From the first Beano to birds and Buddhism. Step this way for a magical literary tour

When Graeme Hawley, head of General Collections at the National Library, took to the stage at the Spirit of Moray Book Festival to perform his rapid-fire slide show, The Joy of Spines, I didn’t know what to expect.

It proved to be one of the most captivating literary festival sessions I had ever seen.

Graeme presented the story of the millions of publications found deep in the magnificent buildings of the National Library of Scotland, juxtaposing the hilarious, tender and diverse world of publishing.

Inside its walls can be found books on everything from nature and wildlife to space and science and all things in between.

However, the eternal shelves and storage boxes held in safekeeping are not arranged by subject matter. Instead, it is by size. So, a long line of books often reveals amusing bed fellows – such as Harps In The Wind next to You’ll End Up Dead.

I didn’t hesitate to invite Graeme to A Write Highland Hoolie, the book festival in Mallaig.

If you’ve never been to the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh you probably have preconceived ideas about it. Prepare to be surprised. I certainly was when I spent a day there behind the scenes.

This legal deposit library – there are only six in the country – has the right to claim a copy of every book published in the UK and Ireland to sit on its 120 miles of shelving. There are 31 million items. Graeme is responsible for more than 14 million of printed works and five million digital items.

Given Graeme’s passion for his work, it could be assumed he was a keen reader as a child.

“No, not at all!” he countered. “In fact, as a kid, I never really read, and wasn’t interested in make-believe. I still don’t read much fiction. I watched the news and was obsessed with current affairs and nuclear war. I didn’t want to read about pirates. I wanted to understand who Geoffrey Howe was.

“Growing up in the rural West Riding of Yorkshire, natural storytelling was a part of my life and I had an inventive childhood.”

Standing in the magnificent entrance of the library’s George IV Bridge building, my tour begins with a display case of work by Robert Louis Stevenson.

“We could fill a display case on any topic imaginable. It’s on a scale that is hard to comprehend, as we house every format, too: books, maps, manuscripts, photographs, ebooks, leaflets, flyers, diaries, as well as moving image and sound, and work from portable publishing devices such as mobile phones. Change comes fast and furious.

“It’s a virtuous circle – the more we read and learn, the more we write and share. These changes make it harder for our curators to keep track. The UK has incredible publishing strengths. Every year we receive £6 million of material.”

The collection includes a copy of the Gutenberg Bible, and a letter from Charles Darwin, sent to his publisher along with his manuscript for The Origin Of Species, as well as the last letter written by Mary, Queen of Scots, and countless rare manuscripts.

It also safeguards what could be the world’s most extensive collection of Scots Gaelic material.

“We often receive items when people clear out their attics, even football programmes. We hold an archive of Ian Rankin and Muriel Spark’s works, as well as numerous other contemporary writers,” said Graeme. “We receive £1m from the government every year, ring-fenced to buy more content.

“Unfortunately, our collection lacked the first copy of The Beano, published by DC Thomson in 1938. Recently we managed to buy a copy for some thousands. Sometimes we receive legacies or private library collections.”

Graeme explained a little of the library’s history: “To begin with, Scotland’s national deposit library was the Advocate’s Library just next door. It was opened first in 1689 and in 1710, when the Copyright Act was passed it gained the legal right to a copy of every book published.

“Then further valuable material was added to the collection. Eventually, in the 1920s, Alexander Grant, the managing director of McVitie and Price – biscuit makers – gave an endowment of £100,000 and the library’s contents were handed over to the nation.

“His philanthropy was recognised when he was knighted and became Sir Alexander Grant of Forres. Another hefty donation from him led to the building of a new library on the current site on George IV Bridge.

“Due to the onset of war, it was not until 1956 that it was opened by the Queen.”

We eventually arrive at the literary underworld of Graeme’s domain. He randomly picks a sturdy cardboard box from a shelf housing paperbacks: “Let’s see what’s in this one from 1987!”

Knitting patterns, comics, papers relating to local societies, and garishly coloured pamphlets advertising events and products – a little over 30 years old. The social changes are instantly tangible.

This is a snapshot of Graeme performing his Joy of Spines. He is vivacious, enthusiastic, hugely knowledgeable and brilliant with visitors of all ages.

I giggle about Free Trade and Moral Philosophy being placed beside Important Nonsense.

“Great, isn’t it? By the way, we also have the largest collection of horoscopes in Scotland, and our polar and mountaineering section is one of the finest in the world.

“Our beekeeping collection is outstanding, too.”

However, the National Library of Scotland is not all about highbrow literature. Throughout the year there are public events, music, acting, talks and exhibitions.

There are impressive plans for expansion, including a bigger café and a restaurant, a place for people to meet and spend the day in Scotland’s National Children’s Book Library, Scotland’s Recipe Book Library, Scotland’s Magazine Library, and…you get the picture.

As well as a repository for the nation’s books, the library runs fascinating – and free – exhibitions. Next month is your last chance to see Ideas That Shook the World – on until April 18 – which illuminates Scotland’s intellectual and scientific contribution to the Enlightenment.

Visit nls.uk/exhibitions/scottish-enlightenment