Tag: reading

It’s Bookshop Day!

SATURDAY 9th OCTOBER

·       Jeanette Winterson, Ian Rankin, Mark O’Connell, Val McDermid, Mark Billingham, Piers Torday, Glastonbury performer Spoz, K.N. Chimbiri, Jodie Chapman confirmed to take part

·       BookTokers celebrating Bookshop Day for the first time

·       Author events in-person, charity initiatives, community space take-overs, poetry competitions, stunning window displays, spoken word performances are just some of the reasons to visit your local bookshop

Plans for Bookshop Day, the annual celebration of bookshops across the UK and Ireland (Saturday 9th October), include author events and signings with Jeanette Winterson, Ian Rankin, Mark O’Connell, Val McDermid, K.N. Chimbiri, Piers Torday and many more; exciting bookshop exclusives and promotions; charitable initiatives with Book Aid and other charities; BookTokers celebrating Bookshop Day on TikTok for the first time; window displays by local illustrators; poetry competitions; spoken word performances by Glastonbury artists, and much more.

Celebrating bookshops big and small, Bookshop Day is the annual reminder that bookshops are so much more than just places selling books. With Christmas fast approaching, the Booksellers Association is encouraging customers to “Shop Early, Shop Local” this autumn, and to start thinking about their Christmas shopping earlier.

Booksellers will be on hand to help customers choose the perfect gifts for their loved ones, both in-store and via their websites, phone or email.

EDINBURGH SPOTLIGHT

To mark Bookshop Day, the city of Edinburgh will be taken over by a series of colourful billboards featuring Dapo Adeola’s artwork and ‘Choose Bookshops’ messaging.

The 21 billboards were unveiled on Monday in the run-up to Bookshop Day, in locations including Prince St, Haymarket, Portobello, Fountainbridge and more.

They will be on display until Monday 18th October. Using the artwork created by Dapo Adeola for this year’s Limited-Edition Bag, they will be encouraging consumers to choose bookshops this Bookshop Day.

BOOKSHOP EVENTS

With events taking place across the country, highlights include:

·       Jeanette Winterson, best-selling author of 12 Bytes,and Mark O’Connell, author of Notes from an Apocalypseand To Be a Machine, will have a fascinating discussion at Manchester Central Library about what humanity might do next, in partnership with Waterstones. Part of Manchester Literature Festival, the event is in partnership with Centre for New Writing and Creative Manchester and hosted by writer Kate Feld. More info here (Saturday 9th October, 6pm).

·       Lara Maiklem, bestselling author of Mudlarking and most recently A Field Guide to Larking, will be doing an event at Festival in a Factory in Stoke-on-Trent, in partnership with Waterstones Hanley, where you’ll be able to discover the treasures just beneath our feet, hidden in rivers, streams, fields, beaches and connect with people of the past through the everyday items left behind. More info here (Saturday 9th October, 11am).

·       Robin Ince will be at Mount Florida Books in Glasgow on Bookshop Day as a part of his #100Bookshops tour to celebrate the release of his new book, The Importance of Being Interested. More info about the Mount Florida event here (Saturday 9th October, 8pm). Other shops include The Chorleywood Bookshop (the bookshop of his childhood), Our Bookshop in Tring (his current local bookshop) and shops in St Helens, Stewarton, Carlisle, Settle, Ilkley, Wootton-Under-Edge, Bristol, Sidmouth and Exeter.At each stop he will ask the booksellers to recommend the book that has piqued their curiosity the most and will create a site charting the path of the tour and the recommendations. All the shops taking part in the tour are listed here.

·       Nigel Warburton will interview Amia Srinivasan, the author of the recently-released Sunday Times bestseller The Right to Sex at Blackwell’s Oxford. More info here (Saturday 9th October, 11am).

·       Max Hastings, in his signature brilliant style, will give a thrilling narrative of this little-known but crucial naval battle, retelling the intense action which perfectly encapsulates the spirit and power of the Royal Navy, as part of the Dorchester Literary Festival, in partnership with Waterstones. More info here (Saturday 9th October, 2pm).

·       Raynor Winn, bestselling author of The Salt Path, will be doing an event as part of Dorchester Literary Festival, in partnership with Waterstones, where she will discuss his latest book, The Wild Silence, which tells the story of one couple’s inextricable connection to the land; and how by exploring their past, Raynor comes to terms with their future. More info here (Saturday 9th October, 4pm)

·       Ann Cleeves, bestselling author of the Shetland, Vera and Two Rivers novels will be doing a signing at her local bookshop, The Bound in Whitley Bay, Northumberland (Saturday 9th October).

