Books
The Portobello Bookshop launches books by post
A SUBSCRIPTION service for book lovers has been unveiled by The Portobello Bookshop in Edinburgh. “Porty by Post” provides a fiction or non-fiction book each month, along with an interview with an author in an accompanying booklet. Gifts from fellow independently-owned local businesses are also included in the pack, along with a bookmark and a…
Read MoreLady Glenconner at Royal Scots Club lunch
THE Royal Scots Club in Edinburgh is preparing to host Lady Glenconner for its next literary lunch. Lady Glenconner, 90, was maid of honour at the Queen’s coronation and was appointed as a lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret in 1971. Her memoir, Lady in Waiting, was published in 2019 and became a best-seller, with Lady Glenconner…
Read MoreVoxblock plays audiobooks without a screen
AN EDINBURGH couple has today launched Voxblock, a device for playing audiobooks without a screen. Rebecca Lundgren and Tom Williams were inspired to create the machine after watching their daughter play Lundgren’s childhood audiobooks on an old cassette player. ‘‘Watching our own daughter listen to and love my old storybook cassettes was a revelation and…
Read MoreBloody Scotland shines spotlight on new authors
THE Bloody Scotland International Crime Writing Festival has chosen 22 new writers for its “Crime in the Spotlight” feature. Each author will appear alongside more famous writers, either on stage or online. The idea was inspired by the support acts at music festivals. More than 100 new writers have been supported by the project in…
Read MoreDonna Ashworth shares exclusive poem
Poet Donna Ashworth shares her new work, Home, written for Scottish Field. HAILING from Tillicoultry, Donna Ashworth rose to fame on social media, with her poetry winning a legion of celebrity fans, including Cat Deeley, Lisa Faulkner, and Lisa Snowden. A new collection of her poems, I Wish I Knew, has been released by Black…
Read MoreAlexander McCall Smith features on new album
AUTHOR Alexander McCall Smith is one of the narrators featured on the forthcoming album from string duo Sequoia. Isola, which is due to be released on 16 September, features the Scotland Street author, along with Hamish Henderson. The author features on the title track, which he helped to compose. The idea for the album came from…
Read MoreAbbotsford prepares for tomorrow’s ScottFest
SIR Walter Scott’s home at Abbotsford near Tweedbank is making the final preparations for its “ScottFest”. The three-day festival celebrating the life of Scotland’s most famous author begins tomorrow. Events include jousting, terrier racing, and birds of prey displays. The festival marks Scott’s birthday, which this year coincides with the 200th anniversary of the author’s…
Read MoreFree Harry Potter samples used to promote literacy
THE opening chapter of the first Harry Potter children’s book is being made available for free online this summer to promote literacy. The first pages of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone are being released through the Wizarding World website. Amazon is also streaming the first book for free via its Audible audio book shop…
Read MoreFun Lovin’ Crime Writers at the Fringe
THE Fun Lovin’ Crime Writers – a band made up of tartan noir authors – is preparing to play four shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The super group – which consists of Mark Billingham, Chris Brookmyre, Doug Johnstone, Val McDermid, Stuart Neville, and Luca Veste – play “songs about murder and death”. Its covers…
Read MoreMoat Brae brings children’s stories to life
MOAT Brae, Scotland’s national centre for children’s literature and storytelling, in Dumfries has reopened for the summer with an exhibition showcasing classic stories. Studio MinaLima, the graphic design firm behind the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts films, has breathed fresh life into tales including Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi,…
Read More