Insider's Choice: New Scottish books to look out for in August
Irvine Welsh, Alexander McCall Smith and Val McDermid are among the literary big-hitters with new books out next month, writes Vikki Reilly
August is usually a quieter time for new releases than the months leading up to the summer holidays, but there is still a lot to look forward to in the coming weeks, including Irvine Welsh’s new novel Can Nothing Save Us (Jonathan Cape, 13 August, £20), a definitive Selected Poems, Driftwork, by the late John Burnside (Jonathan Cape, 20 August, £16), historical fiction from Mairi Kidd, (Newes of Witches, Black and White, 6 August, £16.99) and Christopher Rush (When I Set Out For Lyonesse, Sparsile Books, 28 August, £22.99), and the latest in the 44 Scotland Street series by Alexander McCall Smith, The Prime of Bertie Pollock (Polygon, 6 August, £17.99). Don’t forget too that 2026 is the 90th anniversary for the beloved Broons and Oor Wullie, and the 2027 Annual for the spiky-haired scamp will be in the shops soon (DC Thomson, 10 August, £11.99).
I look forward to every release in Polygon’s Darkland Tales series, their collection of novellas by brilliant contemporary writers inspired by some of the shadier moments in Scotland’s history. The latest is This Door of the Seas by Val McDermid and Jo Sharp (Polygon, 6 August, £12), an exploration of the catastrophic Darien adventure in the late 1690s. The story is told through a series of letters from keen colonist, James Wallace, to his wife back home, and, later, to William Paterson, the real life architect of the project. James is a true believer in the scheme, and the way in which the tone of his letters changes from initial excitement to performed positivity as problems arise, then to doubt and desperation as illness and in-fighting ravage their community, and finally to a deep sense of betrayal once the project collapses, is skilfully done.
READ MORE: Miss Blaine’s Prefect and the Parcel of Rogues by Olga Wojtas review: 'gloriously improbable'
Tom Newlands’ debut Never Here, Never Now was a favourite release of mine when it came out in 2024, and his new novel, Something Like Happiness (Pheonix, 13 August, £20), confirms that he is a writer who deserves recognition and a wide audience. It’s the story of Frazer and Caitlin, high school sweethearts now struggling to parent their autistic son in a flat riddled with damp and mould while Frazer works nights as a security guard and Caitlin trains as an amateur boxer. Frazer is grieving the loss of his parents and cannot move forward; Caitlin cannot control her rage at the lack of support and progress in their life. They rely on food banks and family generosity to get by, and are fobbed off with mental health apps or by overworked teachers who don’t fully understand their child’s needs. This sounds grim, but Something Like Happiness is a beautiful novel, written with grace, clarity and tenderness. Newlands overturns cliché with unique imagery that is rooted in reality, and he conveys the generational inheritance of our political past and present with a subtlety that only corroborates what Michael Sheen says on the front cover: ‘Tom Newlands is the real thing’.
Finally, it was fantastic to see Fidan Meikle win the Jhalak Children’s and YA Prize for her first children’s book, My Name is Samim, earlier this year. In that book Samim leaves Afghanistan after the death of his parents, making his way across Europe to the UK as a refugee with his best friend Zayn. Readers were heartbroken when they were split up (no spoilers as to how), and now we will find out what happened to Zayn in Meikle’s follow-up, My Name is Zayn (Floris Books, 20 August, £7.99).
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.
The Scotsman’s arts newsletter is now sent twice a week - subscribe today
Want the latest Scottish headlines sent directly to your phone? Sign up to our new WhatsApp channel here
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.