Gray Day 2026 is the sixth annual celebration of the life and work of the acclaimed Scottish author and artist Alasdair Gray. Taking place at Glasgow’s Òran Mór, and curated by the Alasdair Gray Archive’s Custodian Sorcha Dallas, it’s set to be a special evening, marking 45 years since the publication of Lanark – one of the most influential works of modern Scottish literature.
Hosted by multi-award-winning comedian and writer Josie Long, the event will feature original presentations by Glagow-based Scottish-Egyptian author Rachelle Atalla and playwright and novelist Alan Bissett; there will also be a screening of five newly-commissioned animations, created by emerging animators Ann Dinh, Ollie Pearse, Yu Sun, Tintin Lindkvist Nielsen, and Miranda Peyton-Jones, all drawing on excerpts from the newly-recorded Lanark audiobook, narrated by Alan Cumming.
Bissett will perform a newly written piece inspired by the meeting of Alasdair Gray and fellow Glasgow icon Billy Connolly at the 1981 launch of Lanark.
According to Sorcha Dallas, ‘Lanark didn’t just change Scottish literature – it redefined what a city, a novel, and an artist could be. Forty-five years on, Gray Day channels that radical energy by championing new work and new voices. This year’s programme brings writers, comedians, animators, and audiences together in a way that reflects Gray’s generous, collaborative vision, and celebrates Lanark as a living work that continues to evolve and inspire new ways of thinking about Scotland and its stories.’
And Alan Cumming has said, on recording the audiobook, ‘I was truly honoured, but also daunted, to record the audiobook of Lanark. What an incredible, immersive, and overwhelming experience it was. Spending so long in Alasdair Gray’s extraordinary mind was a joy and I’m thrilled that the audiobook will be launched at Pitlochry Festival Theatre’s Winter Words Festival just ahead of Gray Day 2026.’
To further mark the occasion, Glasgow City primary schools are invited to enter a creative competition for P7 pupils on the theme A Reimagined Glasgow, with the Alasdair Gray Archive offering free resource packs and prizes, encouraging schools across the city to take part. The Archive uses Gray’s artistic and social approach in supporting the creation of new, socially conscious work, creative commissions, education, and public programmes, plus free weekly tours, offsite events, and online activity. Publishers Canongate continue to support the event.
