Edinburgh Events and Reading Groups
We're delighted to bring our all-year-round Literary Festival to our bookshop in Edinburgh. We have a packed calendar which ranges from readings in the bookshop to evenings with literary stars.
Poetry Reading Group
Monday 29th July, 7.30pm
Calling all poetry lovers in Edinburgh – come and join us once a month for our poetry reading group. From Queer and BAME voices, to Native …
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Chitra Ramaswamy
Monday 29th July, 7.30pm
The Guardian praised it for its 'poetic language and references from Voltaire to Almodóvar', and The Scotsman called it a 'poetic and polemical book'. This summer, …
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Andy the Highlander
Wednesday 31st July, 7.30pm
This July, we're thrilled to be welcoming social media sensation Andy the Highlander, who joins us to present Lochs & Legends, a guide to the extraordinary …
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Of This And Other Worlds
Wednesday 7th August, 7.30pm
Heading into 2024, we’ll be continuing our Fantasy and Science Fiction reading group, exploring worlds both fantastical and horrific, monstrous and utopian. Whether your interests lie …
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Tate Director Maria Balshaw and Nathan Coley for Gathering of Strangers
Friday 9th August, 7.30pm
This August, we're thrilled to be welcoming Director of Tate Maria Balshaw and artist Nathan Coley to celebrate Maria's latest book, A Gathering of Strangers. Join …
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Michael Rosen
Friday 16th August, 7.30pm
Once upon a time there were stories, but before stories there were words. Michael Rosen, one of the nation's favourite wordsmiths, takes a tour of the …
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Mateo García Elizondo for Last Date in El Zapotal
Monday 19th August, 7.30pm
Join us for another wonderful evening of translated Latin American fiction with Charco Press this August! We have the pleasure of hosting Mateo García Elizondo for …
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French Fiction Reading Group
Wednesday 21st August, 7.30pm
Acide Sulfurique, Amélie Nothomb« Vint le moment où la souffrance des autres ne leur suffit plus : il leur en fallut le spectacle. »Come join us …
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Kate Foster
Monday 26th August, 7.30pm
Please note, this event is now taking place on Monday 26th August at the Royal Scots Club, 29-31 Abercromby Pl, Edinburgh EH3 6QE.If you loved The …
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Eleanor Morton on Life Lessons From Historical Women
Thursday 29th August, 7.30pm
Take a tour of the past and uncover stories of the women whose lives and achievements have shaped our modern world. In Life Lessons from Historical …
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Mark Haddon
Tuesday 3rd September, 7.30pm
From the bestselling author of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time come eight mesmerising stories exploring care, genetics, how we treat animals - …
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Children's Sensation Pamela Butchart on The Great Crisp Robbery
Wednesday 4th September, 2pm
Literary phenomenon Pamela Butchart joins us this September to celebrate publication of her latest Children's novel, The Great Crisp Robbery. Following the rip-roaring successes of The …
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New Scottish Baking with Sue Lawrence
Wednesday 4th September, 7.30pm
Sue Lawrence is the winner of Masterchef 1991 and was the President of the Guild of Food Writers from 2004 to 2007. She has been a …
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Deborah Harkness
Thursday 5th September, 7.30pm
Please note, this event is now taking place at St Cuthbert's Church, 5 Lothian Rd, Edinburgh EH1 2EP.Diana Bishop journeys to the darkest places within herself …
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Danny Dorling on Seven Children: Inequality and Britain's Next Generation
Friday 6th September, 7.30pm
Suppose you chose seven typical children to represent today's UK. Who would they be? What would they reveal?Danny Dorling is a social scientist whose books include …
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Evie Wyld
Monday 9th September, 7.30pm
From the bestselling author of The Bass Rock comes a new novel about the weight of the past and the promise of the future set between …
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Tabitha Stanmore
Tuesday 10th September, 7.30pm
Tabitha Stanmore transports us to a time when magic was used to navigate life's challenges and solve problems of both trivial and deadly importance. Join us …
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French Fiction Reading Group
Wednesday 11th September, 7.30pm
Oscar et la dame rose, Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt« Oscar a dix ans et vit désormais à l’hôpital. Même si personne n’ose le lui dire, il sait qu'il …
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Ottolenghi Test Kitchen Talk Comfort
