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St Andrews Events and Reading Groups

We're delighted to bring our all-year-round Literary Festival to our bookshop in St Andrews. We have a packed calendar which ranges from readings in the bookshop to evenings with literary stars.

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James Marriott on The New Dark Ages

Friday 11th September, 7.30pm

James Marriott on The New Dark AgesTopping and Company browsers are certainly excepted from this troubling trend, but you've no doubt noticed a decline in reading …

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Val McDermid & Jo Sharp

Monday 14th September, 7.30pm

Val McDermid & Jo Sharp on The Door of the SeasTwo bookshop favourites return for an imaginative retelling of The Darien Project in the latest installment …

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Maggie O'Farrell on Land

Tuesday 15th September, 7.30pm

Maggie O'Farrell on LandAuthor of Hamnet and I Am, I Am, I Am. Winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction, and Oscar nominated.Maggie joins us in …

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Gabriella Bennett on How to Build a City

Wednesday 16th September, 7.30pm

Gabriella Bennett on How to Build a CityJourney into the urban future with award winning Scottish journalist Gabriella Bennett.A moveable city in the Arctic Circle. Tower …

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Ali Stoner on Scran

Thursday 17th September, 7.30pm

Ali Stoner on ScranJourney to the heart of Scottish cooking with Ali Stoner, proprietor of the Roving Haggis social media accounts."This is more than a cookbook; …

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Andrew Pettegree for The Bookshop: A History of Bookselling

Friday 18th September, 7.30pm

Andrew Pettegree on The Bookshop: A History of BooksellingAn event near and dear to our hearts, as University of St Andrews' own Andrew Pettegree (FBA, Professor …

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Father Ted's Ardal O'Hanlon

Saturday 19th September, 7.30pm

Ardal O'Hanlon on A Plot to Die ForThe first in a mystery series from the much-loved Irish actor, writer and comedian, for readers who enjoy the …

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Colin Kidd on Twilight of the Dons

Monday 21st September, 7.30pm

Colin Kidd on Twilight of the Intellectuals: British Intellectuals from World War II to ThatcherismJoin Colin Kidd, Bishop Wardlaw Professor of History at the University of …

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Arthur der Weduwen on The Last Invasion of England

Tuesday 22nd September, 7.30pm

Arthur Der Weduwen on The Last Invasion of EnglandWhat a thrill to welcome back University of St Andrews Lecturer in Modern History Arthur Der Weduwen for …

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Paul Johnson

Wednesday 23rd September, 7.30pm

Paul Johnson on Challenging InequalitiesThe need to address inequality has never been more urgent. Challenging Inequalities offers a road map for how we have arrived at …

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Robert Barrington on Corrupted Kingdom

Thursday 24th September, 7.30pm

Robert Barrington on Corrupted Kingdom: Britain's Disappearing Integrity and How We Can Get it BackGet an inside look on the corruption sweeping Great Britain and efforts …

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Edward Shawcross onThe People's Emperor

Friday 25th September, 7.30pm

Edward Shawcross on The People's Emperor: The Unlikely Rise and Spectacular Fall of Napoleon IIIEdward Shawcross, author of The Last Emperor of Mexico, returns with Napoleon …

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Robert Crawford on Haiku

Monday 28th September, 7.30pm

Robert Crawford on Haiku: How the modern world came to fall in love with small poems from JapanIf you were here for Robert Crawford's last event …

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Sharon Blackie

Tuesday 29th September, 7pm

Sharon Blackie on Ripening: Why Women Need Fairy Tales Now'Ripening show us how we can move through life with vision and sensitivity. A fascinating, thought-provoking and …

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Book Salad

Wednesday 30th September, 6.30pm

Book Salad meets at the end of the month at 6:30pm, usually on a Tuesday, and you're very welcome to join us. To make a salad …

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The Maclean Brothers on Three Brothers in a Boat

Wednesday 30th September, 7.30pm

The Maclean Brothers on Three Brothers in a BoatThey captivated the world in 2025 with their epic voyage across the Pacific, and now they come to …

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Emile Chabal on The Age of Hobsbawn

Thursday 1st October, 7.30pm

Emile Chabal on The Age of HobsbawmJoin Emile Chabal, Professor of Contemporary History at the University of Edinburgh for an exploration of the life and times …

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Jess Elliott Dennison on Vegetable Recipes

Friday 2nd October, 7.30pm

Jess Elliott Dennison on Vegetable RecipesFor the first time, Edinburgh cooking sensation Jess Elliott Dennison comes to St Andrews to share her collection of delicious, vegetable …

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Mairi Kidd on Newes of Witches

Monday 5th October, 7pm

Mairi Kidd on Newes of WitchesIt's always a highlight in our Literary Festival to welcome Scotland's own Mairi Kidd. She returns with two books. Newes of …

