Pentlands Book Festival: 6 Nov – 3 Dec 2025

Pentlands Open Studios is a new Collective of professional artists along the upper Water of Leith valley. Its inaugural event was the POSt Art Trail, 30-31 August 2025. 

This event will feature some of the exhitbing artists (Gill Walton, Pen Reid, Gary Anderson) presenting their work in a unique way.  This visually rich format allows for really interesting talks about the artist’s ideas and process.

In addition, John Elliott will talk about the highs and lows of creating a new professional Open Studios Art Trail event starting from nothing in just six months. 

The PechaKucha 20×20 presentation format is a slide show of 20 images, each auto-advancing after 20 seconds.  It’s non-stop and you’ve got 400 seconds to tell your story, with visuals guiding the way.  PechaKucha was created in Japan in 2003 by renowned architects Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham.  The word “PechaKucha” is Japanese for “chit chat”.

Our event will be in Pechakucha format with a small group of artists from POSt 2025 talking — guaranteed to be both cultural and comedic.

Each speaker will present for just over six minutes with questions immediately afterwards.  The venue has a bar which will be open during the event and afterwards for informal discussions.

In this workshop we will explore aspects of the local landscape in order to find inspiration for some new creative work.  Whether you are new to writing, or a seasoned wordsmith, do come along, meet your fellow scribblers and let the Pentlands be your muse!  Author and creative writing tutor Sandra Ireland will guide you through a series of practical exercises that draw on the landscape, local folklore and the senses to help you create poetry and prose.

In the first half of the session we will explore ‘walking poetry’ and the connection between writing and the great outdoors.  For William Wordsworth, the regular rhythm of walking was a stimulus to writing, and he said that “nine-tenths of my verses have been poured out in the open air.” Can you write about your favourite walk using all of your senses?

In the second half we will dig deeper into the local legend of a Scottish King and a magical white stag, and you’ll be invited to write about your own encounters with wildlife.

Open to everyone over 18, all abilities. Please bring a notebook and pen.

Alexandra Sokoloff and Craig Robertson are a dynamic literary couple who split their time between Los Angeles and Scotland. Prolific authors individually, they are now writing together for the first time.

Alexandra Sokoloff is an award-winning American novelist and screenwriter. She is the author of 16 books, including the Huntress Moon thriller series (in development for TV) and the Screenwriting Tricks for Authors workbooks. Before she turned to novels, Alex sold original scripts and wrote novel adaptations for major Hollywood studios. The Huntress series has been praised for flipping traditional thriller tropes. 

As a 20-year journalist, Craig Robertson covered some of the biggest stories across the globe. He has been longlisted and shortlisted for the main UK crime fiction prizes on nine occasions. His seven-book Glasgow series is being adapted for film by Sky, and his standalone The Unexpected Deaths of Grace McGill has been optioned for TV. He co-directs the Bloody Scotland festival and is festival director of Bute Noir.

They are collaborating on a new thriller series: Lost Highway, out June 2026 in the US —and are miraculously still married. 

Join us for a literary-themed tour of St Cecilia’s Hall, the home of the University of Edinburgh’s musical instrument museum. In this tour, participants will travel back in time to see and hear the instruments referenced in literary works.

Discover Renaissance instruments that would have entertained the Tudor court in Hillary Mantel’s Wolf Hall, anda lute from the time of Shakespeare.

Hear the elegant music of a Jane Austin era Broadwood piano, and immerse yourself in the Jazz Age sounds of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby with a look at our dance band display.

Explore music and literature in a new way on this Curator-led guided tour. 

Edinburgh author Gordon Lawrie’s first novel, Four Old Geezers and a Valkyrie, features a group of retirement-age social misfits who get together for Sunday afternoon jam sessions in Merchiston.  The “band” record themselves, post them on the internet, and they have a couple of surprise hits.

However, Gordon had run into a problem: quoting song lyrics in books is expensive.  Very.  Back in the mists of time, though, he’d filled a weekly slot as a wannabe singer-songwriter in Edinburgh’s legendary Waverley Bar.  So he solved the problem by writing the band’s original songs himself.  Further novels and a collection of short stories followed – and more music.

Along the way he discovered that it’s fun to be part of the writing community, and he’s made lots of friends.  For the past twelve years he’s probably become best known as the Editor of Friday Flash Fiction, an online weekly magazine that has published around 40,000 very short stories by thousands of writers from every corner of the globe.  It’s amazing what writers can cram into just 100 words.

Gordon will talk about his books and other writing, in between performing one or two songs. Be prepared for a few surprises!

Rachel Huggins is the Creative Director at Dragon Song Productions, an interactive children’s theatre company, and Dragon Song Press. She writes and breathes life into her shows and books in a way that embraces children.

