Graeme Macrae Burnet
Graeme Macrae Burnet was born in Kilmarnock and now lives in Glasgow. He is the author of five novels and a novella. His novels are His Bloody Project, Case Study and the French-set Gorski trilogy, the final part of which A Case of Matricide was published in October 2024. His novella Benbecula was published in October 2025 in Polygon’s Darklands series. The Guardian called it ‘intense and utterly compelling.’
His Bloody Project was shortlisted for the 2016 Booker Prize, the LA Times Mystery Book of the Year and the European Crime Fiction prize and won the Saltire Prize for Fiction. It was variously described as ‘astonishing’, ‘fiendishly readable’ and ‘spellbinding’. Case Study was longlisted for the 2022 Booker Prize, shortlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize and included in the New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2022. Hannah Kent called it ‘a novel of mind-bending brilliance.’ The Financial Times declared A Case of Matricide ‘a triumph’. It won the Australian Crime Writers Best International Crime award.
Graeme’s work has been translated into more than twenty languages, and he has appeared at festivals all over the world.
Read an extract
Man Booker Prize 2016, shortlist.
The year is 1869. A brutal triple murder in a remote community in the Scottish Highlands leads to the arrest of a young man by the name of Roderick Macrae.
A memoir written by the accused makes it clear that he is guilty, but it falls to the country’s finest legal and psychiatric minds to uncover what drove him to commit such merciless acts of violence.
Was he mad? Only the persuasive powers of his advocate stand between Macrae and the gallows.
Graeme Macrae Burnet tells an irresistible and original story about the provisional nature of truth, even when the facts seem clear. His Bloody Project is a mesmerising literary thriller set in an unforgiving landscape where the exercise of power is arbitrary.
Prizes and awards
SHORTLISTED, Man Booker Prize 2016
WINNER, Saltire Society Fiction Book of the Year 2016
SHORTLISTED, LA Times Book Awards 2016
WINNER, Vrij Nederland Thriller of the Year 2017
SHORTLISTED, Sunday Herald Culture Awards, Author of the Year 2017
REVIEWS OF His Bloody Project
'Spellbinding… Riveting, dark and ingeniously constructed.' - Sunday Times
'A fiendishly readable tale that richly deserves the wider attention the Booker has brought it.' - The Guardian Read more
'Gripping, blackly playful and intelligent.' - The Times
'One of the most convincing and engrossing novels of the year.' - The Scotsman
'An astonishing piece of writing… a voice that sounds startlingly authentic.' - The Telegraph
Herald Books of the Year 2015 Read more
'One of the most enjoyable and involving novels you’ll read this year.' - Alastair Braidwood Read more
'The Disappearance of Adèle Bedeau demonstrated that Graeme Macrae Burnet was a writer to watch out for. His Bloody Project confirms that he is one of the most experimental and assured authors currently writing in Scotland. More, please.' Read more
'Psychologically astute and convincingly grounded in its environment, this study of petty persecution and murder is a fine achievement from an ambitious and accomplished writer.' - The National Read more
'A deeply satisfying read.' - Undiscovered Scotland Read more
'A real box of tricks… a truly ingenious thriller as confusingly multilayered as an Escher staircase.' – Jake Kerridge
Mandy Haggith
Mandy Haggith lives in Assynt in the northwest Highlands of Scotland, where she combines writing with sailing, environmental activism and teaching – she is a lecturer in literature and creative writing at the University of the Highlands and Islands. Her first novel, The Last Bear, won the Robin Jenkins Literary Award for environmental writing in 2009. Bear Witness was published in 2013 and Into the Forest followed shortly after.
The Lyre Dancers is her fifth novel and the third in the Stone Stories trilogy, which began with The Walrus Mutterer (2018), longlisted for the Highland Book Prize, and continued with The Amber Seeker (2019).
Mandy is also the author of three poetry collections, a non-fiction book and numerous essays, and the editor of a poetry anthology.
BUYING OPTIONS
Buy Into the Forest
The majesty and beauty of trees have inspired poets for centuries, and this magnificent anthology brings together the finest poems from around the world celebrating trees. Featuring poetry giants such as Seamus Heaney, Robert Frost, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Robert Burns, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes, ‘Into the Forest’ includes poems related to the Tree Ogham (Gaelic) tree alphabet, which links a species to each letter. Tapping into the growing public passion for woods and trees, ‘Into the Forest’ is the only stand-alone tree poetry anthology in print, and is a must for both nature lovers and poetry enthusiasts.