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Charlie Higson on King Zero, A James Bond Novel

Monday 5th October, 7.30pm

James Bond Author Charlie Higson on King ZeroWe welcome bestselling author Charlie Higson to St Andrews as he brings with him the return of James BondJames …

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Alice Strang on The Scottish Colourists

Tuesday 6th October, 7.30pm

Samuel John Peploe, John Duncan Fergusson, George Leslie Hunter and Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell - a set of radical artists who enlivened the Scottish art scene …

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James Palmer on Charlemagne's Dream

Wednesday 7th October, 7.30pm

The dynamic, expansionist dynasty that forged the Middle Ages.Today, the Carolingians are best known as the dynasty of Charlemagne. In a few remarkable decades spanning the …

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Humza Yousaf on Under Fire

Thursday 8th October, 7.30pm

Humza Yousaf on Under FireWe welcome Humza Yousaf to St Andrews for an intimate account of how a son of immigrants grew up to become the …

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Benjamin Moser on Anti-Zionism: A Jewish History

Friday 9th October, 7.30pm

Benjamin Moser on Anti-Zionism: A Jewish HistoryJoin Pulitzer Prize winning author Benjamin Moser for a sweeping and revelatory history of the hidden tradition of Jewish thinkers …

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Erin Goeres on Nineteen Days in Autumn

Monday 12th October, 7.30pm

Erin Goeres on Nineteen Days in Autumn: A New History of 1066 Join us for a an evening for a character-led history of the most famous …

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Jay Rayner for Nights Out in the Kitchen

Tuesday 13th October, 7.30pm

Jay Rayner on Nights Out in the Kitchen'It's time to share a little more of my love for home cooking and the merry dance of appetite …

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Terry Deary on A History of the World in Ten Wars

Wednesday 14th October, 7.30pm

Terry Deary on A History of the World in Ten WarsWe welcome to St Andrews the author of the acclaimed Horrible Histories series and for his …

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A Book and a Bite

Thursday 15th October, 6.30pm

The theme of this book group a simple - incontrovertibly fine books accompanied by slightly more controversial, interpretive food pairings for each selection.For our first next …

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Thom Bateman on Home Made

Monday 19th October, 7.30pm

Why Home Made? Because the best cooking - whatever its ambition - always begins there.Self-taught chef Thom Bateman has built an incredible career on his own …

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Alistair Moffat

Alistair Moffat on Assassins and Secret Listeners:

Tuesday 20th October, 7.30pm

Uncover the story of a nation's hidden heroes.Throughout Britain, all day, every day and in the dead of night, the secret listeners went about their solitary …

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Simon Garfield on The Pen: A Human History

Wednesday 21st October, 7.30pm

From a reed cut on the banks of the Nile to the Sharpie, the pen has been with us for millennia. And all of humanity - …

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Alice Oswald on Rhapsody: A Manifesto

Thursday 22nd October, 7.30pm

A daring, genre-defying work of non-fiction from one of our greatest poetsAlice Oswald goes in search of poetry in its original, wildest form - before it …

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Frances Fowle on Claude Monet: A Life in Letters

Monday 26th October, 7.30pm

The first major English-language publication dedicated to Monet's letters, expertly selected and richly illustrated with his paintings.Claude Monet's letters - to his friends, family, fellow artists, …

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A Court of Splintered Harmony - Midnight Launch

Tuesday 27th October, 12am

Midnight Launch for ACOTAR 6: A Court of Splintered HarmonyJoin us in the bookshop at midnight on publication date for the highly anticipated new book from …

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Alissa Timoshkina on Lozhka

Tuesday 27th October, 7.30pm

In Lozhka, award-winning writer and co-founder of #CookforUkraine, Alissa Timoshkina celebrates Eastern Europe through one of its most humble and powerful symbols: the spoon. Blending soulful …

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Susie Dent

Wednesday 28th October, 7.30pm

A brand-new linguistic mystery from Countdown's resident lexicographer, Susie Dent, set in the city of OxfordA mysterious letter. A silenced scholar. A city paved with injustice.When …

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British Museum Lectures: The Tudor Heart

Wednesday 28th October, 7.30pm

Rachel King on The Tudor HeartA new title in the British Museum's Object in Focus series that tells the remarkable story of an enamelled gold necklace …

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Dan Jones

Thursday 29th October, 7.30pm

Dan Jones on CastlesWe are happy to welcome bestselling historian, TV presenter and award-winning journalist Dan Jones back to St Andrews. In Castles, Dan tells a …

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A Tasting with Mastery of Wine Julia Harding

Friday 30th October, 7.30pm

Julia Harding on The World Atlas of WineWe are pleased to welcome Julia Harding for the latest edition of The World Atlas of Wine. Join us …

