Insider's Choice: New Scottish Books to look out for in September

Scottish books publishing in September | Contributed

September’s releases are a reminder that, dare I say it, Christmas is coming. And a theme for Scotland’s Christmas looks set to be beautifully-illustrated books that celebrate joy and healing in nature. Anna Deacon’s gorgeous The Wild Fix Scotland (Black and White, 3 September, £16.99) explores many outdoor activities, such as wild swimming, forest bathing, birdsong and wildlife photography to encourage de-stressing and good living. Staying in the water is Brigid Lowe, with her inspiring memoir Shiver: The Lessons of the Loch (Elliott & Thompson, 24 September, £16.99), and Beth McDonough with her more idiosyncratic, yet no less lovely, A Year in the Water: Swimming, Writing, Living (North House Press, 2 September, £15). And if you’ve been intrigued by the growing number of outdoor saunas popping up along our coasts and lochs, Hannah Mary Goodlad’s Saunaland: Scotland’s Wild Sauna Culture (Birlinn, 3 September, £25) is a stunning guide to the best locations in the country. Taking a different approach to nature’s riches, James Crawford explores humanity’s continued extraction of our resources in his illuminating and important travelogue, The Vanishing Earth: A Journey Through the Last Days of Abundance (Scribe UK, 10 September, £25).

For readers interested in literature and fiction, earlier this year I highlighted the first releases in the wonderful Agnes Owens Centenary publications. September sees the completion of the full range of these new editions with Bad Attitudes, Jen’s Party and People Like That: The Collected Short Stories (Polygon, 3 September, £8.99 and £10.99), with each book once again confirming the brilliance of Owens’ dark, unsettling and unique voice. This month also sees the welcome return of Kate Atkinson with her novel Our Noble Selves (Doubleday, 10 September, £22), and Robert Crawford’s impressive and lively history Haiku: How the Modern World Came to Fall in Love with Small Poems From Japan (Yale University Press, 22 September, £25).

On to Scotland’s social history, and the excellent Black Lives in Scotland: Telling Our Stories by academic Jeanette R Davidson (Edinburgh University Press, 30 September, £19.99), in which, inspired by the activism of Sir Geoffrey Palmer, the work of Jackie Kay and the research of Stephen Mullen, Davidson tells the story of Black Scots — those born in Scotland, and those who have made Scotland their home — through dozens of interviews that cover life stories from birth to adulthood, from across the country and from every walk of life. We read of the lives of social workers, hairdressers, doctors, journalists, politicians, actors, singers; we read of family, community, football, schooling and dating; and we read of struggle, vulnerability, resilience and accomplishment. There are uncomfortable truths in these pages, of Scottish involvement in slavery, of racist discrimination and abuse, of the exclusion that Black Scots still negotiate, all a reminder that there is no room for complacency if we are truly to be the welcoming country we say we are. There are also stories of kindness and solidarity, of pride and belonging, and through it all, Davidson shares her own life story with care and generosity.

Finally, compiled from conversations with journalist, Brian McGeachan, Walking with History: The Autobiography of Jimmy Reid (McNidder and Grace, 3 September, £17.99) is another must-read for those keen for insight into Scotland’s, and the UK’s, political life throughout the 20th century. Alongside the fascinating history are Reid’s personal reflections on his ideals and his work within the trade union movement.

Vikki Reilly has worked in Scottish books for over 20 years and now works for Publishing Scotland, the trade and networking body for Scotland’s book publishing sector. She also edits BooksfromScotland.com, a website that promotes the best in Scottish writing, contemporary and classic, and supports Scottish publishers and authors to find new audiences.

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