The Alasdair Gray Archive

We had some small helpers at the archive today helping us test a new online and in person activity all about our real and imagined versions of Glasgow…sharing for Doors Open Day in September! #alasdairgray #thealasdairgrayarchive

Timeline 25: In 1976 Francis Head, Alasdair’s literary agent, dies. He secured commissions & his death was a serious blow both personally & professionally for Gray. Item AGA3.4.275, in our collection is a typed treatment with written directions Gray wrote for a tv drama.

BOOK NOW - 25 spaces for PGR researchers for a FREE WORKSHOP with @rodgeglass & @GraySorcha supported by @sgsah & @UniStrathclyde 🗓️ 16.08.25 10am-2pm 📍AGA - Support for travel and access costs - Lunch included 🎫 booking essential via [email protected]

Huge thanks to @dr_cole_collins who visited us last week to offer advice & insights to our curatorial assistant Holly Rennie Brown as they develop their curated ‘The City’ project. Cole is an art historian, editor, lecturer, researcher & curator based in Glasgow.

Thanks to our curatorial assistant Holly Rennie Brown for leading another successful tour of the collection yesterday, was especially special to welcome our friend Diego Gentini joining us all the way from Buenos Aires! #alasdairgray #thealasdairgrayarchive

PLEASE SHARE ⬇️ ‘Rejection in Fiction with Tony Tulathimutte’ 15.08.25 begins with a conversation with @saderotica about his latest short story collection, REJECTION, followed by a discussion with @rodgeglass exploring connections to the work of Alasdair Gray. Limited tix!

Big thanks to Hope for Autism Programme Coordinator Chloe Duncan for taking the time today to assess our site and collection, supporting us through how to make it more user friendly. Looking forward to sharing Chloe’s recommendations over the months ahead.

New blog post out now, link in bio to Substack! Catch up with our curatorial assistant Holly Rennie Brown as they share more from their time at the archive and the development of their curatorial project ‘The City’ on display in person and online at AGA from September…

Love that Alasdair Gray was as much interested in people wearing shellsuits as those in period clothes. Both of these are from 1996 and are in the new display at the @KelvingroveArt.

Alasdair designed ‘Songs of Scotland’ for his friend Wilma Paterson. On the cover, he incorporated historical and familiar faces, with an impression of legendary fiddler Niel Gow alongside a female singer drawn directly from his wife Morag. See it now at @KelvingroveArt

Meet Katie VanWinkle, currently studying Information Management and Preservation at @UofGlasgow Katie says, “Working with this team has shown me how this collection can be used by so many people to explore how Alasdair's life and his way of thinking touched so many people.”

Timeline post 24: 1975 - In this year Alasdair meets Agnes Owens @AOwensArchive through Liz Lochhead who was teaching at a local writers group in Alexandria which Agnes attended. Alasdair would champion her throughout her life & they would send each other transcripts to edit.

Timeline post 23: 1974, The Scottish Wildlife Mural is painted at Palaceriggs nature reserve.  The mural was commissioned by naturalist, writer & journalist David Stephen, who was closely involved in the planning of the park, with its emphasis on conservation and education.