Book Week Scotland brings mystery and mayhem to South Ayrshire

Book lovers from across South Ayrshire are being invited to celebrate a trio of events being held as part of a national festival. Book Week Scotland 2018 will be celebrating murder mystery, genealogy and self-publishing at venues in Ayr and Girvan.

Funded by the Scottish Book Trust, Book Week Scotland brings together people of all ages and walks of life in libraries, schools, community venues and workplaces to share and enjoy books and reading. This year's festival runs from Mon 19 to Sun 25 November 2018.

This year's South Ayrshire highlights:

An Evening of Genealogy and Mystery with author Tom McKerley at the Carnegie Library, Ayr (Mon 19 November, 7pm – 8:30pm) Do you know what happened in your family seven generations ago? Tom will be discussing what inspired him to write 'Bloodlines - Touch Not the Cat' and 'Bloodlines – Traces' and the genealogy at the very heart of them. The event is free but ticketed. To book your place contact:  Carnegie Library, 12 Main Street, Ayr, KA8 8EB or phone 01292 286 385.

Catherine Alexandra, 'My Writing Journey' - from Idea to Publication In 22 Years! at Girvan Library (Wed 21 November, 6:45- 8pm) Come along for a fantastic evening with local author and teacher, Catherine Alexandra, as she talks about the trials and tribulations of writing her first novel 'Dancing Through Fire' and what lead her down the road of self-publication. This event is free but ticketed. To book contact: Girvan Library, Montgomerie Street, Girvan, KA26 9HE or phone 01465 712 813.

Killer at Large in Carnegie! at the Carnegie Library in Ayr (Fri 23 November, 7:30-9.30pm) 'Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Unseen Blade - a Sherlock Holmes murder mystery evening.' Come along for an evening of delving, probing, inspection, scrutiny and wine. The evening will begin with the first act played by the cast. In the second act you will get the chance to hone your investigative skills by interrogating each of the subjects, and in the final act the cast will reveal all. Tickets are £3. To book contact: Carnegie Library, 12 Main Street, Ayr, KA8 8EB or phone 01292 286 385.

Councillor Brian McGinley, South Ayrshire's Portfolio Holder for Economy and Culture said, "We're committed to promoting cultural events that reflect the area's history, culture, landscape and attractions that creates a sense of pride for our people and places and our Book Week Scotland programme helps to do just that.

"By promoting a mixture of established authors, up and coming talent and making the best use of our venues through memorable events we're looking to attract more people to our libraries and helping to secure their long-term futures.

"I'd encourage anyone with an interest in finding out what makes authors tick to come along to our events and find out first hand, while our new murder mystery night at the Carnegie is a welcome addition to our annual programme of events."

For more information on Book Week Scotland visit their website.External link