Books and Videos

Orkney books come in an astonishing variety. There are books about Orkney history, geography and folklore and biographies of interesting Orcadians. There are books by writers born in Orkney, living in Orkney or inspired by Orkney.

Orkney's abundant professors may have been almost entirely scientists but there is an affinity between Orcadians and language. There is the famous trinity of George Mackay Brown, Eric Linklater and Edwin Muir but down through the years there have also been local historians, poets and story-tellers too numerous to list.

Once you start looking, Orkney turns up in the oddest places in literature. Margery Allingham, creator of Albert Campion, wrote a book in which her policeman hero was an Orcadian, in Mary Shelley's book, Dr Frankenstein had a laboratory in Orkney and Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen even has a few drops of good Orkney blood.

Sample excerpts are provided for almost all the books; just click on the name.