The St Andrew’s Book Festival, London’s leading Scottish literature and culture festival, has announced the full programme for its second festival taking place in London from 26th – 30th November 2025.
Described by Judy Murray as showcasing ‘Scotland’s finest,’ St Andrew’s Book Festival, created by Scots in London, features internationally renowned Scottish writers, politicians, sporting legends and emerging poets and novelists. The unmissable full programme of events announced today will provide a range of author insights, engaging discussions, entertaining conversations and opportunities to hear from some of the country’s most eminent thinkers.
Adding to the first tranche of speakers announced earlier this year, which included Val McDermid, Nicola Sturgeon, Sally Magnusson, Irvine Welsh and John Niven, the festival’s programme includes a debut showcase of some of the best new Scottish writers,a performance poetry evening with Suzannah V. Evans, Jennifer Morag Henderson and Taylor Strickland, acclaimed thriller writers Charles Cumming and Kim Sherwood on espionage and intrigue, Damian Barr in conversation with Amina Shah on how libraries can save the world, and Ambrose Parry (writing duo Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman) and Allan Gaw on medical mysteries in crime fiction.
St Andrew’s Book Festival are also pleased to announce BookBar as their official bookselling partner. BookBar is a bookshop, wine bar, events and social space centred around celebrating the social side of reading, bringing people together through their events and community outreach initiatives, which include wine tasting, DJ nights and book clubs. Auld Hag, London’s only cafe and deli dedicated to serving Scottish ‘scran’, is confirmed as official caterers for the festival, and for those looking to let their hair down, The London Ceilidh Club is now on board as partner for a celebration of the traditional Scottish dance.
New events announced today include:
- Debuts Showcase: We are delighted to welcome three super talented debut novelists to the festival, Chris Barkley, Natalie Jayne Clark and Alessandra Thom.
- Poetry Showcase: Continuing the tradition of spoken word performance, join Suzannah V Evans, Jennifer Morag Henderson and Taylor Strickland as they discuss their work and read from their latest collections.
- Join acclaimed thriller writers Charles Cumming (Kennedy 35) and Kim Sherwood (A Spy Like Me) as they discuss Cold War secrets, contemporary intelligence and surveillance, and the cost of betrayal.
- Join Amina Shah, National Librarian for Scotland, and Damian Barr, award winning author and Literary Salon host for a timely conversation on the role of libraries.
- Amanda Barrie’s long-awaited autobiography I’m Still Here has shone a light on her extraordinary journey, from childhood during wartime to her rise as a star of stage and screen.
- Jennifer Henderson’s Daughters of the North and Rosemary Goring’sThe Exile: The English Years of Mary, Queen of Scots illuminate women navigating power, loyalty, and survival in turbulent times.
- Ambrose Parry (writing duo Chris Brookmyre and Marisa Haetzman) and Allan Gaw delve into the world of medical mysteries and crime fiction, unravelling how knowledge shapes lives, balancing discovery with danger, in a gripping panel.
The festival coincides with St Andrew’s Day and aims to celebrate Scottish culture and heritage in central London, the city with the third highest population of Scottish people in the UK after Edinburgh and Glasgow.
On the 2024 festival, Judy Murray said: “It’s an opportunity to showcase Scotland’s finest. It’s wonderful to be able to come down and support this in the heart of the city of London.”
On the 2024 festival, Sir Ian Rankin said:“Scotland is always punching above its weight in terms of writing, non-fiction and fiction, poetry, you name it. But sometimes, being on the periphery of the UK it’s hard to get that message seen. My message with this festival, as with other literary festivals, is to keep going – because the world needs writers, and the world needs great books. We need different voices, and we need to be hearing those voices.”
St Andrew’s Book Festival website: https://www.standrewsbookfestival.org/
Tickets are on sale from: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/standrewsbookfestival
