For Scottish Refugee Week 2011 Glasgow Women’s Library will be hosting Amnesty International’s ‘Celebrating Freedom of Expression’ event.

Tuesday 21 June, 2.30pm to 3.30pm
Glasgow Women’s Library, 15 Berkeley Street, Glasgow G3 7BW

Well-known authors Alice Thompson, Karen Campbell, Catherine McPhail, and Sara Sheridan stand in solidarity with writers who have had their right to freedom of expression violated and suffered persecution as a result of openly sharing their writing, thoughts and opinions. Today’s event celebrates the courage of individuals who have had to flee their own countries because of that persecution, and the issues facing refugees and asylum seekers in Scotland today.

Alice Thompson: Formerly Writer in Residence for Shetland, Alice now teaches creative writing at the Arvon Foundation. Author of several novels including The Existential Detective published last year.

Karen Campbell: Scottish writer Karen Campbell is a former police officer and graduate of Glasgow University’s renowned Creative Writing Masters. Karen won the Best New Scottish Writer Award in 2009.

Catherine McPhail: Award-winning Scottish author Cathy McPhail won the Kathleen Fidler Award for her first novel, Run Zan Ra, which she wrote after her daughter Katie was bullied at school. In addition to writing books for children around their teens, she also writes for adults, and is the author of the BBC Radio 2 series, My Mammy And Me.

Sara Sheridan: Bestselling Scottish writer and novelist, Sara is author of the newly published historical novel “The Secret Mandarin” and soon to be released ‘The Secret of the Sands’.

Please use booking below to reserve your place. If you don’t have a GWL number you can join the Library using the form here.

This event is free to attend. Click here for more information on our new streamlined booking system and to join the library.

Thursday 17 June 2010, 4pm to 5pm at The Mitchell Library

There will also be a chance to buy copies of the readers work and have them signed.

Louise Welsh
After a sell out event at Aye Write in March this is a great opportunity to hear Louise reading some of her short story work about Polish migrants coming to Scotland, included in the anothology Shattered (polygon) which was published in support of Victim Support Glasgow, written and published in 2009. Louise Welsh is a writer living and working in Glasgow. She is the author of three novels: The Cutting Room (2002), The Bullet Trick (2006) and Naming the Bones (March 2010), and one novella Tamburlaine Must Die (2004) all published by Canongate Books. She’s also produced many short stories and articles and written for radio and the stage including a libretto for opera.

Leela Soma
Have you read a book about Glasgow seen through the eyes of first generation Indians? Leela Soma’s novel `Twice Born’ does just that. The novel peels away the layers and presents the simmering progress of a young couple from India’s life in Glasgow. Straddling the two cultures, putting down their roots while not forgetting their liberal family values steeped in an ancient culture is a delicate balance for them.

Joyce Ito and Sarah Ward
Joyce and Sarah worked on a community anthology called “Words About Whiteinch” which included stories from female asylum seekers and is the culmination of a year of hard work gathering and editing stories in partnership with The Whiteinch Centre. The book is beautifully illustrated by artist Annabel Wright.

Booking is essential. For more information or to book your place click here to send us an email or you can call us on 0141 552 8345

We have partnered with Amnesty International to bring their International Heroines Exhibition to the library. Eight remarkable women from around the world are profiled in this celebration of freedom of expression and the strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Each has dared to speak out against human rights abuses in the face of repression and they are presented here as an inspiration to us all.

Exhibition Launch at 81 Parnie Street, Thursday, 2 July – 7pm to 9pm.

The launch of the exhibition sees the well known local writer A L Kennedy perform readings from the work of the featured women: Anna Politkovskaya, Lydia Cacho, Anushka Anastasia Solomon, Shirin Ebadi, Arundhati Roy, Wangari Maathai, Aung San Suu Kyi and Woeser.

For more information or to book a place please call 0141 552 8345 or contact Laura at the Library.

Exhibition at 81 Parnie Street – Thursday, 2 July to Friday, 31 July 2009.

The exhibition was launched by well known local writer A L Kennedy who performed readings her newest work and from the work of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Please come along to see the exhibition on display in July at 81 Parnie Street between 10am and 5pm, Monday to Friday.