Samantha Shannon to visit bookshops in the UK and Ireland for the publication of The Dark Mirror

Bloomsbury has announced a bookshop tour to mark the publicationsof Samantha Shannon’s The Dark Mirror, the fifth instalment in the author’s The Bone Season series (Bloomsbury).

For the first time, Shannon will visit bookshops in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

The author will appear in conversation with fellow SFF authors at 13 events across four countries, starting off with an event at Topping Edinburgh on 21st February 2025. The author will then visit Waterstones Manchester on 24th February and Waterstones Piccadilly on 26th February.

Shannon will also visit the O’Connell Street branch of Easons in Dublin on 8th March and Waterstones Belfast on 9th March, as well as the Westbourne Bookshop on 11th March and Topping & Company Booksellers of Bath on 13th March. 

“Being able to meet readers in person is one of the great joys of my job. I couldn’t be happier to be embarking on this tour for The Dark Mirror, especially since the last instalment of the series was released during a lockdown,” the author said. “I also haven’t toured for a Bone Season book in the US or Canada since before The Priory of the Orange Tree [Bloomsbury] was published in 2019, or since I revised the earlier instalments of the series last year, so I’m glad to have this opportunity in 2025.”

Shannon’s events in the US and Canada will take place between 27th February and 7th March, with stops in New York, Washington DC, Chicago and Toronto, among other locations.

The new book in the series will be published on 25th February 2025. It follows protagonist Paige Mahoney, who has escaped the Republic of Scion and learned a secret that could end it, as she works to unravel the Operation Ventriloquist.

“It has been extraordinary to watch Samantha Shannon’s star rise ever higher, and to see the joy and energy in her tours grow alongside the number of attendants,” said Vicky Leech Mateos, publishing director at Bloomsbury General. “Last year we saw the 10th anniversary of Samantha’s landmark fantasy The Bone Season, along with reissues of all titles in the series so far, with updated text and stunning new cover artwork. Fans long-standing and new will celebrate together in January 2025 as we publish The Dark Mirror – we are so excited to launch with an international tour to celebrate and reflect the growth of this touchstone author and series.”