Wednesday 11th September, 7.30pm
Join us for the much-anticipated publication of Ottolenghi Comfort with co-authors Helen, Verena, and Tara to celebrate food, stories of home and the connections we make …
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Four Points of the Compass with Jerry Brotton
Thursday 12th September, 7.30pm
Join us and British historian, Jerry Brotton, to celebrate his new book Four Points of the Compass. A sparkling exploration of direction by the acclaimed author …
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Rachel Clarke
Thursday 12th September, 7.30pm
This September, we are delighted to be joined by NHS care doctor and three times bestselling author Rachel Clarke to celebrate her latest book, The Story …
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Janice Hallett
Friday 13th September, 7.30pm
From the writer of The Appeal comes a completely immersive and addictive new crime novel. We're very excited to welcome back bestselling author Janice Hallett to …
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Strictly Star Janette Manrara for Tiny Dancer, Big World
Friday 13th September, 7.30pm
Change your life for the better, starting today, with this primer on positivity from Strictly star and It Takes Two host, Janette Manrara!Tiny Dancer, Big WorldWhether …
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TV Presenter Louise Minchin for Isolation Island
Monday 16th September, 7.30pm
It's a prize anyone would kill to win... Louise Minchin's debut thriller is pacy and tense with true-to-life characters that leap off the page. Join us …
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Richard Evans
Monday 16th September, 7.30pm
Who were the Nazis and what happened to their moral compass? Leading historian Richard J. Evans joins us to present his latest Hitler's People, a biographical …
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Peter Godfrey-Smith for Living on Earth
Tuesday 17th September, 7.30pm
Join us for the eagerly anticipated conclusion to Peter Godfrey-Smith's three-part exploration of the origins of intelligence on Earth, which began with the bestselling Other Minds …
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Bella Mackie
Wednesday 18th September, 7.30pm
Please note, this event is now taking place at Greenside Church, 1b Royal Terrace, Edinburgh, EH7 5AB.If you enjoyed How to Kill Your Family, you will …
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Ben Macintyre on The Siege
Thursday 19th September, 7.30pm
From the author of Sunday Times #1 bestsellers Colditz, SAS: Rogue Heroes and The Spy and the Traitor comes another masterpiece on the greatest SAS hostage …
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Callum Robinson on Ingrained: the making of a craftsman
Thursday 19th September, 7.30pm
Callum Robinson makes all manner of things from all manner of woods for some of the most influential brands in the world. He is creative director …
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Dan Jones
Friday 20th September, 7.30pm
Regularly viewed as the acme of kingship by generations of historians, Henry V receives more nuanced and revealing treatment from the bestselling author of The Plantagenets …
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Peter May on The Black Loch
Friday 20th September, 7.30pm
Peter May, Scottish crime master and bestselling author of The Blackhouse, The Lewis Man and The Chessmen, returns in 2024 with his finest novel yet, The …
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Charles Dowding for Compost
Sunday 22nd September, 7.30pm
Compost is free to make, and, with guidance, simple to perfect. Why not learn from the best? Turn waste into new life with Charles Dowding's new …
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Blood Ties with Jo Nesbo
Monday 23rd September, 7.30pm
The Sunday Times number one bestseller Jo Nesbo returns with a brand new thriller, Blood Ties. Join us for a bloody incredible evening celebrating what has …
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Smack the Pony's Doon Mackichan for My Lady Parts
Monday 23rd September, 7.30pm
Doon Mackichan is best known for her comedy characters in the hugely popular Brass Eye, Smack the Pony and Toast of London – but throughout her …
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Rosie Holt
Tuesday 24th September, 7.30pm
This September, we are excited to welcome Parody Tory MP Rosie Holt to Edinburgh to talk about Why We Were Right, a side-splitting and scathing slice …
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The Bridge Between Worlds with Gavin Francis
Tuesday 24th September, 7.30pm
After last year's event discussing Free for All, GP and award-winning writer Gavin Francis joins us once again to celebrate his latest. This time, Gavin has …
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Alexander McCall Smith
Wednesday 25th September, 7.30pm
N.B. This event is now taking place at Pilrig St. Paul's Church, 1B Pilrig St, Edinburgh EH6 5AH. All other details remain unchanged.Alexander McCall Smith is …
