THE BEST OF SCOTTISH BOOKS

In brief, sharply drawn moments, Sylvia Molloy’s Dislocations records the gradual loss of a beloved friend, M.L., a disappearance in ways expected (forgotten names, forgotten moments) and painfully surprising (the reversion to a formal, proper Spanish from their previous shared vernacular). There are occasions of wonder, too-M.L. can no longer find the words to say she is dizzy, but can translate that message from Spanish to English, when it’s passed along by a friend.This loss holds Molloy’s sense of herself too-the person she is in relation to M.L. fades as her friend’s memory does. But the writer remains: ‘I’m not writing to patch up holes and make people (or myself) think that there’s nothing to see here, but rather to bear witness to unintelligibilities and breaches and silences. That is my continuity, that of the scribe.’

In brief, sharply drawn moments, Sylvia Molloy’s Dislocations records the gradual loss of a beloved friend, M.L., a disappearance in ways expected (forgotten names, forgotten moments) and painfully surprising (the reversion to a formal, proper Spanish from their previous shared vernacular). There are occasions of wonder, too-M.L. can no longer find the words to say she is dizzy, but can translate that message from Spanish to English, when it’s passed along by a friend.This loss holds Molloy’s sense of herself too-the person she is in relation to M.L. fades as her friend’s memory does. But the writer remains: ‘I’m not writing to patch up holes and make people (or myself) think that there’s nothing to see here, but rather to bear witness to unintelligibilities and breaches and silences. That is my continuity, that of the scribe.’

It’s the most anticipated event of the decade: Big Lou and Fat Bob’s wedding and everyone is invited! After a wonderful day, Big Lou crashes back down to earth and finds that she is a victim of her own success. The lure of those famous bacon rolls is preventing her from leaving hungry customers without their daily dose of deliciousness – even to go for a long-awaited honeymoon. Will Big Lou find the happiness she so richly deserves? Everyone in Scotland Street hopes so, but, as Burns warned, the best laid plans …The relative peace and tranquillity of 44 Scotland Street is about to be disrupted. Irene is to return for a two-month stay, consigning Bertie to a summer camp. Not satisfied with that, she somehow manages to come between the enigmatic nun, Sister Maria-Fiore dei Fiori di Montagna, and her friend, the hagiographer, Antonia Collie.Can a person really change, even after being struck by lightning? Bruce’s metamorphosis and new-found outlook on life is put to the test as he prepares to leave his creature comforts for the monastic simplicity of Pluscarden Abbey. His house sitter, meanwhile, gets a little too comfortable in his new life and discovers that the talented Bruce Anderson’s shoes are all too easy to slip into. With great taste comes great responsibility.Come and discover The Enigma of Garlic and join the delightful denizens of Edinburgh’s most famous address. This latest instalment of the much-loved 44 Scotland Street series is wise, witty, and full of warmth.

Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon, both suffering from shell shock, were sent to convalesce at Craiglockhart hospital in Edinburgh in 1917. Owen, who referred to himself as the ‘poet’s poet’ was unpublished at the time. It was the influence and encouragement of Sassoon during this period that shaped Owen’s work. Sassoon was also instrumental in publishing Owen’s work posthumously after the war.Here for the first time, collected in a single volume are the poems, written in Edinburgh, of Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon. These Edinburgh poems highlight the significance of the time these poets spent together in and around the city.

In 2000, archaeologist Paul Gething rediscovered a sword. An unprepossessing length of rusty metal, it had been left on a shelf for thirty years. But Paul had a suspicion that the sword had more to tell than appeared, so he sent it for further tests. When the results came back, he realised that he had in his possession what was possibly the finest, and certainly the most complex, sword ever made, which had been forged in seventh-century Northumberland by an anonymous swordsmith.This is the story of that sword: how and why it was made, who made it and what it meant to the warriors and kings who wielded it for three centuries. It is also the story of the archaeologists and swordsmiths who found, studied and attempted to recreate the sword using only the materials and technologies available to the smith who first made it.The result is a remarkable journey into the life and items of a seminal but little documented period of history when the foundations for what would become England, Wales and Scotland were laid.

