The Portobello Bookshop

Upcoming events at The Portobello Bookshop

The Portobello Bookshop is a bookshop in Craigentinny. Near Here currently lists at least 17 upcoming events, including Alycia Pirmohamed - Shorelines, Story Time with Maggie Byrd and Story Time with Adam Ramsay.

Community

Around £3.00

Alycia Pirmohamed - Shorelines

We are absolutely delighted to welcome Alycia Pirmohamed back to the bookshop for a celebration of her latest book, Shorelines: Memory, migration and the selves we become. Thrumming with poetic vitality and questions about the legacies of migration, Shorelines is Pirmohamed's Nan Shepherd Prize-winning non-fiction debut.This very special Edinburgh launch will take place two weeks before the book is published, so attendees will have the unique chance to hear about it and get their hands on a copy before anyone else!Pirmohamed will be in conversation with fellow writer Andrés N. Ordorica. Join us in the shop for a discussion, where you'll have the chance to ask Alycia a question, and get your book signed and personalised.About Shorelines:As a young Muslim woman Alycia Pirmohamed grew up with her body as racialised and her faith as seemingly dangerous Her affinity to the natural world - the mountains, elk and pines of her childhood - conflicted with feelings that she was unwelcome in these landscapes. By contrast, the stories of her parents' homeland - the monsoon winds, red clay roads and abundant korosho trees - felt painfully distant.Across interrelated pieces that move from Midwestern Canada to East Africa, the Pacific Northwest to the British Isles, the award-winning poet traces the legacies of migration and memory on her life, examining the idea of homeland and the mythmaking it demands.

Wed 29 Jul19:00The Portobello Bookshop

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Children & Family

Around £7.99

Story Time with Maggie Byrd

We're excited that Edinburgh-based author Maggie Byrd will be joining us for a children's story time, when she'll be reading her picture book Rainbow Cookies.You can sign up to attend and collect a copy of Rainbow Cookies when you attend the event, and there's a free option available below as well. Maggie will be signing and dedicating copies of the book on the day.Please note that this Story Time event is suitable for children aged five and under. Children must be accompanied by a parent/guardian throughout the event.About Rainbow Cookies:Jenny's stuck indoors. She wants to play on the swings, but it's raining...Luckily Gran has a sweet idea of what to do while they wait for the clouds to clear.Bake yummy cookies!On the way to the park, they spot something magical in the sky that makes Jenny want to sing.A gentle story to share that introduces colours, counting and creativity to warm the heart.

Sat 1 Aug10:30The Portobello Bookshop

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Children & Family

Around £9.99

Story Time with Adam Ramsay

We're delighted that Portobello-based author Adam Ramsay will be joining us for a children's Story Time event, when he'll be reading his brand new picture book My Dad Brought Beavers Back. It's a true story of how Adam's family helped bring nature back to life.You can sign up to attend and collect a copy of My Dad Brought Beavers Back when you attend the event, and there's a free option available below as well. Adam will also be signing and dedicating copies of the book on the day.Please note that this Story Time event is suitable for children aged six and under. Children must be accompanied by a parent/guardian throughout the event.About My Dad Brought Beavers Back:My Dad Brought Beavers Back gives a rhyming account of the true story about how Adam’s parents, Paul and Louise Ramsay, reintroduced beavers to the Bamff estate in Perthshire - and played a wider role in their return across the UK; and explains for young audiences how beavers help restore wetland ecosystems.A picture book for 3-6 years old about nature and conservation. Based on the author's personal story, as told to his children.

