IN ASSOCIATION WITH BOOKS
Student Guide | BOOKS L-R: Looking Glass Books, The Mitchell Library.
The bookworm’s guide to
EDINBURGH & GLASGOW
Local writer and bookish butterfl y Lynsey May reveals the brilliant literary hangouts and bookshops of our two major cities
W hat better way to browse new books or start writing your own novel than over a coffee or cake? Lovely bookshops that also happen to feature delicious snacks and drinks include Edinburgh’s Looking Glass Books just off the Meadows, and Waterstones on Princes Street which happens to boast spectacular views of the castle, should your eyes stray from the page. Elsewhere, Deadhead Comics doesn’t provide snacks, but does have comics galore.
In Glasgow, check out second-hand bookshop and provider of treats Café Phoenix. And if you love comics and genre i ction, head along to Geek Retreat on Union Street to discuss the merits of your favourite authors over a coffee or burger. Of course, a café is an added bonus but it isn’t the only sign of a quality bookshop. Bookworms will rejoice in the selection of books and magazines about art and politics in Glasgow’s Aye-Aye Books at the CCA, as well as the delightful Caledonia Books. Just round the corner from the University of Edinburgh, you’ll i nd Word Power Books, an independent seller stuffed to the rafters with a carefully curated collection and its own Independent Radical Book Fair.
Stick around over summer and you can indulge all your literary leanings at the fantastic Edinburgh International Book Festival at Charlotte Square Gardens. However, that isn’t your only chance to enjoy some festival fun: Glasgow’s Aye Write! brings some bookish joy to April. Keep an eye out for Book Week Scotland in November too. The festivities take place across the country but both Edinburgh and Glasgow
are guaranteed to host plenty of exciting events. Likewise, October’s Scottish International Storytelling Festival has a base at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh, but its shows and open mic opportunities aren’t coni ned to the capital.
If you’re looking for an escape from campus libraries, there are some fantastic alternatives. Glasgow’s Mitchell Library has three fabulous l oors and Edinburgh’s Central Library and the National Library of Scotland are not only bursting with books and reference materials, but they’re also handily located just across the road from each other on George IV Bridge. Another highlight is the Glasgow Women’s Library, which has an impressive variety of works highlighting women’s achievements. And the Scottish Poetry Library in Edinburgh hosts a particularly healthy programme of events, so you can enjoy your poetry live as well as on the page. Looking for more live literary action? Check out the spoken word events run by Edinburgh’s Illicit Ink and Inky Fingers, or head along to Last Monday at Rio or Fail Better in Glasgow. Neu! Reekie! and Rally & Broad hold exciting nights across both cities too. And if you’re keen to meet other writers, the monthly Literary Salon run by the Edinburgh City of Literature Trust or Glasgow’s Weegie Wednesdays at the CCA are the perfect places to do it.
Lynsey May is a recipient of the Scottish Book Trust New Writers Award. She tweets at @LynseyMay.
18 Sep–16 Oct 2014 THE LIST 125