The Real Mackay Launch Event with Helen Graham - Tuesday 18th June 2024

Order your copy of The Real Mackay and receive a free ticket to our event!

Please join us at St Vincent's Chapel to hear Helen Graham in conversation with Vicky Allan about Helen's historical novel, The Real Mackay, based on the life of her ancestor, Charles Mackay.

Tuesday 18th June 2024 at 6.30pm. St Vincent's Chapel, St Vincent Street, EH3 6SW.

We will follow up on your booking with a confirmation email - please be sure to check your junk folder!

About The Real Mackay

Night after night jostling crowds clamour for entry to Edinburgh’s Theatre Royal with one name on their lips: The Real Mackay. But who is he? The answer leaps off the page in this meticulously researched historical novel which plunges the reader into the golden era of Scottish national theatre, seen through the eyes of Charles Mackay and his family. Walter Scott’s favourite comedian dazzles and delights packed audiences across nineteenth-century Scotland for decades, bringing laughter to thousands, including the king. But behind his hilarious stage antics is a man grieving for the women he loses, all of them dying tragically young – his mother, his wife, his daughter. In the grip of unstoppable momentum, his extraordinary popularity casting long shadows over those he loves, will he be forced to choose between fame and family?  

About Helen Graham

Helen has been writing stories and songs since she could hold a pencil and a tune. She has written a memoir, a poetry anthology and six volumes of family history books, directed several award-winning short films, composed and recorded numerous songs and founded a film festival. She has also worked as a knitwear designer, renovated some historic buildings and raised a family.  Helen has three children and five grandchildren and lives in Edinburgh.