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.
Callum McSorley for Rat Race
Thursday 25th June, 7pm
'Destined to become a very big name' - Peter James'The vibe is Taggart rewritten by Mick Herron' - The TimesA firm favourite among Booksellers, and one …
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Benedict Anning for Atomic Coffin
Friday 26th June, 7pm
"A tense and claustrophobic horror novel that drips with atmosphere, tension and threat, Atomic Coffin is a Cold War fever dream of spies, submarines and intense, …
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Lorraine Kelly for The Island Secret
Saturday 27th June, 7pm
'Lorraine is a born storyteller' - Marian KeyesWe're delighted to be joined by national treasure Lorraine Kelly to celebrate her latest novel, The Island Secret.We hope …
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Cooks & Books: Mowgli's Nisha Katona for The Curry Bible
Monday 29th June, 7pm
Nisha Katona's warmth, authenticity and ability to conjure delicious flavour from just a handful of ingredients have led to her being one of our most trusted …
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Two-time Academy Award Winner Sir Roger Deakins for Reflections: On Cinematography
Tuesday 30th June, 7pm
Please note: due to immense demand, this event is now taking place at The Assembly Rooms.Sixteen time Academy Award nominee and two-time Academy Award winner Roger …
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Mary's Feminist Fiction Reading Group
Wednesday 1st July, 7pm
Welcome to the wonderful Feminist Fiction Reading Group! A place to discover and enjoy a range of titles and themes lovingly hand picked by Mary. Woven …
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Tiny Tales ~ Our Picture Book Reading Group
Thursday 2nd July, 10am
Morag Hood is an award-winning children's author from Edinburgh, where she lives with her husband. Morag graduated from the Cambridge School of Art with a masters …
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Rawan's Middle Eastern Fiction Reading Group
Thursday 2nd July, 7pm
Welcome back to the final installment of the Middle Eastern Fiction Reading Group! We will explore powerful and complex voices from the Middle East, both contemporary …
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Struan Murray for Dragonborn: The Twilight Child
Monday 6th July, 6.30pm
Struan Murray: From doodles to dragons!Welcome to the world of Dragonborn – where dark secrets slumber beneath the earth and magic stirs in unexpected places… Join …
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Queer Fiction Reading Group
Monday 6th July, 7pm
Welcome to our Queer Fiction Reading Group! This is an inclusive reading group open to anyone to come together to read and discuss LGBTQIA+ literature, with …
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Jeremy Atherton Lin for Deep House: the Gayest Love Story Ever Told
Tuesday 7th July, 7pm
A Book of the Year for The New Yorker and Electric Lit and a Time Out 10 Best Books of 2025"A fabulously riveting hybrid memoir and …
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Sally Hayden for This Is Also A Love Story
Wednesday 8th July, 7pm
Orwell Prize-winning author of My Fourth Time, We Drowned, Sally Hayden comes to the bookshop for her latest piece of reportage. With This Is Also A …
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Edward Shawcross for The People's Emperor
Thursday 9th July, 7pm
Edward Shawcross is the author of The Last Emperor of Mexico. After graduating from the University of Oxford, he lived and worked in France, then South …
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The New Frontiers: Contemporary Sci-Fi and Fantasy Reading Group
Thursday 9th July, 7pm
You asked, we answered; due to popular demand, we’ve opened up a second Sci-Fi and Fantasy Reading Group!Join Andrew as he leads you on a guided …
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Kat Dunn for Rottenheart
Friday 10th July, 7pm
We are delighted to be joined by Kat Dunn, author of Hungerstone, to celebrate her latest gothic tale, Rottenheart. Inspired by Hamlet, Rottenheart is a stunning …
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Comedian Suzi Ruffell for Am I Having Fun Now?