Rachel is a preschool music specialist who has won many awards for her work and has a unique approach with children.  Rachel captures her audience’s imagination and is an animated storyteller and musician.  Rachel’s experience and understanding of preschool children has been a fundamental part of writing for Dragon Song Press. She continues to develop new shows and books for each company. 

Rachel’s live sessions include; a reading from her two books Kipper the Sea Dragon (2023) and Bertie the Moon Dragon (2024); there is an introduction to the playful characters from the book in puppet form, with large beautiful felt puppets just the right size for the children to interact with.  There are original songs from the stage productions to be learned, and the children accompany Rachel with percussion instruments and props from the show, including finger puppets, sensory lights, dressing up and a range of other things.

Stuart is a compelling Scottish author based in Edinburgh, renowned for his Don Colyear crime series.

He had a decade-long career in the police before turning to the pen and was also a dog-shop owner here in the city.  Stuart is also an advanced tutor in creative writing.

His debut novel, Out in the Cold (2020), introduces Sergeant Don Colyear, whose intuition lands him in perilous investigations in the Highlands.  He followed this with Into the Dark (2021), a chilling case involving the murder of a child, and Run to Ground (2022), a gripping return to Edinburgh’s darker underbelly

Stuart first gained literary attention as an “Emerging Writer” selected by UNESCO’s City of Literature Trust, leading to publication, alongside his hero, Stephen King, in the anthology Six Scary Stories.  During his time at The Open University he balanced studies with running his shop, culminating in his MA major project becoming his first novel.

Stuart has a knack for intense atmosphere, procedural detail, and psychological suspense, writing across crime, dystopian, and horror genres.  Active in Edinburgh’s literary scene, he continues to develop his writing and is currently working towards his fourth novel.

Elspeth MacGregor is the local author of a marvellous book for young children about A Foghorn Called Charlie.

The story tells the tale of six year old Charlie, who has a very loud voice.  His Auntie explains what a foghorn is and they practise together in the garden at home.  Then she takes him to North Berwick and he spends the summer warning little sailing boats to keep clear of the rocks at the end of the harbour.  Suddenly danger threatens!

The story is suitable for 3-7 year olds and, as the story progresses, they participate in becoming foghorns themselves, so the session tends to get quite loud.  The children can colour in the illustrations and even colour in and cut out a medal as a reward for being such good foghorns.

One of the first people to read the book was Michael Portillo, who described the book as “amusing and original: a witty author teamed up with a brilliant illustrator”.  Since then it has received enthusiastic reviews from young readers/ listeners, and has delighted parents and grandparents.

Profits from the book go to The Seabird Centre and the St Columba Hospice Bookshop in North Berwick. 

Join us at an interactive children’s event at the Pentlands Book Festival.

Sana is a Scottish Muslim writer passionate about representation in children’s literature.  She writes so that young Muslim readers can see themselves reflected in the stories they read.

She is the author of Join Us for Ramadan, a bestselling and first-of-its-kind sensory board book that invites children to explore the joys of Ramadan through touch and feel.  Loved by both Muslim and non-Muslim families, the book has become a valuable resource for teaching children about this important month in the Islamic calendar.

Sana was named a 2025 PB [Picture Book] Rising Stars Mentorship winner. She is currently working on several new picture books, as well as her debut adult novel.

She also coordinates the Islamic Book Fair of Scotland, an annual event that brings acclaimed Muslim children’s authors from around the world to Scottish audiences.  Her work champions diverse voices and fosters community through literature. 

Marion McGowan

Marion grew up in the West of Scotland, to a family descended from miners and weavers.  She splits her time between Yorkshire and the Rhins of Galloway.  Marion’s book, The Priest’s Pool,  is a historical novel about Wanlockhead and Carluke.   Much of the research for which was done at the National Mining Museum at Newtongrange.

Andy Saunders  

Over the past twelve years Andy has written four historical novels based in 20th century Mitteleuropa, none of which has been published.  He continues with his writing because he finds it intrinsically such a rewarding and fulfilling experience.  He has self-published a book based in Ukraine during the Russian Revolution, and another about a social worker who gets entangled with the Edinburgh underworld.

Fran Brady

Fran lives in Mid Calder.  She loves reading books, walking dogs, drinking wine, playing Scrabble, and going to church (really!).

Born in Dundee, a graduate of St Andrews University, she spent years working in community/charity development.  Her writing reflects her wide knowledge and deep love of her homeland, both its cities and its wild places.

Gavin Francis qualified in Medicine from Edinburgh in 1999 and now works as a GP in Edinburgh and the Isles of Mull & Iona.  Gavin is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and the author of ten books of non-fiction.

As a celebrated author he brings a unique blend of medical insight and literary flair to PBF2025. Renowned for weaving stories that bridge science and humanity, a review of Gavin’s book Intensive Care states that, “in telling this story, he reveals others: of loneliness and hope, illness and recovery, and of what we can achieve when we care for each other’’.

