Melrose Literary Society

30/03/2026

Poetry evening in Stow…

EVENT POSTPONED DUE TO ILLNESS

We are delighted to welcome Craig Aitchison back to Stow for the launch of his debut poetry collection in Border Scots, Flichter.

Joining Craig is writer and performer, Tanya Dyson, host of the Scots Language Awards and creator of Goodbye Dreamland Bowlarama, Ane City and Dolly Parton Saved my Life. Join them for a celebration of Scots and the spoken word and the launch of a great new collection of poems in the Scots language..

Free event. Booking essential. Bar available. 18+
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/flichter-new-poetry-book-launch-tickets-1986154718228?aff=oddtdtcreator&keep_tld=true

16/03/2026

Controversial, influential and lauded as the greatest Scottish poet since Burns, Hugh MacDiarmid has had a lasting impact on Scottish culture.

Join Alan Riach on Tuesday 17th March to discover more about the literary genius from Langholm. All welcome at 7.30pm, Ormiston Institute, Melrose. Admission £6.

Alan will also be selling copies of his work 'The MacDiarmid Memorandum' at the talk, at a cost of £8 instead of the full price £9.99. A bargain! Please bring cash.

19/02/2026

Lovely recognition for super Borders bookshop…

11/02/2026

On Tuesday (17th) we will be exploring the fiction of Nan Shepherd, in particular her first novel The Quarry Wood, with guest speaker Ali Lumsden.

Ali will consider the ways in which the novel depicts the North-east of Scotland and how this enables the exploration of wider questions such as staying and leaving, the relationship between the local and the wider world, and the importance of belonging.

Ali will also discuss how Shepherd’s approach to the local offers a model for considering the concept of the region more generally, including the ‘region’ of the Scottish Borders, an area Ali is familiar with in her role as Trustee and Honorary Librarian at Abbotsford, home of Sir Walter Scott.

Join us on Tuesday 17th February, at 7:30pm, in the Ormiston Institute, Melrose. Admission £6. All welcome.

06/02/2026

The Melrose Literary Society was saddened to hear of the death of Allan Massie, journalist, columnist, sports writer and novelist, who had lived in the Borders for more than 40 years.

Allan was a popular speaker at the Society, where he spoke on several occasions, the last time being in February 2019 when he discussed The Ragged Lion, his book on Sir Walter Scott.

The Society extends its sincere condolences to Allan’s family and friends.

The writer lived in the Borders and excelled in historical novels which merged the personal and political.

06/02/2026

Date for the diary, especially if you’re a fan of crime fiction 👇

Good morning! We are delighted to announce the first Reading Room event in Melrose of 2026 and it features two local heroes of Scottish crime fiction!

Join Neil Broadfoot and Ed James as they celebrate the publication of Neil's latest Connor Fraser novel, Exit Wounds, with a lively look at their writing and Scottish crime fiction.
Murderous Thoughts is bound to be a busy event so email us to reserve your free spaces - booking essential through [email protected]

Free author event: Thursday 26th February, 7pm Marmion's Place at The Wynd, Melrose.

12/01/2026

Walking and the outdoors is at the heart of Kerri Andrew's writing, where she explores the deep connection between women, walking and storytelling. In 𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙧𝙨: 𝘼 𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 Kerri takes her readers on an inspiring journey, from the Highlands to Bloomsbury, through the writing of ten women authors.

'The reader of Kerri Andrews's 𝙒𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙧𝙨: 𝘼 𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 laces her boots and strikes out with ten women who walked, wrote and wrote about walking . . . [She] shares the rapture of Virginia Woolf's cry: "Oh the joy of walking!"' Laura Freeman, The Critic

Come and discover more with Kerri who will be discussing 'A history of women walking', on Saturday 24th January, at 2pm, Ormiston Institute, Melrose. All welcome. Admission £6. Refreshments.

11/01/2026

Exciting Trustee role coming up for anyone with a love of music and the right experience.

Happy New Year from the Festival. This is going to be such an exciting year!
As we expand we’re revamping our Board and are initially looking for a new Chair - see link in Stories.
And thank you to Sir James MacMillan for his amazing endorsement.

09/01/2026

We're thrilled to announce that the lovely Patrick Gale is coming back to see us at Mainstreet on 28th March.

His new book, Love Lane, is a standalone novel, but for all those fans of A Place Called Winter, you'll recognise some of the key characters 😁

‘Five threads of storytelling interweave to form the braid of a novel both poignant and elegiac. A story of missed opportunities and, ultimately, a memorable story of forgiveness’ Sarah Winman

‘An extraordinary creation, one of the most atmospheric novels I’ve read in a long while’ James Cahill

‘An intimate and closely-observed novel — a family drama full of heart-rending moments illumined by the power of suppressed desire. The characters feel real, knowable and alive. Full of rich detail, this story brings private pasts to light with all of Gale’s signature warmth, grace and humanity’
Seán Hewitt

'Love Lane is the story of a family, told beautifully and with deep understanding. There is no judgement here, only humanity. A joy and a lesson for our time.'
Ann Cleeves

28/12/2025

Ideas for the 2026 reading list - a suggestion of the best books of 2025 from the Beeb…👇

Looking for something new to read? These 25 books are the BBC’s selections: https://bbc.in/3ZBeuLy

30/11/2025

Escape the busy business of Christmas and treat yourself to a John Buchan novel - it's a guaranteed page turner! You'll find the latest editions in your local bookshop and their eye catching covers make them a great gift idea too. 😀📚🎁❤️

Then come and join Ian Buckingham for his talk, 'John Buchan: Beyond the 39 Steps', to learn more about Buchan, his life and his writing.

Buchan was not just a popular author, famous for his spy thriller 'The 39 Steps', which features adventurer Richard Hannay. He was a Scottish diplomat, barrister, journalist, historian, poet and novelist, who published nearly 30 novels and seven collections of short stories - Richard Hannay was just one fascinating character among many.

Tuesday 9th December, 7.30pm, Ormiston Institute, Melrose. Admission £6. Everyone welcome.

The Reading Room Mainstreet Trading Company The Wedale Bookshop Heron & Willow Jedburgh

26/11/2025

Wishing Gordon & the team all the best for the future.
It’s great to see the independent bookshops doing well in the Border towns- we’re very lucky!

“I’m very much feeling that I’m the next custodian of it really..."