Sun 2 Aug10:30The Portobello Bookshop

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Community

Around £3.00

Gutter Issue 34 Launch

Join us for the launch of Gutter Issue 34, right here in the bookshop!For more than fifteen years, Gutter magazine has published and promoted the very best writing from Scotland and beyond. Each issue contains a wealth of fabulous work, from new poets to prize-winning novelists. We'll have readings from a few of the authors featured in this issue, then you can chat with them afterwards and perhaps even get your copy of the magazine signed.Doors will open at 6.45pm for a 7-8pm event in the bookshop, with a livestream for folks tuning in from home as well. We look forward to seeing you there and celebrating an evening full of incredible Scottish writing!Featured writers:Gabriella Bennett is an author and journalist. Her new book, How to Build a City, is published by Headline Books in August.Meghan Flaherty is the author of Tango Lessons. She’s working on a novel about perimenopause and the Elusinian mysteries.Kate Hendry’s most recent pamphlet, MXSIMP (Mariscat Press) was shortlisted for the Michael Marks Awards.Sarah Kwong is an English-Chinese writer based in Scotland. She writes essays exploring race, womanhood and identity.In-person vouchers can be redeemed on the night of the event against a single copy of Gutter Issue 34 – we will have a list of attendees with vouchers to be redeemed. Please note that only one voucher can be redeemed per book.

Wed 5 Aug19:00The Portobello Bookshop

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Children & FamilyCommunity

The 2026 Kids & Teen Summer Book Club ends

It's the last day of the Summer Book Club! Participants in this year's Summer Book Clubs are encouraged to drop into the bookshop between 10am and 1pm and take your booklet with your completed reviews. We'll stamp the bingo board, make sure you get your prizes, and may even have some free goodies to give away on the day.There will also be the opportunity to write up a review card to go on display in the bookshop after the challenge ends! We'll have plenty of pens and cards on hand so don't miss the opportunity to recommend a book read as part of the challenge to other readers.The Porty Books Summer Book Club is here once more to encourage kids to read for pleasure during their summer holidays. This time we've added a brand new challenge intended for teens with different prompts and prizes. Participate by collecting a booklet from the bookshop and completing the bingo board featuring nine different reading prompts. Bring your booklet into the bookshop to get stamps and collect your prizes!The Summer Book Clubs begin on Tuesday 23rd June and end on Sunday 9th August.Join us to celebrate together – we're hosting events throughout the challenge and we would love you to come along! Find more information below or in the Events section of our website.We’ll be launching the summer book club on Tuesday 23rd June with the help of special guest authors.On Saturday 18th July, we’ll have a midway check-in.

Sun 9 Aug10:00The Portobello Bookshop

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Community

Around £7.99

Max Porter - Public Signing for Dogs and Bears

We are so pleased to welcome Max Porter back to the bookshop for a public signing in celebration of his picture book, Dogs and Bears. This funny and sublimely ridiculous story about playground squabbling and peace is the first picture book from the bestselling author, and was illustrated by world-renowned French illustrator Dorothée de Monfreid. Join us on the afternoon of Friday 28th August to pick up your copy, meet Max, and get your book signed and personalised.We encourage you to RSVP or pre-order your copy of the book and a spot in the queue to help us gauge attendance. There will be books available to purchase at the signing in addition to any pre-ordered copies that you collect on the day.Max will be happy to sign first-name dedications, and candid pictures during the signing are welcome.About Dogs and Bears:This third brawl just happened. Nobody knew why . . .The dogs and the bears have been brawling for a while. No one knows quite how it started. Was it the jackets, cloaks and bandanas the dogs were wearing? Or the smell of the sickly sweets that the dogs were making? But today is the day of the third deciding brawl. The stage is set. NO snack breaks and no biscuits.But halfway through the world is interrupted by an unexpected airborne event – raining squid! This will change the relationship of the dogs and bears forever . . .

Fri 28 Aug14:30The Portobello Bookshop

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Community

Around £7.99

Max Porter & Dorothée de Monfreid - Public Signing for Dogs and Bears

We are so pleased to welcome Max Porter and Dorothée de Monfreid to the bookshop for a public signing in celebration of their picture book, Dogs and Bears. This funny and sublimely ridiculous story about playground squabbling and peace is the first picture book from the bestselling author and world-renowned French illustrator. Join us on the afternoon of Friday 28th August to pick up your copy, meet Max and Dorothée, and get your book signed and personalised.We encourage you to RSVP or pre-order your copy of the book and a spot in the queue to help us gauge attendance. There will be books available to purchase at the signing in addition to any pre-ordered copies that you collect on the day.Max and Dorothée will be happy to sign first-name dedications, and candid pictures during the signing are welcome.About Dogs and Bears:This third brawl just happened. Nobody knew why . . .The dogs and the bears have been brawling for a while. No one knows quite how it started. Was it the jackets, cloaks and bandanas the dogs were wearing? Or the smell of the sickly sweets that the dogs were making? But today is the day of the third deciding brawl. The stage is set. NO snack breaks and no biscuits.But halfway through the world is interrupted by an unexpected airborne event – raining squid! This will change the relationship of the dogs and bears forever . . .

