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Ever Land by Amy Abdelnoor – general fiction
Dinah, a Jewish teenager from London, is heartbroken by the death of her father. When she travels to Israel with her family she doesn’t feel at home in this seemingly pristine place. Safa, a fourteen-year-old Palestinian who was killed decades ago in the Six Day War, watches Dina settle in. Safa needs Dina’s help to find answers about what happened to her sister so that she is finally able to move on to the afterlife. A tale of identity and displacement.

Witch Season by Julia Bianco – fantasy
Katherine Barnes works to uphold the rules of the notorious Los Angeles-based Aestas coven and works to bring new witches, surprised by their new-found powers, into the fold. Silas Khatri, heir to Noctis, the most powerful coven in the world, has a bone to pick with the Aestas coven. Katherine can’t stand him. Can the two coven’s unit to face a threat that is more insidious than the power struggle within their own hidden world?

The Troop by Nick Cutter – horror
Tim Riggs is a scoutmaster, and every year he leads a troop of boys into the Canadian wilderness for a weekend camping trip. But this year is different. A horrible visitor intrudes on their campsite in the night – a man who is so thin and pale he looks barely human. Whatever has made him sick is contagious, and so begins an agonising struggle for survival…

The Winged Game by Sophie Kim – fantasy/romance
Taissa Cho was once the top UK player of Carriwitchet – a violent game played atop winged beasts. Until an altercation with her rival Kion leaves her expelled from the sport in disgrace. But when an opportunity arises for her to redeem herself, she can’t refuse, even if it means she must enter a fake relationship with Kion in order to gain some positive PR…

Nothing To My Name by Kangkang Li Kovacs – general fiction
Set across four decades, following the lives or ordinary young women as they are caught up in extraordinary moments in history. In 1948, in Zhoushan, China twelve-year-old Ah Xue grows up against the backdrop of the rising Communist revolution as her mum works to earn a living combing the hair of wealthy women. Years later, Mimosa grows up in the shadow of the Cultural Revolution. And Fei, a trans girl grapples with her sense of self in the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre.

The Best We Could Hope For by Nicola Kraus – general fiction
Bunny Linden is a teen runaway. She knows she isn’t fit to be a mother, so she abandons her three children with her older sister, Jayne. Jayne strives to give the children every opportunity and a home that is full of love. But when Bunny comes back into their lives almost a decade later, she sets a chain of events in motion that detonates all their lives. A moving novel of rage and hope.

Leave and Come Back by Lavanya Lakshmi – romance
Simran finally has her Bollywood romance. Ever since college, she has been pining after the handsome Leo. Finally, he loves her back. But Simran’s family can’t know that she’s dating, so when Leo accidentally finds himself alongside Simran at her cousin’s two-week long wedding they must pretend to be strangers. Simran hatches a plan… Can she live happily ever after with the love of her life and reconcile with her family?

The Scottish Strawberry Farm by Bonnie Woods – romance/spicy
Rae has been working overseas in high-end restaurants, and when she comes back home to the Highlands everything she remembers about her small town has changed. She bumps into Struan, her childhood friend’s older brother, who is working as a local mountain guide. Rae is busy working hard on her families failing fruit farm but is continually distracted by thoughts of Struan. Can she save the farm without hurting anyone she loves?

The Heart of the Nhaga by Lee Young-do – fantasy
The world is divided by the so-called Line of Limit. The North is home to three races: the Tokkebifie, the Rekons, and the humans – the least unified of all the races. To the south live the Nhaga – a reptilian species who sacrifice their hearts for immortality. For centuries, this line was never crossed. But now a Nhaga is being sent North and a representative from each of the Northern races are tasked with keeping them alive. But everything is turned on its head when the Nhaga that the rag-tag team were meant to be escorting is mysteriously murdered.

Find your next favourite read, whether in print, ebook or audiobook, via the library catalogue.

Did you know that there was a castle at Granton? Granton Castle, otherwise known as Royston Castle, dated from the 15th Century. The doocot, sections of the boundary wall and walled garden are all that remain.

There are remnants of a castle at Lochend too and the area has an ancient past, as it lies within the lands of South Leith granted by David I to an Anglo-Norman knight named De Lestalric. Within Lochend Park, the dovecot built sometime in the 1500s, still stands.

