Charlotte Runcie - Bring the House Down
WithCharlotte Runcie
In conversation withEleanor Morton
On:5th June 2025, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Attendance options:
It's a delight that Charlotte Runcie will return to the bookshop for the publication day launch of her debut novel, Bring the House Down. We are such big fans of Runcie's memoir Salt On Your Tongue that an extract about Portobello is quoted on our bookmarks, so new writing from her is cause for celebration! She will be in conversation with writer and stand-up comedian Eleanor Morton.
This event will take place in the bookshop with an in-person audience, as well as a livestream for attendees watching from home. There will be a signing after the event.
In-person vouchers can be redeemed on the night of the event against a single copy of Bring the House Down – we will have a list of attendees with vouchers to be redeemed. Please note that only one voucher can be redeemed per book. Livestream vouchers are valid until the day after the event and can be redeemed on our website against a single copy of Bring the House Down.
About Bring the House Down:
At the Edinburgh Fringe, vicious theatre critic Alex Lyons is dashing off his latest hatchet job.
When Alex meets the show’s performer, Hayley, in a bar afterwards, she has no idea who he is. It’s only after they’ve spent the night together that Alex’s well-meaning flatmate, Sophie, accidentally shows Hayley the one-star review.
Humiliated and furious, Hayley revamps her show into a one-star review of Alex’s entire life. Starring every bad thing he’s ever done to anyone. Sparing absolutely no details. Hayley’s show is an instant hit, setting off a cultural earthquake. With Alex’s life in ruins, Sophie has a front-row seat to the carnage. Which is how she discovers that, sometimes, the audience is the most dangerous place to be.
Funny and thrilling, this is an extraordinary debut novel about bad art and good art and who gets to say what. About the one-star reviews we wish we could give out, and the personal criticism we would rather not face.
Please note: Tickets for our events are non-refundable. Professional photography and videography may take place during this event. Thank you for your understanding.
Participants:
Charlotte Runcie Author
Charlotte Runcie is a radio columnist and arts writer. As a journalist, she has spent many summers reviewing shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. For several years she lived and worked in Edinburgh, and she now lives in the Scottish Borders. She has a secret past as a poet, having been a Foyle Young Poet of the Year with a pamphlet published by tall-lighthouse. Her memoir Salt On Your Tongue was a BBC4 Book of the Week and named a Book of the Year in the Spectator, The Scotsman and Prospect.
Eleanor Morton Chair
Eleanor Morton is a Scottish stand-up, writer and actor who started performing stand-up when she was 18 years old. Her 2023 Fringe show, Eleanor Morton Has Peaked, enjoyed a sell-out run, and she wrote and recorded a show for BBC R4, ‘The Rest of Us’, with Welsh comic Esyllt Sears and Northern Irish comic Mary Flanigan, about overlooked figures in UK history. She is perhaps best known for her online videos and characters, including the dour Scottish tour guide ‘Craig’. She is currently based in Edinburgh and Life Lessons from Historical Women is Morton’s first book.
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.