Edinburgh Events and Reading Groups
We're delighted to bring our all-year-round Literary Festival to our bookshop in Edinburgh. We have a packed calendar which ranges from readings in the bookshop to evenings with literary stars.
An Evening on Harold Wilson with Alan Johnson
Wednesday 16th October, 7.30pm
We live in an age of political instability, with Prime Ministers coming and going with unusual rapidity. What can we learn about our current turmoil from …
View event details
Diarmaid MacCulloch
Thursday 17th October, 7.30pm
Few matters produce more public interest and public anxiety than sex and religion. Much of the political contention and division in societies across the world centres …
View event details
Africonomics with Bronwen Everill
Thursday 17th October, 7.30pm
The West does not understand African economics. In a bold polemic, a historian exposes the blinkered assumptions of centuries of Western interventions on the continent. We …
View event details
Kate Summerscale with Graeme Macrae Burnet for The Peepshow
Friday 18th October, 7.30pm
Bestselling true crime writer and author of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, Kate Summerscale, returns with her most modern case yet... one that gripped 1950s UK, …
View event details
Sharon Blackie
Monday 21st October, 7.30pm
Ungainly giantesses. Sequin-strewn fairy godmothers. Misunderstood witches. Fierce grandmothers. Hairy-chinned hags. Craggy crones. Women populate mythology, but they are rarely celebrated as heroines. Author Sharon Blackie …
View event details
Goethe: His Faustian Life with A.N. Wilson
Tuesday 22nd October, 7.30pm
The story of a revolution started by Goethe, in subjectivism, individualism and freedom. One of the most prolific and well-researched biographers currently working today, we are …
View event details
US Elections: An Evening with BBC Journalist Gabriel Gatehouse
Tuesday 22nd October, 7.30pm
Please note, this is now taking place at Pilrig St Paul's Church on Leith Walk.Publishing at a perilous moment for democracy - in the run-up to …
View event details
Alice Hunt for Republic: Britain's Revolutionary Decade
Wednesday 23rd October, 7.30pm
Professor Alice Hunt joins us in the bookshop with a dazzling new history of the interregnum, a turbulent decade of republican rule. Come along to find …
View event details
Elle McNicoll
Thursday 24th October, 7.30pm
Award-winning author Elle McNicoll returns with a big-hearted small-town romance perfect for fans of Alice Oseman, Beth Reekles and Gilmore Girls. Join Elle in the bookshop …
View event details
The Dead of Winter: Sarah Clegg talks Demons, Witches and Ghosts
Friday 25th October, 7.30pm
Please note, this is taking place in Pilrig St Paul's Church. Come, discover the dark side of our festive season with a fascinating exploration of the …
View event details
Feminist Fiction Reading Group
Monday 28th October, 7pm
For the last Monday in October (during the week of Halloween) our Feminist Fiction Reading Group will be reading and discussing Our Hideous Progeny by C.E. …
View event details
Taffy Brodesser-Akner
Monday 28th October, 7.30pm
From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Fleishman Is in Trouble, Taffy Brodesser-Akner, comes a darkly exhilarating novel about an American family and its inheritance - …
View event details
The Scapegoat with Lucy Hughes-Hallett
Monday 28th October, 7.30pm
From the winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize, Lucy Hughes-Hallett, comes an extraordinary story of the meteoric rise and fall of George Villiers, the first Duke …
View event details
Tim Parks for Mr Geography
Tuesday 29th October, 7.30pm
'A writer operating at the height of his powers. One follows the twists and turns of this story of discovery and self-discovery in a sustained state …
View event details
Banjo Beale for A Place in Scotland
Wednesday 30th October, 7.30pm
Please note, this is now taking place at Greenside Parish Church.We are delighted to welcome renowned interior designer and author Banjo Beale, who joins us to …
View event details
SCOTCH: The Balmoral Guide to Scottish Whisky
Wednesday 30th October, 7.30pm
From the experts behind the world-famous SCOTCH whisky bar, located at the iconic Edinburgh hotel The Balmoral, comes an essential guide that will tell you everything …
View event details
On Mysticism with Simon Critchley
Thursday 31st October, 7.30pm
A provocative and personal examination, ranging from medieval mystics to T. S. Eliot and Krautrock, On Mysticism explores what is meant by mysticism and how it …
View event details
Sion Parkinson on Stinkhorn
Monday 4th November, 7.30pm
The stinkhorn mushroom is one of the weirdest wonders of the fungal world - certainly the smelliest. Ever since it was described by a Dutch doctor …