Monday 13th July, 7pm
'A brave and vulnerable book by a very, very funny woman' - Joe Lycett'A brilliant representation of anxiety made hilarious' - Romesh Ranganathan'Only Suzi Ruffell can …
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Robert Peston for The Kill Switch
Tuesday 14th July, 7pm
Robert Peston is ITV's political editor, presenter of the politics show Peston, founder of the education charity, Speakers for Schools, and vice president of Hospice UK. …
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The Magnus Archives' Jonathan Sims for The Burn Line
Tuesday 14th July, 7pm
There's something lurking in the stifling darkness and labyrinthine tunnels that run below London... something old, something vicious, and something very, very hungry.Jonathan Sims is a …
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Jonathan Fennell for Collapse: A Global History of the Second World War 1931-1941
Wednesday 15th July, 7pm
Jonathan Fennell is Professor of the History of War and Society at King's College London, where he is Director of Research at the Defence Studies Department, …
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Silvia Moreno-Garcia for The Intrigue
Thursday 16th July, 7pm
Silvia Moreno-Garcia is the author of the novels The Seventh Veil of Salome, Silver Nitrate, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau, Mexican Gothic, Gods of Jade and …
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Melanie Challenger with Dr Güneş Taylor for Alive: The Hidden Intelligence of the Living World
Wednesday 22nd July, 7pm
Melanie Challenger writes, researches and broadcasts on the history of ideas, the history and philosophy of science and the relationship between humans and the living world. …
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Science Fiction Reading Group
Wednesday 22nd July, 7.15pm
For the seventh book of 2026, we travel to a world in which power and magic are hoarded by the wealthy elite.Sancia Grado is a thief, …
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Rozie Kelly for her Woman's Prize Shortlisted novel: Kingfisher
Friday 24th July, 7pm
'A gentle and compassionate novel that explores the nuances of queer love and friendship.' Derek Owusu, The GuardianShortlisted for the Woman's Prize in 2026, Kingfisher by …
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An Evening of Poetry with Scottish Carcanet
Thursday 30th July, 7pm
We are over the moon to be hosting a special collaborative event between three Scottish Carcanet poets: Anthony V. Capildeo, Jay Gao and Colin Bramwell.They join …
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Mary's Feminist Fiction Reading Group
Monday 3rd August, 7pm
Welcome to the wonderful Feminist Fiction Reading Group! A place to discover and enjoy a range of titles and themes lovingly hand picked by Mary. Woven …
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Queer Fiction Reading Group
Monday 10th August, 7pm
Welcome to our Queer Fiction Reading Group! This is an inclusive reading group open to anyone to come together to read and discuss LGBTQIA+ literature, with …
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Joe Wicks for Healthy Start
Tuesday 1st September, 7pm
From the Number One Bestselling author of Protein in 15, Joe Wicks returns with a new collection of simple healthy recipes for all the family to …
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Robert Harris for Agrippa
Wednesday 2nd September, 7pm
A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF 2026 IN THE NEW YORK TIMES, BBC CULTURE, THE MIRROR AND RADIO TIMES.From the bestselling author of Conclave comes a new …
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Catherine Simpson for Sandwiched: Caring Up and Caring Down
Wednesday 2nd September, 7pm
Catherine Simpson is a novelist, journalist, poet and short story writer based in Edinburgh. Her memoir One Body was published in 2022, and selected for World …
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Sabrina Ghayour for Persiana One
Thursday 3rd September, 7pm
'Sabrina Ghayour's Middle-Eastern plus food is all flavour, no fuss - and makes me very, very happy' - Nigella LawsonFrom the Queen of Middle Eastern cookery, …
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Anna Deacon for The Wild Fix Scotland
Thursday 3rd September, 7pm
Feel-good living inspired by nature!In The Wild Fix Scotland, writer and photographer Anna Deacon explores how the powerful connection between nature and wellbeing can help ease …
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Mary's Feminist Fiction Reading Group
Friday 4th September, 7pm
Welcome to the wonderful Feminist Fiction Reading Group! A place to discover and enjoy a range of titles and themes lovingly hand picked by Mary. Woven …
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Daniel Susskind for What Should My Children Do?