And perhaps, most surprising of all, had you heard of another medieval fortification called Dingwall Castle? It was roughly sited where Waverley Gate (former G.P.O building) is now. In the civil war of 1571-3, it was used as a blockhouse and later as a prison. Its stones were reused for the repair of Trinity College Church in 1643.

Take an historical tour of all the former Castles of Edinburgh on Our Town Stories!

We are not a classic book group, as we don’t require our members to take books home to read before each session – we know this interferes with other commitments, such as homework. During each session, we’ll present a title, read the first part of it together and discuss it. Members are free to borrow the book to finish in their own time, if they wish.

We’ll usually then chat about other books, films and more general topics while playing a game of the teens’ choice. Stop the Bus and card games are popular, and we’ll regularly have fun quizzes on books or popular culture. Snacks and water are provided at each session.

We try to be member-led when choosing books to read, and have shared titles across formats and genres, especially Young Adult Crime and Fantasy. Among the more memorable books we have read over the years are:

Where the world ends by Geraldine McCaughrean

Boy 87 by Ele Fountain

Nimona – ND Stevenson

A good girl’s guide to murder by Holly Jackson

The inheritance games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman

And then there were none by Agatha Christie

We are a term-time group. Our first session after the school holidays is on Tuesday 25^th August 2026 at 6pm.

If you would like to join us, drop us an email at: centrallibrary.lending@edinburgh.gov.uk

We are fortunate to have an almost complete collection of programmes and brochures from the Edinburgh International Festival. We also have programmes highlighting the musical life of Edinburgh dating back to the late 1700s, including volumes of programmes showing the early history of the Scottish Orchestra, which would become the RSNO (Royal Scottish National Orchestra). Programmes in the collection show the amateur and professional music making that was present in the city with some records of the first of the amateur orchestras and choirs in Edinburgh.

On display are some items from previous Edinburgh International Festivals.

Visit the Music Library on the mezzanine level of Central Library, Monday to Wednesday from 10am and 8pm and Thursday to Saturday from 10am and 5pm.

The Music on the Mezzanine programme starts on 29 August. The Saturday afternoon concerts are fortnightly till December, when there are three in a row finishing on the 19 December.

All the concerts start at 1pm; all the concerts are free.
Tickets can be booked via the Edinburgh Central Library page on Ticketsource.

We are pleased to bring another ten fantastic concerts to the library, with all the variety you might find in a fringe brochure (without the comedy). Two choral groups, a string quartet, a sax quartet (made up of five players), an early music group, a ukulele group, a mandolin orchestra, some beloved Cantopop and songs about vegetables. This season packs in six hundred years of music from all around the world, in all styles and all brought to you from our little stage on the Mezzanine of Central Library.

All this and a cup of tea too!

Saturday 29 August at 1pm  –   Eric Yin Yu and Friends
Edinburgh-based Hong Kong musicians present music connected to Hong Kong, including works by Hong Kong composers and beloved Cantopop songs.

Saturday 12 September at 1pm – Merry Ukes
Merry Ukes is a friendly ukulele band based in Macmerry, East Lothian. We always enjoy a visit from a ukulele band and enjoy a good sing-a-long.

Saturday 26 September at 1pm – Majk Stokes
Majk Stokes is an Edinburgh-based singer-songwriter, poet, musician. His subject matter takes in everything from archaeology and Celtic festivals to vegetables and superheroes. He has recorded three studio albums and self-published two books of poetry.

Saturday 10 October at 1pm – Edinburgh University Early Music Ensemble
The Edinburgh University Early Music Ensemble is an up-and-coming new ensemble in central Edinburgh. With a flexible makeup which includes winds, strings, vocals, percussion and brass, the ensemble’s repertoire consists of original arrangements of music from the European Medieval and Renaissance periods.

Saturday 24 October at 1pm – November Group
November Group is a string quartet, which was created to perform ‘Fragments In Time’, a suite of compositions by Paul Research. The suite is inspired by 20th century modern classical and synthesised music. This is only their fourth public performance of Fragments.
November Group wishes to thank the Central Music Library for its support and the use of its resources. 

Saturday 7 November at 1pm – Bristo Community Concert Band
From the best in movies, to swing and big band, via some popular surprises – you can expect to enjoy some fantastic music from Bristo Community Concert Band.
BCCB are a non-auditioning concert band of 40+ regular players based in Edinburgh. Their aim is to encourage as many people as possible to enjoy playing music as much as they do. For more information, visit the Bristo Community Concert Band website or find them on Facebook.

