This week's a two-for!
(That's two weeks for the price of one)
Scrolling down the page, you might notice a slight difference this week - instead of just This Week’s Events and then the rest, there’s an additional section for Next Week’s Events. The reason? Because I’m taking next week off. Well, not exactly off - I’m going out to Brno in the Czech Republic for Kniha Brno, the country’s biggest book fair, thanks to my wonderful Czech publishers, Albatros Media. And because I suffer a stupidly irrational fear of flying, I’m doing the whole trip by train. A grand European tour, which I’m very excited about.
Anyway, this means there will be no Edinburgh Shelfie next Sunday - but of course, all the following week’s book events are listed in this edition already, so you won’t miss out.
On another note, do you read right to the bottom of the list? If you do, you’ll know there’s always a very small section called But That’s Not All… This section just gives quick links to events that are many months hence. This week, I’m calling your attention to it because the wonderful and mighty Portobello Bookshop has just announced an event next February with the brilliant, Booker Prize-winner George Saunders. And yes, I did shriek with delight and scurry to buy my ticket when I saw this announcement - as I suspect some of you will too.
But even if you’re not a George fan, it’s worth keeping an eye on this section for the big name tickets that sell out fast. Graeme Macrae Burnet and Niamh Hargan events were also announced this week for January next year - and we all know, it’s the early bird who gets the worm!
As usual, give me your thoughts in the comments, and let me know of any events that I’ve missed. And please, please share this widely with all your Edinburgh friends.
Wishing you as interesting a week as I’m hoping to have!
This week’s events
October 27
Gabrielle Bates for Judas Goat
7pm, Topping & Company, 2 Blenheim Place, Edinburgh EH7 5JH
We are so excited to be hosting the Scottish launch of Gabrielle Bates’ debut poetry collection, Judas Goat. The conversation will be chaired by beloved Edinburgh-based poet, Alycia Pirmohamed.
Early bird £8/including book £16.99
October 27
Ambrose Parry for the Final Raven and Fisher Mystery: The Death of Shame
7pm, Pilrig St. Paul’s / LARCH, Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 5AH
This autumn, Toppings is overjoyed to welcome back Ambrose Parry to celebrate the Raven and Fisher Mysteries. The Death of Shame is the final installment in this sensational series, and we hope you will all join us in giving Will Raven and Sarah Fisher the send off to remember!
Early bird £8/including book £18.99
October 28
Louis D. Hall & Manni Coe, In Conversation with Dan Richards
7pm, Waterstones, Edinburgh - West End
We are looking forward to welcoming Louis D. Hall and Manni Coe as they talk to Dan Richards about their deeply engaging and equally powerful memoirs, In Green and Little Ruins.
General admission: £5/In Green and Ticket: £22 /Little Ruins and Ticket: £20
October 28
7pm, Lighthouse Bookshop, 43 West Nicolson Street, Edinburgh EH8 9DB
Dr Janina Maschke on how women can thrive and find focus in a world built for men.
Event only £4.00/Event + book £12.99
October 28
Andrew Graham Dixon on Vermeer: A Life Lost and Found
7pm, Pilrig St. Paul’s / LARCH, Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 5AH
Andrew Graham-Dixon is an art historian, biographer and broadcaster who has made more BBC television series about art than any other presenter. He was for many years the main art critic of the Sunday Telegraph and Independent. Andrew joins us for Vermeer: A Life Lost and Found.
Early bird £10/including book £30
October 28
Sunburn’s Chloe Michelle Howarth for Heap Earth Upon It
7pm, Topping & Company, 2 Blenheim Place, Edinburgh EH7 5JH
Chloe’s debut novel, Sunburn, was a sensation, shortlisted for the 2024 Polari First Book Prize, the 2024 Book of the Year: Discover Award at the British Book Awards and the 2023 Nero Book Award for Debut Fiction. Heap Earth Upon It is her hotly anticipated new novel. Beautifully written, Howarth tells a haunting story of longing and grief narrated by characters that draw you into themselves and the dark secrets threaded through each of them.
Early bird £8/including book £16.99
October 28
Emma Christie - Watch Your Back
7pm, Portobello Bookshop, 46 Portobello High Street, Edinburgh, EH15 1DA
t’s always a pleasure to welcome Emma Christie to the bookshop for a launch event and her next visit is to celebrate the Edinburgh launch of Watch Your Back. Join us to hear more about this pacy, gripping thriller with an unbelievable twist! Christie will be in conversation with Dr Jacky Collins AKA Dr Noir.
Book & In-person Audience£10.99/Voucher & In-person Audience£5
October 29
Bookshop Signing with Tricia O’Malley
5.30pm/6pm/6.30pm, Book Lovers Bookshop6 Melville Terrace, Edinburgh, EH9 1ND
From the international bestselling author, Charmed meets The Pumpkin Spice Café in this cosy bewitching romance. She’s hexed. He’s vexed. And for Scotland’s most magical small-town, their feud might just spell disaster.
An NY Times, USA Today, and WSJ bestselling author, Tricia O’Malley’s infectious joy in writing romance with an added dash of magic has touched hearts around the world. With over three million books read, O’Malley’s stories have been translated into several languages and enjoy a devoted following.
Tickets £3
October 29
Ice Cream for a Broken Tooth - Robin Ince with James Matthewson
7.30pm, Typewronger Books, 4a Haddington Place, Edinburgh, EH7 4AE
Robin Ince will be reading from his debut poetry collection Ice Cream for a Broken Tooth with James Matthewson.
Robin Ince is many things. A multi award winning comedian, author, broadcaster, bibliomaniac and a populariser of scientific ideas. He is perhaps best known as the co-host and co-creator of the Sony Gold Award winning BBC Radio 4 series The Infinite Monkey Cage with Professor Brian Cox.
His debut poetry collection, Ice Cream for a Broken Tooth: Poems about life, death, and the odd bits in between pursues the psychological essence of personal and societal wellbeing, explored through experiential neurodivergence and humanism.
Free, but ticketed.
October 29
An evening with Allison Meldrum: Keep Me Safe
7pm, Edinburgh - West End
Join Allison Meldrum on Wednesday 29th October, at 7pm, to celebrate the publication of her absorbing and pacy new thriller, Keep Me Safe.
General Admission: £5 / Book & Ticket: £13
October 29
Stephanie Garber for Alchemy of Secrets
6pm, Ps and Gs Church, 46 York Place, EH1 3HP
Stephanie Garber is the No. 1 Sunday Times, New York Times, and internationally bestselling author of the Caraval series and the Once Upon a Broken Heart series. Toppings cannot wait to welcome back the global phenomenon in Edinburgh for her spectacular new novel, Alchemy of Secrets! Fusing spellbinding Hollywood secrets with a cinematic mystery, this book will transport you into another world. Chaired by fellow YA author, Adalyn Grace, this is not an evening to miss!
Early bird £10/including book £22
October 29
An Evening with TJ Klune
7pm, Pilrig St. Paul’s / LARCH, Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 5AH
Join Toppings as cosy fantasy icon TJ Klune heads to Edinburgh to discuss the no. 1 bestselling sequel to The House in the Cerulean Sea: Somewhere Beyond the Sea.
Early bird £8/including book £10.99
October 30
6.30pm, Rare Birds Bookshop, Stockbridge
Join us for a spooky good time in store: we’ll have Halloween treats and drinks, plus a huge array of Halloween themed-books for your browsing pleasure.
Whether you want a witchy romance, a gory thriller or a ghost story so scary you’ll sleep with the lights on, we’ve got it all.
