These are the books that have inspired my autumn and winter. If you’re a fan of fantasy, folklore, and gothic seascapes, you might enjoy a good few of these!
The Last Graduate by Namoi Novik
The absolutely thrilling sequel to A Deadly Education. Dark magic, fast-paced with loveable characters.
Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers
Another lovely sci-fi book by Becky Chambers, written in her classically character-driven style and full of fantastic world-building.
Shetland Folk Tales by Lawrence Tulloch
A collection of folk and fairy tales from the Shetland Islands. Read this if you like sea creatures and things that creep along the shore.
An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Folk and Fairy Tales by Theresa Breslin & Kate Leiper
A gorgeously-illustrated collection of Scottish folk and fairy tales that's not just for kids.
The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson
A middle-grade re-telling of the Baba Yaga. It's got bones, magic, and characters to fall in love with.
The Sing of the Shore by Lucy Wood
A contemporary collection of atmospheric stories set in a Cornish landscape.
The Lighthouse Witches by CJ Cooke
A gothic thriller that touches on themes of witcraft and families.
Angie Spoto is an American fiction writer and poet living in Edinburgh. In 2020, she completed a PhD in Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow. Her doctoral thesis was a fantasy novel, called The Grief Nurse, and a collection of essays on grief, madness and language. The Grief Nurse has been shortlisted for the First Novel Prize 2021 and The Bridge Awards Emerging Writer Award in 2020. Angie is represented by Robbie Guillory from Underline Literary Agency.