·       Melissa Cummings-Quarry and Natalie A. Carter, authors of Grown: The Black Girls’ Guide to Glowing Up will be doing an event at the newly opened Bookhaus Bristol. Founders of Black Girls’ Book Club will be sharing stories and offer honest, practical advice on how to own your choices, to live your truth without fear and to be grown on your own terms without limits or apologies. More info here (Saturday 9th October, 4pm).

·       Philip Reeve and Sarah McIntyre will be hosting a Kevin VS The Unicorns series of events at Max Minerva’s Marvellous Books in Bristol. More info here (Saturday 9th October, sessions at 10am, 10:45am, 11:30am).

·       Graeme Macrae Burnet will be doing a mystery drop-in tour of bookshops in the North of England, starting at The Book Case, Hebden Bridge, to sign copies of Case Study and say hello.

·       Phil Earl, author of When The Sky Falls, will be visiting over 20 bookshops in Lancashire and Yorkshire in the lead-up to Bookshop Day to sign copies of his book.

·       Alexandra Page, debut author of the YA novel Wishyouwas, will be doing an in-store signing at The Rocketship Bookshop in Salisbury. More info here (Saturday 9th October, 11am).

·       Joe Shute, Yorkshire-based journalist and author of Forecast: A Diary of the Lost Seasons, will be doing at event at Ilkley Lit Festival with books sold by The Grove Bookshop. More info here (Saturday 9th October, 12:30pm).

·       Catherine Menon and Neema Shah will have a panel discussion about their debut novels. Fragile Monsters by Menon traces one family’s story from 1920 to the present day, while Shah’s Kololo Hill is set during the expulsion of Ugandan Asians by Idi Amin and follows an Asian Ugandan family whose lives are torn apart in 1972 as they must leave the country. The event is part of Ilkley Literature Festival in partnership with The Grove Bookshop. More info here (Saturday 9th October, 3pm)

·       Piers Torday, author of The Wild Before, will be recording a special episode with award-winning podcast Writers Routine, to be released just in time for Bookshop Day. More info here (Saturday 9th October).

·       Tim Weaver, bestselling crime author of Missing Pieces, will be visiting bookshops around Bath to sign copies of his book, including Waterstones Bath, Oldfield Bookshop and Mr B’s Emporium (Saturday 9th October, 11am-1pm).

·       Really Big Pants will be performing at Pickled Pepper Books in Crouch End. The show will be Clare and Cory Share a (Glorious) Story with an accompanying longer form picture book, illustrated by the award-winning Steve Smallman. More info here. (Saturday 9th October, 10-11:30am).

·       James Norbury will be doing a bespoke painting in the shop window of Book-ish in Crickhowell for his new release, Big Panda and Tiny Dragon on Friday 8th October. The following day, he will then be in the shop for the day to sign copies of his book (Saturday 9th October).

·       Brummie poet and Glastonbury performer Spoz will be doing a live performance poetry outside The Bookshop on the Green in Birmingham, to launch his new children’s poetry collection Canaligator. Children can then get creative and create their own chocolate raps with Spoz after each performance. (Saturday 9th October, 11am and 1pm)

·       K.N. Chimbiri, author of The Story of Afro Hair, and Vanessa Taylor, author of Balelr Boys, will be doing a signing with Book & Kulture on the weekend of Bookshop Day, as part of a collaboration with Black Wall Street London, a permanent retail store on Camden High Street focused on products by diverse makers and crafters. Over the weekend, Book & Kulture will be taking over the basement space and turning it into a bookshop for two days. More info here (Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th October, 10am-7pm).

·       Jodie Chapman, Ashford author of the debut novel Another Life, will be doing a signing at Waterstones in Ashford. Another Life is set in Ashford and explores love, hope and sacrifice, and was a BBC 2 Between the Covers pick. More info here (Saturday 9th October, 11am).

·       Poet Zaro Weil, author of and Cherry Moon current CLiPPA Award winner, will be hosting an event for families at The Book Nook in Hove on Bookshop Day. More info here (Saturday 9th October, 11am).

·       Local author Lynne Francis will be signing copies of her ‘Margate Maid’ series The Secret Child and A Maid’s Ruin at Waterstones in Dean. More info here. (Saturday 9th October, 11am-2pm).

