Polygon Books

Polygon Books Polygon publishes a wide range of fiction, poetry and narrative non-fiction.

We are delighted to report that Val McDermid was named Allianz Writer of the Year at the annual Diva Awards this weekend...
29/04/2025

We are delighted to report that Val McDermid was named Allianz Writer of the Year at the annual Diva Awards this weekend. She fought off competition from Alice Osman, Juno Dawson, Clare Lydon, Kae Tempest, Laura Kay, Lex Croucher and Nicola Dinan to take the crown. Birlinn was so much more than proud to publish Val’s Queen Macbeth last year on the Polygon Darkland Tales list. It is out this month in paperback.

Val was taken by surprise: ‘I was genuinely gobsmacked to win the Writer of the Year at the DIVA Awards. The longlist was so strong, including Alice Oseman, Juno Dawson and Kae Tempest among others – I felt sure it would go to one of them. It’s an honour to be recognised for my work, particularly in the year when I’m publishing my 40th novel. Our community is under threat from many quarters just now, and I’m proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with them and make what contribution I can to our pleasures!’
https://birlinn.co.uk/2025/04/28/val-mcdermid-scoops-writer-of-the-year-at-the-diva-awards/

14/03/2025

We're hiring! We have a rare opportunity for an entry level publishing job as our Administrative Assistant.

We are looking for a highly organised and detail-oriented person to join the Birlinn team in this entry-level role as Administrative Assistant to support our busy day-to-day operations.

The successful candidate for this position will play a crucial role in ensuring the smooth running of the office, assisting with administrative tasks, coordinating schedules, and supporting editorial, publicity and sales teams. The role will be full time (37.5 hours per week), based out of our office in Edinburgh.

Find out more details about the job on our website. Apply by sending in a cover letter and CV to [email protected] by Friday 28th March.

https://birlinn.co.uk/2025/03/13/were-hiring-a-new-administrative-assistant/

24/02/2025

Three years ago today, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and world leaders are today meeting in Kyiv to mark this third anniversary.

Journalist Jen Stout's book Night Train to Odesa brings her first-hand, vivid reporting to readers in the UK as she reports from front lines and cities across Ukraine through 2022 and 2023.

Listen to Jen speak about her book here, and pick up your paperback copy from your local bookshop now.

🌀 Cover reveal! 🌀We are so excited to be publishing this thrilling debut novel, The Man on the Endless Stair, by award-w...
21/02/2025

🌀 Cover reveal! 🌀

We are so excited to be publishing this thrilling debut novel, The Man on the Endless Stair, by award-winning writer Chris Barkley 7th August.

When troubled young author Euan meets decorated novelist Malcolm Furnivall, he feels his luck has finally changed. Malcolm takes Euan as a protégé, vouching for him in the 1950s rarefied literary scene. But lately, Malcolm has not been himself. Consumed by his work and convinced that something terrible will befall him, he summons his loved ones to his secluded Hebridean island and entrusts Euan to complete his masterpiece.

Malcolm’s suspicions soon prove well-founded; he is discovered brutally murdered in his study, his unfinished novel missing. Far from the mainland, with the killer at large and the island’s inhabitants circling, Euan feels both his mentor’s legacy and his chance at greatness slipping away. He must venture deep into Malcolm’s labyrinthine mansion to find the manuscript before it falls into the wrong hands. The closer he comes to solving the mystery, however, the tighter he will bind himself to a fate sealed in time...

Available for preorder now! https://birlinn.co.uk/product/the-man-on-the-endless-stair/

13/02/2025

⭐️Exciting news! ⭐️
In winter this year, we will publish Benbecula by Booker Prize-shortlisted author .

It will be the sixth title in Polygon’s Darkland Tales series of novels, which sees Scottish authors reimagining key moments from Scottish history, myth and legend. Previous titles in the series include Rizzio by Denise Mina, Hex by Jenni Fagan, and most recently, Queen Macbeth by Val McDermid.

Benbecula is based on the true story of a murder committed on the titular Scottish island in 1857 when a crofter called Angus MacPhee butchered his mother and two other family members.

We can’t wait for you to read Benbecula! Find out more about this brilliant news on our blog.

31/01/2025

🥇Number 1 Bestselling Scottish Book in Scotland 🥇

Today is the final day of The Silent House of Sleep as Waterstones Scottish Book of the Month, and what a great way to end the month! This week, ’s book is officially the number 1 bestselling Scottish book in Scotland, and it’s been brilliant to see lots of readers enjoying the novel already.

Set in London in 1929, this gripping novel follows Scottish pathologist Dr Jack Cuthbert as he attempts to unravel the mystery of two corpses discovered in a London park. But Cuthbert has demons of his own brought back from the trenches, and in the end, the horrifying truth is more shocking than even he could have imagined.

The Silent House of Sleep is already a prize-winning book, winning the Bloody Scotland Debut Prize, and is available now from your local bookshop or directly from the Birlinn website.

24/01/2025

☠️ Cover reveal! ☠️

We are delighted to be publishing a new book from the author of the critically acclaimed bestseller, The Edinburgh Skating Club. Michelle Sloan’s brilliant new historical fiction novel Mrs Burke and Mrs Hare is being published on 3rd July!

In the shadowy closes of Edinburgh’s Old Town, sixteen people are murdered to feed surgeon Dr Robert Knox’s insatiable need for his anatomy classes. Burke and Hare and their wives, Lucky and Nelly, are all complicit, but only Burke swings for their crimes. Lucky, Nelly and Hare go on the run from the angry mob, reinvention their only means of survival.

Years later, journalist Duncan Fletcher hears rumours of sightings of the two women. Keen to impress his editor, Duncan investigates the aftermath of the murder trial. With cobbler Joseph Campbell in tow, Duncan’s quest leads him to the backstreets of London, where the horrors of the past collide with the present.

The time for retribution has come.

Available to pre-order now!

Happy New Year! We have some lovely news to kick off the year, with The Silent House of Sleep being chosen as Waterstone...
01/01/2025

Happy New Year! We have some lovely news to kick off the year, with The Silent House of Sleep being chosen as Waterstones Scottish Book of the Month!

This is a brilliant crime novel by former pathologist Allan Gaw, and the first in the Dr Jack Cuthbert series.

No one who meets Dr Jack Cuthbert forgets him. Tall, urbane, brilliant but damaged, this Scottish pathologist who works with Scotland Yard is the best the new DCI has seen. But Cuthbert is a man who lives with secrets, and he still battles demons brought back from the trenches.

When not one but two corpses are discovered in a London park in 1929, Cuthbert must use every tool at his disposal to solve the mystery of their deaths. In the end, the horrifying truth is more shocking than even he could have imagined.

☀️ Cover reveal! ☀️Summer Hours is a wry debut novel from a fresh voice, which sees three q***r women navigate unrequite...
02/12/2024

☀️ Cover reveal! ☀️

Summer Hours is a wry debut novel from a fresh voice, which sees three q***r women navigate unrequited desire, wealth inequality and secret relationships.

Author Alessandra Thom received a New Writers Award from the Scottish Book Trust in 2023.

Coming June 2025 - pre-order now!
https://birlinn.co.uk/product/summer-hours/

26/11/2024

The inaugural St Andrew’s Book Festival in London has begun! 🎉 This is a fantastic celebration of Scottish writers, put together by the Scots in London organisation.

We have lots of authors taking part in events throughout the week, with limited tickets remaining. Don’t miss out! 🎟️

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