A Writerly Gift Guide

If you're stuck for what to treat your writer friend (or yourself) to this festive season, look no further...

Notebooks, candles and coffee, oh my…

Those of you who know me in real life will know that I cannot stand even the merest mention of (whisper it) Christmas before the first of December. This is mostly because my birthday is at the very end of November and, as a Sagittarius, I feel like we have enough to contend with as winter babies without our own birthdays being completely subsumed by a three month long festive extravaganza…

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Christmas. But I like to savour it. If I’ve already heard Merry Xmas Everybody forty times and eaten my way through several trays of mince pies before even opening the first window of my advent calendar, my Christmas spirit will be somewhat flagging by the time the big day rolls around.

That said, even I am susceptible to the allure of the shiny baubles and twinkly lights that start to appear in the shops at this time of year. And I do like to indulge in a bit of Christmas shopping for loved ones - and also myself if I can.

With this in mind, I’m here with some ideas for writerly presents that might inspire your own Christmas gifting, be that for a writer friend you love or just for yourself. I won’t tell anyone…

A note on giving gifts

When it comes to presents, I try to stick to things that fall into one of three categories: consumables, upgrades and experiences. I didn’t invent these categories, but with tackling overconsumption and sustainability in mind, I’ve found that this is an increasingly useful gift-giving rubric. But mostly I just hate buying useless tat (I’m absolutely zero fun in a White Elephant/Secret Santa scenario).

Consumables are exactly that. Think wine, chocolates, cheese…anything delicious that will probably not see Boxing Day. For the writer in your life, I would also include certain stationery in this category, but more on that in a bit…

Upgrades are for when you know they have something beloved that has seen better days. I will say to exercise caution here; upgrade gifts aren’t about replacing something they have that works perfectly well just because there’s a newer, shinier model out. It’s about extending the life of (or love for) something they already have.

Thirdly, experiences. A chance to get them (or you) something they wouldn’t otherwise treat themselves to. A voucher for a fancy lunch somewhere, tickets for a local gig, pottery classes…experience gifts don’t have to be enjoyed right there and then. Ideal for extending the festive sparkle into gloomy January.

Finally, I’ve made a deliberate choice to include things in this gift guide that are available from independent shops local to me in Edinburgh. Most of them are also online, but if you live somewhere with a community of local businesses then Christmas is a great time to make the most of it. Indie shops - bookshops in particular - make the vast majority of their sales in this final quarter of the year, so if you’re going to spend your money, why not spend it locally?

Okay, on to the gift ideas…

What to gift the writer in your life

Stationery

(Now, I never said that this gift guide was revolutionary. A notebook for a writer? Groundbreaking!)

Notebooks

Notem Studio notebooks and planners are some of my favourites. I love the simple, striped designs and they have a lay-flat design that makes for comfortable scribbling. The Christmas elf colourway of this one is very cute.

This David Shrigley notebook will give you a much-needed kick up the arse if you ever feel like procrastinating.

Edinburgh stationery shop Paper Tiger has their own brand range of high-quality but affordable notebooks, all in suitably colourful tiger print.

Pens

Straight up, I would never spend £95 on a pen. I am not saying that you should go out and drop £95 on a pen, either. I am saying that if you are the rich friend and you did have nearly one hundred pounds to splash on your writer pal, I would point you in the direction of this beatiful tortoisehell Kaweco number.

Alternatively, their Classic Sport model is just as chic in this racy red and while still more expensive than your average Bic, much more affordable.

Just as lovely and with a little French flair are the Tous Les Jours pens, with their creative suggestions for every day of the week.

For their desk/office

Everyone knows lighting a candle enhances the writing mood (or any mood) by 100%. I don’t make the rules, it just does. Edinburgh bookshop Rare Birds Books’ own range of bookish candles are sure to ward off even the most stubborn bout of writer’s block.

I would love to get to a stage in my life where I have a need for personalised ‘From the desk of…’ notecards. When the time comes, I reckon I’ll go for something like this sophisticated stripe design from Papier.

