Ben Aitken's The Marmalade Diaries: The True Story of an Odd Couple tells the story of recently widowed, Winnie, 84 and in need of some companionship. Someone to help with the weekly food shop and offer tips on the crossword. Ben, 34, was looking for a new housemate.
As the UK was locked down in 2020, Ben and Winnie's lives interwove, forming an unlikely friendship, where lessons were learnt (heat the red wine in the oven with the plates; preserve or pickle whatever you can; never throw anything away) and grief, both personal and that of a nation, was explored.
Will Buckingham's Hello, Stranger: How We Find Connection in a Disconnected World tells the story of seeking solace, following the death of Will's partner, throwing the door open to engaging with new people. Now, as we reflect on our experiences of the pandemic and its enforced separations, and as global migration figures ever more prominently in our collective future, Buckingham brings together insights from philosophy, anthropology, history and literature to explore how our traditions of meeting the other can mitigate the issues of our time. Taking in stories of loneliness, exile and friendship from classical times to the modern day, and alighting in adapting communities from Birmingham to Myanmar, Hello, Stranger asks: how do we set aside our instinctive xenophobia - fear of outsiders - and embrace our equally natural philoxenia - love of strangers and newness?
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Want to be the first to hear about what's happening in Glasgow? Just hit 'Like' on our Facebook page, join the What's On Scotland Facebook Group and 'Follow' on our Twitter account and you're all set!Glasgow Mitchell Library Classics Book Group runs on the first Thursday of each month with the library kindly providing books for all members, so there is no cost involved!
READ MOREThis year's Book Week Scotland theme is Hope, and Glasgow Libraries are delighted to welcome Scottish author Rab Wilson to the Mitchell Library to discuss his book Collier Laddie.
READ MOREJoin award-winning writer Kirstin Innes, author of Scabby Queen, at the Mitchell Library for an interactive workshop designed to strengthen your descriptive writing.
READ MOREThis year's Book Week Scotland theme is Hope, and Glasgow Libraries are delighted to welcome Mel Young to the Mitchell Library to discuss his book Home Game: The True Story of the Homeless World Cup.
READ MOREDon't miss an illustrated evening lecture on Wylie & Lochhead and the Glasgow Style by Alison Brown, Curator of European Decorative Art and Design 1800-present, Glasgow Life Museums.
READ MOREGlasgow's Book Fair, Books at the Botanics, is held every month in the Hopkirk building at Glasgow's Botanic Gardens!
READ MOREGlasgow Mitchell Library Classics Book Group runs on the first Thursday of each month with the library kindly providing books for all members, so there is no cost involved!
READ MOREThis year's Book Week Scotland theme is Hope, and for Glasgow Libraries' first event they are delighted to welcome Scottish author Douglas Bruton to Maryhill Library!
READ MORECovert Literary Magazine is a yearly publication of literature and visual art for Black, Asian and ethnically diverse writers and artists of colour, join them for the launch of Issue 4 at CCA Glasgow!
READ MORECelebrate Book Week Scotland at Hillhead Library with a fun evening of book themed quizzing! Prizes to be won! Bragging rights to be earned!
READ MOREThis year's Book Week Scotland theme is Hope, and Glasgow Libraries are delighted to welcome Scottish author Rab Wilson to the Mitchell Library to discuss his book Collier Laddie.
READ MOREGlasgow Libraries are delighted to welcome bestselling author Sara Sheridan, in conversation with author Kirsten MacQuarrie to Dennistoun Library as part of Book Week Scotland.
READ MOREBattlefield Writers writing collective is launching their third anthology, Tales from the Southside, at a free event on Tuesday 19th November.
READ MOREGlasgow Libraries are delighted to welcome Glaswegian crime fiction author Caro Ramsay to Couper Library on 20th November to discuss her new novel Out of the Dark as part of Book Week Scotland!
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