View event details
M. L. Rio
Monday 4th November, 7.30pm
Join us for an evening with M. L. Rio, beloved author of If We Were Villains, to talk about her latest endeavour Graveyard Shift. Atmospheric and …
View event details
Oliver Burkeman for Meditations for Mortals
Wednesday 6th November, 7.30pm
Your happier, freer and more fulfilling life starts today! Join us and bestselling author of Four Thousand Weeks Oliver Burkeman to learn how to safely dive …
View event details
James Crossland
Thursday 7th November, 7.30pm
This November, come along to the bookshop to find out more about Rogue Agent, the first biography of ‘British Agent’ in Moscow, Sir Robert Bruce Lockhart. …
View event details
Veronica Roth for When Among Crows
Friday 8th November, 7.30pm
We cannot wait to be joined by bestselling YA author of Divergent, Chosen Ones and Arch-Conspirator, Veronica Roth! She joins us to talk all about her …
View event details
Cooking and the Crown: Royal Recipes with Tom Parker Bowles
Friday 8th November, 7.30pm
Blending history, monarchy, and gastronomy, Tom Parker Bowles' Cooking and the Crown guides the reader on an adventure across royal culinary history. Come along for this …
View event details
Jeff VanderMeer
Saturday 9th November, 7.30pm
This November, the bestselling-author of the Southern Reach trilogy (Annihilation, Authority, and Acceptance) , Jeff VanderMeer, joins us as part of his first book tour in …
View event details
Celebrating 20 Years of The Happy Pear with David and Stephen Flynn
Monday 11th November, 7.30pm
Let's face it: while we want to eat more fruit and veg and things we know are good for us, we sometimes fall short because we're …
View event details
Science Fiction Reading Group
Monday 11th November, 7.30pm
Heading into 2024, we’ll be continuing our Fantasy and Science Fiction reading group, exploring worlds both fantastical and horrific, monstrous and utopian. Whether your interests lie …
View event details
Whisky Tasting with Dave Broom
Tuesday 12th November, 7.30pm
Join us and award-winning author and whisky expert, Dave Broom, for a spirited and impassioned tasting talk celebrating the new, fully updated and revised edition of …
View event details
Julian Baggini
Tuesday 12th November, 7.30pm
How does the food we eat shape our lives? Philosopher and author Julian Baggini joins us in the bookshop to answer this very question. Extracting essential …
View event details
Orlando Reade for the 350th Anniversary of Milton’s Death
Wednesday 13th November, 7.30pm
We're delighted to welcome Orlando Reade to celebrate What in Me Is Dark, a dynamic reappraisal of Milton's epic poem Paradise Lost, exploring its radical origins …
View event details
Ed McDonald
Thursday 14th November, 7.30pm
We are thrilled to welcome back author of the fantasy series Blackwing and bookseller favourite, Ed McDonald! He joins us this November to talk about the …
View event details
An Evening with Carol Ann Duffy and John Sampson
Thursday 14th November, 7.30pm
This November, join us for a very special evening of poetry and music with award-winning poet Carol Ann Duffy and multi-instrumentalist John Sampson. Duffy will be …
View event details
The Loney's Andrew Michael Hurley for Barrowbeck
Friday 15th November, 7.30pm
From award-winning author Andrew Michael Hurley comes a beautifully written and triumphantly creepy new novel. Join us this November to delve into Barrowbeck, a perfectly pitched …
View event details
Bendor Grosvenor for The Invention of British Art
Friday 15th November, 7.32pm
N.B. This event is now taking place at Pilrig St Paul's Church on Leith Walk. All other details remain unchanged.Beautifully illustrated throughout, The Invention of British …
View event details
Church Going with Andrew Ziminski
Monday 18th November, 7.30pm
Join us for a charming history of Britain's churches - by an author who spends his life working in them! Whether you've got a passion for …
View event details
Kaliane Bradley for The Ministry of Time
Monday 18th November, 7.30pm
Please note, this is taking place in the bookshop. A BOY MEETS A GIRL. THE PAST MEETS THE FUTURE. A FINGER MEETS A TRIGGER. THE BEGINNING …
View event details
Michael Downes for Story of the Century: Wagner and the creation of The Ring
Tuesday 19th November, 7.30pm
Michael Downes is a conductor, writer and lecturer. His books include those written both with and about British composer Jonathan Harvey, and a collaboration with Nike …
View event details
House of YA Thriller Road Trip: Karen M. McManus & Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Wednesday 20th November, 7.30pm
Join us for an unforgettable evening with YA thriller icons Karen M. McManus (One of Us is Lying) and Jennifer Lynn Barnes (The Inheritance Games). Hear …
