The Scottish Arts and Humanities Alliance (SAHA), the Scottish Confederation of University and Research Libraries (SCURL) and the National Library of Scotland invite you to an in-conversation event with author and Professor of Creative Writing, Professor Louise Welsh, and author and National Library’s Centenary Champion, Damian Barr, about how libraries shaped their lives.
From finding a space (a library) from which to travel to distant lands through reading books as children, to using their university libraries as undergrads, the authors will reminisce about how libraries helped shape their careers.
The event will take place on Wednesday, November 12th, from 18:30 until 19:30 at Kelvin Hall, in Glasgow (1445 Argyle Street, G3 8AW).
Speakers
Professor Jo Gill
Jo Gill is Vice-Principal and Head of the College of Arts, and Professor of Twentieth-Century and American Literature. She joined the University of Glasgow in August 2022 from the University of Exeter where she served as Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean of the College of Humanities. She previously held the roles of Associate Dean for Education (2018-19) and Associate Dean for International and Development (2016-18). She is currently a member of SAHA’s Steering Committee and a member of the Scottish Book Trust Board
Martina McChrystal
Martina McChrystal is Director of Library Services at the University of Glasgow. She has over 30 years of experience in public, and more recently, in academic libraries. Prior to joining the University of Glasgow, Martina was Libraries and Information Services Manager at The City of Edinburgh Council, where she was responsible for the council’s award-winning public library service. She is the current chair of the Scottish Confederation of University and Research Libraries (SCURL).
Amina Shah
Amina Shah is the National Librarian and Chief Executive of the National Library of Scotland. Amina has more than 25 years’ experience in the cultural sector, including senior positions in public and academic libraries, third sector and
the arts. She has a strong interest in diversity and inclusion and the role libraries, literature and culture play in empowering individuals and communities. Amina is a Visiting Professor at Robert Gordon University, previous President of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Studies, a Lay Member of Court at University Dundee, Scottish Library and Information Council, Friends of the National Libraries , the Institute of Advanced Studies in the Humanities at Edinburgh University and a member of the Advisory Boards for the British Library, The Hunterian Museum, Towards a National Collections (funded by AHRC) and DiSsCO (AHRC) Additionally she is the Chair of the Advisory Group for Common Purpose Edinburgh and Chair of the Legal Deposit Libraries of UK and Ireland.
Damian Barr
Damian Barr is an award-winning writer and broadcaster, and one of the National Library of Scotland’s Centenary Champions. His new novel, The Two Roberts, was released in September 2025. He is the author of the 2013 memoir ‘Maggie & Me’ and the 2019 novel ‘You Will Be Safe Here’. A Radio 4 regular, he hosts ‘The Big Scottish Book Club’ for BBC Scotland.
Professor Louise Welsh
Louise Welsh is the author of nine novels including The Cutting Room, The Plague Times Trilogy and The Second Cut. Louise has a ten-year practice in opera with composer Stuart MacRae. She was co- director (with Jude Barber) of the Empire Café an award-winning exploration of Scotland’s relationship with the North Atlantic slave trade. Barber and Welsh are also the voices behind the award-winning podcast Who Owns the Clyde. She has received numerous awards and international fellowships, including honorary doctorates from Napier University and the Open University. Louise is Professor of Creative Writing at University of Glasgow.