In 2000, archaeologist Paul Gething rediscovered a sword. An unprepossessing length of rusty metal, it had been left on a shelf for thirty years. But Paul had a suspicion that the sword had more to tell than appeared, so he sent it for further tests. When the results came back, he realised that he had in his possession what was possibly the finest, and certainly the most complex, sword ever made, which had been forged in seventh-century Northumberland by an anonymous swordsmith.This is the story of that sword: how and why it was made, who made it and what it meant to the warriors and kings who wielded it for three centuries. It is also the story of the archaeologists and swordsmiths who found, studied and attempted to recreate the sword using only the materials and technologies available to the smith who first made it.The result is a remarkable journey into the life and items of a seminal but little documented period of history when the foundations for what would become England, Wales and Scotland were laid.

A national hero in his native land, Olav Haraldsson has as much resonance for the Norwegians as King Arthur does for the British. Unlike Arthur, however, Olav was a real historical figure: a ruthless Viking warrior who named his axe after the Norse goddess of death and took part in Svein Forkbeard’s invasion of England, during which he pulled down London Bridge and sacked Canterbury (and watched its archbishop stoned to death). Later, the loot amassed from years of plunder helped him win the throne of Norway.Yet in a personal vendetta against the old Norse gods, Olav made Norway Christian, though cutting out the tongues and gouging out the eyes of anybody who remained pagan. Canonised after his death, his tomb became a national shrine, and churches were dedicated to him throughout Scandinavia and beyond.With reference to Norse sagas and early chronicles, veteran historian Desmond Seward has written a vivid, colourful and insightful account of a remarkable man and the times in which he lived.

The Picts have fascinated for centuries. They emerged c. ad 300 to defy the might of the Roman empire only to disappear at the end of the first millennium ad, yet they left major legacies. They laid the foundations for the medieval Scottish kingdom and their captivating carved stones are some of the most eye-catching yet enigmatic monuments in Europe. Until recently the Picts have been difficult to trace due to limited archaeological investigation and documentary sources, but innovative new research has produced critical new insights into the culture of a highly sophisticated society which defied the might of the Roman Empire and forged a powerful realm dominating much of northern Britain.This is the first dedicated book on the Picts that covers in detail both their archaeology and their history. It examines their kingdoms, culture, beliefs and everyday lives from their origins to their end, not only incorporating current thinking on the subject, but also offering innovative perspectives that transform our understanding of the early history of Scotland.

A charming Nature Storybook all about looking after goldfish – inspired by the author’s own pet fish.My Pet Goldfish is a delightful picture book with facts by the Greenaway Medal-winning author-illustrator Catherine Rayner. The child narrating this story has been given their first ever pet: a tiny fish with shimmering scales and bright beady eyes… Their very own goldfish! Sitting alongside the gentle narrative and dynamic illustrations, the subtext introduces facts about goldfish and their care – some gentle, some funny, some fascinating – making this a perfect choice for first-time owners.

Can the Highland girls prove everyone wrong? Don’t miss this poignant and heartwarming WW2 novel for fans of Rosie Clarke, Dilly Court and Rosie Archer, from the author of A Wartime Secret.Scotland, 1942.The Lumberjills, the newest recruits in the Women’s Timber Corps, arrive in the Scottish Highlands to a hostile reception from doubtful locals. The young women are determined to prove them wrong and serve their country – but they’re also all looking for something more…Lady Persephone signed up to show everyone she’s more than just a pretty face – but it’ll take more than some charm and her noble credentials to win handsome Sergeant Fraser over.Tall, strong Grace has led a lonely life working on a croft, with just her mother for company. All she wants is to find her place in the world – even if that’s a thousand miles from home.And Irene misses her husband terribly, so until he returns home from the frontline, she’s distracting herself with war work. But one distraction too far leads to devastating consequences…Can the Lumberjills get through their struggles together – even when tragedy strikes?Readers LOVE Helen Yendall!’A must for fans of WWII stories. It has everything I enjoy in a book. Intrigue, romance, adventure and true friendship. Highly recommended.’ NetGalley reviewer’Gorgeous story. I really enjoyed it.’ NetGalley reviewer’If you love wartime and family saga you will love this book.’ NetGalley reviewer’Enjoyable… An entertaining, heart-warming novel that I can thoroughly recommend.’ NetGalley reviewer’Plenty of twists (and some pleasingly teasing romances too)… Humour and spot-on period detail… Great fun to read… A hugely satisfying story. Highly recommended. NetGalley reviewer