·       The Book Nook in Stewarton is holding ‘Activities with Authors’ throughout Bookshop Day, where authors will be chatting to customers, signing books and doing specially planned activities. Authors include Petra Baillie, author and illustrator of a range of children’s books including Illustrateyour Own books and The Strange and Wonderful Adventures of Pippa; Sharon Baillie, author of Magenta Opium; Jerry Brannigan, author of Robert Burns in Edinburgh; Lindsay Littleson, author of a range of children’s books including The Titanic Detective Agency, Secrets of the Last Merfolk and Guardians of the Lost Unicorns; and Hannah Willow, expert in mindfulness for children, author of Just Be (Saturday 9th October).

·       Chicken and Frog Bookshop in Essexwill be hosting a number of events throughout the week including a poetry slam hosted by local DJ and poet Stuart Pink (Thursday 7th October, 7:30pm), the book launch for Frankie Durkin’s latest release, followed by a Book Club dinner (Saturday 9th October) and an online event with Melissa Welliver, debut YA author of The Undying Tower (Sunday 10th October, 7pm).

·       Owl and Pyramid Bookshop in Devon will be hosting a number of events to mark Bookshop Day, including a book treasure hunt for children, blind date with a book for adults and children, raffle for book bundles, adults and children, free £5 voucher with every spend over £35, 10% off any Christmas books, games and Christmas cards and the launch of their new loyalty system and subscription service.

·       The Ivybridge Bookshop in Devon will be hosting children’s storytelling and activities with local authors including Clare Helen Welsh and Holly Ryan for a morning of stories featuring dragons, mermaids, pirates, princesses, owls, terns, peacocks and elephants! (Saturday 9th October, 10am).

·       Truman Books in Leeds will be hosting a number of events, including a late-night shopping event with free glass of bubbles (Thursday 7th October) and storytime for under-fives, a kids writing and a drawing competition to win a £10 book token, a free tote bag with all purchases over £30 (Saturday 9th October).

·       Picaresque Books & Galerie Fantoosh in Dingwall will be holding a “Gathering of Authors” for Bookshop Day, with local authors donating signed copies of their books to go for auction in aid of Book Aid. Signed books by Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, Mark Billingham, Graeme Macrae Burnett and S.G. Maclean will be available and local authors including Barbara Henderson, Helen Sedgwick, Brian Devlin, Margaret Kirk, Virginian Crow, Morven-May McCallum, Verity Walker Eley, Sharon Gunnason Pottinger and Norman Newton will pop in the shop during the day (Saturday 9th October).

·       Typeset Space, a new community bookshop and co-working space in Rotherham, will be giving £5 vouchers to people who bring them a five-line poem (known as a “quintain” – this could be a limerick, a verse of a sonnet, a Japanese-style tanka, or any other format you like!). They will select five poems per day to award with vouchers, to be used in store. More info here (Tuesday 5th – Saturday 9th October).

·       Mostly Books in Abingdon will be turning into Pixies to celebrate Bookshop Day. They are planning to drop gift wrapped books around town for people to find and keep. They will also be offering every customer who spends £20 or more the chance to win a hamper full of book related goodies as well as offering every customer who spends over £50 a free Books Are My Bag Limited-Edition Bag (Saturday 9th October).

·       Cambridge University Press Bookshop will be offering 10% off all books on Bookshop Day for all customers who mention “Bookshop Day”. They are also offering a free branded tote bag with every associated purchase (Saturday 9th October).

·       B For Butterfly Books inSale, Greater Manchester will be holding a ‘Family Fun Day’ to mark Bookshop Day. The event is free to attend, but the bookshop is asking attendees to consider donating to one of the charities supported by Emporium M3, including clean empty crisp packets to Cyril Flint Befrienders, plastic milk bottle tops to Pathfinder Dogs, used postage stamps to Nightingale Centre at Wytheshawe Hospital, pet food to Cats of M33, and second hand bras, football kits and boots to Bras for Africa. More info here (Saturday 9th October, 10am-5pm)

·       Review Bookshop in Peckham will be putting together a special window display to promote their favourite books of 2021 so far, and their favourite books by local writers in Peckham and Southwark – including Featherhood by Charlie Gimour, The Upper World by Femi Fadugba, The Actual by Inua Ellams, Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson and more.

BOOKTOKERS

Bookshop Day will be working with TikTok influencers for the first time this year, with some of the most popular BookTokers in the UK helping celebrate bookshops, and encouraging their thousands of followers to do the same.

Coming from up and down the country, from Wolverhampton to Surrey to Sunderland, confirmed BookTokers include: caitlinreadsbooks (61.1k followers), whatbritreads (46.8k followers), the_caffeinatedreader (31.5k followers), anya.reads (54.2k followers), cultofbooks (48.2k followers) and more.

