Hosted by Publishing Scotland in The New Town Church on George Street, the Scottish Christmas Book Fair is a great place to find novels across all genres, as well as gift books, cookery books, children’s books and puzzles, history, travel, poetry, sport, music, and biographies.
This year’s fair will be bigger and better than ever – as well as being able to chat with publishers, you can meet lots of authors, who will be there to sign copies of their books.
And for that extra festive flavour, there will be free mulled wine (non-alcoholic), apple juice, mince pies and chocolate treats.
Plus, there’s also a programme of author events on Saturday 21 November 2026 in the church’s Undercroft Café. (Author events are ticketed and charges apply). These include:
- Scotland’s Rebel Women. Authors Rosemary Goring, Jean Findlay, Claire Mitchell and Zoe Venditozzi chat with novelist Sara Sheridan about Mary, Queen of Scots and her grand-daughter, Elizabeth Stuart. Find out about their lives and turbulent times, and the legacies left behind that shaped Scotland, Britain, Europe and the wider world.
- Scotland’s Poetry Showcase. Scotland’s poetry scene is as robust and as exciting as ever with a huge variety of poets writing and performing across all of Scotland’s languages. At this showcase you’ll enjoy a variety of form, with poems celebrating love, life, landscape and language – in English, Scots and Gaelic, and all by poets at the top of their game.
- Getting Close to Nature: In Life and on the Page. Authors Linda Cracknell and Beth McDonough, and Publishing Scotland’s Abigail McDougall talk about their books that celebrate the restorative powers of the natural world and its place as inspiration for their – and your – artistic life.
The New Town Church is wheelchair accessible, with ground level entry with ramps and lifts. Located on George Street, the church is well served by Lothian Buses services 10, 11, 43, X18, X19, X27 and X28. The nearest Edinburgh Trams stop is St Andrews Square.
With free entry, Scottish Christmas Book Fair runs from 20 to 21 November 2026.