Can the Highland girls prove everyone wrong? Don’t miss this poignant and heartwarming WW2 novel for fans of Rosie Clarke, Dilly Court and Rosie Archer, from the author of A Wartime Secret.Scotland, 1942.The Lumberjills, the newest recruits in the Women’s Timber Corps, arrive in the Scottish Highlands to a hostile reception from doubtful locals. The young women are determined to prove them wrong and serve their country – but they’re also all looking for something more…Lady Persephone signed up to show everyone she’s more than just a pretty face – but it’ll take more than some charm and her noble credentials to win handsome Sergeant Fraser over.Tall, strong Grace has led a lonely life working on a croft, with just her mother for company. All she wants is to find her place in the world – even if that’s a thousand miles from home.And Irene misses her husband terribly, so until he returns home from the frontline, she’s distracting herself with war work. But one distraction too far leads to devastating consequences…Can the Lumberjills get through their struggles together – even when tragedy strikes?Readers LOVE Helen Yendall!’A must for fans of WWII stories. It has everything I enjoy in a book. Intrigue, romance, adventure and true friendship. Highly recommended.’ NetGalley reviewer’Gorgeous story. I really enjoyed it.’ NetGalley reviewer’If you love wartime and family saga you will love this book.’ NetGalley reviewer’Enjoyable… An entertaining, heart-warming novel that I can thoroughly recommend.’ NetGalley reviewer’Plenty of twists (and some pleasingly teasing romances too)… Humour and spot-on period detail… Great fun to read… A hugely satisfying story. Highly recommended. NetGalley reviewer

A new collection of real-life comments, pleas, put downs, misplaced career guidance and character assessments collected from the school reports and memoirs of celebrities AND ordinary people from across the UK and Ireland. The collection is designed to gratify people’s interest in the school performance of famous people, to remind them of their own school days and to make them laugh.

The 1820 Scottish Rising has been increasingly studied in recent decades. This collection of essays looks especially at local players on the ground across multiple regional centres in the west of Scotland, as well as the wider political circumstances within government and civil society that provide the rising’s context. It examines insurrectionist preparation by radicals, the progress of the events of 1820, contemporary accounts and legacy memorialisation of 1820, including newspaper and literary testimony, and the monumental ‘afterlife’ of the rising.As well as the famous march of radicals led by John Baird and Andrew Hardie, so often seen as the centre of the 1820 ‘moment’, this volume casts light on other, more neglected insurrectionary activity within the rising and a wide set of cultural circumstances that make 1820 more complex than many would like to believe. 1820: Scottish Rebellion demonstrates that the legacy of 1820 may be approached in numerous ways that cross disciplinary boundaries and cause us to question conventional historical interpretations.

Emerging from their smoke-filled rooms at 21B Baker Street, Holmes and Watson grapple with the forces of crime that stalk the streets of London. From the first story, ‘A Scandal in Bohemia’ where Holmes is foiled by the quick-thinking of ‘the woman’, Irene Adler, to what was presumed to be the last, ‘The Final Problem’ where Holmes at last comes face to face with the diabolical Professor Moriarty, this selection is presents the very best of Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic detective.