They will be creating exclusive content in their local bookshops, as well as showcasing their favourite books to read on Bookshop Day and beyond.

LIMITED EDITION BAG

Award-winning illustrator Dapo Adeola is the creator of this year’s Books Are My Bag Limited-Edition Bag, which will be available exclusively in bookshops from Bookshop Day.

Joining the likes of artists and illustrators such as Charlie Mackesy, Sir Peter Blake, Grayson Perry, Tracey Emin and Orla Kiely, who have designed previous editions of the bag, due to popular demand Dapo’s bag has had the biggest run a Limited-Edition Bag since Bookshop Day began.

BOOKSHOP.ORG FREE SHIPPING

Bookshop.org, the book-buying website on a mission to support independent bookshops and literary culture, will be offering free shipping on all purchases made through their website on Bookshop Day.

Bookshop.org encourages customers to shop at their local bookshop as much as possible, and offers a brilliant ethical alternative to anyone who wants to purchase their books online while supporting bookshops across the UK.

BOOKSHOP OPENINGS

Opening its doors just after Bookshop Day, Afrori Books will be the UK’s biggest supplier of books by Black authors, and Brighton’s first Black-owned bookshop. After operating online for more than a year, owner Carolynn Bain launched a crowdfunding effort on her website to raise £10,000, allowing her to open a bricks and mortar bookshop.

Meanwhile, the independent community bookshop Once Upon a Time Bookshop in Alston, Cumbria will be moving into a new shop and will be reopening on Bookshop Day, as they opened their previous shop three years ago on Bookshop Day 2018.

Piers Torday, author of The Wild Before, said: “My favourite bookshop is Pickled Pepper Books in Crouch End, North London – not just because they have supported my books from the very start, but it is a wonderful shop, so welcoming to children and families.

“Steve and Urmi are always ahead of the curve, and understood early on how the bookshop experience was changing; they converted a room above the store into a children’s theatre, they went full on into supplying school events (including mine) and can also happily fulfil any order, children’s or adult.

“They’ve just opened a new pop-up shop in Enfield, and I hope to be popping by there soon, because buying a book at Pickled Pepper is always a joy.”

Emma Bradshaw, Head of Campaigns at the Booksellers Association, said: “One week to Bookshop Day, and we’re already buzzing with excitement! From organising poetry competitions and spoken word sets to secretly dropping books around town, to mind-blowing window displays – the creativity of booksellers knows no limit, and they will have something in store for everyone this Bookshop Day.

“As the beating hearts of their communities, bookshops getting involved in charitable initiatives is a real testament to the incredible contribution they bring to the high street, and the local communities they serve. We wish everyone a wonderful Bookshop Day!”

Details of Bookshop Day events taking place across the country can be found on the Books are My Bag Facebook events page.

Follow the latest development on social media via @booksaremybag / #BookshopDay

Search is on for Bookbug Hero

Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives through reading and writing, has announced that nominations for the Bookbug Hero Award 2022 are now open.

Run in association with Walker Books, the award aims to honour someone working with Bookbug who has used the programme to make a real difference to the lives of the young children, families and communities they work with.

Scottish Book Trust is asking people across the country to nominate a librarian, early years worker, volunteer, health visitor, or anyone who uses Bookbug in their work. The winner will receive a special trophy and a bundle of picture books worth £500 from Walker Books.

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “Scottish Book Trust is pleased to welcome nominations for the Bookbug Hero Award: a prize that celebrates the fantastic work of our Bookbug practitioners across Scotland.

“Without the hard work of those in libraries, early years settings and through the health service, many young children would not know the joy of sharing stories, songs and rhymes. Our thanks to Walker Books for supporting the prize and allowing us to recognise these heroes in the local community.”

Kylie Watt, Nursery Practitioner at Longridge Nursery and winner of the Bookbug Hero Award 2021, (above) said: “I was extremely honoured to have won the Bookbug Hero Award for 2021. It affirmed my passion and vision as an educator to actively encourage the joys, benefits, and motivations of reading from a young age.

“Nominating your colleagues allows them to share their best practice, passing on new ideas and skills and importantly acknowledging their efforts and successes.”

Jane Winterbotham, Publishing Director at Walker Books said: “The Bookbug Hero Award highlights all the fantastic staff who run Bookbug programmes across their communities, and we are delighted that we can continue to show our appreciation and support of that work by sponsoring the award.

“The award shows appreciation for practitioners who champion reading and work tirelessly to change lives through stories. We look forward to hearing more about the next Bookbug Hero.”

Nominations for the Bookbug Hero Award can be made online via Scottish Book Trust’s website. The closing date for nominations is Friday 26 November 2021.

