404 Ink signs Carrie Marshall’s celebration of queer Scottish music

404 Ink has signed Small Town Joy: From Glam Rock to Hyperpop, how queer music changed the sound of Scotland from broadcaster and musician Carrie Marshall. 

Publishing directors Laura Jones-Rivera and Heather McDaid acquired world rights directly from the author for publication in March 2025. 

Small Town Joy is “set to capture Scotland’s cultural evolution” and explores musicians and organisations who have inspired the “LGBT+ scene” over the years. The book contains interviews, artist stories and fan recollections alongside Marshall’s own experiences travelling and researching across the country. 

Marshall’s first book with 404 Ink, Carrie Kills a Man, was shortlisted for the Discover Book of the Year Award at the British Book Awards 2023. She commented: “I’m delighted to be getting the band back together again for my second 404 Ink book. Small Town Joy follows Scots musicians from bedrooms to the Barras and beyond, tracing the glittery threads that link punk and pop, folk and funk, rave and rock. It’s a provocation and a celebration, a mixtape dedicated to the tunes and talent that’s crossed genres, genders and generations to change the sound of Scotland.” 

McDaid added: “As a publisher, 404 Ink has always sought to spotlight Scotland in the wider world – whether literary or beyond – and Small Town Joy captures that in bounds: from those who make music for pure joy, to those who have taken their work to a global stage.”