The Canons

The Canons are books without boundaries. Some are classics already, the rest will be soon.

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki cover
Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, this is a timeless and compassionate novel about what it means to be human
1982, Janine by Alasdair Gray cover
The unforgettable, challenging and experimental second novel from the author of Lanark. Introduced by Will Self
Suicide Blonde by Darcey Steinke cover
The intensely-erotic feminist cult classic. Introduced by Maggie Nelson
If the War Goes On . . . by Hermann Hesse cover
A collection of essays on the absurdity of war, from the Nobel Prize laureate
Highland River by Neil M. Gunn cover
A dark and uplifting modern classic of Scottish literature. Introduced by Diarmid Gunn
The Outrun by Amy Liptrot cover
The Sunday Times runaway bestseller – an exhilarating nature memoir about recovering from alcoholism in Orkney
Ask The Dust by John Fante cover
One of the great novels of L.A., a semi-autobiographical story of a struggling writer (‘Fante was my God’, Charles Bukowski)
The Tartar Steppe by Dino Buzzati cover

‘Undoubtedly a masterpiece, a sublime book’ Sunday TimesA dark and beautiful tale full of pain and longing, introduced by Tim Parks

Girl Meets Boy by Ali Smith cover
A bold and joyous retelling from Ovid’s Metamorphoses by the award-winning, bestselling author of How to be Both
A Short History Of Myth by Karen Armstrong cover
A ‘visionary … crisp and lucid exploration of myth-making’ (DAVID MITCHELL) from the bestselling author of A History of God
Lion's Honey by David Grossman cover
A daring retelling of the story of Samson, from the author of the Man Booker International Prize-winning A Horse Walks Into a Bar
Its Colours They Are Fine by Alan Spence cover
Alan Spence’s debut collection of short stories is a timeless portrait of Glasgow, and an acknowledged piece of classic Scottish writing. Introduced by Janice Galloway
The Secret River by Kate Grenville cover
Kate Grenville’s modern classic of one man’s loss, struggle and survival in the Australian wilderness, introduced by Diana Athill
Sex & Rage by Eve Babitz cover
A rediscovered classic: Eve Babitz’s wry, tender coming-of-age tale of 1970s LA
Life Of Pi by Yann Martel cover
The phenomenal, Man Booker Prize-winning, international bestseller
Orlando by Virginia Woolf cover
Virginia Woolf’s seductive, provocative masterpiece is a whirlwind adventure through time, gender and identity. Introduced by Tilda Swinton
Weight by Jeanette Winterson cover
A strikingly original and profound slice of mythology from the award-winning author of Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit
Mauve by Simon Garfield cover
The strange and wonderful story of how one colour changed the world, from the bestselling author of Just My Type and On the Map
Writing to Save a Life by John Edgar Wideman cover
The new international prizewinning non-fiction from John Edgar Wideman, one of the standout black American writers of the modern age and winner of the 2017 Prix Femina Étranger
Philadelphia Fire by John Edgar Wideman cover

The lyrical masterpiece from John Edgar Wideman, one of the standout black American writers of the modern age and winner of the 2017 Prix Femina Étranger

Brothers and Keepers by John Edgar Wideman cover
The seminal memoir from John Edgar Wideman, one of the standout black American writers of the modern age and winner of the 2017 Prix Femina Étranger
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood cover
Penelope’s slyly brilliant side of the story, from the Booker Prize-winning author of The Blind Assassin and The Handmaid’s Tale
The People Of The Sea by David Thomson cover
Introduced by Seamus Heaney, The People of the Sea brings to life the legend of the mythical selchies, in beautiful, poetic prose
Free Women, Free Men by Camille Paglia cover
From fiery intellectual provocateur Camille Paglia: the definitive essay collection that celebrates and challenges modern feminism and gender