Brian Cox and Siobhan Redmond star in series 7-12 of the Victorian crime dramaInspired by the real-life memoirs of Edinburgh’s first detective, James McLevy, here are more fantastic fictional adventures featuring the tenacious Victorian crime-solver. Once again, McLevy and his faithful sidekick Constable Mulholland patrol the dark wynds and back alleys of 1840s Leith tracking down evildoers – aided by a surprising ally: the beautiful and resourceful brothel-keeper Jean Brash.In these collected episodes, McLevy investigates the kidnap of a women’s rights campaigner, sets out to prove that a celebrated stage magician is a jewel thief; probes a series of street attacks on clients of The Just Land; and is kidnapped by a grieving father seeking vengeance for the death of his son. Plus, Jean’s life hangs in the balance when she is poisoned by a mystery assailant; Mulholland is challenged to a duel; and the new docks in Leith threaten to change McLevy’s life forever…Also included is Meet James McLevy, a 2016 remake of the original pilot episode, in which the idiosyncratic detective investigates the demise of a bank manager found dead and naked by the Water of Leith.Brian Cox stars as McLevy, with Siobhan Redmond as Jean Brash, Michael Perceval-Maxwell as Mulholland, David Ashton as Roach and Colette O’Neill as Hannah.’Everything afternoon radio was invented for’ The GuardianProduced and directed by Bruce YoungImage credit: (c) Pete Hambling/BBCCastInspector McLevy – Brian CoxJean Brash – Siobhan RedmondConstable Mulholland – Michael Perceval-MaxwellLieutenant Roach – David AshtonWith Irene Allan, David Ashton, Kenny Blyth, Charlene Boyd, Simon Bubb, Tam Dean Burn, James Bryce, John Buick, Stewart Campbell, Jimmy Chisholm, Ben Clifford, Sarah Collier, Tony Cownie, Alan Cox,Ali Craig, Carol Ann Crawford, Nicola Jo Cully, Emma Currie, Simon Donaldson,Mark Edel-Hunt, Brian Ferguson, Keiran Gallacher, Teresa Gallagher, Kim Gerard, Stella Gonet, Richard Greenwood, Sandy Grierson, Melody Grove, Alasdair Hankinson, Colin Harris, Jessica Hardwick, Victoria Inez Hardy, Leslie Hart, David Hayman, Kathryn Howden,Lewis Howden, Robert Jack, Patricia Kavanagh, John Kazek, Samuel Keefe, Cara Kelly, John Kielty, Rikki Lawton, Vicki Liddelle, Crawford Logan, Cal MacAninch, Edith MacArthur, Helen Mackay,Forbes Masson,Martin McBride, Sarah McCardie, Matt McClure, Gemma McElhinney, Tony McGeever, Robert McIntosh, Jayne McKenna, Finlay McLean, Steven McNicoll, Gavin Mitchell, Alexander Morton, Colette O’Neil, Grant O’Rourke, Brian Pettifer, Matthew Pidgeon, Gayanne Potter, Stewart Porter, Daniel Portman, Carl Prekopp, Derek Riddell, David Rintoul, Alex Rivers, David Robb, Iain Robertson, Hugh Ross, Douglas Russell, Sean Scanlan, John Shedden, Ashley Smith, John Stahl, Simon Tait, Nicholas Tizzard, Anita Vettesse, Lizzy Watts,Owen Whitelaw, Tracy Wiles, James Young, Jordan Young, Paul YoungFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4: 2 March-23 March 2011 (Series 7), 29 November-20 December 2011 (Series 8), 26 November-17 December 2012 (Series 9), 18 February-11 March 2014 (Series 10), 15 December 2015-5 January 2016 (Series 11), 8 October 2016 (Meet James McLevy), 10-13 October 2016 (Series 12)(c) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

