Murray Hall: in conversation with Vicky Allan & Milo Clenshaw
Join us at The Harbour Chapel in Dunbar on Monday, 19th May, at 7.30 pm, when Naomi Kelsey will be in conversation with authors Vicky Allan and Milo Clenshaw, discussing their new collaborative novel Murray Hall.
The event will include a Q&A and audience questions, followed by a book signing.
Order a copy of either Murray Hall by Milo Allan (RRP £16.99) or The Darkening Globe, the new book by Naomi Kelsey (RRP £16.99) via this page for free entrance to the event.
About Murray Hall:
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.
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.
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.
Hardback, 400 pages, published 17th April 2025.
About The Darkening Globe:
Each time the globe turns, murder strikes…
1597, London. When Beatrice’s husband returns from exploring the New World, he comes home with unexpected company: a mysterious woman, and an enormous painted globe. As Hugh refuses to explain who their female guest is, Beatrice’s foreboding grows.
The unwieldy globe now strikes her as sinister – a reminder of the world of secrets pervading her household. Then one night, the great, hulking globe begins to turn of its own accord. Terrifying new illustrations appear on its face – and when untimely deaths ensue, Beatrice is convinced that the drawings are connected.
Desperate to prove that she is not paranoid, Beatrice risks everything to uncover the truth. What sinister force is behind these killings? What really happened on Hugh’s excursion to the Americas? Who is the strange woman who won’t leave her house? And on this otherworldly map of murders, who will be painted as the final victim?
Hardback, 384 pages, published 24th April 2025.
EVENT DETAILS:
Please note that copies will be available for delivery/collection from the bookshop from around publication day, 17th/24th April.
Alternatively, they can be collected from the signing table on the night of the event.
Please select 'local pick up' at the checkout if you would like to collect your copy/copies from Night Owl Books, or at the event. Alternatively, please select the 'ship' option and we'll post your book(s) to you.
Event times:
The Harbour Chapel bar will be open for attendees from 6.30 pm.
Event: 19:30 - 20:30, followed by signing.
Doors: 19:15.
Venue information:
The Harbour Chapel, 10 Victoria Street, Dunbar, EH42 1ET.
FAQs
- Will I be sent an e-ticket before the event?
Please note that we will have a guest list on the door on the night of the event, and you will not be sent an e-ticket for it - simply let us know your name/the name of the person who booked your ticket when you arrive, and we'll check you in!
- Can I collect my book at the event?
Copies can be collected on the night at the event, or alternatively if you would like to read the book before attending copies can be collected or posted to you in advance.
A note on Covid precautions: if you feel unwell on the day, please err on the side of caution, and please take a lateral flow test before attending, if you can.
About the authors:
Milo Allen is a pseudonym for a collaboration between Milo Clenshaw and Vicky Allan.
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 enjoys collaborative projects, and 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.
Milo Clenshaw is a writer, producer and curator based in the Scottish Borders. Born in London, he 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. He now works 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.
Naomi Kelsey is the author of The Burnings, and the winner of two Northern Writers’ Awards and of the HWA Dorothy Dunnett Competition 2021. Her fiction has been published in Mslexia magazine and shortlisted for several further awards including the Bridport Prize and the Bristol Prize. By day she is an English teacher in Newcastle, where she lives with her husband and their two children.