Saturday 21 November at 1pm – Edinburgh Mandolin and Guitar Ensemble
The Edinburgh Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra (EMGO) is a plucked string orchestra of mandolins, mandolas, classical guitar and bass. Their repertoire of light classical, film and world music is drawn from many countries and traditions. The orchestra rehearses every Thursday evening during term time at the Edinburgh Society of Musicians in Belford Road with their conductor, Michael Graham.

Saturday 5 December at 1pm – Sangstream Scots Folk Choir
Sangstream are an Edinburgh-based community choir led by acclaimed Scottish traditional musician Corrina Dawn (Hewat). For almost 30 years they’ve been entertaining audiences with an enchanting variety of (mostly) Scots folk songs, both contemporary and traditional, some well known and others less so. Find out more about Sangstream at www.sangstream.org.uk.

Saturday 12 Decemmber at 1pm – Simmerdim
Simmerdim is an Edinburgh-based a cappella trio; named after the long summer twilight in the far North of Scotland, when the sun briefly dips below the horizon and it is never truly dark.
Simmerdim sing original arrangements of an eclectic mix of traditional and contemporary songs at festivals, in cafes, at book launches, house concerts and other events.

Saturday 19 December at 1pm – Little Big Horns
Little Big Horns is a saxophone quartet made up of five regular members (plus special guests on occasion), who bring a depth of musical talent and experience with them.
Little Big Horns are based in Edinburgh and are a group who enjoy each other’s company and playing a wide range of music. From jazz to the charts, swinging past classical and TV/film along the way, variety and fun are the only constants.
You can get in touch with Little Big Horns at littlebighorns@outlook.com

Book your seats via the Edinburgh Central Library page on TicketSource!

The cabinet is the first of its kind to be installed under the scheme, which brings items from the British Library’s collection to a number of different venues across the UK. Designed and built by Stand + Stare, it currently presents twelve maps and views of Edinburgh in high-resolution digital form: ten drawn from the Library’s own Edinburgh and Scottish Collection, alongside two on loan from the British Library. Together they trace the city’s development across almost five centuries, from its medieval origins through the surveys of Edgar, Knox and Kirkwood, to the Ordnance Survey and beyond.

The cabinet allows visitors to zoom into the collection’s maps at a level of detail rarely possible with the historic originals themselves, tracing the intricacies of Gordon of Rothiemay’s seventeenth-century view of the city, or following the expansion of the New Town across successive surveys, all from a single interactive screen.

The two British Library items are of particular interest: the woodcut plan attributed to Alexander Alesius, produced for Sebastian Münster’s Cosmographia, and the 1544 plan associated with the Earl of Hertford’s attack on the city, among the earliest detailed depictions of Edinburgh to survive. Seeing either original would normally mean a visit to the British Library in London, so their inclusion here, in close digital detail, is a very nice addition for visitors to Central Library.

The digital cabinet remains in place until the end of September 2026, giving visitors an extended opportunity to explore the collection at their own pace.

For further information, contact Central Library’s Edinburgh and Scottish Collection on 0131 242 8070 or email central.edsc.library@edinburgh.gov.uk

Scottish artist William Strang (1859-1921) created a series of 30 etchings from Miguel de Cervantes’s novel Don Quixote and published them with Macmillan in 1902.

Chairman of The Victor Murphy Trust, Kozo Hoshino provides us with an introduction to Don Quixote and the artist William Strang.

Don Quixote

Since its publication in 1615, Don Quixote written by Miguel de Cervantes has inspired a number of artists in Europe to create etchings based on this extraordinary story. In Britain it is perhaps William Strang who has done the most remarkable etching work on the subject.

Don Quixote consists of two parts of very different character; the first part published in 1605 and the second part in 1615. Miguel de Cervantes (c1547-1616) probably did not see the second part publication when it came out in 1615. Although he had published some literary works prior to Don Quixote it was not until publication of the part one that he finally achieved public recognition for his works.

