Ali Smith – Companion piece

We are absolutely delighted to be welcoming Ali Smith to the bookshop for an evening event in celebration of her new novel, Companion piece. Her writing is beloved by so many of us and it's going to be wonderful to hear all about this new work, which follows her dazzling seasonal quartet. She will be in conversation with the Associate Programmer for Paisley Book Festival, Jess Orr.

About Companion piece:

'A story is never an answer. A story is always a question.'

Here we are in extraordinary times.

Is this history?

What happens when we cease to trust governments, the media, each other?

What have we lost?

What stays with us?

What does it take to unlock our future?

Following her astonishing quartet of Seasonal novels, Ali Smith again lights a way for us through the nightmarish now, in a vital celebration of companionship in all its forms.

'Every hello, like every voice, holds its story ready, waiting.'

Ali Smith was born in Inverness in 1962. She is the author of Summer, Spring, Winter, Autumn, Public library and other stories, How to be both, Shire, Artful, There but for the, The first person and other stories, Girl Meets Boy, The Accidental, The whole story and other stories, Hotel World, Other stories and other stories, Like and Free Love. Hotel World was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and the Orange Prize. The Accidental was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and the Orange Prize. How to be both won the Bailey's Prize, the Goldsmiths Prize and the Costa Novel of the Year Award, and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize. Autumn was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2017, Winter was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize 2018, Spring was joint winner of the Highland Book Prize 2019 and Summer won the Orwell Prize 2021. Ali Smith lives in Cambridge.

Jess Orr has had a long-standing preoccupation with Scottish writing since arriving in Edinburgh in 2008, and in 2019 she completed a PhD focussing on the work of Ali Smith. She currently works as Associate Programmer for Paisley Book Festival and Operations Manager for the reading and writing charity Open Book. She has also worked extensively with Edinburgh International Book Festival since 2010, and in 2017 she helped to establish Open the Door festival of Scottish women's writing at the Glasgow Women's Library.

We are planning for this event to take place in the bookshop with an in-person audience, as well as an AUDIO-ONLY LIVESTREAM for attendees watching from home. On the night of the event, our team will be wearing masks and we encourage you to do the same, unless you are exempt. This will keep things as safe as possible for authors, audience members and our booksellers.

In-person Audience: you can purchase a signed – and if requested, dedicated – copy of Companion piece OR a £10 Voucher.

Audio-only Livestream: you can purchase a signed – and if requested, dedicated – copy of Companion piece OR a £3 Voucher.

Please note that vouchers can be used on any item in the bookshop and on our website – including books by featured authors. Please consider supporting the author and bookshop by purchasing a book or voucher.

We offer the chance to order a dedicated copy, however please note this is currently not fully guaranteed depending on the time available on the night. If you order a dedicated copy and it isn't possible for the author to fulfil the dedication, we will be in touch as soon as possible to let you know.

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