Alasdair Gray (1934–2019) was a writer and artist. His books include Lanark (widely regarded as a masterpiece of Scottish fiction), Poor Things (now an award-winning film), Unlikely Stories, Mostly, 1982, Janine and his Englishing of Dante’s Divine Trilogy. As well as designing and illustrating his own books, his art included murals, paintings, prints and more.

What is Gray Day?

Gray Day is the 25th February, an annual day-long celebration of Alasdair Gray’s life and work. The first Gray Day was held in 2021 on the 40th anniversary of the publication of Lanark, and included a Gray Day Broadcast. In 2022 and 2023, Gray Day was celebrated with a live event at the Òran Mór in Glasgow, beneath Alasdair’s celestial ceiling mural.

An array of writers, actors and musicians have joined to celebrate Alasdair for Gray Day including Ali Smith, Alan Cumming, Ian Rankin, Irvine Welsh, Gemma Cairney, Chitra Ramaswamy, Alex Kapranos, Ewen Bremner, Louise Welsh, Salena Godden, Bernard MacLaverty, Michael Pedersen, Hollie McNish, Norman Blake and more.

Photos of Gray Days past can be found in the gallery.