Bookmark the Big Scottish Book Club again

A line-up to bookmark is coming up for the latest series of the Big Scottish Book Club, hosted by author Damian Barr. An array of authors from the worlds of politics, acting, rock music as well as literary lions are booked for the new series, which is due to start later this month. Among the…

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Home is where the heart is – and is full of emotion

John Mackay’s latest novel, Home, is the definition of the phrase ‘home is where the heart is.’ It centres around one family over a century, beginning with a simple man called Faroe who built a house on a Hebridean island for his family. Faroe and his wife had seven children, who grew up and had…

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Next literary lunch will step back in time

The Royal Scots Club have announced their next Literary Lunch on the theme of history. This event will feature Victoria Schofield, who will be discussing her journey from journalist to military historian and what led her to write about Kashmir, Afghanistan, Wavell, The Black Watch and her lifelong friendship with Former Pakistani Prime Minister, Benazir…

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Lost opportunities and a touching human story

From the very first page of this poetic novel, the reader can witness the story shimmer into life. Writing simultaneously in Gaelic and English, Campbell evokes the haunting beauty of the Western Highlands in this romantic tale of chance encounters and missed moments. When the narrator passes a girl on the staircase of a ferryboat,…

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A refreshing fictional take on Robert the Bruce

This hefty novel gives voice to the five sisters of Robert the Bruce, highlighting the challenges they faced as sisters of Scotland’s great hero. It is certainly refreshing to hear the female voice within history’s discourse of wars and battles that is so often dominated by men. The story begins with Isa, the eldest sister…

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Scotland’s newest poetry festival is nearly here

Push The Boat Out, Scotland’s newest and most boundary-bending poetry festival, has revealed its online and hybrid event. Taking place from October 15–17 within the creative hub of Summerhall, Push The Boat Out will be the second poetry festival ever to be held in Scotland and has already been making waves for its mission to…

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Scotland’s first female-centric bookshop is a hit

Rare Birds Books has launched Scotland’s first female-centric bookshop in the heart of Edinburgh. In a bold move that saw the globally beloved book club show resilience and innovation in a time of retail uncertainty, founder Rachel Wood welcomed over 1500 visitors into the shop over the first trading weekend. Opened last month, at 13…

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Borders Book Festival reveals its big name guests

A host of literary and political giants are among the highlights of the 2021 Baillie Gifford Borders Book Festival. This year’s event is being held in November at Ed Miliband, home of Sir Walter Scott, whose 250th anniversary is being celebrated throughout the year. Writers Hilary Mantel and Alexander McCall Smith, crime-writing royalty Ian Rankin,…

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On the case after a man is wrongly executed for a murder

A Rattle of Bones is a murder mystery rooted in history. In 1752 James of the Glen was executed for the murder of government man Colin Campbell. So, when publicity comes to light claiming he was innocent and that his namesake James Stewart – who has been incarcerated for the last ten years for murder…

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A fascinating insight into the history of Lewis

Lewis: The Story of an Island is a delve into the history of a great island in the Hebrides. This book explores the history of Lewis and its people as well as the mythologies, maps, architecture and of course the Gaelic language. Despite personal roots on the island, I have sadly never had the chance…

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