workshop with Greg Thomas, presented in partnership with the Edwin Morgan Trust. Inspired by Edwin Morgan’s innovative concrete poetry, including his poem Rutherglen, the workshop will guide participants in creating their own original visual poems.
The inaugural festival reflects the breadth and diversity of Scotland’s literary talent—from bestselling crime fiction and internationally renowned comics to poetry, local history and family storytelling—while placing Rutherglen’s own stories and creative voices centre stage.
Councillor Robert Brown, Chair of Rutherglen 900, said:
“I am delighted that Rutherglen 900 in partnership with South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture Libraries are launching the first-ever Rutherglen Book Festival this autumn. 2026 has seen so many great events to celebrate the 900 years of the Royal Burgh but it has also produced so many memories and stories from local people – real living community history. The Book Festival very much builds on this rich heritage. The Book Festival showcases an enormous range of Rutherglen literary talent, not least the new and impressive history of Rutherglen “Rutherglen Heritage: 900 Years of People and Place” from Rutherglen Heritage Society. I am sure there is something for everyone in the range of events offered by the Book Festival. I’m certainly looking forward to it.”
The full festival programme is available on the Rutherglen 900 website, with free tickets available to book through the South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture Libraries booking platform from 31 August 2026.
The Rutherglen Book Festival forms part of the wider Rutherglen 900 programme, marking 900 years of the Royal Burgh with a year of community-led events celebrating the town’s people, places and heritage.