Wear your costumes - anyone who dresses up (even a little) gets a special discount on the night 🎃
Tickets £5
October 30
Mr Outside Event with Caleb Klaces
6.30pm, Golden Hare Books, 68 St Stephen Street, EH3 5AQ
During a time of restricted movement, the narrator of Mr Outside visits his reclusive father Thomas who is packing up to move into a care home. As father and son grapple with the task, long-buried conflicts resurface. Thomas, a poet and former radical priest, slips between affection and fear, while the narrator struggles to find the words he’s been holding back.
Caleb will be joined in conversation by Martin MacInes and Oli Hazzard.
Ticket £6/Book and ticket £12
October 30
Poet Laureate Simon Armitage for New Cemetery
7pm, Pilrig St. Paul’s / LARCH, Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 5AH
Poet Laureate Simon Armitage joins us for his major new collection New Cemetery. In this highly imaginative and wide-ranging collection, he makes peace with the dead.
Early bird £10/including book £14.99
October 30
Joe Hill & Keith Rosson: An Evening of Horror
7pm, St Cuthbert’s Church, 5 Lothian Rd, Edinburgh EH1 2EP
Join Toppings on Halloween Eve for a night of horror to celebrate the release of two of the most hotly anticipated tales of terror this year! Let us welcome you into the ghostly season proper with stories of vengeful vampires and sacrifice hungry demonic dragons. And that’s not all: our evening with Joe Hill and Keith Rosson will also be chaired by another horror veteran: V Castro!
Early bird £10
October 30
Enda Delaney: Making Ireland Modern
7pm, Blackwell’s Bookshop, 53-62 South Bridge, EH1 1YS
Join Enda Delaney as he discusses his new book, Making Ireland Modern.
General admission £2.50/Ticket and book £35
October 30
Silent Bones withVal McDermid in conversation with Nicola Sturgeon
7.30, Assembly Roxy, 2 Roxburgh Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9SU
The Portobello Bookshop is absolutely delighted to be hosting Val McDermid’s Edinburgh launch of the latest Karen Pirie thriller, Silent Bones. Join us in welcoming the Quine of Crime to the Assembly Roxy for an evening event that’s set to be as thrillingly entertaining as McDermid’s novels, as she will be in conversation with Nicola Sturgeon.
Early Bird - Book & In-person Audience £20 *Limited*/ Early Bird - In-Person Audience £15 *Limited*/Book & In-person Audience £22/In-person Audience £18
October 31
Rahul Soni for Shrikant Verma’s Magadh
7pm, Topping & Company, 2 Blenheim Place, Edinburgh EH7 5JH
We are absolutely thrilled to welcome writer, editor and translator Rahul Soni for his translation of Shrikant Verma’s (1931–1986) masterpiece Magadh. Rahul Soni’s landmark translation stays faithful to the spare, haunting, incantatory cadences of the original, revealing how startlingly prescient and relevant Magadh remains today.
Early bird £8/including book £14.99
October 31
Hamza Yassin for Homeward Bound
7pm, Pilrig St. Paul’s / LARCH, Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 5AH
Hamza Yassin is a Scottish wildlife cameraman and presenter, a skilled ornithologist and the winner of the 2022 season of Strictly Come Dancing! He joins Toppings for his new book Homeward Bound, telling the story of his life outdoors and the joy he has found in nature.
Early bird £10/including book £22
October 31
Ghosts, Romance and the Paranormal: An Author Event & Signing with BK Borison
6.15pm, Christ Church Morningside, 6a Morningside Road, Edinburgh, EH10 4DD
Join Book Lovers Bookshop for a Halloween evening event with author BK Borison to celebrate her new ghostly paranormal romance GOOD SPIRITS! Chaired by Elliot Fletcher, author of Whisky Business.
Event Entry Ticket £6/Book + Ticket £9.99
November 1
Sports Romance: A Conversation and Signing with Liz Tomforde!
7pm, Community Church Edinburgh King’s Hall, 41 South Clerk Street, Edinburgh, EH8 9NZ
Join us for an in-person event with author Liz Tomforde to celebrate the Windy City series! The event will be chaired by our very own Book Lovers bookseller Anna.
Ticket-only for entry into Q&A and book signing £6.00/Ticket + Rewind It Back + a sticker sheet £9.99/Ticket + 5 x Pre-Signed Windy City Books + a tote bag £49.95
November 2
Stitch It, Don’t Ditch It - Talk & Workshop
11.00, Dovecot Studios, 10 Infirmary Street
This special event is an opportunity to meet, and potentially to join, the Edinburgh Stitchers followed by a workshop teaching basic stitching and clothing repair skills. Attendees can choose to bring in their own clothes for bespoke repair advice from the group or join a group to learn how to mend a tear, repair a moth hole or cover a stain.
Copies of the book Stitch It, Don’t Ditch It: Simple hand-sewn repairs to help you love your clothes for longer will be available to purchase at the event.
Tickets £15
Next week’s events
November 3
Pine's Francine Toon for Bluff
7pm, Pilrig St. Paul's / LARCH, Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 5AH
Francine Toon's debut novel Pine was a Sunday Times bestseller and number one Times bestseller. It won the 2020 McIlvanney Prize, was shortlisted for Bloody Scotland Debut Prize and longlisted for the Highland Book Prize and the Deborah Rogers Foundation Writers Award. We are delighted to welcome Francine back for her highly anticipated new novel, Bluff.
Early bird £8/including book £16.99
November 3
Cooks & Books: Stephen Harris for The Sportsman at Home
7pm, Topping & Company, 2 Blenheim Place, Edinburgh EH7 5JH
Stephen Harris is a self-taught chef who opened The Sportsman in 1999, turning something ordinary into something extraordinary. Under his guidance, the restaurant has earned and retained a Michelin star, as well as being named the UK's best restaurant multiple times.
Early bird £10/including book £30
November 4
Debut Author Showcase: Emily Buchanan, Natalie Jayne Clark and Elspeth Wilson
7pm, Waterstones, Edinburgh - West End, Princes Street, Edinburgh
Join us as we celebrate the thoroughly brilliant debut novels of Emily Buchanan, Natalie Jayne Clark and Elspeth Wilson.
Emily Buchanan: Flowers - Fiona, better known as eco-influencer @FoliageFifi, hasn't left her flat since her boyfriend, Ed, died. She blames herself for what happened to him and for the failure of their climate activist group. But when Ed's favourite plant appears on her doorstep with an anonymous note, Fifi feels a glimmer of hope…
Natalie Jayne Clark: The Malt Whisky Murders - When a dilapidated distillery comes up for sale in rural Kintyre, Eilidh and her wife Morag jump at the chance. But their ambition to run the first women-owned whisky distillery in Scotland seems to be scuppered when a grisly, decades-old secret is revealed: two dead bodies have been stuffed into barrels, perfectly preserved in single malt.
Elspeth Wilson: These Mortal Bodies - Leaving behind her childhood in coastal Scotland, Ivy Graveson arrives at an all-girls college at a prestigious university and throws herself into the deep end of life on campus. In just one life-changing year in these hallowed halls, Ivy will have to decide how much sisterhood means to her and how far she’ll go to become the person she was destined to be.
General admission £5
November 4
CL Clark with Hannah Kaner for Fate's Bane
7pm, Topping & Company, 2 Blenheim Place, Edinburgh EH7 5JH
Award winning author, and bookseller favourite, C. L. Clark comes to Edinburgh for the release of their brand new novella; Fate's Bane. Delve in the fens and marshes, as forbidden love and ancient magics blossom against the backdrop of warring clans. Not to be missed!
