A Lesson the Value of Perseverance: NASA and the Stirling Engine 23 Feb '21 In the week NASA’s Perseverance rover landed on Mars, Birlinn MD Hugh Andrew looks at another case of long-range perseverance with a NASA... Read More
2021 Previews: Alexander McCall Smith 16 Feb '21 What’s coming from the master storyteller this year? Alexander McCall Smith is one of the world’s most prolific authors and his books are in... Read More
Hedy’s War Crosses the Pond 15 Feb '21 Hedy’s War by Jenny Lecoat has become the new literary sensation across America. 100,000 copies went out to booksellers in advance of... Read More
A Valentine’s Day Gift from Alexander McCall Smith 12 Feb '21 Alexander McCall Smith woke up one morning – about a week ago – with a new poem fixed firmly in his mind. It had revealed itself to the... Read More
Burns Night? It’s Looking a Little Different This Year… 25 Jan '21 A Poem for Burns Night by Alexander McCall Smith Give us your hand – here’s ours: All Scotland, though a little quieter now, Is a bit happier in... Read More
A New Chapter at the National Library of Scotland – with Alexander McCall Smith 22 Jan '21 In Edinburgh, we are incredibly fortunate to have the deep-shelved stacks of the National Library of Scotland – filled with rare manuscripts and... Read More
Carillion, Three Years On: “Somebody, somewhere getting a million” 15 Jan '21 Today is the third anniversary of the collapse of construction giant Carillion. On 15 January 2018, Carillion went down with debts of more than... Read More
2021 Preview: Literary Fiction, Literary History, Poetry Highlights 14 Jan '21 Our programme of publishing for 2021 is full of remarkable books that will take you all over the world, propel you back and forward in time, bring... Read More
Alexander McCall Smith to receive 2020 Edinburgh Award 22 Dec '20 Internationally-admired Edinburgh-based author Alexander McCall Smith CBE has been chosen as this year’s recipient of the... Read More
Our Sports Books in The Scotland on Sunday – Best Sports Books of the Year 19 Dec '20 Check out the full list out now on The Scotsman / Scotland on Sunday website Who’s in there? From the Birlinn / Arena stable: Cassius X: A... Read More
The Stone of Destiny – A Great Adventure 17 Dec '20 Unless the fates shall faithless prove, And prophets voice be vain. Where’er this sacred Stone is found, The Scottish race shall reign. Some years... Read More
Staff Picks for Christmas Pressies! (Part one) 08 Dec '20 We asked members of our staff team to select two books that they would give as Christmas presents this year. And here is what they said (some got... Read More