Monday 7th September, 7pm
"Daniel Susskind writes with verve, style and conviction about one of the most important issues of our age" - Rory Stewart"A pathbreaking, thought-provoking, and in-depth study …
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Queer Fiction Reading Group
Monday 7th September, 7pm
Welcome to our Queer Fiction Reading Group! This is an inclusive reading group open to anyone to come together to read and discuss LGBTQIA+ literature, with …
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Morvern Graham for Seasonal Folktales
Monday 7th September, 7pm
Embrace the changing seasons with local artist and storyteller Morvern Graham for a beautiful evening of illustrated myths and folklore.In these magical retellings of classic Celtic …
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Yotam Ottolenghi for Simple Too
Tuesday 8th September, 7pm
It's a noisy world out there, so stop, take a minute or two, listen to the soup bubble or the egg crackle... and let simple cooking …
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Colin Bramwell for Fetch
Thursday 10th September, 7pm
We are delighted to be welcoming an incredible local talent, Colin Bramwell, for the launch of his debut poetry collection, Fetch.Following his recent success after winning …
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Christopher de Hamel for The Migrants
Thursday 10th September, 7pm
In the course of a long career at Sotheby’s and at Cambridge University, Christopher de Hamel has probably handled more medieval manuscripts than anyone alive and …
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Ed Conway for Trade World
Friday 11th September, 7pm
Ed Conway is a writer and broadcaster. He is the Economics and Data Editor of Sky News and a regular columnist for The Times and Sunday …
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Ben Macintyre for Redwood
Monday 14th September, 7pm
Ben Macintyre is the multimillion-copy bestselling author of books including The Siege, Colditz, The Spy and the Traitor, SAS: Rogue Heroes, Agent Zigzag, Operation Mincemeat and …
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Cooks & Books: Claire Thomson for Dear Grace
Tuesday 15th September, 7pm
A mother's recipes and her daughter's first kitchen adventures away from home.Dear Grace is a warm, wise cookbook written by chef and food writer Claire Thomson …
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Pulitzer-Prize Finalist Daniel Mason for Country People
Tuesday 15th September, 7pm
'Full of joy - and exactly the kind of reading experience we could all do with right now. The book of the summer' -- Mick Herron, …
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Cooks & Books: Ali Stoner for Scran
Wednesday 16th September, 7pm
Ali Stoner or 'Roving Haggis' as she is known on social media, is a Scottish cook and a former Masterchef Australia contestant. Born in Glasgow, she …
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Marie Darrieussecq for How to Make a Woman
Thursday 17th September, 7pm
'Darrieussecq is one of the most prolific and distinguished living writers in France with a truly impressive body of work.' - Samantha Harvey, GuardianRose and Solange …
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Steven Veerapen for Overlord: The Life and Reign of Henry VII
Thursday 17th September, 7pm
'Brilliant, provocative and engaging ... A genuinely fresh biography of England's most famous king' - Gareth Russell, author of Queen JamesSteven Veerapen was born in Glasgow …
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Jason Arday for Great and Unfortunate Things
Friday 18th September, 7pm
Jason Arday joins us this September for Great and Unfortunate Things, an unforgettable book about resilience and love - and the transformative power of someone who …
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Janice Hallet for The Silent Appeal
Friday 18th September, 7pm
Janice Hallett returns to Edinburgh this September to celebrate the launch of her fabulous new mystery, The Silent Appeal.We hope to see you there!A New Play. …
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Louise Kennedy with Sam Baker for Stations
Monday 21st September, 7pm
"Louise Kennedy's brilliant Stations is a moving and immersive novel about first love, addiction, and regret. Smart, propulsive, and emotionally powerful, this narrative is a transcendent …
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Paul Johnson for Challenging Inequalities
Tuesday 22nd September, 7pm
Join us this September to celebrate Paul Johnson's latest book: Challenging Inequalities: How We Got Stuck and Where We Go Next.A comprehensive look at inequalities and …
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Mathias Enard for Perfecting The Shot
Tuesday 22nd September, 7pm