The event will be chaired by the brilliant Hannah Kaner, author of Godkiller, Sunbringer and Faithbreaker, all three #1 Sunday Times bestsellers.
Early bird ticket £8/including book £14.99
November 4
Dominic Hinde - Drifting North - Finding a Sustainable Future in Scotland's Past
7pm, The Portobello Bookshop
We're really pleased to be welcoming Dominic Hinde to the bookshop for an event to celebrate the Edinburgh launch of his latest book, Drifting North: Finding a Sustainable Future in Scotland's Past. Past and future collide in this engaging journey through climate change, fossil capitalism and the struggle for a sustainable world.
Book & In-person Audience £20.00/Voucher & In-person Audience £5.00/Free In-person Audience FREE
November 5-9
Edinburgh’s Radical Book Fair 2025: Ecosystems of Change
Assembly Roxy
Lighthouse's annual 4-day community gathering-meets-festival of ideas features over 20 events, workshops, shared-meals, activist and publisher stalls and much more.
The theme for this year's Book Fair is ecosystems of change, focusing on how we forge the coalitions vital to meaningful change and to building the world we deserve.
History shows us that when we come together across the boundaries of single issues, in embodied solidarity and with common goals, the most effective victories happen, with consequences far beyond what we imagined. Now, more than ever, we see the need for these ecosystems of change - from the climate justice movement working in solidarity with Palestine to trans rights framed as a class issue. Siloed struggles play into the hands of oppressors - the opposite is the road to liberation.
To that end this year's speakers include Joelle Taylor, Nikita Gill, Rachel Charlton-Dailey, Sunny Singh, DJ Paulette, Keio Yoshida, Dan Hicks, George Abraham, Basma Ghaylani, Remi Graves, Boff Whalley, Fariha Róisín, Xuanlin Tam and many more.
November 5
Andrew O'Hagan for On Friendship
7pm, Edinburgh New Town Church, 13 George St, Edinburgh EH2 2PA
Andrew O'Hagan is the bestselling author of novels including Mayflies, Our Fathers and Caledonian Road. He has been nominated for the Booker Prize, was voted one of Granta's Best of Young British Novelists in 2003, and won the E. M. Forster Prize from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. He is Editor-at-Large of the London Review of Books and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
Now, Andrew joins us for On Friendship, a heart-enriching celebration of what makes us great: our friends.
Earlybird ticket £8/including book £12.99
November 5
Clare Carlisle for Transcendence for Beginners
7pm, Topping & Company, 2 Blenheim Place, Edinburgh EH7 5JH
Clare Carlisle is Professor of Philosophy at King's College London, and the author of eight books on philosophy and philosophers, including Philosopher of the Heart: The Restless Life of Soren Kierkegaard and most recently The Marriage Question: George Eliot's Double Life.
In Transcendence for Beginners, Clare Carlisle examines life writing and philosophy across certain European and Indian traditions, exploring questions of childhood and mortality, art and religion, beauty and loss.
Early bird £8/including book £12.99
November 6-16
Mitchell Library, North Street, Glasgow, G3 7DN
Aye Write is Glasgow's book festival and is a celebration of books and literature, with lively discussion and debate.
November 6
An Evening with Peter MacQueen and the Hebridean Baker
7pm, Blackwell's Bookshop, 53-62 South Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1YS
Join Peter MacQueen and Coinneach MacLeod as they chat about Tails of Scotland: The Story of Scottish Dogs. In his new book, Peter MacQueen embarks on an extraordinary journey through the hills, glens and islands of Scotland, meeting fourteen of the country’s most iconic breeds. From the noble Scottish Deerhound to the mischievous Westie, Peter uncovers the history, character and quirks of each breed - and the deep bond they share with the people of Scotland. Alongside beautiful photography and practical tips, Tails of Scotland is a celebration of heritage, heart, and our four-legged companions.
General admission £3/book and ticket £17
November 6
Sir Bradley Wiggins for The Chain
7pm, St Cuthbert's Church, 5 Lothian Rd, Edinburgh EH1 2EP
Sir Bradley Wiggins is one of the greatest cyclists the UK has produced.
He won five Olympic gold medals and eight World Championship titles in a long and distinguished career. In 2012 he became the first Briton to win the Tour de France. Just ten days later he won Time Trial gold at the London Olympics then cemented his National Treasure status by being voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
He joins us for his autobiography, The Chain. This is a raw and deeply personal memoir of self-discovery and mental resilience, from one of the UK's greatest sportsmen.
Early bird ticket £8/including book £22
November 6
The World of Jane Austen: Devoney Looser & Zoë McGee in conversation
7pm, the Edinburgh Bookshop, 176 Bruntsfield Pl, EH10 4DF.
In celebration of Jane Austen's 250th birthday, we're thrilled to welcome two experts on one of the world's most cherished novelists, Devoney Looser and Zoë McGee. They will take a deep dive into Austen’s life, writing and legacy.
Tickets from £5
November 6
7pm, The Portobello Bookshop
We're excited that Olga Ravn is coming to the bookshop to celebrate the publication day launch of her new novel The Wax Child, which has been translated from the Danish by Martin Stewart. Ravn is one of Denmark's most celebrated contemporary authors and is known for her previous novels, The Employees and My Work. Ravn will be in conversation with fellow author Heather Parry.
Book & In-person Audience £14.99/Voucher & In-person Audience £5.00/Free In-person Audience - FREE
November 7
Robin Sheriff: The Science of Fermentation
Join author and CEO of the Fermenters Guild, Robin Sherriff, as he dives into the complex microbiology and chemistry behind essential ferments, revealing the invisible ecosystems that shape flavour, preserve food, and enrich our diets, with his new book The Science of Fermentation.
Every culture has a long history of fermentation – from kimchi to beer, kombucha to kefir, and sourdough to soy sauce – but rarely do we contemplate the complex science behind these everyday treats. Learn how fermented food and drinks have changed our palates and health forever, explore scientific processes behind your favourite pickles, and discover how to recreate them in your own kitchen.
Ticket £3/Ticket and book £25
November 7
The Witcher's Joey Batey for 'It's Not A Cult'
7pm, St Cuthbert's Church, 5 Lothian Rd, Edinburgh EH1 2EP
We are pleased to welcome beloved actor and musician Joey Batey, best known as Jaskier from Netflix's The Witcher and frontman of folk band, The Amazing Devil, to celebrate his debut novel; Its Not A Cult!
Blending together his northern heritage, love of music and performing, and the creeping dread of old gods long forgotten, this is one autumn evening to cherish.
Early bird ticket £8/including book £16.99
November 7
Cooks & Books: ARAN's Flora Shedden for Winter in the Highlands
7pm, Topping & Company, 2 Blenheim Place, Edinburgh EH7 5JH
Flora Shedden is a food writer based in Perthshire, Scotland and the youngest ever semi-finalist on The Great British Bake Off. In 2017, she opened ARAN Bakery, named by The Times as one of the best bakeries in the UK. She is the author of Gatherings, Aran, and Supper.
Flora joins us for her eagerly anticipated fourth cookbook, Winter in the Highlands. Tasters can be expected!