In his latest, The Bridge Between Worlds – A Brief History of Connection, he explores the power of bridges, actual and metaphorical, to bring people together – across forty years of travel, six continents, and 2,000 years of engineering.  Gavin’s storytelling flows from these journeys, meeting people who have related their stories to him.  Each bridge provides a series of thought-provoking ideas.

Gavin’s appearance at the festival will be a bridge that connects ideas and stories to enrich people’s lives and contributes to the common thread of well- being, friendship and relationships to emphasise our commonality.

How do magicians produce solid objects from thin air, make elephants vanish, and defy gravity? Do ghosts exist, are you able to bend metal with the power of your mind and can psychics really predict the future?  And do we all have the potential to make the impossible possible?

Join psychologist, best-selling author, and Member of the Inner Magic Circle, Professor Richard Wiseman as he takes us on an entertaining and thought-provoking journey exploring the limits of the human mind and proves that we can all achieve more than we think.  Blending science, psychology, and a touch of wonder, Richard will draw on his work as a conjurer, insights from the psychology of deception, and research into humanity’s greatest achievement.  He will reveal how learning magic tricks can boost your confidence, social skills, creativity, happiness and much, much more.

Witness the world’s greatest optical illusions, step backstage to explore the science of sorcery, learn simple techniques that demonstrate just how easily our senses can be fooled, and discover how to transform a tea towel into a chicken.

An Improbable Psychiatrist is Rebecca Lawrence’s compelling and deeply personal account of living with bipolar disorder while pursuing a career in psychiatry.  Offering the rare dual perspective of both doctor and patient, she reflects on her experiences of inpatient care, electroconvulsive therapy, and the emotional complexities of grief, family life, and recovery.

First diagnosed in her twenties, Rebecca underwent intensive treatment—including medication and ECT—at a time when she was advised to abandon her medical ambitions.  Refusing to give up, she trained as a psychiatrist and is now a consultant and writer.  Her work has been featured in The Guardian and Prospect Magazine, where she speaks openly about mental illness in order to reduce stigma and offer hope.

This is ultimately a story of resilience.  With appropriate treatment, support, and perseverance, Rebecca shows that it’s possible not only to survive, but to thrive, even in the face of serious mental illness.

If you want to relive the memories of when you were a cocky young rascal, EMCC will bring them back with an amazing treasure trove spanning a wide range of subjects.

Visitors can view the reserve collections of the social history, Museum of Childhood, and applied art collections.  These items are not currently on display in the museum venues, and are held in store so that they can be accessed for research, lent to other museums for exhibitions, or used in temporary exhibition programmes.

Some objects relate to communities which had specific local trades, or to businesses which once thrived but have long since disappeared.  Together these varied collections tell us much about the lives of local people. 

Scottish manufacturing may be a specialist interest, but within Edinburgh it produced, among other things, items in pottery or glass which combine function and beauty and which are truly stunning to look at.  There is something for everyone in the childhood section, from dolls houses, prams, bicycles, to train sets.

All the objects have stories to tell us – who made them, who used them and what they were for, and taking a tour will open new windows into the past. 

Caro was born in Govan, on Glasgow’s south side.  A graduate of the British School of Osteopathy, she used to run a large osteopathic centre but now concentrates on her writing.

Her first novel, Absolution, published 2007, was the first of the Anderson and Costello mystery/crime series, which now runs to 13 novels.  Drizzly, grey, Glasgow and its seedy backstreets along with up-and-coming new estates is the setting for this gritty series.  Several have achieved short- and long-listing for literary awards.

Her more recent series introduces Christine Caplan, a Glasgow DCI with professional and family issues, dealing with crime spanning Glasgow and the North-West Highlands.  The series is a cross between gripping Scottish police procedural and twisted psychological thriller, featuring a complex and fascinating female protagonist: a perfect choice for fans of tartan noir. Where She Lies, the fourth book in the series, was published in August 2025.

We look forward to hearing about Caro’s crime-writing experiences, including what influenced her characters, and about her recently published novel.  Caro will have just returned from a visit to Iceland Noir, and will give us an insight into how her writing resonates with her Icelandic audience.

Fiona is an acclaimed bestselling author, whose books have been translated into more than thirty different languages worldwide.  She draws inspiration from the stories of strong women, especially during the years of World War II.  Her meticulous historical research enriches her writing with an evocative sense of time and place.

She spent seven years living in France, having moved there from the UK in 2007, before returning to live in Scotland.  Her love for both countries, their people and their histories, has found its way into her books.

Fiona’s first three books constituted her “Escape to France” series. This was followed by seven stand-alone novels, all drawing upon the stories of strong women living in the difficult times and circumstances of WWII, but with links to modern times.  The stories span France, Morocco, Tuscany, and the UK. 