The first six series of the Victorian detective drama starring Brian Cox and Siobhan RedmondBased on the real-life memoirs of the 19th Century investigator who inspired Sherlock Holmes, Inspector James McLevy, this atmospheric mystery series features the fictional casebook of Edinburgh’s finest thief-taker. Accompanied by his loyal partner, Constable Mulholland, McLevy prowls the murky streets of 1840s Leith bringing criminals to justice – assisted by the madam of Edinburgh’s finest bawdy-house, the deliciously immoral Jean Brash.In this collection of thrilling episodes, he goes on the trail of an ingenious cat burglar; contemplates a game of golf with desperate stakes; and joins Her Majesty’s protection squad to hunt down a deadly assassin. He also faces trouble in the shape of a runaway bridegroom and a blackmailer; probes a judge’s murder as his allegedly cheating wife claims her innocence; and looks into the curious case of the Italian aristocrat found dead at Waverley station. Meanwhile, Jean Brash plans revenge on a sadistic client – but her deadly battle with the malign Caleb Grant has heartbreaking consequences…Also included is the original pilot show, introducing us to the dour detective; and a Christmas Special, in which McLevy forswears Yuletide revelry to hunt for a supernatural thief…Brian Cox stars as McLevy, with Siobhan Redmond as Jean Brash, Michael Perceval-Maxwell as Constable Mulholland, David Ashton as Lieutenant Roach and Colette O’Neill as Hannah.’Evokes Auld Reekie so vividly that you can feel the cold in your bones and the menace of the Old Town’s dark corners’ Financial TimesProduced and directed by Patrick RaynerImage credit: (c) Pete Hambling/BBCCastInspector McLevy – Brian CoxJean Brash – Siobhan RedmondConstable Mulholland – Michael Perceval-MaxwellLieutenant Roach – David AshtonMaguire – Stuart McQuarrieWith Irene Allan, Steven Atholl, David Bannerman, Maureen Beattie, John Bett, Paul Blair, Kenny Blyth, Mark Bonnar, Carolyn Bonnyman, Ewen Bremner, Liam Brennan, Tam Dean Burn, James Bryce, Jimmy Chisholm, Andrew Clark, Sandra Clark, Tom Cotcher, Alan Cox, Susan Coyle, Carol Ann Crawford, Graham Crowden, Emma Currie, Ron Donachie, Sheila Donald, Simon Donaldson, Tom Fleming, Monica Gibb, Tom Goodman-Hill, Stella Gonet, Sandy Grierson, Shirley Henderson, Lewis Howden, Jenny Hulse, John-Paul Hurley, Molly Innes, John Kielty, Kananu Kirimi, Claire Knight, Robin Laing, Eliza Langland, Vicki Liddelle, Phyllis Logan, Bryan Lowe, Angus MacInnes, Patrick Malahide, Forbes Masson, Helen McAlpine, Clare McCarron, Mark McDonnell, John McGlynn, Robert McIntosh, David McKall, Jayne McKenna, Steven McNicoll, Anna McPhail, Andrew Neil, Jamie Newall, Colette O’Neil, James Anthony Pearson, Matthew Pidgeon, Gabriel Quigley, Malcolm Rennie, Ralph Riach, David Robb, Struan Rodger, Dominic Di Rollo, Wendy Seager, Sean Scanlan, Laura Smales, Tom Smith, John Stahl, Simon Tait, Robin Thomson, Frances Thorburn, Joanna Tope, Jim Webster-Stewart, Finlay Welsh, Tracy Wiles, Jordan Young, Paul Young, Jimmy YuillFirst broadcast BBC Radio 4: 26 July 1999 (Pilot), 21 December 2000-11 January 2001 (Series 1), 19 June-10 July 2002 (Series 2), 1-22 December 2003 (Series 3), 3-24 April 2006 (Series 4), 25 December 2006 (Christmas Special), 27 January-17 February 2009 (Series 5), 21 December 2009-11 January 2010 (Series 6)(c) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd. (P) 2022 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd

In this essential and impassioned text, LeRoi Jones traces the intertwined development of blues and jazz music with the history of its creators in ‘White America’. As important and relevant as at its first publication in 1963, it shows how music and its people are inseparable – expressing and reflecting the other, surviving and adapting through oppression.

La narradora visita casi diariamente a ML., con quien compartio una estrecha amistad y ahora padece mal de Alzheimer. A partir de esos encuentros y los fragmentos de memoria de ML. va construyendo un relato poderosamente conmovedor sobre la desarticulacion de una mente que progresivamente va borrando todo de una manera peculiar.Un intento, a traves de la escritura, de “hacer durar una relacion que continua pese a la ruina, que subsiste aunque apenas queden palabras”. “?Como dice yo el que no recuerda…?”, se pregunta la narradora frente a esa mujer que le muestra la casa como si la visitara por primera vez o que es incapaz de decir que ha sufrido un mareo, pero puede traducir al ingles perfectamente un mensaje donde se dice que ella ha sufrido un mareo.Pasajes de un pasado y un presente compartidos que se transforman en ficcion frente a un olvido que no puede contradecirlos. Un libro que opone al derrumbe una prosa precisa y vital y la sensibilidad unica de una de las mejores escritoras latinoamericanas.