Early bird ticket £8/including book £26
Upcoming events
And here are more events that are booking up fast:
November 10
Wine Tasting: Rose Murray Brown talks A Taste for Wine
7pm, The Royal Scots Club, 29-31 Abercromby Pl, Edinburgh EH3 6QE
Rose Murray Brown is one of only 422 Masters of Wine - and one of only 154 female MWs - in the world. After training at Sotheby's for 12 years as a wine and spirit specialist, Rose set up her own wine school in Scotland in 2001. Her wine school, Rose Murray Brown Masterclass, was rated as Scotland's best in the Top Ten places to learn about wine in the UK by the Telegraph.
Toppings is delighted to announce their event and wine tasting with Rose for her new book A Taste for Wine, a complete guide to understanding, tasting and appreciating wine.
Early bird ticket £12/with book £25
November 10
Janina Ramirez for Legenda: The Real Women Behind the Myths that Shaped Europe
7pm, Pilrig St. Paul's / LARCH, Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 5AH
Professor Janina Ramirez is a Sunday Times bestselling author, an Oxford lecturer, BBC broadcaster and researcher. She has presented and written over 30 hours of BBC history documentaries and series on TV and radio, and written seven books for children and adults. Her book Femina was an instant Sunday Times bestseller.
Janina joins Toppings for Legenda, a brilliant reappraisal of the medieval women whose lives have been exploited over centuries for political, nation-building ends.
Early bird ticket £8/with book £25
November 11
Jane Anderson - The Orchid Hunter’s Daughter Book Launch
7pm, The Edinburgh Bookshop, 176 Bruntsfield Pl, EH10 4DF
Join us to celebrate the launch for Jane Anderson’s new historical novel, The Orchid Hunter’s Daughter - the first book in her new Scottish Library series.
In 1867 Scotland, sixteen-year-old Iris Finlay’s world shatters when her grief-stricken father abandons his ministry and departs for Ecuador on a plant-hunting expedition. Sent to live with her aunt at Drummond Castle, Iris finds solace in Innerpeffray Library and an unexpected friendship with talented artist Annie Cooper. She hatches a plan for independence through their joint botany publication.
When the charming Spanish botanist Rafael de Rias enters their lives before mysteriously joining her father abroad, both girls are enthralled, then dashed. Iris is inspired and also faces disgrace working as rebellious Princess Louise’s chaperone in Balmoral. But after receiving devastating news, Iris uncovers the secret tale of a rare black orchid. Enlisting help from Annie’s brother Struan, can she piece together a botanical mystery? Beauty and danger entwine like the most exquisite hothouse bloom.
Jane Anderson writes historical fiction. We are pleased to host her second launch at Edinburgh Bookshop. Jane collaborates with us in running the Edinburgh Women’s Fiction Festival and also founded and runs Edinburgh Writer’s Forum.
Tickets free/Ticket plus book £10.99
November 11
Allan Radcliffe: Blurred Faces
7pm, Blackwell's Bookshop, 53-62 South Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1YS
We are looking forward to welcoming Allan Radcliffe to chat about his tenderly romantic and deeply thoughtful new love story, Blurred Faces.
Two men meet on a dating app. It's supposed to be a casual encounter between strangers. Jordan is only back in Edinburgh to visit his complicated family, and Davie is reeling from a painful breakup. Yet Davie recognises Jordan as someone he knew long ago, when they were both closeted teenagers at the same school. Back then, Jordan was relentlessly bullied - and Davie was one of the bullies. But Jordan doesn't remember him at all.
Against the backdrop of a city steeped in memories, Davie and Jordan find themselves drawn together again and again. A fragile intimacy blossoms between them, but can anyone ever be free of their past?
Ticket £3/Ticket and book £11
November 11
An evening with Amanda Block & CJ Cooke
7pm, Rare Birds Books, 13a Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, EH4 1HU
We're so excited to welcome Amanda Block & CJ Cooke to store to celebrate the publications of their new novels The Haunting of Hero's Bay and The Last Witch.
Tickets £5
November 11
Philip Paris: A Fire in Their Hearts
7pm, Waterstones, Edinburgh - West End, Princes Street, Edinburgh
We are delighted to be joined by bestselling author of The Last Witch of Scotland (Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year 2024), Philip Paris to discuss his powerful, epic tale of love, faith and survival, A Fire in Their Hearts. As civil war rages and King Charles II tightens his grip on the Church of Scotland, childhood sweethearts Violet and Samuel are swept into a violent struggle for religious freedom. They pledge their hearts to each other - and to a cause that will test their faith, courage and love beyond measure.
General admission £5/book plus ticket £20
November 11
The Story of Art Without Men's Katy Hessel for How To Live An Artful Life
7pm, Pilrig St. Paul's / LARCH, Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 5AH
This November, Toppings hosts the author of The Story of Art Without Men for her new book, How to Live an Artful Life.
Katy Hessel is an art historian, curator, broadcaster and author of The Story of Art without Men, a Sunday Times and New York Times Bestseller, and the winner of Waterstones Book of the Year 2022. Katy joins us to celebrate her new book, helping you find daily inspiration for every day of the year in a joyful collection of quotes and ideas from artists.
Early bird ticket £8/including book £16.99
November 11
Ella Risbridger - In Love with Love
7pm, The Portobello Bookshop, 46 Portobello High Street, Edinburgh, EH15 1DA
We are over the moon that Ella Risbridger will be returning to the bookshop this November for an event to celebrate the publication of her new book, In Love with Love: The Persistence and Joy of Romantic Fiction. Risbridger will be in conversation with fellow author Anahit Behrooz.
Book & In-person Audience £16.99/Voucher & In-person Audience£5.00
November 12 - new listing
The Story of the Interior with Graeme Brooker
6pm, Dovecot Studios, 10 Infirmary Street
Join interior designer Graeme Brooker for an exhilarating survey of global interiors from the pre-historic to the present day. Learn how spaces shape our lives and why they matter through an exploration of private and public interiors.
Graeme Brooker is the author of ‘THE STORY OF THE INTERIOR How We Have Shaped Rooms and How They Shape Us’ (2025, Thames & Hudson).
Tickets £15
November 12
Author Event with Rupa Mahadevan
6pm, Craigmillar Library, 101 Niddrie Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH16 4BG
Join us at Craigmillar Library for an author event with Rupa Mahadevan! Rupa will be discussing her new psychological thriller Nine Dolls. There will be time for a Q&A.
My first holiday with my husband’s friends. A remote Scottish manor. Nine sacred dolls. One brutal murder. We find the doll shattered on the floor, its broken pieces scattered like a warning. That’s when everything starts to fall apart. Now the power is out. A storm has trapped us here. And someone is dead…
Free, but ticketed
November 12
The Great North Road by Robert Louis Stevenson, with Stuart Campbell
7pm, Blackwell's Bookshop, 53-62 South Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1YS
Join Stuart Campbell as we celebrate 175 years of Robert Louis Stevenson. Stuart has taken it upon himself to complete The Great North Road. Acting as a literary sleuth he has located a list of twenty-five intended chapter headings and, after a robust discussion with the abandoned characters, he has concluded the unfinished tale, come along and celebrate his great achievement at Blackwell's Edinburgh.
‘IT SHALL BE FINISHED!’ Robert Louis Stevenson made this proud boast in a letter to Sydney Colvin. He was referring to his latest project, The Great North Road, a rollicking tale of highwaymen, murder, mayhem and doomed love, hoping it would emulate the success of Treasure Island.
General admission £3/book and ticket £12
November 12
Cooks & Books: Rick Stein for Rick Stein's Christmas
7pm, St Cuthbert's Church, 5 Lothian Rd, Edinburgh EH1 2EP
Rick Stein, one of the nation's most-loved chefs, celebrates the most wonderful time of the year with a book to cosy up and hunker down with. Rick joins us to celebrate his first ever Christmas cookbook, bringing together all his favourite seasonal recipes and stories.