Two Edinburgh schools recieve free author residency

Scottish Book Trust has announced ten schools who will receive fully-funded author residencies this school year to inspire a lifelong love of reading and writing.

The residencies will also give professional writers the opportunity to build relationships with the school and work together on a creative project. Longstone Primary School will work with storytellers Macastory and Woodlands School will work with comic artist and writer Malcy Duff.

The Live Literature School Residencies Programme, now in its sixth year, is funded by the Walter Scott Giving Group and delivered by Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives through reading and writing.

Three ASN centres were also awarded fully-funded author residencies in the third year of the Additional Support Needs strand of the programme, funded by the Mohn Westlake Foundation.

Schools across the country were invited to apply to the programme which brings professional authors into the classroom to inspire and engage pupils.

Each school taking part in the programme will receive 12 fully-funded residency sessions and ASN schools will receive 15 fully-funded sessions, carried out by an author from Scottish Book Trust’s author directory. It includes over 600 professional writers, poets, playwrights, illustrators, performance poets and storytellers.

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “The Live Literature School Residencies Programme is incredibly important, as it allows authors to build relationships with a school over time, working together with pupils on a dedicated project.

“Many of these projects will work with the local community and will also build on the school’s COVID recovery plan, addressing issues such as pupil wellbeing; rebuilding reading and writing cultures and also lost transition time for P7/S1.

“We are grateful to our funders the Walter Scott Giving Group and the Mohn Westlake Foundation for making this programme available to all schools including ASN settings.”

The residencies will run across the 2021-22 school year and finish by May 2022. The Walter Scott Giving Group has funded the Live Literature School Residencies Programme for six years, and the Mohn Westlake Foundation has funded the ASN School Residencies Programme for three years. As well as an author residency, schools will receive a resources grant of £500.

Each school’s project will be showcased on Scottish Book Trust’s website, alongside suggested learning resources and helpful tips to make the most of the residency sessions.

 Angela Pearston, Head Teacher at Longstone Primary School, said: “We are so excited about our forthcoming residency and hope that it will inspire and motivate our pupils to have confidence in their abilities as storytellers and writers.”

Macastory said: “We are delighted to be involved in the project and are excited to explore stories of the past from the Longstone area of Edinburgh with the children. We’ll see where that takes their imaginations! We can’t wait to see how the pupils will imagine their version of Longstone’s amazing history.”

Karen Byrne, Principal Teacher Support for Learning at Woodlands School, said: “Woodlands is excited to explore journeys of hope and resilience through word and sequenced visuals. We want to share and establish confidence in our personal and collective voice and continue this beyond the residency.”

Malcy Duff said: “I’m excited about offering comic book storytelling as a creative medium for learners to develop their own visual language and explore new narratives that challenge the old. I hope this work will increase participants’ confidence and expand the use of comic book storytelling as an important form of communication.”

Book Festival opens this morning

Today’s the day! The 2021 Edinburgh International Book Festival begins!

Join us in-person at Edinburgh College of Art at the University of Edinburgh or live online for the first day of our first ever hybrid Festival, from our brand new home!

See what’s on today at a glance below, and head to our website to book tickets to watch live in-person or online:

https://edbookfest.co.uk/the-festival/events?

Read all about it: free libraries open at PYCP

A group of young people at Pilton Youth and Children’s Project have been working over the summer holidays to design and build two Little Free Libraries for children in the local community.

The idea was brought to us by Alison McLuckie, a paediatrician working with children and young people in Edinburgh and Mark Stares, a research doctor based at the Western General Hospital.

Alison said: “In my work as a paediatrician, I understand the importance of early literacy and reading for pleasure, and we were thrilled to work with PYCP on the project”.

Alison and Mark and PYCP Youth Workers Aga, Caryn, Adrianna, Adele and other volunteers worked with young people aged 8 to 12 from the “PYCP Adventurers” group, taking the project from the idea stage to building both libraries.

The Adventurers group meet weekly and do all sorts of outdoor activities and learn how to use tools safely, so this was the ideal project for them!

The idea is that local families can take free books from the libraries which are positioned outside of the PYCP building.

A number of Little Free Libraries are all over Edinburgh, including in the New Town, Stockbridge, Starbank Park and Leith Links.

This has been a fantastic project and the young people at PYCP will continue to steward the libraries, making sure they are well stocked and looked after. Families are also welcome to bring a book to leave in return for taking a new one.

The libraries were officially launched on Tuesday (10th August) by Bruce Adamson the Children and Young People’s Commissioner and Nick Hobbs from the office of CYPS.