View event details
Jenny Colgan for Close Knit
Wednesday 20th November, 7.30pm
In 2015 Jenny Colgan was inducted into the Love Stories Hall of Fame - and with good reason. Over fifteen million copies of her books sold, …
View event details
Ely Percy and Len Pennie
Thursday 21st November, 7pm
We are absolutely thrilled to be joined by both award-winning author, Ely Percy, and poet, Len Pennie, to talk all about Ely's book that won Scottish …
View event details
Designing Terry Pratchett's Discworld with Rob Wilkins
Friday 22nd November, 7.30pm
Join us for a magical evening celebrating Paul Kidby's latest Designing Terry Pratchett's Discworld, an absolute must for all fans of Pratchett's iconic Discworld series! This …
View event details
A Case of Matricide with Graeme Mcrae Burnet
Friday 22nd November, 7.30pm
Chief Inspector Gorski returns... And we're delighted to be joined by Booker-nominated author of Case Study and His Bloody Project, Graeme Mcrae Burnet, to tell us …
View event details
Noble Rot's Dan Keeling Wine Tasting
Monday 25th November, 7.30pm
Join us for a one-of-a-kind evening in the company of Noble Rot's co-founder Dan Keeling! Dan will be discussing many of the stories and themes of …
View event details
Chris Brookmyre for The Cracked Mirror
Tuesday 26th November, 7.30pm
Chris Brookmyre is one of Britain's leading crime writers. His 2016 novel Black Widow won both the McIlvanney Prize and the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel …
View event details
The Hebridean Baker: The Scottish Cookbook with Coinneach MacLeod
Wednesday 27th November, 7.30pm
International bestseller Coinneach MacLeod aka The Hebridean Baker returns with his fourth cookbook, The Hebridean Baker: The Scottish Cookbook. Join us to find out more about …
View event details
RJ Barker for Warlords of Wyrdwood
Wednesday 27th November, 7.30pm
Join us for an exciting evening with RJ Barker, the British Fantasy Society Award-winning author of The Bone Ships and Age of Assassins. Barker will be …
View event details
Damien Lewis
Thursday 28th November, 7.30pm
Calling all historians and military history aficionados! In his latest book, Damien Lewis recounts the mavericks who made the SAS with characteristic pace and swashbuckling style. …
View event details
Hokkaido: Northern Japanese Cooking with Tim Anderson
Tuesday 3rd December, 7.30pm
Please note, this event is now taking place on Tuesday 3rd December at the Royal Scots Club, 29-31 Abercromby Pl, Edinburgh EH3 6QE.Our favourite Japanese food …
View event details
Seven Deadly Sins with Guy Leschziner
Thursday 5th December, 7.30pm
Gluttony. Greed. Sloth. Pride. Envy. Lust. Anger. These are the seven deadly sins, the vices of humankind that define immorality, the roots of all evil in …
View event details
British Museum Lectures - Sue Brunning on Silk Roads
Monday 13th January, 7pm
The British Museum comes to Edinburgh!Exploring the movement of people, objects and ideas that shaped cultures and histories, curator Sue Brunning challenges the modern popular concept …
View event details
Keon West on The Science of Racism
Thursday 6th February, 7.30pm
Polls show that half of us think racism doesn't exist . . .Professor Keon West is a social psychologist at the University of London, whose focus …
View event details
The Transgender Issue Bestselling Author Shon Faye for Love in Exile
Thursday 13th February, 7pm
Join us for an evening with bestselling author of The Transgender Issue, Shon Faye, as she discusses her latest book, Love In Exile. Hailed as 'a …
View event details
Elly Griffiths for The Frozen People
Tuesday 18th February, 7.30pm
SOME MURDERS CAN'T BE SOLVED IN JUST ONE LIFETIME.Elly is the bestselling and award-winning author of the Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries; the Brighton Mysteries and several …
View event details
Richard Overy for Rain of Ruin: Tokyo, Hiroshima, and the Surrunder of Japan
Wednesday 5th March, 7.30pm
'Enemy cities were pulverized or fried to a crisp. It was something they asked for and something they got.'Richard Overy is Honorary Research Professor of History …
View event details
Heather Parry for Carrion Crow
Thursday 27th March, 7.30pm
'With Carrion Crow Heather Parry deduces an unutterable Gothic horror of class and gender from the pages of Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management. A festering …
View event detailsMore Edinburgh events launching soon!
Sign up to be the first to hear when new events are confirmed.
Join the Edinburgh newsletter
Newsletter subscribers are the first to hear about our events and early bird offers, as well as exclusive complimentary invitations