Lighthouse - Edinburgh's Radical Bookshop
LightNews LightNews
banner
lighthousebks.bsky.social
Lighthouse - Edinburgh's Radical Bookshop
@lighthousebks.bsky.social
12K followers 880 following 370 posts
Queer-owned and woman-led independent community bookshop. 🏳️‍🌈 An unapologetically activist, intersectional, feminist, antiracist, lgbtq+ community space.
Find us at https://lighthousebookshop.com/
Posts Replies Media Videos
lighthousebks.bsky.social
Despite the busyness of Radical Book Fair prep, we still managed to read loads in October. Check out our recs here: lighthousebookshop.com/posts/what-w...
Our bookseller, Pao, stands outside the shop wearing a pink jumper and a keffiyeh holding a pile of books.
November 14, 2025 at 5:09 PM
lighthousebks.bsky.social
Panel with @jakehallwrites.bsky.social, Plan C & @joeljoel.bsky.social explores the political power of solidarity, drawing from activist histories to celebrate the potential of intimate connections.

In-person AND online! lighthousebookshop.com/events/every...
November 4, 2025 at 10:59 AM
lighthousebks.bsky.social
🔗 Everyday Bonds: Solidarities from the Ground Up 🔗
✨ SUN 9th | 11am | RADICAL BOOK FAIR ✨

No movement is built alone. At raves, rallies & community centres, folk have found each other & formed unlikely coalitions, rooted in a desire for collective change - how do we foster radical friendships?
November 4, 2025 at 10:55 AM
lighthousebks.bsky.social
Radical Book Fair Stalls cont:
@foescot.bsky.social
@globaljusticenow.bsky.social (Scotland)
Edinburgh anti-raids
Resisting Transphobia in Edinburgh
@stopcambo.bsky.social
SPSC Edinburgh
@refugeesathome.bsky.social
Save the Roseburn Path
Heckle
La Belle Adventure
Scotland 4 @decrimnow.bsky.social
November 3, 2025 at 4:43 PM
lighthousebks.bsky.social
Stalls are up 10.30-4 Sun 9th, with a special time for discussion 1.30-2.30 during our free community lunch, when you can chat & break bread with other attendees, speakers & writers!

Stalls:
Words & Actions for Peace
@edinmaskbloc.bsky.social
Lavender Menace
Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh [2/3]
November 3, 2025 at 4:43 PM
lighthousebks.bsky.social
The #RadicalBookFair is as much about community as it is about books - a space for connection, for learning, for taking action.

So Sunday we host stalls from grassroots groups, local initiatives, bookish collaborators & activist campaigns, come meet the people making change on your doorstep!
November 3, 2025 at 4:43 PM
lighthousebks.bsky.social
SO looking forward to this discussion next Saturday at the Radical Book Fair
October 31, 2025 at 9:05 AM
lighthousebks.bsky.social
📚 Against Literatures|RADICAL BOOK FAIR ✨
Poet George Abraham, novelist Nida Sajid & visual artist Remi Graves discuss the radical potential of the arts & explore the struggles of creating impactful and political work against a backdrop of increased censorship.
lighthousebookshop.com/events/again...
pictures of 4 writers and artists of colour - trans visual artist & poet Remi Graves, Palestinian Poet George Abraham, novelist Nida Sajid and a fierce looking Fariha Roisin, the Canadian Bangladeshi writer - are superimposed on copies of their books and the text above reads: Edinburgh's Radical Book Fair presents Against literatures: Arts Breaking Free a tattooed white hand tries to hold up too many flyers and posters for the Radical Book Fair and fluffy white dog looks unimpressed in the background
October 29, 2025 at 9:22 AM
lighthousebks.bsky.social
Edinburgh’s Radical Book Fair is NEXT WEEK!

As well as a jam-packed program - over 20 events! - we’re filling Assembly Roxy with BOOKS, community, and publisher stalls.

📚 Stalls feature over 70 publishers & 50 writers speaking - a treasure trove of bookish delights awaits!📚
October 27, 2025 at 5:48 PM
lighthousebks.bsky.social
beautiful flyers to go along with fun chats & powerful speeces at #ScotlandDemandsBetter rally in Edinburgh yesterday!

Dignity, fairness, collective power all refrains of the day (and echoed in many Radical Book Fair events in a couple weeks, join us!)
October 26, 2025 at 9:12 AM
lighthousebks.bsky.social
Needing a Sunday morning fix of coffee & fiction? We got you!

10.30, the bookshop TODAY: Park Seolyeon & Anton Hur with us to chat fiction & translation & freshly published, wickedly sharp feminist novel CAPITALISTS MUST STARVE.