Young people from the group met with Bruce and Nick and talked him through the design and building process. Bruce and Nick also brought along some books to put in the libraries which were greatly appreciated by the young people.

There are two Little Libraries outside The Greenhouse, both designed by and built with the Young Adventurers.

The first is aimed at children nursery to Primary 2 and is the design of a rainbow hot air balloon. The second is a Harry Potter library for children aged Primary 3 to 7.

Pilton Youth and Childrens Project

Rare Birds Books opens on Raeburn Place

Home of female fiction, Rare Birds Books has launched Scotland’s first female-centric bookshop, right in the heart of Edinburgh.

In a bold move that sees the globally beloved book club show resilience and innovation in a time of retail uncertainty, founder Rachel Wood invites bibliophiles down the rabbit hole and into Stockbridge’s newest page-turning hotspot. 

Readers are invited to visit Rare Birds Shop in Raeburn Place to immerse themselves in a world of beloved book club favourites, must-have modern classics and the cream of the crop of newly published masterpieces.

From Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Malibu Rising to Torrey Peters’ Detransition, Baby, there will be a story, author and genre for every kind of reader, searching for every kind of world. 

Not only packed with the best stories, the shop’s shelves also display a collection of other must-have gifts and novel memorabilia. From Rare Birds’ new candles, which are scented to pair perfectly with your current read, and graphic print totes emblazoned with the store’s logo, to small batch chocolate and stationery from women-led businesses, you are certain to come for the stories and stay for the merch.

Rare Birds founder, Rachel Wood, said: “We’re so thrilled open our first book shop in Edinburgh. We’ve always been deeply interested in women’s writing and we can’t wait to bring what we do online to life in our very own space.

We dreamed of a really welcoming space where we could showcase a huge variety of women’s writing across all genres and create a space where booklovers could meet and socialise and that’s what I hope the space will be.”   

Shoppers can choose from a range of female authored fiction and non-fiction books, as well as create Rare Birds’ signature personalised bundles, which are made up of 3 personal picks from the store’s world of stories.

In the months to come, Rare Birds Book Shop will also be home to a number of in-store events, including author readings, book clubs and intimate shopping evenings. 

The book club you can’t read without, just got better!

For more information visit https://rarebirdsbookclub.com/

Classic tales and Chinese poetry to be translated in Scots

Ten new books awarded Scots Publication Grant

Ten new books in Scots have been awarded funding by the Scots Language Publication Grant.

Now in its third year, the Scots Language Publication Grant was created by the Scots Language Resource Network to support Scots publishers and to encourage Scots writers. It is funded by the Scottish Government and administered by Scottish Book Trust, the national charity changing lives through reading and writing.

This year’s successful awardees include translations of well-loved stories such as Aesop’s Fables by Matthew Fitt and James Robertson, and Lemony Snicket by Thomas Clark. Brian Holton will also reimagine poetry of Li Bai and Du Fu (two of the most renowned poets of Ancient China) to new audiences.

Applications were assessed by a panel with expertise in Scots and publishing, including a representative of the Scots Language Centre, Scottish Book Trust and Waterstones.

Three publishers based in Edinburgh were awarded Scots Publication Grants: Itchy Coo (an imprint of Black & White Publishing), Leamington Books and Taproot Press.

The successful titles are:

  • A Series o Scunnersome Events, Book the First: The Boggin Beginnin (Itchy Coo) by Thomas Clark and illustrated by Brett Helquist
  • A Working Class State of Mind (Leamington Books) by Colin Burnett
  • Berries Fae Banes (Tippermuir) by Jim Macintosh
  • Hard Roads an Cauld Hairst Winds: Li Bai an Du Fu in Scots (Taproot Press) by Brian Holton
  • Laird Graham an the Kelpie (Giglets Education) by Jax McGhee
  • Norlan Lichts (Rymour Books) by Sheena Blackhall, Sheila Templeton and Lesley Benzie
  • Phantom the Ginger Mog (Wee Stoorie Press) by Kirsty Johnson and illustrated by Mandy Sinclair
  • The Day It Never Got Dark In Dundee (Rymour Books) by Ian Spring
  • The Itchy Coo Book o Aesop’s Fables in Scots (Itchy Coo) by Matthew Fitt and James Robertson, illustrated by Emma Chichester Clark
  • Wheesht (Foggie Toddle Books) by Susi Briggs and illustrated by William Gorman. 

The Scots Language Publication Grant provides assistance for publishing new work (including translated texts), reprinting existing historical or culturally significant work, and also effective marketing and promotion of existing and new work.