'Mathias Enard is one of the best contemporary French writers, and his works - ambitious, erudite, multifaceted, surprising and unconventional - are always worth reading, because …
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Andrew Pettegree for The Bookshop: A History of Bookselling
Thursday 24th September, 7pm
Join Andrew Pettegree this September to celebrate his wonderfully appropriate - and excellently written - book, The Bookshop: A History of Bookselling. We hope to see …
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Robert Barrington for Corrupted Kingdom
Friday 25th September, 7pm
Robert Barrington is Professor of Anti-Corruption Practice at the University of Sussex. A leading authority on corruption, he was pivotal in the introduction of the Bribery …
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Sharon Blackie for Ripening: Why Women Need Fairy Tales Now
Monday 28th September, 7pm
'Ripening shows us how we can move through life with vision and sensitivity. A fascinating, thought-provoking and authoritative read' Katherine May, author of Wintering and EnchantmentDR …
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Broadchurch-creator Chris Chibnall for The Parkwood Murders
Tuesday 29th September, 7pm
Detective Nicola Bridge returns in the thrilling new novel from Chris Chibnall, creator of Broadchurch and showrunner of Seven Dials, and Sunday Times bestselling author of …
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Alice Strang for The Scottish Colourists: Art & Life
Tuesday 29th September, 7pm
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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Mary's Feminist Fiction Reading Group
Thursday 1st October, 7pm
Welcome to the wonderful Feminist Fiction Reading Group! A place to discover and enjoy a range of titles and themes lovingly hand picked by Mary. Woven …
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Patricia Nilsson for Guilty Pleasure: The Pornification of the Internet, the Economy, and Everything Else
Friday 2nd October, 7pm
This is the story of one of the most influential - and least examined - industries on earth. Worth billions of dollars, and commanding a tenth …
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Owen Jones for The Fall of the West
Monday 5th October, 7pm
Born in Sheffield and raised in Stockport, Owen Jones is one of the UK's most prominent political thinkers and writers. He is the author of the …
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Sean Hewitt for Open, Heaven
Monday 5th October, 7pm
THE INSTANT TOP 10 IRISH BESTSELLERDYLAN THOMAS PRIZE LONGLIST 2026'It made my heart hurt in the best ways' HELEN MACDONALD'Hewitt writes with such tenderness and grace' …
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Queer Fiction Reading Group
Tuesday 6th October, 7pm
Welcome to our Queer Fiction Reading Group!This is an inclusive reading group open to anyone to come together to read and discuss LGBTQIA+ literature, with titles …
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Aonghus MacKechnie for Edinburgh: City of Romanticism
Tuesday 6th October, 7pm
Professor Aonghus MacKechnie is a historian and heritage professional, who teaches Architectural Conservation at the University of Strathclyde, where he is based, and Edinburgh. He previously …
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David McCloskey for London Station
Wednesday 7th October, 7pm
'The top spy thrillerist of these wild turbulent times' Simon Sebag Montefiore What if the CIA and MI6 began spying on each other? Artemis Procter returns …
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Rachel Harrison for Kiss Slay Replay
Wednesday 7th October, 7pm
The month of horror is upon us, and to celebrate, we welcome one of the most interesting voices working in the genre. Rachel Harrison has established …
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Pulitzer-Prize Winning author Benjamin Moser for Anti-Zionism: A Jewish History
Thursday 8th October, 7pm
'With meticulous research, wit, and a searching moral candour, Benjamin Moser takes on decades of propaganda in these portraits of Jewish intellectuals and public figures in …
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Jojo Barr for No Place Like Home
Friday 9th October, 7pm
Create a home that flows, functions and truly feels like you.With over two decades of experience, interior designer Jojo Barr (Founder and Creative Director of House …
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James Ellroy for Red Sheet
Monday 12th October, 7pm
From bestselling, award-winning author James Ellroy, a gritty, fast-paced historical crime thriller set in 1962 Los Angeles during the aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis.'As lysergic, …
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Dr Jean Menzies for Aphrodisia: Women, Sex and Pleasure in the Classical World