J. David Simons
J. David Simons is a Scottish author, media journalist and literary editor. His first novel, The Credit Draper, was shortlisted for the McKitterick Prize, and his subsequent novels include The Liberation of Celia Kahn (2011), The Land Agent (2014), A Woman of Integrity (2017), The Responsibility of Love (2021), as well as An Exquisite Sense of What is Beautiful (new edition published in 2023). He has been awarded several bursaries from Creative Scotland and the Society of Authors and in 2012 was the recipient of a Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship.
Simons is also a former lawyer, charity administrator, cotton farmer and university lecturer. His nomadic lifestyle has allowed him to spend considerable time in Israel, Australia, Japan and the United States, and he currently lives in Javea, Spain.
The Land Agent
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Buy The Land Agent
Working as a land agent for one of the richest men in the world, Polish-Jewish immigrant Lev Sela stumbles upon a strategic area of land that doesn’t exist on any map. The resultant struggle for ownership involves the Jews, Arabs, Zionists, British, a Russian engineer with ambitions to build a hydro-electric power station and the local Bedouin. The dispute also draws Lev into a relationship with a beautiful Scottish pioneer living on a nearby kibbutz.
Touching on issues of identity, idealism, displacement, community, alcoholism, socialism and feminism, The Land Agent is the third title in J. David Simons’ Scottish-Jewish magnum opus, the Glasgow to Galilee loose trilogy, which follows his award-winning novels The Credit Draper and The Liberation of Celia Kahn.
J. David Simons
J. David Simons is a Scottish author, media journalist and literary editor. His first novel, The Credit Draper, was shortlisted for the McKitterick Prize, and his subsequent novels include The Liberation of Celia Kahn (2011), The Land Agent (2014), A Woman of Integrity (2017), The Responsibility of Love (2021), as well as An Exquisite Sense of What is Beautiful (new edition published in 2023). He has been awarded several bursaries from Creative Scotland and the Society of Authors and in 2012 was the recipient of a Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship.
Simons is also a former lawyer, charity administrator, cotton farmer and university lecturer. His nomadic lifestyle has allowed him to spend considerable time in Israel, Australia, Japan and the United States, and he currently lives in Javea, Spain.
The Land Agent
BUYING OPTIONS
Buy The Land Agent
Working as a land agent for one of the richest men in the world, Polish-Jewish immigrant Lev Sela stumbles upon a strategic area of land that doesnt exist on any map. The resultant struggle for ownership involves the Jews, Arabs, Zionists, British, a Russian engineer with ambitions to build a hydro-electric power station and the local Bedouin. The dispute also draws Lev into a relationship with a beautiful Scottish pioneer living on a nearby kibbutz.
Touching on issues of identity, idealism, displacement, community, alcoholism, socialism and feminism, The Land Agent is the third title in J. David Simons Scottish-Jewish magnum opus, the Glasgow to Galilee loose trilogy, which follows his award-winning novels The Credit Draper and The Liberation of Celia Kahn.
REVIEWS OF The Land Agent
'An historical novel big on romance and contemporary relevance.' - Michael Goldfarb
"Bernard Malamud meets Hilary Mantel This is succinct, thoroughly absorbing storytelling, which casts light on the origins of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A timely, terrific novel by a writer at the very top of his game." - David Belbin
'A bold new voice in fiction.' - Rodge Glass
'A beautifully-made historical novel. In its fast-moving and accessible storytelling, in its emotional punch, and in its brilliantly-realised evocation of a time and place.' - Booktrust Read more
Mandy Haggith
Mandy Haggith lives in Assynt in the northwest Highlands of Scotland, where she combines writing with sailing, environmental activism and teaching – she is a lecturer in literature and creative writing at the University of the Highlands and Islands. Her first novel, The Last Bear, won the Robin Jenkins Literary Award for environmental writing in 2009. Bear Witness was published in 2013 and Into the Forest followed shortly after.
The Lyre Dancers is her fifth novel and the third in the Stone Stories trilogy, which began with The Walrus Mutterer (2018), longlisted for the Highland Book Prize, and continued with The Amber Seeker (2019).
Mandy is also the author of three poetry collections, a non-fiction book and numerous essays, and the editor of a poetry anthology.
