Scottish PEN is a centre of PEN International and not-for-profit organisation that champions freedom of expression and literature across borders.

We are a membership organisation and work with a range of writers, campaigners, activists and communities across Scotland and around the world.

Find out more about us.

All members of Scottish PEN subscribe to the PEN Charter.

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Alanna Knight

Murders Most Foul

1861. When the body of an unknown woman is found in an Edinburgh close, Detective Constable Faro assumes the killing is a random act of violence – until he finds a playing card, the nine of diamonds, underneath her corpse. His superiors scoff at his suspicions of a serial killer, but days later a man is attacked in the street, and left badly bruised and battered with the nine of diamonds in his pocket.

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PENning, the Writers in Exile Committee’s biannual online journal, presents work by Scottish PEN’s member-writers alongside writing from people living in Scotland who are from other parts of the world.

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