Louise Welsh - The Cut Up
WithLouise Welsh
In conversation withMary Paulson-Ellis
On:5th February 2026, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Attendance options:
We're so pleased to welcome Louise Welsh back to the bookshop for another launch event as she'll be joining us to celebrate the publication of her latest novel, The Cut Up. It's the keenly anticipated third Rilke novel exploring the dark underbelly of contemporary Glasgow, from the award-winning author of the cult classic The Cutting Room. Welsh will be in conversation with fellow writer Mary Paulson-Ellis.
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 The Cut Up – 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 The Cut Up.
About The Cut Up:
It’s hard to be good when living is expensive. And times are tough on the streets these days. Luckily for Rilke at Bowery Auctions the demand for no-questions-asked cash is at an all-time high, and business is booming.
When Rilke hears his old acquaintance Les is fresh out of prison, his inclination is to stay well out of his way. Letting sleeping dogs lie is one thing – but when one of Bowery’s customers winds up dead on their tarmac, Rilke needs a bit of help from his friends to tidy things up. If only his friends didn’t have such a habit of making things worse.
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:
Louise Welsh Author
Louise Welsh is an award-winning author of ten novels. The Cutting Room, her debut novel, won the Crime Writers’ Association John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger Award and the Saltire First Book of The Year Award. In 2018, she was named the Most Inspiring Saltire First Book Award winner by public vote. She is a Professor of Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow. In 2022 she published The Second Cut, which was shortlisted for the Bloody Scotland McIlvanney Prize for Crime Book of the Year and named by The Times as their Crime Book of the Year.
Mary Paulson-Ellis Chair
Mary Paulson-Ellis is an award-winning author writing across the boundaries of crime, historical and literary fiction. Her debut novel, The Other Mrs Walker was a Times bestseller and Waterstones Scottish Book of the Year. Mary’s short and non-fiction have featured in the Guardian and on BBC Radio 4, and in 2019 Val McDermid named her one of ten exciting LGBTQ+ writers working today. Mary is an experienced workshop leader, events chair, Royal Literary Fund Fellow and Chair of the Society of Authors in Scotland. She lives in Edinburgh and in 2023 was named Dr Gavin Wallace Fellow by Edinburgh Unesco City of Literature for a new novel about her home city. She was recently appointed Writer-in-Residence at the University of Edinburgh.
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.