This Book Event has already taken place

Amanda Thomson – Belonging: Natural histories of place, identity and home

At: The Portobello Bookshop

On:25th August 2022, 7:00pm - 8:00pm

Amanda Thomson – Belonging: Natural histories of place, identity and home at The Portobello Bookshop

We're delighted that Amanda Thomson will be coming to the bookshop for an event to celebrate the publication of her incredible new book, Belonging: Natural histories of place, identity and home. Amanda will be in conversation with poet, Alycia Pirmohamed.

 

About Belonging: Natural histories of place, identity and home:

Reflecting on family, identity and nature, Belonging is a personal memoir about what it is to have and make a home. It is a love letter to nature, especially the northern landscapes of Scotland and the Scots pinewoods of Abernethy – home to standing dead trees known as snags, which support the overall health of the forest.

Belonging is a book about how we are held in thrall to elements of our past. It speaks to the importance of attention and reflection, and will encourage us all to look and observe and ask questions of ourselves.

Beautifully written and featuring Amanda Thomson’s artwork and photography throughout, it explores how place, language and family shape us and make us who we are.

Amanda Thomson is a Scottish writer and visual artist, and a lecturer at the Glasgow School of Art. Her first book, A Scots Dictionary of Nature, was published in 2018. She has spoken at many book festivals and had her work published in Antlers of Water, Willowherb Review, The Wild Isles, Gifts of Gravity and Light and the Guardian. She lives and works in Strathspey in the Scottish Highlands and Glasgow.

Alycia Pirmohamed is the author of Another Way to Split Water, Hinge, Faces that Fled the Wind, and the collaborative essay, Second Memory. She is the co-founder of the Scottish BPOC Writers Network and a co-organiser of the Ledbury Poetry Critics. Alycia received an MFA from the University of Oregon and a PhD from the University of Edinburgh. In 2020, she received the Edwin Morgan Poetry Award.

Please note that everyone who has an active Porty by Post non-fiction subscription in August will receive free online access to the event.

Please note: Tickets for our events are non-refundable. Professional photography and videography may take place during this event. Thank you for your understanding.

The venue

The Portobello Bookshop

46 Portobello High Street
Edinburgh
EH15 1DA

Telephone: 0131 629 6756

Website: www.theportobellobookshop.com


Wheelchair Access

We have a ramp at the front of the shop which has a ratio of 1:10 and loading capacity of 300kg, and so should be able to be used by most wheelchair users or those with mobility vehicles. The front doors are fully automated. Our shop interior is designed to allow access throughout for wheelchair users and prams, though please note there is only 700mm wide clearance to access the staff toilet.

Sound

We use a PA system to enhance the audio at our live events. We also have a hearing loop system installed, if you’d like to use our loop system during an event please let us know and we’ll make sure we have it set up and connected to the live audio feed during the event. If you wish to attend an event and require BSL interpretation, please give us a few weeks notice and we’ll do our best to arrange an interpreter.