Books
The Skinny book guide – bringing you book reviews, features, events, reviews and author interviews. Find previews and on the ground reporting from festivals of literature and poetry in Scotland and beyond.
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Book ReviewsModeration by Elaine Castillo
In her sophomore novel, Elaine Castillo explores ideas of innovation and ethics through a subtle speculative narrative Read more »| 01 Jul 2025 -
FeaturesSasha Debevec-McKenney on her poetry collection Joy Is My Middle Name
In her poetry collection Joy Is My Middle Name, American poet Sasha Debevec-McKenney navigates the tragedy and comedy of both past and present Read more »| 30 Jun 2025 -
FestivalsEdinburgh International Book Festival announces its 2025 programme
The Book Festival returns for its second edition under the stewardship of Jenny Niven. The packed programme features literary icons, figures from politics and quite a few stars from stage and screen Read more »| 10 Jun 2025 -
Book ReviewsI Gave You Eyes and You Looked Towards Darkness by Irene Solà
Catalan writer Irene Solà's masterful new novel is an incendiary exploration of bodies and memory Read more »| 03 Jun 2025 -
Book ReviewsIt Used to Be Witches by Ryan Gilbey
In this wide-ranging story of queer cinema, queer critic Ryan Gilbey marries the personal and the political Read more »| 03 Jun 2025 -
FeaturesRyan Gilbey on his new queer cinema book It Used to Be Witches
Film critic Ryan Gilbey talks to us about It Used to Be Witches, his playful new study of queer cinema history blending personal memoir, critical analysis and insightful new interviews with an eclectic ensemble of queer filmmakers Read more »| 03 Jun 2025
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EventsScottish Books Events: June 2025
There's a sexy bookish lineup at Lighthouse Bookshop this month, as well as the relaunch of beloved literary magazine Extra Teeth at Mount Florida Books and The Portobello Bookshop, and lots more beside Read more »| 30 May 2025 -
FeaturesKatie Goh on their new memoir Foreign Fruit
We chat with Edinburgh-based author Katie Goh about their debut memoir Foreign Fruit, and why the symbol of the orange is a potent metaphor for talking about identity Read more »| 26 May 2025 -
Book ReviewsThe Möbius Book by Catherine Lacey
Two halves – fiction and nonfiction – make up Catherine Lacey's experimental and groundbreaking memoir without beginning or end Read more »| 23 May 2025 -
Book ReviewsThe Possession by Annie Ernaux
In her latest translated novella, Nobel Prize-winning author Annie Ernaux examines the fixations and addictions of jealousy Read more »| 23 May 2025 -
Book ReviewsMuckle Flugga by Michael Pedersen
Muckle Flugga, the debut novel from Edinburgh Makar Michael Pedersen, is a work of simultaneous joy and grief Read more »| 19 May 2025 -
FeaturesBook matchmaking from Lighthouse Bookshop and Book Lovers
If you're pining for the start of First Date festival, we have some hyperspecific recommendations for all readers of romance from two of Edinburgh's most beloved bookshops Read more »| 15 May 2025 -
FeaturesCatherine Lacey on her fiction-memoir hybrid The Möbius Book
Following a devastating break-up, acclaimed author Catherine Lacey wrote a hybrid fiction-memoir exploring its tumultuous aftermath. We chat with Lacey about breaking genre conventions and attachments to both love and narrative Read more »| 15 May 2025 -
FeaturesThe Write Place: Arkbound's writing workshops and crowdfunders
Breaking into the writing and publishing business can be tricky, but the Arkbound Foundation– a charity dedicated to widening access to literature – are here to help Read more »| 15 May 2025 -
Book ReviewsBabylon, Albion by Dalia Al-Dujaili
In her memoir Babylon, Albion, Dalia Al-Dujaili examines her personal and political relationship to the landscapes of her home and adopted countries Read more »| 05 May 2025