Cervantes’ 60+ years life was spent mainly outside the circuit of the literary world and often outside Spain. As a man of political fortune and a soldier in the harsh world of political reality, the production of Don Quixote is in some way a crystallisation of his life. When it came out it was an immediate success and he had, for the first time, stable financial resources in his life. Part 1 of the books very much reflects the last phase of the chivalry Cervantes believed in. Time had already moved into the 17th century – it must have looked rather odd to see a man in an old suit of armour. However that is precisely what Alonso Quijano decided to do in becoming a knight-errant and, as Don Quixote, to revive chivalry and serve his nation. Therefore, Don Quixote does not see the world for what it is and inevitably he confronts the reality of the world. However, in Part 2, Don Quixote appears as man of reason and, inevitably, the conflict he had against the world begins to lose its magical power. This slowly leads the story to the end of his life. At the same time, it signals the decline of the Spanish Empire that leads to the18th century’s political disruption in the country.

About the artist William Strang

The Scottish painter and engraver, William Strang R.A. (1859 – 1921) was born at Dumbarton, the son of Peter Strang, builder, and educated at Dumbarton Academy. He worked for fifteen months in the counting-house of a firm of shipbuilders before going to London in 1875 when he was sixteen. There he studied art under Alphonse Legros at the Slade School for six years. Strang became assistant master in the etching class and had great success as an etcher. He was one of the original members of the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers, and his work was a part of their first exhibition in 1881. A privately produced catalogue of his engraved work contained more than three hundred items. Strang produced a number of paintings, portraits, nude figures in landscapes, and groups of peasant families, which were exhibited at the Royal Academy, the International Society, and several German exhibitions. His work was subsequently seen principally in the exhibitions of the Royal Academy, the Society of Twelve and the International Society, to which he was elected in 1905. Strang was also elected an associate engraver of the Royal Academy when that degree was revived in 1906. William Strang was master of the Art Workers Guild in 1907. In 1918, he became President of the International Society of Sculptors, Painters and Gravers and in 1921 was elected an Engraver Member of the Royal Academy. In 1885, William Strang married Agnes McSymon Rogerson (d. 1933), also from Dumbarton. They had four sons and one daughter, Nancy. Their sons Ian Strang (1886–1952) and David Strang (1887–1967) were both artists.

To find out more about the artist William Strang contact the Art and Design Library at Central Library. The Art and Design Library is open Monday to Wednesday 10am to 8pm and Thursday to Saturday 10am to 5pm. Email central.artanddesign.library@edinburgh.gov.uk or phone 0131 242 8040.

Learn more about the The Victor Murphy Trust.

Julie Galante is an artist and writer based in Stockbridge. Originally from the US, she lived in Italy, Switzerland, and Germany before settling in Scotland in 2013. Her practice has always centred on the people and places around her, from the canals of Milan, to the beer gardens of Munich, to the skyline of Edinburgh. This latest work focuses on the natural world of Edinburgh and beyond, taking in the Water of Leith, coastal vistas, and some of Julie’s favourite trees. 

Julie works primarily in painting, drawing, and combining the two in mixed-media pieces. Her materials range from the conventional (pastels, watercolours) to items she creates using objects from the environment. Much of the work in this exhibition includes botanical inks she has made from foraged plants. 

The paintings and drawings presented here have all been inspired by time outside. Many pieces were created partially or completely en plein air; others are studio works based on outdoor sketches, photographs, and memories. Together, they form a record of hours spent immersed in nature.

You can follow Julie on Instagram at @julie_galante
If you wish to purchase an image on show, speak to the staff in the Art and Design Library.

The Art and Design Library hosts a monthly programme of exhibitions by local artists and community groups. We are always interested to hear from artists wanting to exhibit their work – the space is free to use and we charge no commission on works sold. Please contact the Art and Design Library for an application form and further information.

Phone us on 0131 242 8040 or email central.artanddesign.library@edinburgh.gov.uk

We’ve posed a series of questions about reading habits and discoveries and asked contributors to get involved by sharing their responses.

Today we welcome to the blog, Bob, reader and member of Central Library’s afternoon Book Group. 

What do you like to read? News, magazines, books, audio books, articles, essays, blogs…
I read books and listen to audiobooks. I also listen to podcasts: The Rest is History and Empire are favourites as is (unsurprisingly) The Book Club hosted by Dominic Sandbrook and Tabitha Syrett.  

My reading is various. I mainly read classic fiction, contemporary fiction and history but also include philosophy, biography, society, scientific subjects and (never enough) poetry. I currently read 150+ books a year. I am also a member of 5 book groups as I love to discuss the books I read. Book groups are also a way to discover books I might otherwise not come across. Other recommendations come from media reviews – especially The Guardian. 

