Books & Poetry

'After Sarah Everard, do I want to big up the police?' James Oswald on morality of crime fiction

German crime author Simone Buchholz; an aerial view of the River Clyde; exterior of Celtic Park; and The Doublet in Glasgow. Pictures: Gerald von Foris/Chris Hepburn/Getty/Nick Ponty/Kirsty Anderson

How Glasgow, the River Clyde and a Celtic player inspired a gritty German crime thriller
SIMONE Buchholz is telling the story of how Glasgow came to be at the heart of her latest crime thriller River Clyde. It all began almost two decades ago when the German author arrived in Scotland to visit friends.

The Finnieston Crane and The Clyde Arc on the banks of the River Clyde at dusk

Book is essential reading for anyone wondering what a new Yes Scotland campaign might look like
A New Scotland - Building an Equal, Fair and Sustainable Society

The Secret Lives Of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw

New Books: A captivating new collection of short stories takes a peek behind the curtain of the secret lives of church ladies...

White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the

PREMIUM Neil Mackay: My sympathy for the far right devil

Portrait of Cardinal Wolsey by Dutch artist Sampson Strong, Portrait of Cardinal Wolsey (1473-1530). In the collection of Chrst Church College, University of Oxford. Commons Wikimedia..

Intriguing mystery set in the days of Cardinal Wolsey. Historical fiction review

Harry Potter stars (from left) Ruper Grint, Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe

Is Harry Potter seriously turning 25? Riddikulus!

Rangan Chatterjee, c Chris Terry

How to be happy, and not mistake success for happiness, by Rangan Chatterjee

Kissy Kissy by Jill Calder

On the Radar: Charlie XCX, Jack Lowden and Don Giovanni

Books: Fans of His Dark Materials will be pleased to hear Philip Pullman is back with more drama

Sara Cox has just released her debut novel

Picture : Guy Levy/PA

Books: Sara Cox on sisterhood, working with brilliant women and getting grumpy with her husband

The Shift's Sam Baker: I’m looking forward to discussing why menopause is our superpower

Caroline Knox programmes the Boswell Book Festival

'We're all fascinated by the lives of others – from James Boswell to the Kardashians'

A Tidy Ending by Joanna Cannon

Five new books to read this week: New releases span nailbiting thrillers and sci-fi mysteries

Scotland is physically and mentally scarred in this novel by the destruction of Fife in a fiery catastrophe some years earlier, when an ethylene plant exploded

Vision of a dystopian Scotland. Model Citizens by Daniel Shand

The River Tweed

The solitude and secrets along one of Scotland's most famous salmon rivers

On the Radar: Rumer, Douglas Gordon, Aye Write and Sara Cox

Sara Davies

Picture: Nicky Johnston/PA

Sara Davies: ‘Women don’t need stick-thin role models’

Sheep on the hill.

Sheep aren't dim. They are intelligent and even use tools, claims author

A touch of Muriel Spark magic from Ali Smith in Companion Piece. Review

Literature: What new books to read this week

Storm at sea reveals the mystery sea

Glasgow and Orkney crime novel has shades of a conspiracy thriller. The Killing Tide, by Lin Anderson. Review

Vall de Boí, Spanish Pyrenees. Picture: Getty

Crime writer Emma Christie on nature, gastronomy and church architecture in the Spanish Pyrenees

A school photo of Anne Frank at the Jewish Lyceum Amsterdam, December 1941, documented by the Anne Frank Museum

Issue of the day: 70 years of Anne Frank's Diary

Julian Barnes. (Photo by Samir Hussein/Getty Images).

Julian Barnes creates a woman for all times in Elizabeth Finch

Obituary: Una Flett, author who made a dazzling success of her new life in Spain

Obituary: Una Flett, author who made a dazzling success of her new life in Spain

Rachelle Atalla. Photograph by Photo by Andrew Low

Shades of George Orwell in stunning debut from Scottish writer Rachelle Atalla

The set of sheets almost doubled its pre-low sale auction estimate

Galley sheets for JK Rowling's first novel sell for almost £40,000

Battle of Bannockburn - Robert the Bruce reviewing his troops before battle. 24 June 1314. (Photo by Culture Club/Getty Images).

