THE Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival has joined with Aye Write!

to add a literary strand to this year's event.

Top authors, including Alasdair Gray and Denise Mina, are appearing at the two-day festival at Glasgow's Mitchell Library.

Launched yesterday, the writers' programme also includes less familiar names, such as Ella Berthoud, a writer who will prescribe her readers books for any ailment, and Nathan Filer, whose first novel caught the attention of comedienne Jo Brand.

Archie Graham, chairman of Glasgow Life, said: "For some of today's writers to come along to Aye Write! and share their stories has been a real accomplishment.

"But more than that, it has allowed other people to open up and share their stories - which has been moving and inspirational.

"We are delighted to be working in partnership with the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival to bring two days of author events to the Mitchell."

Today, Alasdair Gray, the novelist, poet, artist, short-story writer and essayist, will discuss his career at 3.30pm.

At 3pm, in the Blythswood Room, Bipolar Scotland will hold the final of its short story competition on the theme of First Love.

Today also sees appearances by the crime novelists Mina and Sophie Hannah.

Writer Sathnam Sanghera, who won the President's Medal from the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the MIND Book of the Year for his acclaimed debut, The Boy With The Topknot: A Memoir of Love, Secrets and Lies in Wolverhamp-ton, spoke to fans earlier.

Poet Don Paterson also appeared in conversation with Aye Write! programmer Stuart Kelly, discussing how poetry deals with grief. His recent collection In Rain, for which he won the Forward Prize, includes an elegy for the poet Michael Donaghy.

Passes for the festival can be bought on the door. Now in its seventh year, the festival offers a music, film, visual art, theatre and dance​. For details, see www.ayewrite.com

catriona.stewart@ eveningtimes.co.uk