Could you be a Great British Bake Off contestant?

James Morton, Norman Calder, Marie Campbell, Tom Hetherington and Flora Shedden have all done it – now could you?  They’re some of the Scots who have shown they know their baklava from their Princess cakes. The search is now on for contestants for the 2019 Great British Bake Off, and the company who make the…

Read More

When Arriva buses were serving Scotland

Books about buses are, in many ways, like the vehicles themselves. You wait a while for one, and then several arrive in a short space of time. Amberley Publishing has, over the past few months, released a series of books chronicling buses in Scotland, which have been of interest, even to this casual reader with…

Read More

The secret locations hidden during World War 2

We all think that we know the areas where we currently live, and indeed, where we grew up. We know the local parks, the places to go for walks and the shortcuts to get home – but how much do we really know about our areas? In Secret Wartime Britain: Hidden Places That Helped Win…

Read More

Sunset Song writer honoured with plaque

A plaque honouring the Scots writer of Sunset Song is to be installed in Stonehaven. Lewis Grassic Gibbon, one of the foremost Scottish writers of the 20th century, is to be honoured as part of Historic Environment Scotland’s (HES) Commemorative Plaque scheme, it was announced today. Perhaps best known as the author of Sunset Song,…

Read More

Scots writer tops vote of most rebellious 21st century reads

Poverty Safari, a best-selling memoir about growing up in Glasgow has been selected in an online vote for Book Week Scotland 2018 as the most rebellious read of the 21st century. Now in its seventh year, Book Week Scotland is run by Scottish Book Trust, the national charity transforming lives through reading and writing. In…

Read More

Scotland’s secret wartime past in new book

A new book chronicling the Scottish sites requisitioned to support the war effort during World War II is set for release. Secret Wartime Britain reveals just how well Britain kept crucial wartime installations secret. The book, written by former BBC programme-maker, Colin Philpott, demonstrates how few people were prosecuted for giving away vital information during…

Read More

Half a million books given to Scottish children

Almost half a million books will again be gifted to school pupils in Scotland as part of Book Week Scotland. Every pupil currently in Primary 1 to 3 in Scotland will receive amazing books as part of the annual celebrations. Now in its seventh year, Book Week Scotland is run by Scottish Book Trust, the…

Read More

Crimewriting giants heading for Glasgow libraries

Literary rebels are being let loose on Glasgow’s libraries this week, as the seventh annual Book Week Scotland festival (19 – 25 November) explodes into the city. With the nationwide celebration of books this year based around the theme of rebellion, Glasgow Libraries programme of events is packed full of banned books, crime writers and…

Read More

One of the world’s rarest books on show for one day

One of the world’s most treasured books, the Gutenberg Bible, will go on display at the National Library of Scotland this week. On Thursday (22 November), visitors to the Library will have the chance to see the book, produced in the 1450s by Johannes Gutenberg in Mainz, Germany. The Gutenberg Bible – as it later…

Read More

First Minister’s favourite reads for Book Week Scotland

Book Week Scotland is now underway, with events taking place up and down the nation. As part of this year’s celebrations, the Scottish Book Trust has teamed up with Waterstones to provide exclusive book lists from First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and bestselling author Maggie O’Farrell. Ahead of their sold-out event at Stirling Castle on Thursday,…

Read More