Reading Scotland: Helen McClory, The New Edinburgh Gothic

In a northern European city not unlike Edinburgh, three young people’s lives intersect in the flat they share. But as Helen McClory’s eagerly anticipated Bitterhall unfolds, her characters Daniel, Orla and Tom begin to be haunted by something very strange indeed. What exactly is Bitterhall, and who is James Lennoxlove, the author of a Victorian diary that’s fallen into Daniel’s possession? McClory’s debut novel is a book that toys with our subjective and objective realities and paints Scotland today in an intriguing light. As part of our Reading Scotland series, Helen McClory worked with filmmaker Bryan M Ferguson to create a 5-minute film, screened for the first time at this event, live at the 2021 Edinburgh International Book Festival. The film aims to evoke the mood of McClory’s novel and acts as a fascinating introduction to Bitterhall for those who have not yet read it. Following the screening, McClory discusses her book with chair Peggy Hughes.