Fiona’s eleventh novel, The Dark of the Moon, has just been published.  It is another evocative story straddling WWII France and Britain, exploring a modern-day family mystery of love and loss.  Fiona will give us an insight into her newest novel, and also her fascination with WWII history and its influence on her writing.

Denise appeared at PBF2017 and we have been eager to bring her back ever since

After a peripatetic childhood in Glasgow, Paris, London, Invergordon, Bergen and Perth, Denise left school early and worked in a number of dead-end jobs, all of them badly, before studying at night school to get into Glasgow University Law School. 

Denise went on to study for a PhD at Strathclyde, misusing her student grant to write her first novel.  This was Garnethill, which won the Crime Writers Association John Creasy Dagger for Best First Crime Novel.

She has published 14 novels and also writes short stories, plays and graphic novels.  She has been inducted into the Crime Writers’ Association Hall of Fame; won the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award twice, and the McIlvanney Prize for Scottish Crime Book of the Year twice

Denise presents TV and radio programmes and appears regularly in the media.

She regularly appears at literary festivals in the UK and abroad, leads masterclasses on writing and was a judge for the Bailey’s Prize for Women’s Fiction 2014.

Given Denise’s legal background we should clarify that that her books are nothing but the truth.

Tony is a celebrated Scottish author, born in Australia and raised in Scotland and Ireland, now living and working in Edinburgh.  A former Young Journalist of the Year, he contributed to The Edinburgh Evening News, The Scotsman, and national press before venturing into crime fiction.

Best known for his gritty tartan noir novels featuring punk‑rock detective Gus Dury, his debut Paying for It (2009) exposed people trafficking and Edinburgh criminal gangs, followed by the acclaimed sequel Gutted, then titles such as Loss and Long Time Dead. Tony also created a second crime series starring DI Rob Brennan, Murder Mile, Truth Lies Bleeding, and The Last Tiger; earning strong praise.

His work has been nominated for eight Crime Writers’ Association Dagger Awards and he has been runner‑up in The Guardian’s “Not the Booker”.  Irvine Welsh hailed him as “my favourite British crime writer,” praising Gus Dury as “the genre’s most interesting protagonist”

Tony’s latest book is The Lock In, a fabulous and thrilling anthology of his short fiction stories.

Recently Tony has developed a career in visual art, with new storytelling through vibrant imagery.

The year is 1947.  The war is over but times are still tough.  To lift the local area’s spirits, a group of people organise the first annual Spentlands Book Festival!  Local authors gather and audiences await the weekend’s events.  The day before it is due to start disaster strikes!  One of the organisers has been found dead.  And it looks like murder.

Join Chief Inspector Toriop and help him figure out whodunnit.  There will be clues, wigs, ridiculous accents and so much more.  Come in a team or solo.

Feel free to dress up for the time period if you so wish!

Hannah Lavery is a poet and playwright.  Her pamphlet, Finding Seaglass, was published by Stewed Rhubarb.  The Drift, her highly acclaimed autobiographical lyric play, toured Scotland as part of the National Theatre of Scotland’s Season 2019, and in 2020 she was selected by Owen Sheers as one of his Ten Writers Asking Questions That Will Shape Our Future for the International Literature Showcase, a project from the National Writing Centre and the British Council.

Her second lyric play, Lament for Sheku Bayoh, premiered at Edinburgh International Festival in 2021. She was appointed Edinburgh Makar in November 2021 for a three-year term. Hannah is also an associate artist with the National Theatre of Scotland and one of the winners of the Peggy Ramsay/Film4 Award 2022.  Her debut poetry collection Blood Salt Spring was published by Polygon in March 2022.  A selection of poems from her collection have been made into an audiovisual album with the filmmaker Beth Chalmers and musician Beldina Odenyo, in association with National Theatre of Scotland and Push the Boat Out Festival.

Janis has brought pleasure and inspiration to countless children through her Magnus Fin and Time Traveller series and storytelling sessions in many classrooms across Scotland.  Her first book won her the Kelpies prize in 2009 and she was also winner of the Scottish Children’s Book Awards in 2013.

She has now published her first adult novel, On a Northern Shore, steeped in Selkie folklore: 

This far north, they say the dead are with us…

Hogmanay, the far north of Scotland.  Alone on the shoreline, lobster fisherman Rob Sinclair pours a dram into the freezing waters of the North Sea. An offering to the sea spirit, the Selkie. 

That same night, a stranger arrives in Rob’s village. A young woman, Mairi, charged by her dead mother to fulfil three acts of vengeance; bitter payback for deeds done before she was born.

Rob is beguiled by her, but she is elusive, frustrating, her personality shapeshifting.  The only certainty is that Mairi is not who she says she is…

From Portobello to Currie by way of France, Palestine, Greece, London, Sussex, and the far north of Scotland, Janis will make this an enthralling evening.