Scottish Books Events: September 2025
In the quiet lull after the festivals, there's still plenty of book launches and poetry nights on offer across Scotland this September
The book festivals might be over but the books keep on a-coming, and there’s so many launches to celebrate them. Over at The Portobello Bookshop, Helen Charman chats with Akshi Singh to mark the release of the paperback of her book Mother State: A Political History of Motherhood (3 Sep). Ocean Vuong is also in town – he’ll be launching his latest novel The Emperor of Gladness with The Portobello Bookshop at Assembly Rooms on 8 September. And for your inner child, Jacqueline Wilson has written an adult sequel to her beloved book The Illustrated Mum, also at Assembly Rooms on 4 September.
Looking for more local writers? Lighthouse Bookshop have you covered – they’re hosting a queer writers debut showcase featuring Selali Fiamanya, Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin and The Skinny’s own Elspeth Wilson on 11 September. Their big prize – The Bread and Roses Award for Radical Publishing – is also getting the spotlight: they’re looking at the shortlist and announcing the winner in an event on 15 September. And as cosying up with your significant other season approaches, author Caroline Young drops by the bookshop to discuss her book Single and Psycho, and how pop culture has created the idea of the unstable single woman (18 Sep).
Over in Glasgow, Mount Florida are hosting a double launch to celebrate new independent London press Ssnake Press: Kate O'Connor and Anna Walsh will be discussing their new publications (11 Sep). There’s also a wee launch at Glasgow Women’s Library, where poets Linda Jackson and Lesley O’Brien present Siren Calling and On the Scent of the Honeyed Hive respectively (13 Sep). And finally, there’s some poetry open mics too: Glasgow Zine Library host theirs on 10 September, and Typewronger Books host theirs on 28 September.