What happens at The Secret Book Swap?

I wanted to create an evening that’s warm, relaxing and joyful. Something without the pressure of having to have read a specific book by a specific date or where you need to share opinions and analysis - a space to simply share enjoyment of books and reading.

The Secret Book Swap is more than just a book exchange – it’s a place to discover a new author or genre to take home and a way to share a book you’ve enjoyed with another reader looking to find something new.

Here’s how it works:

• Choose a Book: Pick a book that you’ve read, enjoyed, and are ready to pass on to someone else.

• Wrap It Up: Keep it simple or make it fancy - there’s no rules, the choice is yours

• Think about how you want to introduce your book: You’ll want to let others know why you enjoyed it and why you think they would. Of course you need to do this without revealing the title or author - it is a secret swap after all. You could include hints like “A heartwarming tale for lovers of adventure” or “This story made me laugh out loud.” Feel free to bring notes if that helps.

• Come Along and Share: On the night, introduce your book to the group without giving too much away, then choose a book that catches your eye - or rather, your ear! Together, we’ll then unwrap our books and chat about our finds.

What Else Can You Expect?

• A Special Guest Author: Each time we meet, we are joined by a local guest. We’ve been fortunate enough to be joined by authors, poets, storytellers, publishers, illustrators, debut novelists and international best sellers, all sharing their own unique connection to books and stories. Meet our guests here.

• Games and Thoughtful Moments: From book-themed parlour games to readings from banned books, we like to make each event interactive, engaging and something to remember.

• Community and Connection: It’s been lovely seeing our community grow and friendships forming, all through a shared love of reading and stories.

Our Locations

📍Currie - Craws Nest Collective, 350B Lanark Rd W, Currie EH14 5RR

📍Davidson’s Mains - The Village Bistro, 44 Main St, Davidson's Mains, Edinburgh EH4 5AA

📍North Berwick - Move Yoga, 45 Melbourne Pl, North Berwick EH39 4JS