Monday 12th October, 7pm
'Offers fascinating insights into women's worlds and desires in Greco-Roman antiquity and beyond.'Emily Hauser, Sunday Times bestselling author of Mythica'A wonderfully witty and insightful look at …
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Cooks & Books: Jess Elliott Dennison for Vegetable Recipes
Tuesday 13th October, 7pm
Jess Elliott Dennison is a food writer, cook and founder of Elliott’s, her studio in Marchmont, Edinburgh. Here she hosts chefs, runs cookery workshops and tests …
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Three's a Crowd - Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Horror Quarterly Series Reading Group
Wednesday 14th October, 7pm
One's fun, two's a party, and three's a crowd. That's what they say, right? Well, if that's true, then why do so many novels come in …
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Terry Deary for A History of the World in 10 Wars
Thursday 15th October, 7pm
War: what is it good for? Absolutely something, surely, or we wouldn't keep doing it.Throughout the ages, each generation has faced the same questions: Am I …
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Perilous Enchantment:The True History of Faeries
Friday 23rd October, 7pm
"Inviting, charming, funny, sometimes horrifying and always informative, a wonderfully personal and lively introduction to the world of fairies" -- Marion GibsonSarah Clegg has a PhD …
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British Museum Lectures: Rachel King for The Tudor Heart
Tuesday 27th October, 7pm
This book tells the remarkable story of a spectacular chance find of a pendant associated with Henry VIII and his first wife Katherine of Aragon, as …
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Julia Harding for World Atlas of Wine: Ninth Edition
Thursday 29th October, 7pm
"The World Atlas of Wine is the single most important reference book on the shelf of any wine student." - Eric Asimov, New York Times"Simply superb …
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Susie Dent for Death Writ Large
Thursday 29th October, 7pm
A brand-new linguistic mystery from Countdown's resident lexicographer, Susie Dent, set in the city of Oxford 'Huge fun and beautifully written'GYLES BRANDRETH'A tantalising mystery'JANICE HALLETT A …
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Tim Hayward for The Cocktail Hour
Tuesday 3rd November, 7pm
Tim Hayward writes for the Financial Times and is a panellist on BBC Radio 4's The Kitchen Cabinet. He won the Guild of Food Writers 'Food …
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Irvine Welsh for Can Nothing Save Us?
Thursday 5th November, 7pm
A divided Las Vegas family is forced to confront the past and reckon with a dangerous future in the searing new novel from Irvine Welsh.'Welsh writes …
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Coinneach MacLeod for The Hebridean Baker: A Scottish Christmas
Thursday 5th November, 7pm
From Scotland's bestselling cookbook author, Coinneach MacLeod, this irresistible festive collection is packed with everything you need to create the ultimate Scottish Christmas. Brimming with seasonal …
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Queer Fiction Reading Group
Monday 9th November, 7pm
Welcome to our Queer Fiction Reading Group! This is an inclusive reading group open to anyone to come together to read and discuss LGBTQIA+ literature, with …
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Former Editor-in-Chief of British Vogue, Alexandra Shulman, for Black Coffee and Red Lipstick
Tuesday 10th November, 7pm
Alexandra Shulman is a writer and commentator. She was British Vogue's Editor-in-Chief from 1992 to 2017 and was awarded the CBE in the 2018 New Year's …
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Patrick DeWitt for Dodge City
Thursday 12th November, 7pm
From the Booker-shortlisted author of The Sisters Brothers comes Dodge City, a thrilling novel about a young man on an amphetamine fuelled cross-country road trip fleeing …
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Ragnar Jonasson for The Body in the Bath
Wednesday 18th November, 7pm
'Jonasson is an automatic must-read for me . . . possibly the best Scandi writer working today' Lee Child As snow blankets Reykjavik and Christmas approaches, …
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Queer Fiction Reading Group
Monday 7th December, 7pm
Welcome to our Queer Fiction Reading Group! This is an inclusive reading group open to anyone to come together to read and discuss LGBTQIA+ literature, with …
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British Museum Lectures: the Bayeux Tapestry
Wednesday 13th January, 7pm
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 …
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