Early bird tickets £10/including book £28
November 13
Vaseem Khan: Quantum of Menace, with Kim Sherwood
7pm, Waterstones, Edinburgh - West End, Princes Street, Edinburgh
Centring on one of Ian Fleming's most beloved characters Q (aka Major Boothroyd), this delicious witty James Bond spin-off murder mystery finds the tech boffin investigating the suspicious death of his scientist friend after being unexpectedly ousted from his job at MI6.
Join Vaseem Khan as he chats to Kim Sherwood about his vibrant and dynamic new thriller, Quantum of Menace.
General admission £5/book plus ticket £23
November 13
Jeanette Winterson for One Aladdin Two Lamps
7pm, Edinburgh New Town Church, 13 George St, Edinburgh EH2 2PA
Jeanette Winterson published her first novel, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, at twenty-five. Over two decades later she revisited that material in her internationally bestselling memoir Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?
One Aladdin Two Lampscracks open the legendary story of Shahrazad in One Thousand and One Nights to reveal new questions and answers we are still thinking about today. Who should we trust? Is love the most important thing in the world? Does it matter whether you are honest? What makes us happy?
Early bird tickets £8/including book £18.99
November 13
Owen Davies & Ceri Houlbrook - Folklore: A Journey Through the Past and Present
7pm, Blackwell's Bookshop, 53-62 South Bridge Edinburgh EH1 1YS
From village rituals and fairy tales to UFO legends and internet fanfiction, travelling through a landscape of witches, wizards and wicker men, Owen and Ceri reveal how folklore has been researched and written about in the past and show how it continues to be lived in the present. At the same time, they provide the reader with a valuable toolkit for understanding how to interpret the diverse examples given. The book's key message is that folklore is much more than the fossilised remains of a distant, rural past. Folklore is and always has been ubiquitous, dynamic and political. It is a living tradition that draws from many sources, including migrant communities, and is forever being renewed and updated.
Tickets £6/with book £20
November 13
Christina Riley: Looking Down at the Stars
7pm, The Portobello Bookshop, 46 Portobello High Street, Edinburgh, EH15 1DA
It's our great pleasure to welcome Christina Riley to the bookshop for the Edinburgh launch of her new essay collection, Looking Down at the Stars. We love Riley's work on The Nature Library, including a regular Substack newsletter, and we're excited to help her celebrate the publication of this eagerly anticipated essay collection. Riley will be in conversation with writer and academic Roxani Krystalli.
Book & In-person Audience £12.99/Voucher & In-person Audience£5.00
November 13
John Crace for The Bonfire of the Insanities
7pm, Pilrig St. Paul's / LARCH, Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 5AH
John Crace is the Guardian's parliamentary sketch writer & columnist and the author of several books, including Taking the Lead: A Dog at Number 10, Depraved New World, Decline and Fail, and I, Maybot. He joins Toppings this autumn for The Bonfire of the Insanities, his latest serving of political satire.
Early bird tickets £10/including book £16.99
November 13
Blurred Faces Launch Event with Allan Radcliffe
6.30pm, Golden Hare Books, 68 St Stephen Street, EH3 5AQ
Join us in the bookshop to hear Allan Radcliffe in conversation with Mary Paulson-Ellis about Blurred Faces.
About Blurred Faces: 'I mean, it's nothing really. An old face from the past.' Two men meet on a dating app. It's supposed to be a casual encounter between strangers...
Jordan is only back in Edinburgh to visit his complicated family, and Davie is reeling from a painful breakup. Yet Davie recognises Jordan as someone he knew long ago, when they were both closeted teenagers at the same school. Back then, Jordan was relentlessly bullied - and Davie was one of the bullies. But Jordan doesn't remember him at all. Against the backdrop of a city steeped in memories, Davie and Jordan find themselves drawn together again and again. A fragile intimacy blossoms between them, but can anyone ever be free of their past?
Book + ticket £10.99/ticket only £6
November 14
Sally Magnusson: The Shapeshifter's Daughter
7pm, Christ Church Morningside, 6a Morningside Rd, EH10 4DD
The Edinburgh Bookshop is thrilled to welcome bestselling author, journalist and broadcaster Sally Magnusson to Edinburgh, as she joins Eleanor Updale to discuss her brand new novel, The Shapeshifter's Daughter.
Tickets from £5
November 14
7pm, Blackwell's Bookshop, 53-62 South Bridge Edinburgh EH1 1YS
In 1290, England mourned the death of a queen, Eleanor of Castile, beloved wife of King Edward I. Her body was carried on a 200-mile journey from Lincoln to London, a solemn procession that would become immortalized in stone. To mark the places where her cortege rested, a heartbroken Edward commissioned twelve magnificent Eleanor Crosses. More than seven centuries later, bestselling historian Alice Loxton set herself an epic challenge: following in history's footsteps by walking the entire 200-mile funeral route on the corresponding dates.
As Alice journeys in search of England’s forgotten queen, over ancient paths and modern motorways, history comes alive in surprising ways. Lively and entertaining, Eleanor uncovers the extraordinary life and formidable character of this lesser-known royal, revealing her inspiring legacy and the hidden history of Britain.
Book plus ticket £22/book plus two tickets £27
November 14
Christopher Clark on A Scandal in Koenigsberg
7pm, Topping & Company, 2 Blenheim Place, Edinburgh EH7 5JH
Christopher Clark is the Regius Professor of History at the University of Cambridge. He was knighted in 2015. His previous books are The Politics of Conversion, Kaiser Wilhelm II, Iron Kingdom, The Sleepwalkers, Time and Power, Prisoners of Time and Revolutionary Spring.
He joins us for A Scandal in Koenigsberg, an electrifying micro-history of a city torn apart in a storm of scandal and sensation.
Early bird ticket £8/including book £22
November 15 - new listing
A Rom-Com Bookshop Signing Event!
6.30pm, Book Lovers Bookshop, 6 Melville Terrace, Edinburgh UK EH9 1ND
Join us for an after-hours rom-com bookshop signing event with authors Dilan Dyer, Elliot Fletcher, Georgia Stone, Ronnie Matthews, Meg Jones and Em Hardy in the bookshop! Book Lovers Bookshop is so excited to host all of these wonderful rom-com authors. Readers will be able to attend the event, shop for romance books, meet all attending authors and get their books signed. All author’s books will be available for purchase on the night of the event and readers are welcome to bring their own books to get signed.
Tickets £3
November 16
Olivie Blake for Girl Dinner
7pm, Pilrig St. Paul's / LARCH, Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 5AH
‘A book that whets your appetite before devouring you whole. Girl Dinner is cunning, charged and - just as you're comfortable - a profound shock.' ~ Chloe Gong, author of Immortal Longings.
Olivie Blake, bestselling author of The Atlas Six, returns to celebrate her latest novel: Girl Dinner. Packed with twists, turns, and the aching reality of female rage, this is Olivie Blake as you have never read before.
Early bird £8/including book £22
November 17
Lee and Andrew Child for Exit Strategy
7pm, St Cuthbert’s Church, 5 Lothian Rd, Edinburgh EH1 2EP
This November, two titans of thriller writing join us for an excusive Scottish event. For one night in Edinburgh, Andrew Child will be joined by his brother Lee, the man who started it all, to celebrate the latest rip-roaring instalment in the world of Jack Reacher. Lee Child doesn’t often join Andrew on tour, so this is one night in the calendar you definitely won’t want to miss!