If like me you usually have between two and 40 loose pens hanging out in the bottom of your bag at any one time, it’s maybe time to get a pencil case. This sweet painter’s palette design or graphic loop print are both lovely.

If your writer is lucky enough to have a room of their own to work from, why not get them a cheery print to put on the walls? These risograph peonies from Curiouser will last much longer than the real thing.

Books about writing

There are hundreds of books about writing, so I’ll just mention a couple of recent releases on my radar/own wishlist.

First up, The Shakespeare and Company Book of Interviews. This is a compilation of some of the best interviews from a decade of the Shakespeare and Co podcast. It promises wise words on writing and creative living from the likes of Annie Ernaux, Colson Whitehead and Renni Eddo-Lodge. I was lucky enough to be in the audience for the podcast’s live recording at the Edinburgh International Book Festival this year and would highly recommend giving it a listen.

On a similar theme, next is In Writing: Conversations on Inspiration, Perspiration and Creative Desperation by Hattie Crisell, another book that has grown out of a podcast of the same name. The book is a selection of old and new conversations with writers, journalists and memoirists from all walks of life. I love this podcast because it gets into the writers’ routines and where they do their writing, be it Maggie O’Farrell’s magical Victorian conservatory or Will Storr’s completely blacked-out office space.

Coffee…

I know as well as the next person how motivating the prospect of a little coffee and a sweet treat can be. That said, it’s not always possible (or financially advisable) to leave your desk/dog/child at home while you take a leisurely stroll to the coffee shop twice a day. So why not treat someone to a coffee subscription instead? Bonus points if it’s locally roasted or from their favourite neighbourhood spot.

My favourites in Edinburgh are Fortitude and Williams & Johnson. If coffee’s not their thing, how about some tasty Bare Bones hot chocolate?

And if you’re drinking a delicious coffee, surely you need a lovely mug to drink it from? This bright orange ‘chug mug’ will add even more zing to that first cup of the day. Alternatively, take your coffee out and about in this sleek Scandi style from Aya & Ida.

…or champagne?

I am a big believer in celebrating non-traditional milestones with the same level of enthusiasm as you would when your friends get married or have a baby. Has your friend recently finished the first draft of their novel? Have they had a piece published in their favourite magazine? Maybe it’s just been a hard year of slogging away at the creative coalface and they need some cheering up. Either way, there is no chicer way to say “congrats!” than with a half-bottle of champagne and a beautiful card (or indeed a whole bottle if you’re feeling spenny).

Bookish events

Author events are happening year-round, so tickets to see their favourite writer live in conversation could be just the thing to add to their stocking. Quite often your ticket will include the cost of the book as well, which you can usually get signed for extra brownie points. One of my faves, The Portobello Book Shop, has a great programme of events.

Writing retreats are not cheap (though if that’s within your quite literal gift, then, by all means, treat your mates to a week’s writing in Tuscany). That said, you might have a writing collective local to you that hosts smaller-scale events you could treat someone to. I’ve recently joined Women Who Write Edinburgh and am keen to make it along to one of their seaside writing retreats in 2025.

Support their work

One of the best gifts your creative friends can receive is support for their work. For the Substackers, you could take out a paid subscription to their newsletter - or gift them a subscription to one of their favourite writers! You could buy their book or get it as a gift for someone else.

If your life and schedule allow, why not gift them some of your time? You could batch cook for them or offer to babysit, giving them precious time back to put into their creative work.

Of course, supporting your creative pals isn’t just for Christmas, but making a gift of it can help them feel extra special.

Here’s a list of the indie businesses included in this gift guide. They sell lovely things all year round and most ship UK-wide.

Lifestory | @lifestoryedin

Paper Tiger | @papertigeredinburgh

Curiouser | @curiousershop

Rare Birds Books | @rarebirdsbooks

Libraries and Archives Paper Company | @librariesandarchivespaperco

The Portobello Book Shop | @portybooks

Women Who Write Edinburgh | @womenwhowriteedinburgh

Fortitude | @fortitudecoffee

Williams & Johnson | @williams_and_johnson_coffee