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James Yorkston on Callum, Reine, Sylvie and Sparrow

Monday 2nd November, 7.30pm

James Yorkston on Callum, Reine, Sylvie, and SparrowThe East Neuk's own James Yorkston returns with a wry, tender and quietly life-affirming novel about the people who …

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Jeremy Lee on Kitchening

Tuesday 3rd November, 7.30pm

In this follow-up to the multi-award-winning Cooking, Jeremy shows you how to make the most of local produce while finding joy in the simple act of …

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Tim Hayward

Wednesday 4th November, 7.30pm

Tim Hayward on The Cocktail HourIt's 7:30pm: clear your mind of the cares of the day. Relax and fix yourself a drink. It's The Cocktail Hour.The …

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Rick Stein

Thursday 5th November, 7.30pm

Rick Stein on Rick Stein's Cookery CourseRick Stein has been cooking for the last 60 years. Now, for the first time, he shares his complete cookery …

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The Hebridean Baker on A Scottish Christmas

Friday 6th November, 7.30pm

Connieach Macleod on The Hebridean Baker: A Scottish ChristmasWe welcome you to a festive evening with Scotland's bestselling cookbook author, Coinneach MacLeod. The Hebridean Baker has …

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Nick Harkaway on The Taper Man

Wednesday 11th November, 7.30pm

'Le Carre's legacy is in good hands - Smiley is back with a vengeance!'IAN RANKIN'Note-perfect'MICK HERRONNick Harkaway is the acclaimed author of Gnomon, The Gone-Away World, …

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Lessons in Chemistry author Bonnie Garmus on Peck & Peck

Thursday 12th November, 7.30pm

Lessons in Chemistry author Bonnie Garmus on Peck & PeckWe are thrilled to welcome the bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry, Bonnie Garmus for her newest …

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Beth McDonough on A Year in Water

Friday 13th November, 7.30pm

Beth McDonough on A Year in WaterJoin Poet, Swimmer, and proud Dundee resident Beth McDonough for an inspiring event to get your body and mind in …

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Mary Lawson on Solace in Winter

Monday 16th November, 7.30pm

Mary Lawson on Solace in WinterShe's been twice placed on the Booker Prize longlist, spent countless weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, and has …

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Alice Loxton on A History of Britain in 21 Paintings

Tuesday 17th November, 7.30pm

Alice Loxton on A History of Britain in 21 PaintingsThe acclaimed author of Eleanor and Eighteen comes another entertaining, illuminating tour of British history through 21 …

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John Boyne on The Weight of Angels

Wednesday 18th November, 7.30pm

John Boyne on The Weight of AngelsInternational bestselling author John Boyne is coming to St Andrews to explore a the life Oscar Wilde never had.Rather than …

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Michael Simpson on Terminal City

Thursday 19th November, 7.30pm

Michael Simpson on Terminal CityWe welcome Dr Michael Simpson from the University of St Andrews for his new book on Vancouver's infrastructure in settler colonialism and …

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Jamie Gianoutsos on In Rome's Long Shadow

Friday 20th November, 7.30pm

Jamie Gianoustos on In Rome's Long ShadowJoin Jamie Gianoustos for her fascinating new history of the republican tradition that modern states inherited from ancient Rome.Julius Caesar, …

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Ashley Douglas on With My Own Hand

Monday 23rd November, 7.30pm

Ashley Douglas on With My Own HandWe welcome historian and translator Ashley Douglas to St Andrews to talk about the life of Marie Maitland, a story …

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Donna Ashworth on The Art of Being Easily Pleased

Tuesday 24th November, 7.30pm

Donna Ashworth on The Art of Being Easily PleasedSunday Times bestselling poet Donna Ashworth will be joining us in an evening which blends poetry and prose …

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Ian Rankin on The Heights

Friday 27th November, 7.30pm

Ian Rankin on The HeightsSir Ian Rankin returns to St Andrews for his first standalone thriller in two decades!The Heights: a gleaming, high-end high-rise looming over …

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Odyssey Translator Emily Wilson on Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea

Friday 27th November, 7.30pm

Emily Wilson on Crossing the Wine-Dark SeaWe are thrilled to welcome Odyssey Translator Emily Wilson to St Andrews to talk about the wonders of Greek and …

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Ben Mervis on The Festive Baker

Thursday 3rd December, 7.30pm

Ben Mervis on The Festive BakerWow your guests for your next celebration with Ben Mervis, who presents with new cookbook of festive recipes from around the …

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British Museum Lectures: The Bayeux Tapestry

Thursday 14th January, 7.30pm

This January we're joined by Sue Brunning from the British Museum to discuss the history of The Bayeux Tapestry.The British Museum have produced a number of …

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