Austerlitz
"The one we press on people more than any other. Come back and talk to us about it."
— Nora
£10.99
2 in stock
Books for people who take books seriously and don't take themselves too seriously
The Folded Page is an independent bookshop in Edinburgh's Stockbridge neighbourhood. We stock what we think is worth reading, not what the algorithms say you probably want. We hand-sell. We argue about books. We remember what you bought last time.
Our mission: To be the kind of bookshop that changes what you read — and occasionally, how you think.
Who We Are
The Folded Page is an independent bookshop in Edinburgh's Stockbridge neighbourhood, opened in March 2019 by Nora Sutherland. It is not a large shop. The ceilings are low, the shelves are crammed, and if you visit on a Tuesday afternoon there's a reasonable chance a cat named Bewick will be sitting on the poetry section.
Nora spent twelve years as a bookseller at larger shops before deciding she'd rather run a small shop badly than manage a large one competently. (She runs it well.) The Folded Page is deliberately curated — we stock what we think is worth reading, not what the algorithms say you probably want. We hand-sell. We argue about books. We remember what you bought last time.
Our Mission
To be the kind of bookshop that changes what you read — and occasionally, how you think.
Curation over comprehensiveness
We have made peace with not stocking everything. We'd rather stock the right things.
Booksellers as readers
Everyone who works here reads. A lot. We don't hire people who treat books as units.
Translation matters
Over 25% of our fiction titles are works in translation. We believe firmly that the best contemporary fiction is not being written exclusively in English.
The shop is for reading
The comfortable chairs are there to be used. Bring a child. Bring a thermos if you want. Stay as long as you like.
What We Stock
- Literary fiction (UK, US, and international)
- Translated fiction — we believe this is the most under-read category in English-language bookselling
- Nature writing and essays
- Poetry (a larger section than most shops our size)
- Books for children aged 0–12 that are actually good
- A rotating selection of used books, priced to sell
Staff Picks
Books we actually read, actually loved, and will actually argue about. No publisher bribes, no seasonal trends — just the books that made us stay up too late and call in sick the next day.
The Books of Jacob
"Almost 1000 pages. Worth every one. Start on a long weekend."
— Marta
£16.99
1 in stock
Demon Copperhead
"Dickens retold in Appalachia. Sceptics will be converted by page 50."
— Nora
£9.99
3 in stock
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain
"Saunders on Russian short stories. Unaccountably joyful to read."
— Alasdair
£12.99
2 in stock
Piranesi
"Do not read the back cover. Just start it."
— Nora
£8.99
4 in stock
The Dispossessed
"The best political novel written as science fiction. Still relevant."
— Alasdair
£9.99
2 in stock
Flights
"Short interconnected fragments. Perfect for distracted readers."
— Marta
£9.99
3 in stock
Outline
"The trilogy starts here. Spare and unsettling. One of the best things written in the last decade."
— Nora
£8.99
2 in stock
When We Cease to Understand the World
"Science and obsession. Hard to describe. Easy to recommend."
— Marta
£10.99
3 in stock
H is for Hawk
"Grief and goshawks. The nature writing shelf would not exist without this book."
— Alasdair
£9.99
2 in stock
The Overstory
"About trees. Genuinely. One of the few long books that earns its length."
— Nora
£10.99
2 in stock
Minor Detail
"120 pages. Stays with you for months."
— Marta
£8.99
3 in stock
Educated
"The one staff member who hasn't read this is Bewick."
— Alasdair
£9.99
3 in stock
Grief Is the Thing with Feathers
"Technically a novel. Effectively a long prose poem. Extraordinary."
— Nora
£9.99
2 in stock
The Way to the Spring
"Reporting from the West Bank. Rigorous and human."
— Alasdair
£14.99
1 in stock
Pachinko
"Four generations of a Korean family. Completely absorbing."
— Nora
£10.99
3 in stock
The Cost of Living
"The second of Levy's living autobiography trilogy. Start with Things I Don't Want to Know."
— Marta
£9.99
2 in stock
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
"The accessible Tokarczuk. Also a murder mystery. Start here if Tokarczuk is new to you."
— Marta
£9.99
3 in stock
What We Offer
Curated New Books
Every title on our shelves is there because someone on the team read it and thought it deserved to be. We specialise in literary fiction, translated works, nature writing, poetry, and genuinely good children's books.
We don't stock celebrity memoirs unless we genuinely believe they're good. We do stock translated fiction from publishers most shops ignore.
Reading Nooks & Coffee
Three small reading areas where you're welcome to sit and read before you buy (or instead of buying — we're not going to chase you out). We sell coffee, tea, and shortbread.
We have one table if you want to think of it as a very small café. The comfortable chairs are there to be used.
Monthly Book Club
Meets on the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 pm. We read a mix of new releases and overlooked classics. Membership is £5/month and includes a 10% discount on all purchases.
Currently at capacity, but we maintain a waiting list for devoted readers.
Author Events
Approximately 20 author events per year in our back room, which seats 28 people at a slight squeeze. Events are free or low-cost (usually £5 with a drink).
Past guests have included novelists, poets, historians, and one very distinguished marine biologist.
Second-Hand Books
A rotating selection of used books, mostly acquired from customers and local estate sales. Priced to sell, not to collect dust.
Alasdair manages this section and is the only person who knows the full filing system.
Gift Wrapping & Recommendations
We wrap books beautifully. We give recommendations earnestly. Both are free.
We remember what you bought last time and can suggest something that follows naturally.
"We're not the shop for you if you need something immediately or if you want the largest possible selection in every genre. We are the shop for you if you want to walk in not knowing what you want and leave with something better than you'd have chosen yourself."
The People Behind the Books
Every recommendation comes from someone who has actually read the book. Revolutionary concept, we know.
Nora Sutherland
Owner & Bookseller
Spent twelve years at Blackwell's and an Edinburgh branch of Waterstones before opening The Folded Page. Responsible for fiction buying, author events, and the shop's general atmosphere and opinions. Has strong feelings about book covers and isn't afraid to share them.
Alasdair Finlay
Bookseller (Part-time)
Manages children's books, the second-hand section, and is the only person who knows the full filing system for the poetry shelves. PhD in Comparative Literature, which he describes as "professionally useless and personally invaluable." Can recommend a picture book for any occasion.
Marta Kowalczyk
Bookseller
Joined in 2021. Leads the translated fiction selection and manages book club coordination. Previously worked at a bookshop in Kraków. Believes the best contemporary fiction isn't being written exclusively in English, and has the shelves to prove it.
Bewick
Shop Cat
Tabby. Arrived uninvited in 2020 and has shown no signs of leaving. Named after the wood-engraver Thomas Bewick, whose work appears in Jane Eyre. Sits on whatever you're trying to read. Excellent judge of character, terrible at customer service.
Visit Us
Shop Hours
Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 7pm
Sunday 11am - 5pm
Monday Closed
Location
42 Manuscript LaneLiterary Quarter
Edinburgh
We're tucked between the antiquarian map shop and the place that sells very expensive fountain pens. Look for the navy blue door.
Get in Touch
Phone: (555) 123-BOOK
Email: hello@thefoldedpage.com
Come Browse
Browsing is not just encouraged — it's the point. We have three comfortable reading nooks where you can settle in with a book and a cup of tea. Stay as long as you like. Bring a child. Bring a thermos if you want.
If you're looking for something specific, ask. If you're not sure what you're looking for, that's even better — we excel at recommendations.
"The ceilings are low, the shelves are crammed, and if you visit on a Tuesday afternoon there's a reasonable chance a cat named Bewick will be sitting on the poetry section."