You are warmly invited to join Michael Pedersen and Rebeka Russell in conversation at Golden Hare Books for a very special evening to celebrate Robert Louis Stevenson and the Manderley Press edition of his vintage travel classic Edinburgh: Picturesque Notes. 

Manderley Press has commissioned Michael - the prize-winning Scottish poet, author and current Edinburgh Makar - to write a poem to mark five years since the launch of this indie publishing company. Michael will read from his brand new poem during the event, and will also be chatting about how Stevenson has informed his own work over the years.

Special signed copies of the poem will be available to buy at the event, as well as Michael's books, and titles from the Manderley Press collection - including of course Edinburgh: Picturesque Notes.

About Michael Pedersen Michael Pedersen is a prize-winning Scottish author, a former Writer in Residence at Edinburgh University, and Edinburgh’s Makar/Poet Laureate. He writes across fiction (Muckle Flugga), non-fiction (Boy Friends), and poetry (The Cat Prince). Pedersen has won a Robert Louis Stevenson Fellowship and a Books Are My Bag Readers Award, as well as being shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Poetry, The Indie Book Awards, the Saltire National Book Awards, and more. A Sunday Times Critics Choice, his work has been translated into multiple languages with praise garnered from the likes of Stephen Fry, Bernardine Evaristo, Irvine Welsh, Ocean Vuong, and beyond.

About Edinburgh: Picturesque Notes A 'sort of Bible' to all nineteenth-century Scots, Stevenson's gloriously vivid and entertaining portrait of Edinburgh continues to beguile the modern reader 150 years after it was first written. In this book, Stevenson draws on his skills as a master storyteller, his memories of growing up in Edinburgh and his interest in social history, legend and myth. A trusty, witty and irreverent tour guide, he leads the reader on an unforgettable journey through the city, visiting memorable houses and picturesque areas, and bringing to life its most engaging characters and landmarks.  Many of the buildings, places and people Stevenson introduces in Edinburgh later feature in his timeless adventure novels: Kidnapped, Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.  

“Stevenson's writing strikes the twenty-first century ear as still being fresh and intensely readable... we are in the company of an agreeable and relaxed guide giving us an anecdotal run-down on Edinburgh over a cup of coffee.” Alexander McCall Smith