Early bird ticket £10/Ticket plus book £22
November 17
Or Something Worse: Why We Need to Disrupt the Climate Transition
7pm, Lighthouse Bookshop, 43 West Nicolson Street, Edinburgh EH8 9DB
Featured speakers: Nicholas Beuret, Kate Whitaker and Nik Matheou.
The push for net zero has become a new arena for class conflict, where the powerful profit and the rest suffer.
Or Something Worse exposes the bleak realities of the transition to a carbon-neutral economy. Greening the economy has become a one-sided war, as governments and businesses squeeze the living standards of ordinary people. We need to seize control of the transition in order to reshape it to equitable ends.
Event voucher £4/Ticket plus book £11.99
November 17
Whisky Tasting with Dave Broom for The Japanese Way of Whisky
7pm, The Royal Scots Club, 29-31 Abercromby Pl, Edinburgh, EH3 6QE
Dave Broom is an internationally celebrated spirits expert. He has won two Glenfiddich prizes and, in 2013, the IWSC Communicator of the Year Award. In 2015, he won The Spirited Award for Best Cocktail & Spirits writer and in 2018, his book The Way of Whisky won an Andre Simon prize.
Dave's previous books include the first two editions of The World Atlas of Whisky, Whisky: The Manual, Gin: The Manual, Rum: The Manual, The Way of Whisky and A Sense of Place. Toppings is delighted to welcome Dave back to celebrate the updated edition of The Japanese Way of Whisky.
Early bird £15/including book £25
November 18
Adrienne Young for Fallen City
6pm, Pilrig St. Paul’s / LARCH, Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 5AH
Moving between Young Adult fiction and adult Fantasy, Adrienne Young joins Toppings to discuss her latest book Fallen City, where a glittering world, a lottery built on lies, and a forbidden romance come together as 18-year-old Maris attempts to escape a city under siege.
In the great walled city of Isara, political turmoil ignites a rebellion one hundred years in the making. But when a legionnaire falls in love with a Magistrate’s daughter, their love will threaten the fate of the city and the will of the gods.
Early bird ticket £8/Ticket including book £18.99
November 18
7pm, Waterstones, Edinburgh - West End, Princes Street
We are delighted to be joined by bestselling author, Christian Kracht, as he discusses his spiky, tragicomic masterpiece finds a middle-aged man and his terminally ill mother on a vodka-fuelled road trip in Switzerland, Eurotrash.
Realising he and she are the worst kind of people, a middle-aged man embarks on a dubious road trip through Switzerland with his eighty-year-old mother, recently discharged from a mental institution. Driving across the country, they attempt to give away her arms-industry wealth, but a fortune of such immensity is hard to squander. Haunted in different ways by the figure of her father, an ardent supporter of Nazism, mother and son can no longer avoid delving into the darkest truths about their past.
Eurotrash is an unsparingly funny, vertiginous mirror-cabinet of familial and historical reckoning, a tragicomic quest punctuated by the tenderness and spite meted out between two people who cannot escape one another.
General admission £5/Ticket plus book £13
November 18
An evening of whisky tasting with Kristiane Westray
7pm, Rare Birds Book Shop, 13 Raeburn Place, EH4 1HU
We're so excited to welcome Kristiane Westray to the store for a fun evening of whisky wisdom and delicious drams. Kristiane will be chatting all about her new book, Savour, giving us some fun and interesting whisky facts and answering all your questions.
You'll also have the chance to have your book signed and best of all, we will be sampling some of the Whiskies from the book with Kristianes guidance!
Tickets £5
November 18
Alison Bashford: Decoding the Hand
7pm, Blackwell's, 53-62 South Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1YS
Join history Professor Alison Bashford as she chats to Richard Oosterhoff about her astonishing story of palmistry—from occultists to the very foundations of modern science and medicine, Decoding the Hand.
General admission £5/book plus ticket £25
November 18
Alistair Moffat for The North Sea
7pm, Topping & Company, 2 Blenheim Place, Edinburgh EH7 5JH
Alistair Moffat MBE was born in Kelso, Scotland in 1950. He is an award-winning writer, historian and former Director of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Director of Programmes at Scottish Television. He is the founder of the Borders Book Festival and was awarded the MBE for services to literature and culture in 2025. He joins us to celebrate his latest book, The North Sea.
Early bird ticket £8/including book £20
November 19
Celebrating ‘Winter’ with Val McDermid
7pm, Pilrig St. Paul’s / LARCH, Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 5AH
As the dark nights roll in, join us to celebrate Val McDermid’s biography of her favourite month - Winter. Sure to be a memorable night with many bright insights into the crisp snow-covered December days, we hope you’ll join us in from the chill.
Val McDermid has always had a soft spot for winter: the bitter clarity of a crisp cold day, the vivid skies over the Firth of Forth, the crunch of frost on fallen leaves and the chance to be enveloped in big jumpers and thick socks. Above all, she shows us that winter is a time of rest, retreat and creativity, for scribbling in notebooks and settling in beside the fire. This is a charming and cosy celebration of the winter season from one of Scotland best-loved writers.
Early bird tickets £8/Ticket with book £16.99
November 20
An Evening with Natasha Siegel: As Many Souls as Stars
7pm, Waterstones, Edinburgh - West End, Princes Street
Join Natasha Siegel as we celebrate the publication of the sapphic Doctor Faustus retelling you’ve been waiting for, As Many Souls as Stars.
Lush with dark magic, impossible choices, and the slow burn of a love that transcends lifetimes, As Many Souls as Stars is a gothic literary fantasy full of feminine fury, queer longing, and the legacies women inherit, whether they want them or not.
General Admission £5/Book & Ticket £21
November 20
Stumbling Stones Event with Miriam Landor
6.30pm, Golden Hare Books, 68 St Stephen Street, EH3 5AQ
In this moving memoir, Miriam Landor shares her family's harrowing experiences of the Holocaust and the lasting impact this dark chapter of history had on the generations that followed.
Ticket £6/ticket plus book £9.99
November 20
Hen Party with Arthur Parkinson
7pm, The Edinburgh Bookshop, 176 Bruntsfield Place, EH10 4DF
We're delighted to welcome gardener, broadcaster, artist, florist and chicken enthusiast Arthur Parkinson to Edinburgh to talk about his life and celebrate the joy of keeping chickens. After starting his horticultural career working with Sarah Raven, Arthur Parkinson really came into his own after devoting his life to the keeping of chickens, of all shapes and sizes.
Joyful and inspiring, Hen Party is a riotous, clucking poultry show of a book for anyone dreaming of the good life. So come along and join the party!
Ticket £5/ticket plus book £16.99
November 20
Jay Kristoff for Empire of the Dawn
6.30pm, St Cuthbert's Church, 5 Lothian Rd, Edinburgh EH1 2EP
Join Toppings for the most hotly anticipated new epic fantasy finale of 2025!
Jay Kristoff is a #1 international, New York Times and Sunday Timesbestselling author of fantasy and science fiction series including The Nevernight Chronicle and The Aurora Cycle.
He is the winner of eight Aurealis Awards, an ABIA, has over two million books in print and is published in over thirty-five countries, most of which he has never visited. He is as surprised about all of this as you are. He is 6'7" and has approximately 10,000 days to live. He does not believe in happy endings.
Early bird ticket £10/including book £22
November 21
7pm, Blackwell’s Bookshop, 53-62 South Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1YS
Join Gerda Stevenson as we celebrate the publication of her latest vibrant collection of short stories told in Scots, Cat Wumman, in which she breaths fresh life into traditional songs, ballads and tales from Scotland and beyond.
