2025 is the ninetieth anniversary of the launch of Penguin Books one of the UK’s most enduring and successful publishers. From the outset Penguin was synonymous with its branding with their considered logos, fonts and most vividly their colour coded series – orange for fiction, green for crime fiction, dark blue for biography and so […]
Category: 20th-century items
A little Scottish crime fiction bookshelf, or the story of Tartan Noir in 11 books
Pictured above is our small shelf of Scottish crime books. Louise Welsh’s novel “The Cutting Room” is not included as our copy was out to a reader at the Library. The story of Scottish crime fiction in 11 books from its dark origins to the present day when Scottish crime fiction is read all around […]
Geoff Dyer’s first book, the now rare “Ways of Telling: the Work of John Berger”
Some authors are embarrassed by their first book. In retrospect it might seem gauche, pretentious, misconceived or a false step. All established authors will of course have written a first book, and it is likely to be reprinted when they become successful. A few authors though are happier for their debut work to disappear, and […]
Sugar Ray Robinson appears at Paisley Ice Rink, 3rd September 1964
We recently added the programme for Sugar Ray Robinson’s fight at Paisley Ice Rink to the collections. His visit to Scotland was a big deal and the charismatic and charming Robinson attracted a lot of coverage. He was photographed and filmed pulling pints whilst wearing a snazzy houndstooth jacket in Leith, Edinburgh and gambling with […]
Giant red robots, time travel and an S.O.S. from Saturn: the worlds of “Scoops” the first British science fiction magazine
We were recently pleased to be able to add a complete run of “Scoops” to the collections. “Scoops” was a weekly published by C.A. Pearson of London from 10th February to 23rd June 1934. It is important because it is considered to be the first British science fiction magazine. Our copies are in almost perfect […]
John Burnside’s first novel “The Dumb House”
The picture at the top of this blog is of the first edition of “The Dumb House: A Chamber Novel” (1997). The cover illustration is “The Letter” by Dutch painter Carel Willinik In 2023 Scottish writer John Burnside (1955-2024) won the prestigious David Cohen Prize for Literature. Previous winners of the prize (which is in […]
Deacon Brodie: the novel
Above is a detail from the cover of “Deacon Brodie, or, behind the mask” a 1901 novel by Dick Donovan, the complete cover is at the foot of this blog. William Brodie (1741-1788) was a seemingly respectable Edinburgh locksmith and cabinet-maker who was both deacon of a trades guild and a city councillor. By night […]
A Christmas card from Sylvia Plath
Sylvia Plath’s closest friends and family were sent a very special card for Christmas 1960. It was a small pamphlet that included her recent poem “A Winter Ship”. Although it was the size and shape of a Christmas card, this was much more than just a simple card . It was the first stand-alone publication […]
Jack Kerouac meets Len Deighton downtown
The writers Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) and Len Deighton (1929-) were near contemporaries but otherwise would seem to have very little in common. Kerouac was a key figure in the Beat movement, celebrated for his stream of consciousness prose style in “On the Road” (1957) and other novels. Deighton is the bestselling author of well-crafted and […]
The first Broons book is on display at the Library
In October 2023 the National Library of Scotland bought a copy of the first Broons book published in 1939 by D.C. Thomson of Dundee Ltd. Now just over a year later we are putting it on public display in our Treasures gallery at our main building in George IV Bridge, Edinburgh. On March 8th, 1936, […]