A bursting Book Week Scotland!

We’ve recovered from our packed Book Week Scotland and made it through all the photos and social media posts! Turns out we welcomed over 1200 people to an incredible week of library events! Book Week Scotland ran November 18-23. Here’s a wee taste of what happened.

Kate Leiper at Meadowbank LIbrary.
Helen Fitzgerald and Doug Johnstone.
Demonstrating camouflage with Kinnaird pupils at Larbert Library.
Beancross pupils fanning the scent of the pine forest around the room!
Adult & Teen Writing Rammy Winners.
Matthew Fitt at Denny Library.
Helen Fitzgerald & Doug Johnstone.
Emily Dodd signing books at Slamannan Primary.
Book Week Scotland booty!
Helen reading from 'Worst Case Scenario'.
Violet, Writing Rammy junior poetry winner.
Emily Dodd with a group from Beancross primary.
Aaron, reading his Writing Rammy story.
Doug Johnstone reading Breakers
Writing Rammy junior group
Kate Leiper at Meadowbank LIbrary.

Monday

Marlene’s manic Monday saw her head to Bo’ness Primary for stories and rhymes with P1, P2 and P3 pupils, while Zetland Nursery popped into Grangemouth Library to choose some books.

Debbie at Bonnybridge Library had the lovely job of gifting Bookbug Primary 1 Bags to St. Joseph’s Primary P1s. She really enjoyed reading Sophie Johnson: Unicorn Expert!

Evelyn and the Falkirk Library team had visits from Comely Park Primary on Monday, Tuesday AND Thursday! Phew!

We celebrated our wonderful Writing Rammy winners on Monday evening. Helen MacKinven did a top-notch job playing host. She created a lovely atmosphere for everyone to get up and read their incredible stories. At the end we headed into the cold night feeling warm and fuzzy!

Tuesday

Slamannan Primary were the lucky recipients of a visit from amazing Emily Dodd and her Crime Squirrel Investigators! After the event Debbie and John from Slamannan Library gifted the pupils with Bookbug Primary 1 bags.

Wednesday

Emily’s next stop was Grangemouth Primary on Wednesday morning to meet two P2 classes from Beancross Primary. What a cracking morning!

The Bonnybridge team welcomed two classes of pupils from Antonine Primary for stories and rewarded them with Read Write Count bags.

Thursday

We LOVE Kate Leiper’s beautiful illustrations, so we were thrilled when she agreed to come along and tell us, and an S3 art class from Braes High, about her process.

The afternoon saw the return of Aunty Emily. We had an afternoon full of stories, science and giggles with the P1s from Kinnaird Primary. More photos from all of Emily’s visits this week are on Facebook.

Debbie at Bonnybridge Library welcomed the Bonnybridge Cub Scouts as they found out more about St. Andrew’s Day. Marlene popped back to see more pals at St. Mary’s Primary in Bo’ness. She enjoyed storytelling sessions with P4, P6 and P7 pupils.

Our big event for adults made for a thrilling Thursday evening. Helen Fitzgerald and Doug Johnstone provided an hour of intelligent, insightful and very funny chat. We heard all about their upcoming work – they’ve got a jam-packed 2020 ahead! Check out their new books Worst Case Scenario (Helen) and Breakers (Doug).

Friday

Lynne and Laura took Larbert Library to Ladeside Primary and told stories all morning. The pupils added their favourite books, authors and reading subjects to a HUGE Reading Banner.

A huge poster of drawings and book titles
Ladeside Primary’s Reading Scroll

Poet, author and Scots Language champion, Matthew Fitt, headed West to Bonnybridge and Denny Libraries, catching pupils from Antonine Primary, Bonnybridge Primary and Denny Primary! Denny also welcomed the Denny Primary nursery class for stories in the morning. There’s more Matthew photos on Facebook.

And, like every week, we had a grand blether at our adult craft and book groups and enjoyed stories, rhymes and giggles at our weekly Bookbug and Storytime sessions. What a week! Time to put our feet up!

