The Canons

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

Doubts and Loves by Richard Holloway cover
A re-examination of the state of Christianity from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Waiting for the Last Bus and Leaving Alexandria
The Discovery Of Slowness by Sten Nadolny cover
Nadolny’s internationally bestselling masterpiece, a gripping historical novel based on the life of Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin
Godless Morality by Richard Holloway cover
A fascinating exploration of human morality from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Waiting for the Last Bus and Leaving Alexandria
The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng cover
Tan Twan Eng’s rich, absorbing, internationally bestselling, Man Booker-shortlisted epic
Looking In the Distance by Richard Holloway cover
An examination of spirituality, from the Sunday Times bestselling author of Leaving Alexandria
Now And Then by Gil Scott-Heron cover
‘A poet and polemicist whose lyrics have inspired and galvanised generations’ GQ. Introduced by Kate Tempest
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
Beneath The Underdog by Charles Mingus cover
A blisteringly powerful self-portrait of ‘The Angry Man of Jazz’, contemporary of jazz genius Miles Davis
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
Island on the Edge of the World by Charles MacLean cover
A classic work of social history and a moving account of the destruction of a remote Scottish community
Highland River by Neil M. Gunn cover
A dark and uplifting modern classic of Scottish literature. Introduced by Diarmid Gunn
If the War Goes On . . . by Hermann Hesse cover
A collection of essays on the absurdity of war, from the Nobel Prize laureate
The Outrun by Amy Liptrot cover
The Sunday Times runaway bestseller – an exhilarating nature memoir about recovering from alcoholism in Orkney
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
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
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
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
Sex & Rage by Eve Babitz cover
A rediscovered classic: Eve Babitz’s wry, tender coming-of-age tale of 1970s LA
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
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