I do a brief review of every book that I read (only a few sentences) on Goodreads (other platforms are available) principally so that I can recall what I have read (failing memory syndrome) and what the book was about. 

Has reading helped you learn a new skill?
I could not identify a new skill I have learned from reading but it greatly helps to develop skills. Reading excellent writers assists anyone to write well, whether it be formal report writing or other activities and certainly improves spelling. 

Tell us about a book or a story that stayed with you from childhood?
My childhood reading was limited – I read mostly comics and what would now be described as graphic novels; but I do remember the Arthur Ransome series which would doubtless now be regarded as dated. Recently a member of a book group recalled reading The Silver Sword by Ian Serraillier. I had not read this as a child but recalled the BBC serialisation of about 1957. I have since read it. 

Where or when do you most enjoy reading?
Although I enjoy listening to audiobooks and do so on long walks around the city or wider, a practice begun during Lockdown in 2020, there is nothing like the feel, texture (and smell) of a well-made book. I have built a collection of Folio Society volumes and nothing beats sitting in the garden with one of these and a glass of wine or similarly a winter evening in front of the fire with a glass of single malt. 

What book would you give as a gift to everyone?
There are a few books I have described as a must read. These include Invisible Woman by Caroline Criado Pérez and would add Black and British by David Olusoga and the two Empire books by Sathnam Sanghera. 

I was given the chance to nominate a book to give away for the first World Book Night.
I chose Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell – the ideal Marmite book. 

How do you Go All In for reading?

The National Year of Reading 2026 is a UK-wide campaign designed to help more people rediscover the joy of reading. It aims to connect people of all ages with reading as a meaningful, fun and social activity.  

Reading is declining across the UK and fewer of us are motivated to read. A decline in reading deepens inequality. When we read less, our confidence, skills and opportunities are all affected; our education, careers and well-being. Reading matters! 

Our library communities across the city encompass people of all ages, all interests and backgrounds – and we’re here for people to explore their passions and interests, whatever they’re into. Whether it’s gaming or gardening, medieval costume-making or comics, our libraries are places for people to explore, rest, connect with others and make friends.  

Our libraries have lots of opportunities for connecting with others through reading and sharing stories from our Bookbug sessions for babies, Storytimes for 3 to 5 year-olds, Chatterbooks book groups for 8 to 11 year-olds, teen book groups for 12 to 16 year-olds, and book groups and shared reading groups for adults. Search our library directory for your local library to find out what’s available. Libraries also run occasional author talks, music events, and art and craft groups/workshops to get you inspired to follow up new interests and skills through reading.

Please do come and visit Central Library to view the staircase display Picturing Reading featuring books from the collections of the Art and Design Library and photographs from our online image library Capital Collections.

“All poetry is magic. It is a spell against insensitivity, failure of imagination, ignorance, and barbarism. The way that a good poem ‘works’ on a reader is as mysterious, as hard to explain, as the possible working of a charm or spell…”

Charles Causley, from his introduction to The Puffin Book of Magic Verse (1974)

Words are old, writing is old – the world over. They have been associated with God and magic from the very beginning. The Ancient Egyptians believed that the hieroglyphs were given to them by the ibis-headed Thoth, the scribe of the gods, and the Chinese believed a dragon came down from heaven carrying characters on its back. 

Writing and picture-making have always been in dialogue. While literacy was a privilege of the few for much of human history, everyone had the ability to understand pictures. For the majority, the act of looking at pictures was a kind of reading.

In art history, there are also many representations of books and books being read, and the depiction of books can tell us many things. They can be deployed to indicate how wise or learned a person is, for example, or how pious – and both books and reading are very much a part of the iconography of religion.

A reader might be absorbed in their own imaginative interior space, or they might be reading with others, communally, and sharing that space.

Books themselves can also be art, and art and design are very much determinants of how we read, and the process of reading. There is the history of the illuminated book, the history of graphic design and illustration, and the craft of beautiful bindings; there is the artists’ book and the photobook.

There is no frigate like a book – to take us lands away, as Emily Dickinson wrote. And similarly, representations of those bookish travels in art are equally multifarious.

Explore how you can use us – browse our departments and the Your Library website for access to our online catalogue and eresources.