Fri 28 Aug14:30The Portobello Bookshop

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Community

Around £1.67

Fiction Book Club – September 2026

About our Fiction Book Club:Join us at our Book Club, led by one of our friendly booksellers! We'll be hosting a monthly discussion in the bookshop on a specially chosen title, complete with a complimentary beverage for all attendees.Our Fiction Book Club aims to highlight some of the most intriguing and compelling reads on our general fiction shelves, whether we're (re)discovering classics or diving into fresh contemporary novels. With such a broad range of subjects and perspectives, we hope there'll be something for everyone to enjoy... perhaps a new favourite book awaits.Please note that book clubs will usually take place on the first Tuesday of the month.About My Friends:Khaled and Mustafa meet at university in Edinburgh: two Libyan eighteen-year-olds expecting to return home after their studies. In a moment of recklessness and courage, they travel to London to join a demonstration in front of the Libyan embassy. When government officials open fire on protestors in broad daylight, both friends are wounded, and their lives forever changed.Over the years that follow, Khaled, Mustafa and their friend Hosam, a writer, are bound together by their shared history. If friendship is a space to inhabit, theirs becomes small and inhospitable when a revolution in Libya forces them to choose between the lives they have created in London and the lives they left behind.

Tue 1 Sept19:00The Portobello Bookshop

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Community

Around £3.00

James Fox - Craftland

We're thrilled to be hosting the publication day event for Craftland in paperback! James Fox's journey through the British Isles to catalogue and celebrate artisan and heritage crafts has been a huge sensation since it's release last year, and we're excited to celebrate it with James in the shop.James will be in conversation with Niamh MacKenzie, a PhD candidate working across the Highlands and Islands researching the arts, craftsmanship, and traditional practices. This promises to be a fascinating and insightful discussion, we can't wait to see it!James will be signing books after the talk, and there will be plenty of time for audience questions during the event. We hope to see you there!About Craftland:Britain has always been a craft land. For generations what we made with our hands defined our identities, built our communities and shaped our regions. Craftland chronicles the vanishing skills and traditions that once governed every aspect of life on these shores.Travelling the length of Britain, from the Scilly Isles to the Scottish Highlands, James Fox seeks out the country’s last remaining master craftspeople. Stepping inside the workshops of blacksmiths and wheelwrights, cutlers and coopers, bell-founders and watchmakers, we glimpse not only our past but another way of life — one that is not yet lost and whose wisdom could shape our future.For as long as there are humans, there will be craft.

Thu 3 Sept19:00The Portobello Bookshop

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Community

Around £12.50

An Evening with Sebastian Barry

We're excited to welcome Sebastian Barry to the Great Hall at Nicolson Square Edinburgh for a publication day launch of his new novel, The Newer World. From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Old God's Time and Days Without End comes a lyrical, visceral novel about what it is to survive, and what might be lost along the way.Barry will be in conversation with Peggy Hughes. He will be signing books following the event.Doors due to open at 7pm. This event will take place in the Great Hall at Nicolson Square Edinburgh. Books for the 'Book & In-person Audience' option will be available to collect at the venue on the night.About The Newer World:I knew as I made my way home that there was no home. All the old things . . . were gone forever.The Newer World follows the life of Tennyson Bouguereau – freed man, devoted brother, nascent singer, conflicted soldier and wanted man – as he journeys to find meaning and belonging in the aftermath of the American Civil War.From the relative safety of home in Tennessee with his sister Rosalee, he is offered the possibility of a whole new life in Nashville, until a surprising trip to Victorian England changes everything.