Join us, a wee hour of book chat w/
@tiltedaxispress.bsky.social
Three copies of a novel called Capitalists Must Starve are held up in front of a white board advertising the event from the post, in the background a poster for the Radical Book Fair 5-9th November peeks out
October 26, 2025 at 9:09 AM
lighthousebks.bsky.social
Another event - this time, poetry 🎤

Join us for the Edinburgh launch of @linenpressbooks new collection, Look Away Now: Poems of Hope & Despair By Women.

Limited tickets still available - 7pm tonight at Lighthouse Bookshop 💡
A black and pink image of a woman by a window looking at a pink sky. In text below - Look Away Now: Linen Press Book launch. With poetry readings by Jess Richards, Sally J Morgan, Regi Claire, Carol McKay, & Chris Baral. 23rd October 2025, 7pm
October 23, 2025 at 12:52 PM
lighthousebks.bsky.social
We’re thrilled to be welcoming @bschillace.brandyschillace.com to the shop tonight to talk about “The Intermediaries: A Weimar Story.”

Have you heard the forgotten story of the Institute for Sexual Science - the world’s first centre for homosexual and transgender rights?

Limited tix available!
A banner advertising an event - a black and white background of a vintage photograph with a photo of Brandy Schillace (the author) in a purple suit. There’s an image of the book which has a cream cover and the text The Intermediaries: A Weimar Story by Brandy Schillace. The text reads Weds 22nd October - 7pm - At Lighthouse. The Intermediaries. An Evening of Queer History with Brandy Schillace.
October 22, 2025 at 1:36 PM
lighthousebks.bsky.social
Edinburgh’s Radical Book Fair is in 17 DAYS!

And we have THE most gorgeous flyers and bookmarks, pick up a copy from the bookshop, or take a wee peek right here:
www.tinyurl.com/RadicalBookFair2025
a white hand with a wee tattoo holds up a leaflet with a richly illustrated cover full of racoons and mythical creatures and flags and books and the text reads Edinburgh's Radical Book Fair, there is just a peek of some of the events listed inside. The same flyer us held aloft with a wee postcard of the same cover illustration, in the background a fluffy white dog is unimpressed with the palava of social media a white hand with a wee tattoo holds up a leaflet with a series of events taking place between 5-9th November, the full listings are in the link. Slightly different angle on the first picture where a white hand with a wee tattoo holds up a leaflet with a richly illustrated cover full of racoons and mythical creatures and flags and books and the text reads Edinburgh's Radical Book Fair, there is just a peek of some of the events listed inside.
October 20, 2025 at 9:51 PM
lighthousebks.bsky.social
On Tuesday, 21st October, we're thrilled to welcome @halschrieve.bsky.social to launch FAWN'S BLOOD, a delicious queer YA novel about vampires, vampire slayers, and a bloodthirsty underground resistance... a timely antidote to the anti-trans moral panic! lighthousebookshop.com/events/fawns...
on a black background with drawings of blood oozing from the corners (spooky!) you can see Hal Schrieve's book Fawn's Blood, which features a hand with two fang marks holding a necklace. Yellow and white text reads "Queer vampire night with Hal Schrieve, Edinburgh, Tues 21st Oct, 7pm Lighthouse Bookshop"
October 18, 2025 at 9:09 AM
lighthousebks.bsky.social
Tempted to get involved as a Radical Book Fair volunteer?
Full details are available from our website
lighthousebookshop.com/posts/radica...

And you can browse our gorgeous program here: lighthousebookshop.com/events/edinb...
Shifts! Because of limited resources for training, we can only take on volunteers who are able to commit to 4-5 hours on *at least* 2 days of the fair and a zoom training session on the weekend before the fair. This is so that we can get you properly trained up and you can feel comfortable and useful in the space. If you can't do several shifts, you can still help us with these 3 things: - promote the fair with flyer drops/social media before the fair - help with set up - help with set down What we're offering: The Radical Book Fair is entirely bookshop run without any outside funding which is why we operate on a shoestring and need a little extra help for our big book fair. We offer volunteers 35% discount on all books through to the end of the year, as many ‘proof’ books as you like/can carry and a Lighthouse tote bag of your choice! For those who can do at least three shifts we also offer a £30 stipend to cover travel costs & food. It’s not much, but it comes with a side of our eternal gratitude!! Please note: masks are required at all times inside the venue, and no one should attend a shift if showing signs of illness. The venue is big and drafty, so dress warm & move lots! Last, but definitely not least (!!) we ask all our volunteers to read our Safe Spaces policy and commit to its standards of behaviour : https://lighthousebookshop.com/contact-faq#6 If you have any questions about it - just shout. Does this sound like something you'd like to do? If you’re tempted to volunteer, please READ THE DETAILS BELOW and send your answers to us at rbf@lighthousebookshop.com by midnight Tuesday 21st October. IMPORTANT THINGS TO INCLUDE: -a full name & pronouns, your phone number -confirmation that you have read and agreed to our Safer Spaces policy - any availability Thursday 23rd October for a wee 5 minute phone chat. Something super informal, just to hear a little more about what kind of books you like, if any events or authors at the fair are of particular interest to you, if you have any special/unusual skills we can tap into. (If you can't do phone calls we totally understand, pls flag in the email. If you have volunteered in the past do mention this, we won't need another call!) - your availability on Sunday 2nd November for max 1 hour group zoom training session (your chance to ask any questions too) - precise availability for any of the shifts/within time windows listed above, to reiterate, we can only take on volunteers who are able to commit to 4-5 hours on *at least* 2 days of the fair. - If there are any access arrangements that will help you navigate the fair in comfort please don't hesitate to let us know! We’ll never expect you to do a task you aren’t comfortable with/feel capable of so please do be open with us and we can plan accordingly :D Thanks in advance!
October 16, 2025 at 3:12 PM
lighthousebks.bsky.social
Radical Book Fair volunteering is not terribly glamorous & the Roxy is pretty drafty, but there will be ample opportunities to talk about books & politics, see & speak to authors, and ultimately be an integral part of a community event for like-minded folk!

