We’re looking forward to new releases in 2024 across all the genres. February sees the publication of Fourteen Days, a collaborative novel set in New Yorks’ Lower East Side during lockdown. Each of the neighbours featured has been written by a different author, from Margaret Atwood and Emma Donoghue to John Grisham and Dave Eggers (£20.00; 6/2).

Nearer to home, The Last Witch of Scotland by Philip Paris is a fictionalised account of 18th century Dornoch woman, Janet Horne (£9.99;29/2). Leigh Bardugo’s latest novel picks up a similar theme of oppression - The Familiar, a dark fantasy set in Spain’s Golden Age, is the story of a servant woman with magical powers hiding her Jewish blood from the Inquisition (£20.00; 11/4). In May, Long Island, Colm Toibin’s long-awaited sequel to Brooklyn, will question whether it is possible to return to the past to renew great love (£20.00; 23/5).

The first half of the year will also see paperback publication of Kate Atkinson’s latest short story collection, Normal Rules Don’t Apply (£9.99, 23/5), Andrew O’ Hagan’s Caledonian Road (£20.00; 4/4), You Like it Darker, 12 short stories by Stephen King (£25.00; 21/5), Parade by Rachel Cusk (£16.99, 6/6), and Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz (£22.00 11/4). Local author, David Bishop’s latest historical thriller, Ritual of Fire, set in Renaissance Florence, will be out in paperback (£9.99; 15/2) as well as his new title A Divine Fury in June.

Our fiction book to look out for is Carys Davies’ novella, Clear, (£12.99, 7/3), a fragile, exquisite story about language and connection, a 19th-century crofter, a minister and his wife, and an island somewhere beyond Shetland…

Out in January in non-fiction is Putin and the Return of History by Martin and Daniel Sixsmith (£25.00; 18/1), and The Wild Men by David Torrance, the inside story of the Labour Party’s first government (£20.00; 18/1). February brings Bahari, a distinctive cookbook in which Dina Macki travels across Oman and Zanzibar, unearthing regional delicacies for over 90 recipes and tapping into the stories behind the ingredients (£26.00;1/2).

The Wisdom of Birds by Alison Davies is a book of life lessons from 60 of the world’s most amazing birds, with full colour illustrations by artist and ornithologist, John Audubon (£10.99; 15/2). The final instalment of Professor Alice Robert’s trilogy, Crypt, delves into the archaeology of medieval Britain to learn how people lived and died (£22.00; 29/2).

Other non-fiction books to look out for include Empireworld by Sathnam Sanghera (£20.00; 25/1), the biography of Keir Starmer (£25.00; 29/2), Just Friends on the joy, power and influence of friendship, by Gyan Yankovich (£16.99; 8/2), and A Bookshop of One’s Own by Jane Cholmeley, her memoir about running 1980s feminist bookshop, Silver Moon, on Charing Cross Road (£16.99; 29/2); and in Essays in Love, Alain de Botton uncovers the mysteries of the human heart (£10.99; 8/2).

May 2024 will see publication in paperback of Chris Van Tulleken’s bestseller, Ultra-Processed People (£10.99; 2/5), an eye-opening exploration of industrially-processed food which is designed to be addictive.

On the poetry front, we’re looking forward to former Scottish makar Jackie Kay’s latest collection, May Day (£10.99, 25/4) and John Cooper Clarke’s new collection, WHAT (£16.99; 8/2).

February brings publication of what promises to be a lovely children’s poetry book in the Picture A Poem series, Emily Dickinson’s Hope is the Thing with Feathers, illustrated by Tim Hopgood (£12.99; 29/2), perfect for readers aged 4+. Author-illustrator Alex T Smith’s latest book is Astrid and the Space Cadets: Attack of the Snailiens (£7.99; 7/3,) and The Bowerbird by bestsellers Julia Donaldson and Catherine Rayner will be out in paperback this year (£7.99, 15/2). Marcus Rashford also has a new book due out in his series The Breakfast Club Adventures – The Treasure Hunt Monster (£7.99; 14/3). There’s a new nautical adventure for Mango and Brash, the seventh in the full-colour comic book Investigators series – All Tide Up (£8.99;1/2). We’re also looking forward to My First Journey Around Planet Earth, a board book with flaps to lift and peepholes to explore for wee ones.

For young adults, Eddy, Eddy is set in Christchurch, New Zealand – it’s a coming-of-age story, an earthquake story and a love story (£8.99; 14/3). Fantasy romance, Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood appears in paperback this year, retelling a classic story from the cursed kingdom of Ithaca (£8.99; 29/2).

Happy reading!