Thu 10 Sept19:30The Portobello Bookshop

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Community

Around £12.50

An Evening with Rebecca F. Kuang

The Portobello Bookshop is truly excited to host An Evening with Rebecca F. Kuang for her forthcoming novel Taipei Story. This return to the literary fiction genre is highly anticipated after the massive success of her last fiction novel Yellowface. Rebecca is also known for her beloved fantasy novels including the Poppy War trilogy, Babel, and Katabasis.Taipei Story is a wryly humorous and profoundly moving coming-of-age novel that grapples with grief, language, and culture shock—all set against the backdrop of an unforgettable summer in Taipei.Kuang will be in conversation with Katie Goh, author of Foreign Fruit: A Personal History of the Orange.This special Edinburgh Launch of Taipei Story will take place in the beautiful Assembly Rooms, located on George Street in central Edinburgh. You will be able to collect your copy of the book (if you pre-order one with your ticket) from the venue on the night.Doors will open at 6:45pm ahead of a 7:30pm start time. Please arrive in plenty of time so we can scan tickets, get everyone their books, and ensure enough time for all guests to find their seats. The talk will run from 7:30-8:45pm, with time for questions from the audience.Rebecca will be signing after the talk, she is happy to sign and dedicate ONE book per reader. This can either be Taipei Story, or another one of her books.

Tue 15 Sept19:30The Portobello Bookshop

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Community

Around £3.00

Roshni Gallagher & Clementine Ewokolo Burnley

Join us for a special double-feature poetry launch event with Edinburgh-based poets Roshni Gallagher and Clementine Ewokolo Burnley!They will both be here to celebrate the publication of their brand new collections, Gallagher's Even the Trees and Burnley's Belling the Leopard, with poetry readings and conversation.This event will take place in the bookshop with an in-person audience, as well as a livestream for attendees watching from home. There will be a signing after the poetry readings.About Even the Trees:In her debut collection Roshni Gallagher asks what can be seen, named or remembered. From Scotland to Guyana, the poems explore the porous boundary between the past and the present, and how ecological landscapes and landscapes of the mind and body are permanently altered by migration and memory. The elegiac series of poems Kala Pani reflects on the history and legacy of Indian indentured labourers in the Caribbean. Following the experience of women in the moment of rupture as they cross the ocean, these poems hover at the border of what is known and unknown.Other poems navigate stories from Gallagher’s mixed heritage, from the Windrush generation to the sod houses in Ireland. She explores the tension between historical and personal silence – what can and can’t be spoken about.

Thu 24 Sept19:00The Portobello Bookshop

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Community

Around £15.00

An Evening with Marina Hyde

We're excited to welcome Marina Hyde back to Edinburgh's Assembly Rooms for an event to celebrate the publication of her latest essay collection, What a Time to Be Alive!: Scenes from a Strange Age.It's a wildly funny collection from Britain's favourite columnist, Sunday Times bestselling author and co-host of The Rest is Entertainment.Hyde will be in conversation with comedian and writer Frankie Boyle.Doors due to open at 6.45pm. This event will take place at the Assembly Rooms on George Street. Books for the 'Book & In-person Audience' option will be available to collect at the venue on the night.About What a Time to Be Alive!:So lettuce remember Liz Truss, relive the last days of the Tories, meet the guy they called No-Drama Starmer, and succumb to hyper-resistant superbug Nigel Farage. Travel stateside to meet our supranational Silicon Valley overlords, Donald Trump and his cavalcade of henchmen – then head for infinity and beyond with Lauren Sanchez and Jeff Bezos. Experience testing times for misunderstood men in television, create wonder in every moment with Meghan, and relive the horror of the Gwyneth Paltrow ski massacre trial. Truly, these are times that make you want to put your hands over your eyes, even when your hands are already over your eyes. The only thing to do is read Marina Hyde and howl with laughter.

Wed 30 Sept19:30The Portobello Bookshop

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Community

Around £3.00

Ibtisam Azem - The Sleep Thief

We are overjoyed to be hosting Ibtisam Azem for the Edinburgh launch of her highly anticipated forthcoming book, The Sleep Thief. Our booksellers loved her wildly successful The Book of Disappearance last year, and we can't wait to share this one with you all!The Sleep Thief is Azem's first novel, now translated into English for the first time by Sinan Antoon. Join us in the bookshop or tune in to the livestream for a brilliant discussion and celebration of its publication.Please note that The Sleep Thief will be published earlier in the year on 25th August, therefore books for the Book & Ticket options will be posted out to you or made available to collect from the bookshop between then and the event on 7th October. You can choose whether you would prefer collection or postage in the checkout options.About The Sleep Thief:'Sleep thief is what the interrogator called me. I’ll never forget that. I would steal a few seconds of sleep so I could remain steadfast before them. The name stuck; I even dreamt about it, the same dream, night after night.