lighthousebookshop.com/posts/radica...
A screenshot of text breaking down the volunteer position, it reads: First things first - what's involved? The main jobs at the fair are: door welcome, keeping track of attendees & checking tickets for events welcoming speakers and showing them around the venue prepping the stage & signing tables for events running the odd errand to the bookshop (round the corner from the Roxy) being on hand to answer questions from visitors about books, toilets etc Wednesday evening box delivery to the Roxy Thursday morning is unpacking and Sunday is packing (so some heavy lifting!) Taking pictures for social media posts encouraging people to take part in events/zine/stalls hosting the snug space downstairs (where exhibitions/workshops/tea & coffee station will be) Stall maintenance -Tidying up/ reorganizing stacks of books as they get moved & browsed! Making sure publisher books stay grouped together/ finding event stock when needed.
October 16, 2025 at 3:09 PM
lighthousebks.bsky.social
Are YOU excited about the Radical Book Fair? Do you want get involved behind the scenes?

Our Edinburgh Book Fair (5-9th Nov) is just a few weeks away & we could use extra hands to help our team make it extra special & accessible!

Details on volunteering HERE:
lighthousebookshop.com/posts/radica...
October 16, 2025 at 3:07 PM
lighthousebks.bsky.social
AND THAT, beautiful creatures is a wrap!

ALL our panel events are HYBRID so do book in to join us from wherever you are, all tickets are sliding scale, and the Book Fair itself is free to browse from 12 on Thurs 6th until 6pm Sun 9th.

Please help us spread the word!

bsky.app/profile/ligh...
October 14, 2025 at 12:40 PM
lighthousebks.bsky.social
Palestine -1: Stories From the Eve of the Nakba
4pm Sun 9th

When the present eludes articulation & the future is still being fought for, this panel with Basma Ghalayini and Mazen Maarouf asks how fiction can help us imagine a time before the ceaseless Nakba.

lighthousebookshop.com/events/pales...
October 14, 2025 at 12:40 PM
lighthousebks.bsky.social
Places That Built Us
2.30 Sun 9th

How do we articulate belonging? Dalia Al-Dujaili, Aileen Angsutorn Lees & Jessica Gaitán Johannesson discuss the interweaving threads of place and people, & how our stories & care are central to forging paths forward.

lighthousebookshop.com/events/place...
October 14, 2025 at 12:40 PM
lighthousebks.bsky.social
Community Lunch / Community Stalls
1.30 Sun 9th

Break bread with us! Bring pals, share impressions from panels & take in the atmosphere of the fair with a free lunch & you’ll also be able to chat to local organisers and activists and make new connections.

lighthousebookshop.com/events/radic...
October 14, 2025 at 12:40 PM
lighthousebks.bsky.social
Feminism Now!
12 Sun 9th

Bringing forward wisdoms & challenges faced by women of the margins & Global South, our speakers make the case that we must revive an authentic internationalism to carve feminist politics that are fit for present & future generations.

lighthousebookshop.com/events/femin...
October 14, 2025 at 12:40 PM
lighthousebks.bsky.social
Everyday Bonds: Solidarities from the Ground Up
11 Sun 9th

Friends to comrades, raves to rallies, everyday bonds are the bedrock of movement building-how do we foster radical friendships & solidarities across divides & interests?
lighthousebookshop.com/events/every...

@jakehallwrites.bsky.social
October 14, 2025 at 12:40 PM
lighthousebks.bsky.social
And *drum roll please* SUNDAY delights at Edinburgh's Radical Book Fair!

The 🧵 continues
tinyurl.com/RadicalBookFair2025
October 14, 2025 at 12:40 PM