We’ve scoured the web (well, Eventbrite mainly) for festive fun online. Scroll for our guide to bookish events on a winter/Christmas theme. There’s something for everyone – kids, romantics, nature lovers and thrill seekers.
Citizen Winter Warmer from Edinburgh Book Festival
Saturday 12 December all day
A special day of online events, brought to you via Edinburgh International Book Festival’s YouTube channel or Facebook (@edbookfest)
10.30am DrawAlong with Eilidh Muldoon! (5yrs+)
11.00am Four Seasons – Storytelling with Macastory (3yrs+)
11.30am Self Portrait Poems with Leyla Josephine (7yrs+)
12noon Drawings Diaries with Katie Chappell (5yrs+)
12.30pm Where Snow Angels Go – A Reading by Maggie O’Farrell (5yrs+)
2.30pm Pass the Zine with Edinburgh Zine Library (11yrs+)
3.00pm Music from the Tinderbox Collective (all ages)
3.30pm Poems for Today with Courtney Stoddart (14yrs+)
4.00pm Route of Memories with Eleanor Thom (11yrs+)
6.00pm The Incredible Adam Spark – A Reading by Alan Bissett (YA and adults)
6.30pm The Citizen Collective Stories and Ideas (YA and adults)
7.00pm Citizen Writers’ Group – Sharing (adults)
7.30pm Daughter of Stories – A Reading by Nadine Aisha Jassat (YA and adults)
Kids events
A Fowl Christmas with Eoin Colfer
Thu 17 Dec, 7pm, £
A must for Artemis Fowl fans, there’s a Q&A with Eoin Colfer, appearances from the film’s stars and more. Proceeds go to Shelter
Snuggle up with Debi Gliori’s winter stories
Thurs 10 Dec, 3pm
Learn how to draw a penguin and enjoy some cosy wintery tales with the creator of Bookbug, courtesy of National Library of Scotland.
Lyceum Christmas Tales
1 – 20 Dec on You Tube. FREE.
Lyceum Christmas Tales is an advent calendar of stories, combining new and familiar festive tales penned and performed by some of Scotland’s best-loved writers, musicians and artists. Each fifteen-minute, family-friendly festive tale will be available to watch free throughout December.
Santa and Mrs Claus at Callendar House
Every Thursday at 6.30pm on Facebook
Yes, Santa and Mrs Claus have recorded some wonderful Christmas stories especially for us bairns! Every Thursday at 6.30pm, head to Falkirk Community Trust’s Facebook page to hear a new story. You’ll be able to catch them later on the FCT You Tube channel and Facebook page if you miss them.
Early Years Scotland Keep Connected
Some Christmas-themed events and also just some great educational fun for young families this week, with baby massage, yoga and more.
Play Talk Read 12 Days of Christmas
For the first 12 days of December the Play Talk Read team are sharing a simple Christmas-themed activity a day. They’re on their Facebook page, so you can dip into the fun, whenever you like.
Natural History
Owls of the Eastern Ice
Tues 15 Dec, 6 pm. Donation.
Jonathan Slaght, conservationist, researcher and expert on Blakiston’s fish owl, tells the story of how he saved the world’s largest owl.
The Natural History of Christmas
Thu, 17 Dec, 7pm. Donation.
Wildlife photographer Michael Leach, author of the above named book, explores where our Christmas customs come from.
Crime
Murder in Midwinter
Thu 10 Dec, 7pm, £
Q&A with classic crime collection editor Cecily Gayford, discussing her new book which features short stories by Dorothy L. Sayers, Ruth Rendell, Ellis Peters and more.
Christmas chat with Val McDermid
Wed 16 Dec 2020, 7pm, £
Val McDermid, master of the dark and sinister story, presents Christmas is Murder, a festive collection of chilling tales
The Rankin Files: Lifting the Lid
Thurs 17 Dec, 7pm
Ian Rankin and National Library of Scotland curator Rosemary Hall discuss Rankin’s remarkable archive, donated to the Library in 2018. Delivered via Zoom.
Romance/Saga
A Night of Festive Fun with Milly Johnson
Thurs 10 Dec, 8pm, FREE
Join Sunday Times bestselling author and indisputable queen of romantic fiction Milly Johnson for an evening of festive fun and frolics
An Evening with Carole Matthews
Tues 15 Dec, 7pm, FREE
Trafford Libraries invites you to an evening of life-affirming fiction with Carole Matthews, as she discusses her new novel, Christmas for Beginners.
A Cracking Christmas Author Panel
Wed 16 Dec, 2pm, FREE
Bella Osborne, Tracy Baines and Fiona Ford get together with Northumberland Libraries to talk about their new festive-themed novels.
Other events
Christmas Past, Christmas Present with Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
Wed 9 Dec, 6pm. Donation.
Uncover the past and present of festive maladies and the cures suggested by early recipe books – bat blood or stale urine, anyone?
Zoom Cook-a-long with Alissa Timoshkina
Sat, 12 Dec 2020, 2pm, £
The author of ‘Salt & Time shares three of her favourite Russian winter recipes.
Ghostland – an evening of supernatural tales
Tue 8 Dec, 7pm, £
Join Edward Parnell, author of GHOSTLAND, on a journey through the lonely moors, moss-covered cemeteries, and folkloric woodlands that were familiar to the likes of MR James, Alan Garner and Susan Cooper.
The conversation will be followed by a reading of a classic ghostly tale: Between Sunset and Moonrise by Richard Malden, performed by Robert Lloyd Parry of Nunkie Theatre.
Festive films by the fireside with the Moving Image Archive
Tue 15 Dec, 3pm, FREE
Fire up memories of Christmas past with home movies capturing the wonder of children on Christmas morning and visit a proper toy shop to buy some presents. From Co-op adverts, to Hogmanay parties, and snowy scenes, there’s something for everyone in this fun film show.
Have we missed any events? Tell us in the comments or social media.
Book Week Scotland, the nation’s annual reading love-in, is back and this year the theme is rebellion!