Wed 7 Oct19:00The Portobello Bookshop

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Community

Around £4.17

A 'Victorious' Evening with V. E. Schwab

Join us in welcoming V. E. Schwab to St. Cuthbert's Church for an event to celebrate the Edinburgh launch of Victorious - the triumphant conclusion to the Villains trilogy from the #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil. It's always a pleasure to celebrate a book launch with V and we can't wait for this one!This event will take place at St. Cuthbert's Church in central Edinburgh and we are planning for the doors to open at 7pm ahead of the 7.30pm event start time. The event runtime will be 75mins, including audience Q&A.V. E. Schwab will not be signing books after the event, all copies will be pre-signed ahead of the event. There will be no personalised signed copies.Book & In-person Audience:Please note that books ordered as part of the 'Book & In-person Audience' option will be pre-signed and available to collect on the night of the event. If you would prefer to collect an unsigned copy of the book from the shop between publication date (Tuesday 6th October) and the event date (Monday 19th October), please send us a message via our contact form. Please note that books collected before the event will not be signed on the night.Book & Livestream:Books ordered as part of the 'Book & Livestream' option will be pre-signed and posted out to you following the event.

Mon 19 Oct19:30The Portobello Bookshop

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Community

Around £12.50

An Evening with Min Jin Lee

The Portobello Bookshop is thrilled to be hosting Min Jin Lee for the Edinburgh launch of her highly anticipated novel American Hagwon. This is her first novel in nine years, since her 2017 historical epic Pachinko.We'll be hosting this event at St Cuthbert's Church in central Edinburgh. We are such huge fans of Lee's writing and can't wait to hear her speak about this brilliant, engrossing, book. It's one you won't be able to put down the minute you start reading, the Koh family (and everyone they interact with) will stick with you long after the last page.Lee will be in conversation with former First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon. We are so excited for the discussion between these two, it's one you won't want to miss!Doors will open at 6:45pm for a 7:30pm start time. There will be a discussion and time for audience Q&A.About American Hagwon:John and Helen Koh and their three children – Bo, DH and Mido – are building new lives in Korea when they find their worlds upended, first by a terrible betrayal and then by the 1997 Asian financial crisis. Striving to regain their footing, the Kohs set out to do whatever it takes to provide for their children’s futures.They leave Seoul for Sydney and eventually settle in California, where new opportunities open for the Koh children, as the parents, strangers in a strange land, adjust to a difficult existence in which their qualifications mean little.

Fri 23 Oct19:30The Portobello Bookshop

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Live Music

Around £3.00

Yiyun Li - Music Against the Night

We are so excited to bring Pulitzer Prize-winning author Yiyun Li to the bookshop for her latest novel Music Against the Night! We have been fans of her writing for years, and have been eagerly awaiting this next book.Join us for a brilliant discussion between Yiyun Li and Roxani Krystalli, ask questions during the audience Q&A, and get your book signed after the talk!We can't wait to see you all at the shop, doors will open at 6.45pm for a 7pm start.About Music Against the Night:Acclaimed Pulitzer-Prize winner Yiyun Li, returns with a sweeping historical epic, following two extraordinary musicians on the rise.In Dublin, as the eighteenth century nears its end, a young musical virtuoso comes of age. John Field is able to hear notes in the air, and his family aspires for him to become the next Mozart. His talent takes him far – to England, France, and then Russia, where he becomes a famous pianist and composes dreamy melodies that enchant the night air. John calls them nocturnes, but the prodigy who immortalizes them is Chopin.Oceans away in Pondicherry, French India, Adelaide Percheron embarks on a startling rise of her own. Orphaned at a young age, she is raised by her enterprising grandmother. Without the luxury of riches, only marriage seems to offer prosperity – until she sets her sights on a pianoforte.

Mon 26 Oct19:00The Portobello Bookshop

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Event details on Near Here are aggregated from third-party sources and may change. Always verify times, location, availability, and any price directly with the organiser before travelling. See Terms.