Fairlight Books

From Scotland's National Book Awards and McKitterick Prize shortlisted author Allan RadcliffeAn Irish Independent best book of 2025 'I mean, it's nothing really. An old face from the past.'Two men meet on a dating app. It's supposed to be a casual encounter between strangers. Jordan is only back in Edinburgh to visit his complicated family, and Davie is reeling from a painful breakup. Yet Davie recognises Jordan as someone he knew long ago, when they were both closeted teenagers at the same school. Back then, Jordan was relentlessly bullied - and Davie was one of the bullies. But Jordan doesn't remember him at all. Against the backdrop of a city steeped in memories, Davie and Jordan find themselves drawn together again and again. A fragile intimacy blossoms between them, but can anyone ever be free of their pas? RAISE FOR ALLAN RADCLIFFE'S WRITING'Each and every sentence has been so elegantly penned' -The Scots Magazine'So gentle, so warm, so human' -Rick O'Shea'There is much to admire... from the elegance and economy of the writing to the understanding of the emotional difficulties' -The Scotsman

'Profoundly moving; I loved this book.' -Liz NugentSeeking a new purpose in life, Swiss widower Ruedi signs up to work with Depart, an assisted dying organisation. His role is to spend time with those who have sought out Depart's services, acting as a guide and companion in their final weeks. Margrit, his crotchety first client, wants only to get on with things. Marking time in a care home, with poor health weighing down on her, she has decided it's time to go. Her family are upset by her choice, but she is determined. By the end of the summer, she'll have left the world behind - and on her own terms. Yet when she and Ruedi realise their paths have crossed once before, an unexpected bond forms. One that will illuminate both their lives.

'The story equivalent of a big cosy jumper and a hot cup of tea on a rainy day.' —Carmen MarcusActress Charlotte has it all: a starring role in a West End show, a glittering social life and an equally high-flying boyfriend. But when her perfect existence abruptly falls apart, she retreats to her hometown on the North Yorkshire coast, finding a summer job in the local bookshop. Greg, the grumpy, old-fashioned manager of Seaswept Books, is alarmed by Charlotte’s attempts to revitalise the tired-looking bookshop. But when she discovers his secret passion for amateur dramatics, an unlikely friendship blossoms. As Charlotte begins to question whether her showbiz life was really all that dreamy, and as Greg ventures beyond his comfort zone – with a little help from handsome librarian Nick – can both of them find the courage to start a new chapter?

Florence, 1584. Rumours are spreading about the virility of a prince marrying into the powerful Medici family. Orphan Giulia is chosen to put an end to the gossip. In return she will keep her life - and start a new one with a dowry and her own husband. Cloistered since childhood and an innocent in a world ruled by men, Giulia reluctantly agrees, only to be drawn under the control of the Medicis' lecherous minister. Years later, married and with a growing family, Giulia hopes she has finally escaped the legacy of her past. But when a threat arrives from a sinister figure from her youth, she must finally take control of events - and become the author of her own story. Based on true events and reminiscent of The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell, The Maiden of Florence gives a charismatic voice to a woman cast aside by history.

'You will live beyond one lifetime and beyond even two in the painting he makes of you.'In the Rijksmuseum of Amsterdam, there is a painting called Woman in Blue Reading a Letter. Each day a man visits to gaze at it. He is irresistibly drawn to it. Obsessed by it. He studies the painting, in search of resolutions to his past and present loves, and the Woman in Blue studies him back. For there is more to the Woman in Blue than any of the men who gaze upon her realise. She has a story of her own to tell. With a delicate balance of truth and fiction, past and present, Bruton masterfully explores the intersection between art, artist and viewer, arriving at a profound meditation on love and creation.