Education Secretary, Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “The Scottish Government is pleased to continue to support the Scots Publication Grant for a third year.

“We have seen how this funding can develop talent while widening accessibility of a variety of genres, with titles both new and old, to the Scots speaking community. My congratulations to those who have been successful this year.”

Rhona Alcorn, CEO of Dictionaries of the Scots Language and Chair of The Scots Language Resource Network, said: “The Scots Language Publication Grant plays a hugely important role in supporting Scots as a contemporary literary medium.

“This year’s winning titles illustrate the breadth of creative work in Scots today and truly include something for everyone.”

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “Scottish Book Trust is pleased to offer Scots Publication Grants to these ten new titles.

“The diversity in genre and subject matter of the successful awardees is fascinating: from children’s stories to poetry; from classic tales we grew up with, to ancient Chinese poetry. Our thanks to the Scottish Government and the Scots Language Resource Network for making this grant possible.”

Onwards and Upwards: 2021 Book Festival Programme announced

After a universally challenging year, it’s onwards and upwards as EIBF launch 2021’s exciting programme of live, online Book Festival events.

A stellar line-up of over 300 writers, artists and thinkers from around the globe come together this August to share their ideas and stories for a changing world – and all online events are available to book from today.

During the Festival dates, 14-30 August, enjoy more than 250 events for adults, children and families online, all available to watch on a Pay What You Can basis. Online events offer the opportunity to chat with fellow book lovers and connect with authors by asking questions in our live Q&As.

You can also catch up on events at a time that suits, and there’s unlimited ticket availability for the online programme, so you needn’t worry about missing out. Visit our How To Book page for all the information you’ll need.

In this exciting new chapter for the Book Festival, a wide range of the live-streamed events will also have in-person audiences at our new Festival home, the University of Edinburgh’s Edinburgh College of Art.

Around half of our participants will appear in person in Edinburgh, while others join digitally from their homes around the world. Tickets for socially-distanced in-person events will go on sale from midday on 22 July.

The Book Festival Bookshop will open its doors again during this year’s Festival and you’ll find it located in the beautiful Old Fire Station building at our new site on Lauriston Place. Our online bookshop is open 24/7 and will feature titles from authors in the 2021 programme. Selected authors will be offering book signings online and in-person too.

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EIBF Director, Nick Barley, said: “We are incredibly excited to produce our first ‘hybrid’ festival with authors and audiences joining us both in person and online.  We welcome a mix of Scottish and international voices to discuss their ideas, hopes and dreams and we aim to explore together how to move ‘Onwards and Upwards’ from this devastating pandemic. 

“In our new home at Edinburgh College of Art we have created three broadcast studios, two of which can accommodate limited audiences. These new facilities enable us to offer author conversations to worldwide audiences and to those closer to home who are unable to join us in person, as well as welcoming a limited In-Real-Life audience.

“The Book Festival is at the forefront of the re-emergence of public events, and we have a duty of care to our authors, audiences and staff.  It is important that we help rebuild confidence and we have therefore chosen to retain 1 metre social distancing for audiences in the studios. This gives us a reduced capacity of 100 in the New York Times Sculpture Court and 60 in the Baillie Gifford West Court.

“Outside in the courtyard we are recreating the ‘village green’ element of the Book Festival that our audiences enjoy with a bookshop, café, family play area, seating spaces and a big screen upon which a number of the live events will be shown.

“The Book Festival has always aimed to be an oasis of calm and, as ever, this will be a space for audiences to chat, relax, read a book and while away the hours in the summer sunshine.”

Although we can’t promise sun, we will be bringing hundreds of the world’s best writers and thinkers to take part in live conversations this August, including events with Nobel Prize winners Amartya Sen and Kazuo Ishiguro, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Booker Prize winners Salman Rushdie, Bernardine Evaristo, Richard Flanagan and Scotland’s own Douglas Stuart (with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon) and many more. You can browse our entire programme now – we’re sure you’ll find plenty to enterain, challenge and inspire.

This year we’re exploring stories and ideas for a changing world, one dealing with the impact of Covid-19, climate change, poverty, inequality and the varied effects of technology, with authors, politicians, doctors and others discussing the overlapping crises we face – and how we can move forward.

Other key themes for 2021 include an interrogation of Britain’s history of colonialism, a celebration of LGBTQIA+ voices, a look at the importance of our bodies in shaping our sense of self, and more – visit our Themes page and explore the programme through the prism of some of this year’s most important and interesting topics.