From the Mississippi swamps to the shores of the Mediterranean, these reimagined stories blend the supernatural with modern life, offering readers an unforgettable mix of folklore and contemporary narrative. Stevenson, an acclaimed writer, actor, and singer of Scottish ballads, infuses each tale with the same lyrical richness that inspires her wider creative work. Perfect for lovers of Scottish culture, fans of folklore and those passionate about storytelling in its many forms, Cat Wumman is a celebration of Scotland’s linguistic and cultural heritage. It’s a must-read for anyone seeking bold, imaginative narratives rooted in the magic of oral tradition.
General admission £3/Ticket and book £9
November 21
Chloe Gong for Coldwire
6pm, Pilrig St. Paul's / LARCH, Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 5AH
From Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author Chloe Gong comes the start of a daring new dystopian series. Joins Toppings to celebrate the launch of her electric new cyberpunk YA novel, Coldwire! Fans of These Violent Delights won't want to miss out.
Earl bird ticket £8/including book £20
November 22 - new listing
Craft Night celebrating Hollow by Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti
7.00pm, Lady and the Bear Cafe, 1 Hope Park Terrace, Edinburgh
Join us for a craft night celebrating Hollow by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti where readers will join the Book Lovers Bookshop staff in bedazzling their copies of Hollow!
Hollow is new dark Romantasy from the bestselling authors of Zodiac Academy, Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti - a heady cocktail of Summoners, seduction and spirits, set to get your heart racing and feet kicking.
Don’t listen to the whispers of the woods.
Don’t trust the man cloaked in shadow.
Don’t earn the wrath of the scattered spirits.
Don’t go out after dark.
Ticket plus book £22
November 22
A History of Fashion – For Everyone with Celia Joicey
11.30 General Admission: £5 / Child (7–12): Free
Why do we care about what we wear? Travel through time with Dovecot Director Celia Joicey to learn how fashion influences how we dress, how we feel about ourselves and – significantly – how we look! With fabulous fashion from the past 200 years and insights on why key people throughout history are remembered as much for their sense of style as for their actions, from Henry VIII to Coco Chanel.
General Admission £5/Child (7–12) free
November 23 - new listing
2025 Booker Shortlist: Andrew Miller for The Land in Winter
7pm, Pilrig St. Paul’s / LARCH, Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 5AH
Join Toppings as they welcome the ever-brilliant Andrew Miller to celebrate his Booker-shortlisted novel, The Land In Winter.
December 1962, the West Country. In the darkness of an old asylum, a young man unscrews the lid from a bottle of sleeping pills. In the nearby village, two couples begin their day. Local doctor, Eric Parry, mulling secrets, sets out on his rounds, while his pregnant wife sleeps on in the warmth of their cottage. Across the field, in a farmhouse impossible to heat, funny, troubled Rita is also asleep, her head full of images of a past life her husband prefers to ignore. He’s been up for hours, tending to the needs of the small dairy farm he bought, a place where he hoped to create a new version of himself, a project that’s already faltering.
There is affection - if not always love - in both homes: these are marriages that still hold some promise. But when the ordinary cold of an English December gives way to violent blizzards - a true winter, the harshest in living memory - the two couples find their lives beginning to unravel. Where do you hide when you can’t leave home?And where, in a frozen world, could you run to?
Early bird ticket £8/Ticket plus book £10.99
November 25
An Evening with Shona Kinsella & Rafael Torrubia
7pm, Waterstones, Edinburgh - West End, Princes Street
Join Shona Kinsella & Rafael Torrubia as they chat to Ann Landmann about their haunting, fantastical tales deeply rooted in Scottish folklore, Daughters of Nicnevin and The Shipwright and the Shroudweaver.
Daughters of Nicnevin by Shona Kinsella: Mairead and Constance, two powerful witches, meet in the early days of the 1745 Jacobite uprising. While the men of the village are away fighting, the villagers face threats from both the Black Watch and raiders, and the women are confronted with their vulnerability. They enlist the help of Nicnevin, fae queen of witches, to bring men made of earth to life to help protect their village. But just who do they need protection from? And what will happen when the village men return?
The Shipwright and the Shroudweaver by Rafael Torrubia: No one remembers the calamity that killed the gods and stole the names of their people. Now Shipwright and Shroudweaver are known only by their professions. She’s a master of magical shipbuilding. He’s a maker of the gilded gods that fuel their sails, stitched from the souls of dead sailors. When a chance to save their world calls the veterans back to shore, they decide they’ll stop at nothing to vanquish the ultimate evil, embarking on a deadly race against time to beat the grief-wracked sorceress known as Crowkisser to the notorious mountain kingdom in the legend-infested north before she unleashes the ancient power entombed at its heart - the one waiting to finish what it started.
General Admission £5/Book and ticket Daughters of Nicnevin £23/Book and ticket for The Shipwright and the Shroudweaver £28
November 25
Clare Coghill - Café Cùil Cookbook
7pm, The Portobello Bookshop, 46 Portobello High Street, Edinburgh, EH15 1DA
Cafe Cùil faces the sea just outside stunning Carbost in the Isle of Skye. In this idyllic setting, award-winning chef Clare Coghill celebrates Highland produce, reimagines traditional Scottish dishes and puts a Hebridean twist on some global ones...
Book & In-person Audience £25/Voucher & In-person Audience£5
November 25
How Animals Heal Us with Jay Griffiths
6.30pm, Golden Hare Books, 68 St Stephen Street, EH3 5AQ
From celebrated author Jay Griffiths comes a unique and heartfelt insight into the healing nature of our relationship with animals. Pet-owners and animal-lovers instinctively know that animals heal. This book offers the evidence, drawing widely on scientific discoveries, history, and Indigenous knowledge. We meet a pot-bellied pig who saved her owner's life, lions who guarded a girl from kidnappers, dolphins and whales rescuing people in danger, and dogs who can smell cancer and phone the Emergency Services. In conversation with Dan Richards.
Ticket £6/Ticket and book £20
November 25
Cooks & Books: Skye McAlpine for The Christmas Companion
7pm, Pilrig St. Paul's / LARCH, Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 5AH
Skye McAlpine is the author of A Table in Venice, A Table for Friends and A Table Full of Love. Skye writes a monthly column for The Sunday Times and has contributed to publications from around the world, including Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Conde Naste.
Her cookbooks are testament to her belief that food tastes best when shared with others. She joins us for her new cookbook The Christmas Companion, a festive guide to a cosy, relaxed and memorable Christmas.
Early bird ticket £10/Ticket and book £28
November 26
Readers and Writers Against Genocide: A Fundraiser
7pm, Lighthouse Bookshop, 43 West Nicolson Street, Edinburgh EH8 9DB
Join Lighthouse Bookshop for an evening of readings and performance in solidarity with Palestine. Readers and Writers Against the Genocide (@rwag_uk) is an informal group of authors, poets, literary agents, booksellers, publishing staff and readers who have come together to speak up against the genocidal actions of the Israeli state in Gaza.
All profits from tickets will be divided between Medical Aid for Palestinians, The Ghassan Abu Sittah Children’s Fund, and mutual aid for four Gazan writers.
Tickets £8 or £20
November 26
Marc Burrows: The Story of the Christmas No.1
7pm, Blackwell's Bookshop, 53-62 South Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1YS
Join author, comedian and musician, Marc Burrows, as he explores the power and cultural importance of the British Christmas No. 1 in his new book Mistletoe and Vinyl.
