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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FeaturesPoetry News: Review of 2016
Our monthly poetry column reviews the events of 2016 – including Neu! Reekie! and Flint & Pitch – while offering up some lyrical gift options for Christmas Read more »| 05 Dec 2016 -
Book ReviewsTrials on Death Row in Pakistan by Isabel Buchanan
Just because a book is worthy, it doesn’t necessarily make it worthwhile. There must be balance between weighty subjects and their treatment. Debut au... Read more »| 02 Dec 2016 -
Features
The Skinny Books of 2016
The Skinny books team choose their favourites of 2016, from James Kelman's tale of musical beginnings to the tragic end of musician Ali Eskandarian, working through a somehow life-affirming frozen apocalyse and bitesized, bittersweet Treats Read more »| 02 Dec 2016 -
Book ReviewsThe Map and the Clock
Despite the old book versus cover mantra, when first given this weighty tome of poetry, curated by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy and Gillian Clarke, the Nati... Read more »| 01 Dec 2016 -
Book Reviews
Bella Mia by Donatella Di Pietrantonio
“Tomorrow is our birthday. The third, since.” Di Pietrantonio’s second novel is set against the backdrop of a natural disaster – ... Read more »| 25 Nov 2016 -
NewsKathleen Jamie wins Saltire Book of the Year award
Stirling University Professor Kathleen Jamie’s poetry collection sees off books by the likes of Irvine Welsh, Jenni Fagan and James Kelman to win Scotland's top literary award Read more »| 24 Nov 2016
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Book ReviewsThis Must Be The Place by Maggie O'Farrell
This Must Be the Place, the seventh novel from veteran chronicler of human emotion and relationships Maggie O’Farrell, follows the meandering life of D... Read more »| 23 Nov 2016 -
Features
A Literary Gift Guide: Challenging the Narrative
This year, while our books gift guide offers little Christmas sparkle it's anything but dull. These are literary suggestions aligned with the issues of our age offering knowledge, which, after a damning 2016, could let in the light Read more »| 23 Nov 2016 -
News
Women rule in 2016 Costa Book Awards shortlist
Rose Tremain, Sarah Perry and Kate Tempest are among the 20 nominated writers who are contenders for the Costa Awards' £30,000 top prize Read more »| 23 Nov 2016 -
Book Reviews
Infinite Ground by Martin MacInnes
Martin MacInnes’ aggressively postmodern detective tale takes place in an unnamed South American country, as an unnamed inspector tries to solve the ca... Read more »| 22 Nov 2016 -
News
Crime novels top Scottish fiction vote
Scottish readers are a macabre lot: turns out we love a crime thriller, according to a new survey from the Scottish Book Trust Read more »| 21 Nov 2016 -
Features
Graphic Content: Stef Bradley
Liverpool-based zine maker Stef Bradley makes comics that celebrate the extraordinary everyday. Read more »| 18 Nov 2016 -
News
New book imagines Iraq in 100 years' time
An anthology of short stories published today asks ten Iraqi writers what their country might look like in the year 2103 Read more »| 17 Nov 2016 -
Features
Make Fiction Great Again! 5 Literary Demagogues
You couldn’t write what’s unfolding on the global stage right now. Yet several writers have come close, as evidenced with the characters laid out below. Have a peek, between your fingers, at what could be in store for the human race Read more »| 15 Nov 2016 -
Theatre
Roald Dahl: Conservative or Progressive?
This December, the West Yorkshire Playhouse stages an adaptation of Roald Dahl’s beloved novel about witchcraft and the awkward journey to adulthood, T... Read more »| 10 Nov 2016