Of course, the Baillie Gifford Children’s Programme is full of fun for all ages – with 60 events to take part in from home including readings, draw-alongs, and dancing.We’re also excited to launch a new series of pre-recorded, audio-only events, available from the very start of the Festival, and a range of walking tours and family trails around Edinburgh.

Over 60 of our online events offer BSL Interpretation or Live Captions courtesy of StageText – you can find a list of these events in our What’s On section. We’re pleased to once again offer an interactive event designed especially for those with learning disabilities focused on the wonderful new picture book You Can! by Alexandra Strick and illustrator Steve Antony, created with the support of our friends at PAMIS.

There’s plenty more to see and discover in our packed 2021 programme. The Book Festival is for everyone – whether you are in a position to pay for a ticket or not, whether you join us in person or from your sofa – so join the conversation this August as we all try to make sense of our changing world.

School ‘Booknic’ events hosted by Fort Kinnaird to inspire children to read

More than 180 school children across three schools in Edinburgh have taken part in a celebratory ‘booknic’ event organised by Fort Kinnaird in partnership with the National Literacy Trust.

The ‘booknic’ involved children enjoying a picnic and a book while also taking part in a range of fun reading-themed activities.

Schoolchildren from St Francis RC Primary School, Castleview Primary School and Niddrie Mill Primary School took part in the event, with each child also able to take a book of their choice home.

The ‘booknic’ was part of the Young Readers Programme, an award-winning initiative sponsored by Fort Kinnaird’s co-owner British Land and run in partnership with the National Literacy Trust, designed to encourage children to read outside of the classroom.

The initiative also gave the schools access to virtual interactive storytelling sessions and a literary quiz.

British Land and the National Literacy Trust celebrates its 10th year in partnership this year. Since the programme launched in Edinburgh, it has supported more than 2,000 schoolchildren and seen more than 6,100 books donated across the city.

Research from the National Literacy Trust shows that children who own their own books are six times more likely to read above the level expected for their age and three times more likely to enjoy reading.

Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “Supporting our community is so important to us and the Young Readers Programme plays a massive part in that. It’s a brilliant initiative which we look forward to every year and it’s great to see the children celebrating at our booknic event.

“Thanks also needs to go to the National Literacy Trust for their hard work on this event and over the years. They’ve helped us to ensure that the additional support and books go to those who need them most.”  

Jonathan Douglas CBE, Chief Executive of the National Literacy Trust, said: “Encouraging children to develop a love of reading from a young age can have a tangible impact on their literacy skills, mental wellbeing and futures.

“Yet hundreds of thousands of children across the UK are missing out on these benefits simply because they don’t have a book of their own to read at home.

“The Young Readers Programme, with support from British Land, tackles this and we’d like to thank them for all their support over the years.”

Fort Kinnaird gifts hundreds of books to local charity

Fort Kinnaird has gifted £1,250 worth of books to Venchie Children & Young People’s Project to be given to children and young people in the South East of Edinburgh.

Venchie’s Children & Young People’s Project helps children and young people in Niddrie with a range of play, recreation, and issue-based youth work.

The donation means that the charity has been able to gift a diverse range of books covering a variety of genres and themes for different age groups, providing local youngsters with stories to read for enjoyment at home.

The books have been delivered by Venchie’s alongside special art boxes by to enable youngsters in the local area to keep being creative during lockdown.

The initiative has been led by Fort Kinnaird’s owner, British Land, and the National Literacy Trust through their ongoing partnership which is now in its tenth year.

This latest contribution is part of the shopping centre’s broader work in the community, which included the donation of 300 books during the first lockdown last year, as well as the installation of a Giving Box at Fort Kinnaird where visitors can make contactless donations to support local charities.

Susan Heron, Manager at Venchie Children & Young People’s Project, said: “The pandemic has impacted the families we help in all kinds of ways, and we’re incredibly thankful for all of the support Fort Kinnaird has given to us.

“These book donations have helped children of all ages across our community who might not have had access to them otherwise.”

Fort Kinnaird, Edinburgh. April 15 2021

Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “We’ve been supporting Venchie’s Children & Young People’s Project for many years, and know they do an incredible job supporting youngsters in the local area.

“The past twelve months have been challenging for all charities, so it’s now more important than ever to keep supporting them as they continue to give back to those most in need.”

Jonathan Douglas, chief executive of the National Literacy Trust, said: “We know that 1 in 11 disadvantaged children do not have a single book at home and that this can be hugely detrimental to their development.

“Initiatives like these ensure local families have books to enjoy at home, and children’s imaginations and literacy skills can continue to thrive.”