Marc Burrows explores the peculiarly British cultural phenomenon of the Christmas singles chart. The festive top spot was something that, prior to 1973, wasn’t particularly important but has since become a cornerstone of the December news cycle and, for years, an annual cultural moment … that may have reached the end of its life.
Ticket £3/Ticket and book £15
November 26
An Evening with the Authors Shortlisted for the 2025 Bloody Scotland Debut Prize
7pm, Waterstones Edinburgh West End, Princes Street
Join us in welcoming the very best of 2025's debut crime authors to Waterstones. Claire Wilson - Five By Five, David Goodman - A Reluctant Spy, Foday Mannah - The Search For Othella Savage, Natalie Jayne Clark - The Malt Whisky Murders and Richard Strachan - The Unrecovered, will be chatting to host of the In My Good Books podcast, Susie Green, all about the unforgettably thrilling crime novels that were shortlisted for this year's Bloody Scotland Debut Prize.
General admission £5
November 26
Cooks & Books: Tim Siadatan for Padella
7pm, Topping & Company, 2 Blenheim Place, Edinburgh EH7 5JH
Tim Siadatan graduated from the first intake at Jamie Oliver's Fifteen. After working at the iconic St John restaurant, he went on to work at Moro, before opening Trullo with his good friend and business partner Jordan Frieda in June 2010. In 2016 they opened the first Padella in London's Borough Market. It was the culmination of their long-held dream to open a pasta bar serving fresh, hand-rolled pasta with delicious sauces and fillings inspired by their trips to Italy.
Having been taught by the best, Tim and his chefs have maintained the highest quality, as proven by the continued popularity of the restaurants.
Early bird ticket £10/Ticket and book £25
November 27 - new listing
British Interior Design Since 1925 with Bruce Peter
17.30, Dovecot Studios, 10 Infirmary Street
Join Bruce Peter as he discusses rapid changes in popular taste, from Art Deco to Modernism, Romance to hi tech, Minimalism to Maximalism and the role individual designers, magazines, retailers (including IKEA), DIY and technology have played in shaping our commercial and domestic spaces.
The talk will be followed by a drinks reception in the Dovecot Café to mark the launch of the new book British Interior Design since 1925 by Bruce Peter and Drew Plunkett (2025, Lund Humphries).
Tickets £15
November 27
Fated Love & Romantasy: Celebrate Fallen Stars with Imani Erriu & Emmy Rosam
6pm, Lady and the Bear Cafe, 1 Hope Park Terrace, Edinburgh, EH8 9LZ
Never make a bargain with a god. Elara is vengeful. Enzo is trapped between the realms of life and death and her enemy has vanished, taking her love’s only connection to the waking world with him.
But there is a darker force at play, one that even Ariete, King of the Stars, is afraid of. On the run with enemies at every turn, Elara must enlist friends, old and new, and learn to control her almighty powers if she has any hope of saving her soulmate. Whatever happens, there is one thing she is certain of - stars will fall.
Imani Erriu is the author of the romance fantasy series Heavenly Bodies. She is a graduate from the Manchester Metropolitan University where she received a Bachelor's Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
Ticket £6/Ticket and book £20
November 27
Blueprints: Crystal Jeans is Oversharing, a memoir launch
7pm, Lighthouse Bookshop, 43 West Nicolson Street, Edinburgh EH8 9DB
Join us for the launch of a searing, reflective and truthful collection of essays by award-winning writer, Crystal Jeans.
My therapist believes that by the time we are seven, we already have our life mapped out. If we are going to be a workaholic, promiscuous or a high achiever or whatever, it’s all there in the blueprints by seven. ‘But we have the power to change the blueprints.
Jeans explores the struggles of addiction and mental health during the turbulent transition of adolescence into adulthood through to the strains of marriage, childbirth and parenting.
Ticket £4/Ticket and book £12
November 27
Cooks & Books: Ixta Belfrage on FUSAO ~ Brazilian Recipes
7pm, Pilrig St. Paul's / LARCH, Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 5AH
Described as 'one of the most influential women in food,' Ixta Belfrage began her culinary career at Ottolenghi's NOPI restaurant. She then moved to the Test Kitchen, where she worked for Yotam Ottolenghi for five years, contributing to his columns in the Guardian and The New York Times.
Ixta joins Toppings to talk, demo and dish out tasters from her new cookbook FUSAO. Brighten up your meal times with the flavours of Brazil.
Early bird ticket £10/Ticket and book £28
November 27
An Edinburgh Evening with Alexander McCall Smith
7pm, Edinburgh New Town Church, 13 George St, Edinburgh EH2 2PA
We are delighted to be joined by the brilliant, and perennially prolific, Alexander McCall Smith to celebrate three new novels: In The Time of Five Pumpkins, Bertie's Theory of Ice Cream, and The Private Side of Friendship.
Alexander is the author of over one hundred books on a wide array of subjects, including the award-winning The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agencyseries. He is also the author of the Isabel Dalhousie novels and the world's longest-running serial novel, 44 Scotland Street. He was knighted by the King in 2024 for services to literature, academia and charity.
Early bird ticket £8
December 1
Eva Meijer for Sea Now
7pm, Topping & Company, 2 Blenheim Place, Edinburgh EH7 5JH
Eva Meijer is a philosopher, visual artist, writer and singer- songwriter. Their fiction and non-fiction has been translated into over twenty languages. Since the publication of their first novel in 2011, their works have received numerous awards, including the Halewijnprijs honouring their oeuvre. Their books have been met enthusiastically by the Dutch but also international press including reviews in the Guardian, Der Spiegel and New York Review of Books.
Early bird ticket £6/Ticket including book £12.99
December 9
The Cocktail Diaries Book Signing with Outlander’s Sam Heughan
5.30pm, Pilrig St. Paul’s / LARCH, Leith Walk, Edinburgh EH6 5AH
Sam has enjoyed a successful career in theatre, television and film spanning two decades. He is best known for his starring role in the hit TV show Outlander and as co-author of three books in the Sunday Times bestselling Clanlands series. Sam is the founder and co-creator of Sassenach Spirits, whose whisky, wild Scottish gin and tequila have won numerous awards.
His latest book, The Cocktail Diaries, features imaginative recipes created by international bartenders for Sam and his brand Sassenach Spirits - a tailormade tour of the world’s best cocktails. Sam’s expertise and enthusiasm shine through as he regales with his love of cocktails - from the historic Boulevardier in Paris to a Bramble in New Orleans to a Papaya Margarita in the back of a van in the Oaxaca mountains - and delights in sharing his favourite adventures (and drinks!) with the reader.
Ticket including book £20
December 12 - new listing
Celebrate the Holidays with Book Lovers at our Late Night Shopping Event!
6.30pm, Book Lovers Bookshop, 6 Melville Terrace, Edinburgh
Celebrate the Holidays with Book Lovers! Shop for romance books, listen to holiday music and munch on holiday cookies! Join us on 12th of December for a late night shopping event to celebrate the Winter Holidays and make all of your last minute holiday gift purchases for the romance readers in your life! All attendees will receive 15% off their purchase during the event’s hours of 6:30pm-9:30pm!
Free, but ticketed
But that’s not all…
More events, even further in the future…
Marc Mierowsky, Samin Nosrat, Nicola Sturgeon, Val McDermid, Rebecca Ferrier, Gavin Francis, Nussaibah Younis, Niamh Hargan, Graeme Macrae Burnet, George Saunders, Zain Rishi