The Last Bear
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Buy The Last Bear
Set in early medieval Britain, when bloodthirsty Vikings raided and Christianity challenged and suppressed the indigenous pagan ways, this is a compelling and haunting story of power, transformation, love and loss and of the natural riches of a land still forested, treated with respect by those who lived on it. With evocative description of the beautiful northwestern Highland setting, The Last Bear centres around the extinction of the brown bear around one thousand years ago. It tells of a traditional community and its medicine woman, Brigid, who comes under attack personally and for her shamanic practices by ‘modernising’ forces especially a Christian minister who is hell-bent on converting Brigid and her kin to his own faith. From passion and loyalty to an epic struggle and betrayal, will we discover who killed the last bear?
Prizes and awards
Winner of the Robin Jenkins Literary Award in 2009
Ruary Mackenzie Dodds
Ruary Mackenzie Dodds is one of the country’s leading experts on dragonflies. He is in great demand to share his expertise and enthusiasm with radio and TV audiences, and is a regular contributor to BBC programmes such as Countryfile, Springwatch and Nature Detectives. Ruary has also written ‘Aberfeldy: The History of a Highland Community’ and a historical novel, ‘Luc de Fontanac’s War’.
In The Dragonfly Diaries, Dodds shares his quirky fascination for these remarkable creatures, and combines fascinating descriptions with a diary chronicling the ups and downs of establishing Britain’s first public dragonfly sanctuary. This book is a must for nature buffs.
The Dragonfly Diaries
The Unlikely Story of Europe's First Dragonfly Sanctuary
Read an extract
BUYING OPTIONS
Buy The Dragonfly Diaries
Britain is home to some forty species of dragonfly, and public interest in their plight is high right now thanks to their primeval beauty, aerobatic grace and a growing realisation of their importance for water eco-systems. In ‘The Dragonfly Diaries’, Ruary Mackenzie Dodds shares his quirky fascination for these remarkable creatures over the 25 years he has been photographing and working with them. Combining fascinating description of the lives of dragonflies, with a diary chronicling the ups and downs of establishing Britain’s first public dragonfly sanctuary, ‘The Dragonfly Diaries’ is a must for nature buffs and for anyone who wants to be inspired by the resolve and dedication of a man on a mission to save these critically important insects.
REVIEWS OF The Dragonfly Diaries
'This is a wonderful book, it is inspirational. A must have for any one that is thinking about getting into dragonflies!' - British Dragonfly Society Read more
'I like to think I know a little about dragonflies, but Ruary is the expert.' - Bill Oddie
'This lovely book catalogues [Ruary's] journey... and cements his status as one of Britain's greatest living naturalists.' - Chris Packham
'His writing reminded me of Eric Newby's style it is a story of a love of dragonflies, and a story of dragonfly lovers too I liked it a lot.' - Mark Avery Read more
The Dragonfly-friendly Gardener
Ruary Mackenzie DoddsRead an extract
BUYING OPTIONS
Buy The Dragonfly-friendly Gardener
The Essential Guide to Creating a Beautiful Garden Haven for Dragonflies. With stunning colours and phenomenal flying abilities, dragonflies are extraordinarily beautiful – and vital to our eco-system. Ruary Mackenzie Dodds, Britain’s leading dragonfly expert, offers top tips on how to attract these amazing insects to your garden. From creating a pond and choosing the right plants, to long-term pond care and even help with identifying dragonfly species, Ruary is buzzing with ideas for how to make your garden a wonderful sanctuary for both you and dragonflies to enjoy.
Jim Crumley
Jim Crumley is the author of more than forty books, mostly on the wildlife and wild landscape of his native Scotland, many of them making the case for species reintroductions, or ‘rewilding’. His Seasons series, a quartet of books exploring the wildlife and landscapes and how climate change is affecting our environment across the four seasons, is highly acclaimed. The Nature of Autumn was longlisted for the Wainwright Golden Beer Book Prize 2017 and shortlisted for the Richard Jefferies Society and White Horse Bookshop Literary Prize 2017. The third in the series, The Nature of Spring, was Radio 4’s Book of the Week. The Nature of Summer, was shortlisted for the 2021 Highland Book Prize. The Eagle’s Way was shortlisted for a prestigious Saltire Society award, and his Encounters in the Wild series – which sees Jim get up close and personal with Britain’s favourite animals – has found him many new readers. He has written about the return of the beaver to the UK’s wetlands in Nature’s Architect, and his most recent title is Lakeland Wild, his first to focus entirely on an English landscape. Lakeland Wild was longlisted for the 2022 Lakeland Book of the Year prize. Jim is also a poet, an occasional broadcaster on both radio and television and a widely published journalist who wrote columns for the Dundee Courier for many years and has a monthly column in The Scots Magazine.
