Bigmouth Strikes Again: Carrie Marshall's blog

Carrie’s books | Carrie’s band

Category: Books

Stuff I’ve read or helped to write

  • Broken windows

    Recently, Glasgow’s Category Is Books had their main window smashed by someone who targeted the section saying “trans liberation now”: the centre of the break is in the centre of the word “trans”. The large and expensive-to-replace window was replaced, and someone smashed it again. If you can donate to the bookshop’s crowdfunder for roller shutters, please do.

    Category Is is more than a bookshop. It’s a safe space, a community hub, a place for creative sessions and book groups and all kinds of things, and it’s run by two of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.

    There is something very wrong when people are targeting LGBTQ+ bookshops and booksellers.

  • Look who’s back! Back! BACK!

    I’m delighted to tell you that the wonderful people at Cipher Press have taken on my book, Carrie Kills A Man, after 404 Ink’s triumphant farewell. I believe it’ll be getting a new ISBN number but it’s otherwise identical to 404’s version, including that brilliant cover by Cipher’s creative director, Wolf.

    If you’re not already aware of Cipher, their catalogue is absolutely packed with brilliant books. I’m over the moon to be in such great company.

  • Your last chance to bag a book bargain

    My publisher, 404 Ink, will be closing their online doors later today so it’s your last chance to buy one or more of their brilliant books for a bargain £5 apiece.  If you haven’t already got Carrie Kills a Man and Small Town Joy today’s your lucky day. I’d recommend the entire catalogue too: one of the reasons I wanted to be published by 404 Ink was because of the quality of the books they published. Joining the family was like a musician signing to Creation Records.

  • Queerphoria is out in paperback today

    On a hot day like today, what could be better than hiding from the sun in your local queer bookshop and picking up a copy of Queerphoria, which is out in paperback today? If you buy it online, I’d recommend Bookshop.org: it gives a cut to independent booksellers and you can nominate your preferred one.

  • This would be a bargain at twice the price

    My publisher, 404 Ink, will be closing their online shop on 30 June – and until then you can buy all their books for just £5. Naturally I’d recommend Carrie Kills A Man and Small Town Joy, but there are many more excellent books as well as the fantastic Inklings series. Fill your boots (with books)!

  • Queerphoria starts today

    I’m delighted to be one of the contributors to Queerphoria, a new anthology of queer writing from Verve Books. £1 from every copy sold goes to Switchboard LGBT+. The eBook is out worldwide from today and the UK print edition comes out on 25 June. It’s getting rave reviews from readers and from publications such as DIVA, and it’s a genuinely excellent anthology with a huge range of voices.

  • Excellent ebooks for even less cash

    My publisher, 404 Ink, is running a promotion where you can get 50% off their ebooks – including Carrie Kills A Man, Small Town Joy and Fierce Salvage. They were all bargains at twice the price.

    There are lots of really great books in this deal but you’ll need to move quickly, as 404 are closing down the ebook shop at the end of May.

  • It’s good to talk (about books)

    The Kirkcudbright Book Festival line-up for March 2026 has been announced, and it’s a typically eclectic and interesting selection. I’ll be appearing on the Saturday morning to chat about Small Town Joy and the liberating power of music.

  • Whay hae!

    The lovely Alistair Braidwood of Scots Whay Hae! has picked Small Town Joy as one of his ten best non-fiction books of 2025. “If you love music, this is a book for you.”

  • It’s good to talk (about books)

    I took part in this year’s Aye Write! book festival with a different hat on: I was there as a host rather than a panellist.

    I was asked to chair three very different events: with former pop star Anthony Kavanaugh, aka Kavana, to discuss his memoir; with Mae Diansangu, Louise Welsh and Lewis Hetherington to discuss the queer spaces anthology Who Will Be Remembered Here; and with debut novelists Seth Insua, Michael Amherst and Niamh Ní Mhaoileoin to talk about their books Human, Animal, The Boyhood of Cain and Ordinary Saints. And I was absolutely terrified, because hosting is way beyond my comfort zone: I’m used to being the panellist, not the host.

    I’m glad I said yes, though, because books and book people are often fascinating – and that was definitely the case for all three events here. And we were blessed with three very excellent audiences too, so the events were a real joy to host.

    I’m done hosting for now, but I’m not done with book events: I’ll be at Sunny Govan Radio to talk about my own books later this week, and I’m doing a talk with students next week. Or at least I will be if my voice holds out: the downside of doing literary festivals at this time of year is that everybody involved comes out of the event with a stonking head cold.