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O Caledonia

By Elspeth Barker
Series: W&N Essentials
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Brief Description
A sparky, funny work of genius Ali Smith At the bottom of a great stone staircase, dressed in her mother's black lace evening dress, twisted in murderous death, lies Janet. So end the sixteen years of Janet's short life. A life spent in a draughty Scottish... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2799
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Releases 16th February 2027 (Approx. Date) Pre-order  "O Caledonia" now to secure your copy from our first shipment

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A coming-of-age novel of troubled adolescence set in the wilds of Scotland, Elspeth Barker's only novel is a dark, glittering gothic classic

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A sparky, funny work of genius Ali Smith

At the bottom of a great stone staircase, dressed in her mother's black lace evening dress, twisted in murderous death, lies Janet. So end the sixteen years of Janet's short life.

A life spent in a draughty Scottish castle, where roses will not grow, and a jackdaw decides to live in the doll's house.

A life peopled by prettier, smoother-haired siblings, a Nanny with a face like the North Sea and the peculiar, whisky-swigging Cousin Lila.

A life where Janet is perpetually misunderstood - and must turn from people, to animals, to books, to her own wild and wonderful imagination.

A W&N Essential with an introduction from Maggie O'Farrell

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781399640480

Publisher: Orion Publishing Co

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 05 November 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Weidenfeld & Nicolson

Contributors:

  • Introduction by Maggie O'Farrell

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 300g

Pages: 224

Collections

Classic Fiction Classic General Fiction Coming Soon in Fiction Elspeth Barker Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Pre-order Books Pre-order General Fiction Pre-orders Pre-orders by Release Date Series: W&N Essentials

About the Author

Elspeth Barker (1940-2022) was a novelist and journalist. She was born in 1940 in Edinburgh. Her first husband was the poet George Barker. Her novel O Caledonia won four awards and was shortlisted for the Whitbread Prize. She wrote for the Independent on Sunday, Guardian, Sunday Times, Observer, LRB, TLS, Scotland on Sunday, Vogue, The Literary Review and many more.

Also by Elspeth Barker

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  • O Caledonia
    WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION FROM MAGGIE O'FARRELL Vera was painting the pony's hooves gold in the dining room; Janet said this was bad for him; poison would seep into his bloodstream. At the bottom of a great stone staircase, dressed in her mother's black lace evening dress, twisted in murderous death, lies Janet. So end the sixteen years of Janet's...
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  • Notes from the Henhouse
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    Notes from the Henhouse
    'This book is heaven. Elspeth Barker writes like no one else' — Olivia Laing In Notes from the Henhouse, you will find a Gothic castle, a draughty Norfolk farmhouse and a malevolent Aga. A pet pig, Portia, with a penchant for drama, an obsession with geraniums and an addiction to wine (the Bulgarian vintage). George Barker, poet and beloved husband,...
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  • Notes from the Henhouse
    'This book is heaven. Elspeth Barker writes like no one else' OLIVIA LAING 'Deserves to be permanently on the bedside table - to cheer, reassure and inspire' OBSERVER 'Gothic, poetic and exuberantly funny. What a pleasure it was to read' ESTHER FREUD 'Joyous, startling, funny, lush, dark and complex' THE TIMES In Notes from the Henhouse, you will find: A...
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