The Seasons quartet is now available in one handsome hardback edition, Seasons of Storm and Wonder.
BUYING OPTIONS
Buy The Eagle’s Way
“The best nature writer working in Britain today.” The Los Angeles Times. Eagles, more than any other bird, spark our imaginations. These magnificent creatures encapsulate the majesty and wildness of Scottish nature. But change is afoot for the eagles of Scotland: the golden eagles are now sharing the skies with sea eagles after a successful reintroduction programme. In ‘The Eagle’s Way’, Jim Crumley exploits his years of observing these spectacular birds to paint an intimate portrait of their lives and how they interact with each other and the Scottish landscape. Combining passion, beautifully descriptive prose and the writer’s 25 years of experience, ‘The Eagle’s Way’ explores the ultimate question – what now for the eagles? – making it essential reading for wildlife lovers and eco-enthusiasts.
Prizes and awards
Shortlisted for a Saltire Society Literary Award 2014
REVIEWS OF The Eagle’s Way
'Tinglingly readable. Crumley's distinctive voice carries you with him on his dawn forays and sunset vigils.' - John Lister Kaye. Read more
'The Eagle's Way, is surely one of modern natural history writings masterpieces.' - Jim Perrin, The Great Outdoors
"Jim Crumley soars with eagles and we watch with our mouths open, not just because the presence of the eagle fills us with awe but the virtuoso writing does, too. All Jim Crumley's books come from an intelligence drawn from place." - Paul Evan, BBC Countryfile
'Crumley is quite exceptional. Jim's writing is absolutely authentic; his arguments vested with the power of heartfelt sincerity; his life devoted to the vital subjects he studies, expresses so finely, and opens up to our wider understanding in the context of a better and more humane planetary future.' - Viewpoint.
'Crumley's books are sublime. 'The Eagle's Way' is a beautiful, funny, argumentative narrative of praise to the eagle.' - Roger Hutchinson, West Highland Free Press.
Jean Rafferty
Jean Rafferty is an acclaimed award-winning journalist who has written on topics ranging from gritty human interest stories about prostitution, to celebrity interviews and humour pieces. Jean has written two non-fiction books about sport, and her first novel was shortlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize. The Four Marys was shortlisted for the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize 2015. Jean is Chair of the Scottish PEN’s Writers in Prison Committee.
A Faerie Child
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Buy A Faerie Child
“Strong feeling, uncompromising frankness” Marina Warner. After suffering the torments of miscarriage for the ninth time, Mara has become desperate for a baby of her own. Desperate enough to try almost anything A modern retelling of the age-old changeling myth, originally published in The Four Marys, a quartet of contemporary novellas drawing on Celtic history and folklore and exploring sometimes provocative themes of femininity and motherhood.
The Garden Cottage Diaries
My Year in the Eighteenth Century
Fiona J. Houston
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Buy The Garden Cottage Diaries
Challenged to prove her claim that an 18th-century diet was better than today’s, for a full year Fiona J Houston recreated the lifestyle of her 1790s rural Scottish ancestors in a basic one-roomed cottage, cooking from her garden and the wild, often entertaining family and friends, and surviving on her own resources. She learned lost crafts and skills, making nettle string, quill pens and ink as well as cheese and ale, lighting her fire from flints, and dressing in hand-sewn period clothing, with nothing but an old range stove and candles for warmth and light. This beautiful, quirky, illustrated title tells her extraordinary story and is packed with historical anecdotes, folklore, practical gardening info, seasonal menus, recipes, wildlife notes and more. Includes linocuts, photos and historic engravings.
REVIEWS OF The Garden Cottage Diaries
'If ever there was an argument for the survival of the printed book, this is it.' - Reforesting Scotland Journal
'It's a riveting tale of a rather extraordinary journey.' - Family History Monthly
'Done with great wit and intelligent determination... Questioning the nature of progress is a sane response in a relentlessly consuming and resource-depleted world.' - Felicity Lawrence, The Guardian. Read more
