Milo Allan - Murray Hall

Porty Pride

WithMilo Allan

At: The Portobello Bookshop

On:3rd June 2025, 7:00pm - 8:00pm

Attendance options:

Milo Allan - Murray Hall at The Portobello Bookshop

We're excited that Milo Clenshaw and Vicky Allan, who together form the writing duo Milo Allan, are coming to the bookshop to discuss their debut novel, Murray Hall.

It's our great pleasure to be hosting this event as part of Porty Pride, ahead of their weekend of celebrations in and around Portobello from Friday 6th - Sunday 8th June.

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 Murray Hall – 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 Murray Hall.

About Murray Hall:

He kept his secret for a lifetime. Now the truth will rock New York.

It is 1901, and Dr Gallagher has just pronounced Murray Hall dead. New York politico, gambler, womaniser – Hall is all these things, but when the press break the news of his death to the world, they reveal a side to his identity he never wanted known, a secret no one could have guessed.

One journalist is determined to uncover the truth of Hall’s past, but his search leads him down winding alleys of fact and fiction. From humble beginnings in Glasgow’s tenements to a life spent rubbing up against New York’s political elite, Murray Hall is the definition of a self-made man. But the higher his status rises, the higher the stakes become.

Inspired by a true story of one Scot’s rise to prominence, Murray Hall unearths a queer past erased by history, finally bringing all the puzzle pieces together to discover the secret of this extraordinary, ordinary man, which shocked New York, America and the world.

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:

Milo Allan Author

Milo Allan is a pseudonym for a collaboration between Milo Clenshaw and Vicky Allan.

Milo Clenshaw is a writer, producer and curator based in the Scottish Borders. Born in London and grew up in Edinburgh before moving south to complete an undergraduate degree in Film and English at the University of Bristol, and then to Glasgow in 2020 for a Masters in Film Curation. Now working in the Borders town of Hawick for the charity Alchemy Film & Arts, the home of the UK's festival of experimental film, and as a freelance film curator.

Vicky Allan is the environment correspondent for the Herald newspaper and has written many books about wild swimming, including the popular Taking The Plunge and The Art of Wild Swimming guides, working with the photographer, Anna Deacon. She is interested in collaboration, but this is her first adventure in collaborative fiction. Her other books include a collection of personal stories about the menopause, created with Kaye Adams, and a creepy novel, Stray, about a cat. Vicky is married, has two teenage sons and a cat, and lives in 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.