Murder mystery set in days after Robert the Bruce. Dark Hunter, by F.J. Watson. Review

Nadine Dorries, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, is also a novelist

Issue of the day: The novels of Nadine Dorries

Looking over the rooftops of the city centre of Glasgow. Picture: Getty

Chef Romy Gill on her love of Glasgow's 'amazing' culinary scene

SLEEPER / BRIGHTON ELECTRIC / Shot by Rob Blackham / assistant Ailbe Elder Blackham / www.blackhamimages.com

On the Radar: Britpop, tartan noir and Nicolas Cage

Esme Young

Pictures: Sonam Tobgyal/PA

The Great British Sewing Bee's Esme Young on partying with David Bowie

A stunning debut from Scottish writer Rachelle Atalla

Five new books to read this week

PREMIUM Rosemary Goring: Has JK Rowling been cancelled by the Big Jubilee Read?

Bob Odenkirk with his wife, Naomi

Better Caul Saul's Bob Odenkirk on how a heart attack changed his life

Portsoy Harbour, Moray Firth, Aberdeenshire. Picture: Getty

Crime writer Stuart MacBride on ice cream, dolphins and the charms of Portsoy

Author Ali Smith

Scottish author Ali Smith is back after the success of her Seasonal Quartet

Douglas Stuart's new book Young Mungo

Paperbacks: Grisly, violent but gripping, Douglas Stuart's new book

Norman Scott arriving at the Old Bailey trial in 1979

Books: Norman Scott, the man at the heart of the Jeremy Thorpe political scandal

Howard Jacobson

Howard Jacobson: Even as a baby he was a failure – though how he can be sure is unclear

Noddy Holder and David Hill of Slade

From glam to punk and Dolly Parton: blast of Scots 1970s nostalgia hits the high notes

Frida Kahlo by Sandra Marrs

Mark E Smith, Frida Kahlo, Alfred Hitchcock; Graphic novelists Metaphrog on their inspirations

Stanley Baxter & Kenneth Williams

At last, the truth about the tangled relationship between Stanley Baxter and Kenneth Williams

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

Books: What's new on the shelves this week

US actress and comedian, Amy Poehler is to produce and narrate the programme, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, for US network Peacock, which is available via Sky and Now TV in the UK

Issue of the day: Swedish Death Cleaning is the latest tidying trend

Quest for love and sex in time of Covid provide a hilarious read, finds Kevin McKenna

A Glasgow Kiss: Tales of online dating from a woman’s viewpoint

Quest for love and sex in time of Covid provide a hilarious read, finds Kevin McKenna

A Glasgow Kiss: Tales of online dating from a woman’s viewpoint

Quest for love and sex in time of Covid provide a hilarious read, finds Kevin McKenna

A Glasgow Kiss: Tales of online dating from a woman’s viewpoint

Tyninghame Beach, East Lothian. Picture: John Lawson/Getty

Blood Orange author Harriet Tyce on the magic of East Lothian's beaches

Lucy Boynton and Will Poulter with director Hugh Laurie on the set of Why Didn't They Ask Evans? Picture: (c) Mammoth Screen/Agatha Christie Limited/BritBox

TV: Hugh Laurie's adaptation of Agatha Christie classic Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?

Douglas Stuart in London, March 2022. Photograph Paul Stuart

"Masculinity terrified me." Douglas Stuart on sexuality, sectarianism, life after the Booker and love

Martha Wainwright at Glastonbury Festival in 2008

Martha Wainwright: ‘I wouldn’t have written memoir if my mother were still alive’

What does it tell us about society when women kill?

Douglas Stuart reveals he is writing Shuggie Bain the TV series

Neil Mackay: How one Scottish University got stitched up in culture wars