Ahead of the Islay Book Festival in August, Charlène Busalli, festival chair and book section manager at The Celtic House in Bowmore recommends her top five reads from the book collection she curated for our guests at Another Place, The Machrie.
Recommended reads for an Islay stay
Ahead of the Islay Book Festival in August, Charlène Busalli, festival chair and book section manager at The Celtic House in Bowmore, recommends her top five reads from the book collection she curated for our guests at Another Place, The Machrie.
“We sell a lot of nature writing,” says Charlène Busalli from Islay’s independent bookshop and island ‘hub’, The Celtic House.
Set on the sea eagle-frequented shores of Loch Indaal, it’s perhaps not surprising that nature makes its presence felt in our local bookshop’s bestsellers’ list. But George Orwell? Not such an obvious fit. “Not many people know that George Orwell wrote his most famous novel, 1984, on a remote corner of Jura, our neighbouring island,” explains Charlène. “So we have a dedicated section of works by and about him.”
Also on Celtic House’s shelves: a range of timeless and contemporary Scottish and international authors, captivating Hebridean tales and beautifully illustrated children’s titles. So when we asked them to curate a collection of books especially for The Machrie, we knew we were in safe hands.
“We built The Machrie collection around five categories: Scottish fiction, Scottish non-fiction, poetry, art and nature,” says Charlène. “I tried to include a mix of well-known authors like Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson – and also exceptional contemporary authors that I think are really worth knowing, like Jenni Fagan.”
From poetry collections to peruse by the stag lounge windows, to a haunting depiction of Edinburgh at its darkest, and the story of Scotland told exclusively by its women, Another Place also added numerous titles on whisky and, of course, golf.
Here Charlène takes us through five of her favourite reads from our growing island library, all available through The Celtic House.
“Norman MacCaig is one of the best poets ever to come out of Scotland. His poetry spans all sorts of themes – from nature to love and Scottish history. It can be humorous, but also melancholic. This is a big anthology, so you've got pretty much every shade of poem here to suit your mood. For someone who wants to discover Scottish poetry, this is a good place to start.”
“The kind of book everyone should read. It’s so beautiful, and Nan was a precursor of the entire nature writing genre. It’s set in the Cairngorms, so a mountainous and different landscape to Islay, but what Nan writes about – the wild landscape and our relationship with it – resonates with the experience of being on Islay.”
“Jenni is one of my favourite contemporary Scottish authors. She writes poetry and fiction, and both are equally amazing. Luckenbooth is a very ambitious novel, spanning a century of Edinburgh history. Jenni’s books often have a magical element, and in the opening scene of Luckenbooth, you see the Devil’s daughter sailing into Leith in a coffin. The story that follows is told through one building in Edinburgh and all the people who lived in it through the decades.”
“This is one of those books that’s really nice to dig in and out of because it’s made up of lots of different stories, historical documents and extracts from diaries. It tells the story of Scotland through the eyes of its female historical figures – from Mary Queen of Scots to author Janice Galloway. It’s an interesting read because the subjects it covers are so varied. You've got sections about marriage, poverty, making a career as a woman – even the NHS.”
“Here is a book about peat. It’s not a scientific book, though. An author of novels, poetry and stories, Donald Murray is from the Isle of Lewis. In this book, he writes about growing up on Lewis, surrounded by the moors, his relationship with the landscape, and how that experience influenced his worldview.
“Islay is a similar landscape to Lewis, with its famous whisky known for its peaty flavour. The Machrie sits in the middle of a peatland, so I think this book would be an evocative read for people staying at the hotel, because the landscape in the book mirrors the views out of the window.”
Islay Book Festival 28-31 August 2025
The Islay Book Festival is an annual celebration of writing, from poets and novelists to children’s authors and historians, held across the island on 28-31 August this year. Read how Another Place is getting involved below:
Take a ride with Markus Stitz
Saturday 30 August, 2pm-5.30pm
Saddle-up for a social ride with renowned ultra-long-distance cyclist, founder of Bikepacking Scotland and cycling guidebook author Markus Stitz.
Cruise from Port Ellen along the scenic Three Distilleries Path and back, followed by a showing of Markus’ new film with refreshments here at The Machrie – and the opportunity to chat to Markus about his epic adventures on two wheels.
Bring your own bike or book one, free of charge, from Islay E-Wheels by emailing hello@islaybookfestival.co.uk
From the blog
We’re raising a glass to World Whisky Day on 19 May and Islay’s famous whisky festival Fèis Ìle 23-31 May with a special take on this whisky cocktail.
Make the most of your stay at Another Place and Islay with our ‘what to pack list’, curated by our team at The Machrie who know it best.