In brief, sharply drawn moments, Sylvia Molloy’s Dislocations records the gradual loss of a beloved friend, M.L., a disappearance in ways expected (forgotten names, forgotten moments) and painfully surprising (the reversion to a formal, proper Spanish from their previous shared vernacular). There are occasions of wonder, too-M.L. can no longer find the words to say she is dizzy, but can translate that message from Spanish to English, when it’s passed along by a friend. _This loss holds Molloy’s sense of herself too-the person she is in relation to M.L. fades as her friend’s memory does. But the writer remains: ‘I’m not writing to patch up holes and make people (or myself) think that there’s nothing to see here, but rather to bear witness to unintelligibilities and breaches and silences. That is my continuity, that of the scribe.’In brief, sharply drawn moments, Sylvia Molloy’s Dislocations records the gradual loss of a beloved friend, M.L., a disappearance in ways expected (forgotten names, forgotten moments) and painfully surprising (the reversion to a formal, proper Spanish from their previous shared vernacular). There are occasions of wonder, too-M.L. can no longer find the words to say she is dizzy, but can translate that message from Spanish to English, when it’s passed along by a friend.This loss holds Molloy’s sense of herself too-the person she is in relation to M.L. fades as her friend’s memory does. But the writer remains: ‘I’m not writing to patch up holes and make people (or myself) think that there’s nothing to see here, but rather to bear witness to unintelligibilities and breaches and silences. That is my continuity, that of the scribe.’

La narradora visita casi diariamente a ML., con quien compartio una estrecha amistad y ahora padece mal de Alzheimer. A partir de esos encuentros y los fragmentos de memoria de ML. va construyendo un relato poderosamente conmovedor sobre la desarticulacion de una mente que progresivamente va borrando todo de una manera peculiar.Un intento, a traves de la escritura, de “hacer durar una relacion que continua pese a la ruina, que subsiste aunque apenas queden palabras”. “?Como dice yo el que no recuerda…?”, se pregunta la narradora frente a esa mujer que le muestra la casa como si la visitara por primera vez o que es incapaz de decir que ha sufrido un mareo, pero puede traducir al ingles perfectamente un mensaje donde se dice que ella ha sufrido un mareo.Pasajes de un pasado y un presente compartidos que se transforman en ficcion frente a un olvido que no puede contradecirlos. Un libro que opone al derrumbe una prosa precisa y vital y la sensibilidad unica de una de las mejores escritoras latinoamericanas._In brief, sharply drawn moments, Sylvia Molloy’s Dislocations records the gradual loss of a beloved friend, M.L., a disappearance in ways expected (forgotten names, forgotten moments) and painfully surprising (the reversion to a formal, proper Spanish from their previous shared vernacular). There are occasions of wonder, too-M.L. can no longer find the words to say she is dizzy, but can translate that message from Spanish to English, when it’s passed along by a friend. _This loss holds Molloy’s sense of herself too-the person she is in relation to M.L. fades as her friend’s memory does. But the writer remains: ‘I’m not writing to patch up holes and make people (or myself) think that there’s nothing to see here, but rather to bear witness to unintelligibilities and breaches and silences. That is my continuity, that of the scribe.’In brief, sharply drawn moments, Sylvia Molloy’s Dislocations records the gradual loss of a beloved friend, M.L., a disappearance in ways expected (forgotten names, forgotten moments) and painfully surprising (the reversion to a formal, proper Spanish from their previous shared vernacular). There are occasions of wonder, too-M.L. can no longer find the words to say she is dizzy, but can translate that message from Spanish to English, when it’s passed along by a friend.This loss holds Molloy’s sense of herself too-the person she is in relation to M.L. fades as her friend’s memory does. But the writer remains: ‘I’m not writing to patch up holes and make people (or myself) think that there’s nothing to see here, but rather to bear witness to unintelligibilities and breaches and silences. That is my continuity, that of the scribe.’

Karen McCombie explores identity, friendship and fresh starts in this touching tale perfectly pitched for struggling teen readers.Ketty doesn’t remember anything about the accident, or much from before. The doctors say her memories will come back, but in the meantime school is a frightening and confusing place. Otis seems to be her only friend – he’s kind and caring, funny too. And he may hold the key to remembering the old Ketty … But will Ketty recognise or even like the girl she used to be?