Book Week Scotland kicks off today and the Scottish Book Trust has told us about a recent survey which found that most Scots like to read about crime!
(I am sure that Edinburgh based crime writers already know this…..)
The next area which is popular is science fiction/fantasy, closely followed by biography/autobiography and historical fiction which almost tied.
The survey of 1000 adults was conducted by Ipsos MORI and discovered that almost eighty percent read or listen to books for enjoyment, and half of those tackle more than 10 books each year.
These stats were announced just as The First Minister opens the celebrations today in Glasgow to meet school pupils taking part in the First Minister’s Reading Challenge.
Working with a wide range of partners, Scottish Book Trust will deliver a feast of activities and events across the country this week, all rooted in the central theme of Discovery.
The key focus of the week will be a rich and varied events programme for all tastes and ages. Author events will abound with the UK’s best-loved writers and illustrators visiting libraries in every local authority, a programme funded by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), and appearances from Lisa McInerney, Jenni Fagan, Jill Mansell, Simon Scarrow, Isabel Greenberg, Clare Mackintosh, Jodi Picoult, Alexander McCall Smith, whose event is programmed by East Lothian Libraries, and Liz Lochhead and Christopher Brookmyre, whose events are programmed by Cove and Kilcreggan Book Festival.
Well-known personalities such as Nick Crane and Tony Robinson will also make special appearances in locations across the country, and Will Self will appear at a sold-out event in Glasgow, discussing the Science of Stories.
The week will conclude with the unveiling of the nation’s 10 favourite Scottish book to screen adaptations – will cult movie Trainspotting triumph, or will Robbie Coltrane’s Gruffalo snap up the top spot? Voting is open until 5pm on Tuesday 22nd November at www.bookweekscotland.com – film, TV and book fans can choose their number one page to screen adaptation from an eclectic shortlist of 40.
Marc Lambert CEO of Scottish Book Trust said: “It is hardly surprising that the country which gave us Ian Rankin, Denise Mina, Iain Banks, Val McDermid, Christopher Brookmyre and many others has bred a generation of crime enthusiasts. We are a nation bursting at the seams with hard boiled literary talent, and if recent releases such as His Bloody Project are anything to go by, that isn’t showing any signs of slowing down.
“It’s also very heartening to see that almost half of Scottish people read a book for pleasure most days or every day. Reading has many proven health benefits, not least stress reduction and memory improvement, but above all it is a really enjoyable pastime. Whether you like to read books, magazines, blogs, newspapers or comics, use Book Week Scotland as the opportunity to cement your reading habit and to try something new.”
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