Thanks

Before we go, we’d like to thank the Scottish Book Trust for their Book Week Scotland support and the Live Literature sessions that enable us to host such great events. Funding from the Scottish Library and Information Council has also been invaluable.

Big thanks also go to the fine practitioners who delivered such engaging sessions: Emily Dodd, Matthew Fitt , Helen Fitzgerald , Doug Johstone, Kate Leiper and Helen MacKinven.

We also say “Hooray for library staff!”, as none of this would happen without them!

Thanks to everyone who joined us last week – come back soon!

It’s Book Week Scotland!

Book Week Scotland at Falkirk Libraries

Sound the fanfare! It’s Book Week Scotlan, the national celebration of books and reading! The theme this year is ‘Blether’, so let’s have a wee chat about what’s happening…

Get the FREE Book Week Scotland Book

Blether features true stories from across Scotland.

Find out more about the Blether Book on the Book Week Scotland webpage .

Join in the Digital Festival

If you can’t get to events near you (or would rather just not leave your comfy couch) check out the Book Week Scotland Digital Festival! Details are on the Book Week Scotland website.

Book Week Scotland Digital Festival programme.

Have a blether with Helen Fitzgerald and Doug Johnstone!

Two incredible authors join us for a chinwag on Thursday night.

Worst Case Scenario is Helen Fitzgerald‘s a dark and gripping new book. We’ll also hopefully get to chat with her about The Cry, the TV adaptation of which, had us glued to our seats. We’ll maybe even get a sneak peek of upcoming Australia Day, which although not even yet released, will be making its way to our screens in 2020.

Joining Helen is our favourite crime-writing drummer, Doug Johnstone. In addition to gracing stages across the country (including Glastonbury!) with crime-writing, rock n’ roll super group, The Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers, Doug has a back catalogue of thrilling, moving fiction. His new book Breakers has been winning praise all over place.

Enjoy Book Week Scotland with your family

Advert for Helen Fitzgerald and Doug Johnstone event.

Books for your bump

Smiling pregnant woman reading a book.

This Book Week Scotland we’re encouraging you to blether to your newborn-to-be about books!

Did you know that babies can hear your voice from around 22 weeks of pregnancy?

Our Reading to Your Bump session is a friendly, relaxed story session, where you can meet other parents to be and get tips for reading to your nearly newborn.

  • Come along to the session at Bo’ness Library, 2pm, on Wednesday 20th November. No booking necessary.

Bookbug Sessions

Sing, giggle and snuggle along with stories, songs, rhymes for preschool children from age 0. Never been before? Book Week Scotland is the perfect time to head along. All our libraries run weekly Bookbug sessions.

Our friendly, inclusive groups will give you a warm welcome and Bookbug sessions are a great way to meet other parents and grandparents.

Storytimes

If ever there was a week to join in a library storytime, it’s Book Week Scotland! Our weekly storytime are perfect for youngsters getting ready to start school.

Join a library group

Most of our libraries offer opportunities for you to join in with a book or craft group. They’re a great way to meet new folk, find something different to read and learn something new.

We also have THE library craft group with the best name in all of Scotland: The Chronicles of Yarnia!

Get a flavour of our reading groups by checking out some the cracking reads we’ve discussed in our library catalogue list.

Celebrate our Writing Rammy winners

Our short fiction and poetry contest The Writing Rammy wound up at the end of the October and, for the last month, we’ve been squirrelled away reading through all the incredible entries!

On Monday night we bring our winners together for a special celebration, after which we’ll reveal the talented writers and their stories. This event is closed, but watch this space for photos and your chance to read the winning stories.

Learn about our events for schools

We’ve also got a packed program ahead for schools where we’ll welcome pupils to closed library sessions with Emily Dodd and her Crime Squirrel Investigators, Artist Kate Leiper and Scots Language champion Matthew Fitt. Watch this space for photos.

Dragon illustration from Kate Leiper's 'An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Mythical Creatures'
Image (c) Kate Leiper from An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Mythical Creatures

And there’s lots more on across Scotland…

And of course there’s loads more on across Scotland. Head to the Book Week Scotland website for details of events, competitions and lots more book-based fun.