The annual pride march took place here in Edinburgh last weekend, and it was a jubilant day for the community. Every June offers a great opportunity to discover new LGBTQ+ authors to support, and we are lucky enough to live during a time where many publishers and readers are championing queer writing. We are proud to support our LGBTQ+ authors this month and every month, and we encourage you to check out list of books to get your hands on before Pride Month is over!

Summer Hours by Alessandra Thom

Summer Hours is a punchy read all about obsessive friendship, class, sapphic longing, and growing up, set over the course of one hot Edinburgh summer. This is a brilliant slice of contemporary literary fiction, a tremendous debut novel from Scottish writer Alessandra Thom. At just over 140 pages, it’s the perfect summer book to devour in one sitting. The novel follows Roisin as she navigates both an intense infatuation with her best friend, Eve, and a dubious working relationship with their older, wealthy friend Claire. SNACK Magazine has called the book ‘a vivid and vital examination of life in the modern world’.

Holy Boys by Andrés N. Ordorica

An exciting new poetry collection published earlier this year, Holy Boys by Andrés N. Ordorica explores the lived experience of queer youth – touching on themes of self discovery, overcoming shame, feelings of all-consuming longing, and finding love. Andrés is an Edinburgh-based writer, named one of the Observer’s 10 Best Debut Novelists in 2024 for his celebrated first book, How We Named the Stars. These poems are a celebration of and mediation on queer coming of age, serving as testament to survival in a world that demands silences throughout queer life. The Sunday Post has described Holy Boys as ‘linguistically rich and stylistically innovative… a lush and sensual offering’.

The Malt Whisky Murders by Natalie Jayne Clark

The Malt Whisky Murders by Natalie Jayne Clark is an intriguing thriller with an equally intriguing origin story. At the Bloody Scotland Festival in 2023, Natalie made a 100-word pitch for her darkly comic sapphic crime novel and had a book deal with Polygon within a week. Her book follows married couple Eilidh and Morag who are determined to open the first woman-owned whisky distillery in Scotland. Their plans are in trouble when they discover two perfectly preserved dead bodies stuffed into barrels at their distillery in rural Kintyre. With the locals and journalists alike closing in, they are determined to get to the bottom of this grisly mystery before the secret which threatens their business gets out. The Courier named Natalie ‘the next big thing in crime fiction,’ and we couldn’t agree more!

A Swan’s Neck on the Butcher’s Block by Jenni Fagan

Jenni Fagan, author of prolific fiction like Hex and notable nonfiction like her recently Women’s Prize-shortlisted memoir Oolin, is one of Scotland’s most original voices. A Swan’s Neck on the Butcher’s Block is her seventh poetry collection, and this time she examines her own life under the microscope. She dialogues with poets past and present, calling out the nuances of class, of care, of misogyny and brutality. In her response, there is love, humour, hope and defiance to be found. These poems are brimming with wit and passion, articulating life experiences in a way only Jenni can. Celebrated Scottish author Irvine Welsh says this is ‘a brilliant poetry collection which completely blew me away’.

Queen Macbeth by Val McDermid

Earlier this year, renowned Scottish author Val McDermid was named Allianz Writer of the Year at the annual Diva Awards. She was recognised as an author whose work amplifies LGBTQIA+ voices, stories and experiences, and we are proud to have published her first foray into historical fiction as a part of our Darkland Tales series. Queen Macbeth is a brilliant feminist reimagining of Shakespeare’s most infamous queen. The book goes back a thousand years, where, in an ancient Scottish landscape, a woman is on the run with her three companions – a healer, a weaver and a seer. She is no lady: she is the first queen of Scotland, married to a king called Macbeth. The book was published this past Spring in paperback. Former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has dubbed Queen Macbeth ‘one of the finest books Val has written’.

Real Boys by Thomas Stewart

Real Boys is a remarkable debut collection from Welsh poet Thomas Stewart. The collection explores the complexity of father-son relationships, grief and loss, queer masculinity and Welsh identity. Stewart often uses the lens of cinema and Welsh mythology to delve deeper into themes of harmful gender stereotypes, generational trauma, and self discovery. He looks onward to the future, questioning how we might change. The Skinny aptly describes the book as ‘a collection of intensely personal, often painful, but ultimately life-affirming poetry.’

Browse Our Pride Reading Recommendations