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William Dalrymple
Wednesday 25th September, 7.30pm
From the award-winning, bestselling author and co-host of the chart-topping Empire podcast comes a new revolutionary history of India. This autumn, we're delighted to be welcoming …
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Richard Holloway for On Reflection
Thursday 26th September, 7.30pm
Three years after his last event with us, Richard Holloway returns for an inspiring collection of essays reflecting on art, faith, forgiveness, grief and home. Join …
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Midweek Recipes with Jess Elliott Dennison
Friday 27th September, 7.30pm
From the bestselling author of Tin Can Magic and Salad Feasts comes a brilliant new book dedicated to simple cooking, Midweek Recipes. Join us and food …
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John Kay for The Corporation in the Twenty-First Century
Friday 27th September, 7.30pm
We are thrilled to be joined by British economist, John Kay, for his latest book, The Corporation in the Twenty-First Century. Join us for a brilliant …
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Sue Prideaux
Monday 30th September, 7.30pm
This autumn, join us in the bookshop for what is sure to be a charming and enlightening introduction to one of the bedrocks of modern art, …
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Clare Chambers
Tuesday 1st October, 7.30pm
For our Autumn Literary Festival, we are thrilled to be welcoming bestselling author Clare Chambers, who joins us to celebrate Shy Creatures. Perfect for fans of …
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Peter F. Hamilton
Wednesday 2nd October, 7.30pm
This October, we're thrilled to be welcoming legendary sci-fi author Peter F. Hamilton, who joins us to tell us all about his latest novel Exodus. The …
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Sir Graham Brady for Kingmaker
Wednesday 2nd October, 7.30pm
Cameron. May. Johnson. Truss. Sunak. Five prime ministers, one explosive book from the heart of Westminster. Join us and Sir Graham Brady to celebrate publication of …
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UNMASKED author Ellie Middleton for How to be You
Thursday 3rd October, 7.30pm
Ellie Middleton is the author of the bestselling UNMASKED: The Ultimate Guide to ADHD, Autism and Neurodivergence.Ellie is activist, speaker and writer committed to breaking taboos …
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Some Men In London: Queer Life 1960-1967
Thursday 3rd October, 7.30pm
We are thrilled to welcome Peter Parker to Edinburgh to discuss his new book Some Men in London: Vol. 2, Queer Life 1960-1967 - the second …
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Cornelia Funke
Friday 4th October, 7pm
This October, we're delighted to be welcoming New York Times bestselling author Cornelia Funke to present The Colour of Revenge, a thrilling standalone novel set in …
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Edinburgh: The Autobiography with Alan Taylor
Monday 7th October, 7.30pm
The author of Glasgow: The Autobiography returns with a brand new book on the Scottish capital! Join us and writer Alan Taylor as he transports us …
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Simon Heffer
Tuesday 8th October, 7.30pm
This autumn we are looking forward to welcoming back historian and Telegraph columnist Simon Heffer for Scarcely English, a chamber of horrors of bad and lazy …
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Alistair Moffat
Wednesday 9th October, 7.30pm
A former director of both the Edinburgh Fringe and STV, and founder of the Borders Book Festival, Alistair Moffat is an author of high acclaim. Through …
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Jewish Languages and Book Culture with Judith Olszowy-Schlanger and Cesar Merchan-Hamann
Wednesday 9th October, 7.30pm
NEW DATE: this is the new date for the event scheduled originally for 4 July 2024.Much has been written about Jewish culture, but we've rarely seen …
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Rory Cellan Jones for Sophie from Romania
Thursday 10th October, 7.30pm
How do you welcome someone new into your home and heart? A week before Christmas 2022, former BBC journalist and award-nominated podcaster Rory Cellan-Jones received a …
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Chetna Makan
Thursday 10th October, 7.30pm
Chetna Makan, the queen of Indian home cooking, never ceases to disappoint! This October, she joins us in the bookshop to present 80 new simple and …
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Booker Prize winner Alan Hollinghurst for Our Evenings
Friday 11th October, 7.30pm
Please note, this is now taking place at Broughton St Mary's, 12 Bellevue Crescent, Edinburgh EH3 6NE.This October, we're thrilled to be welcoming Man Booker Prize-winner …
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Call Me By Your Name's Andre Aciman for Roman Year
Saturday 12th October, 7.30pm
Please note, this is now taking place on Saturday 12th October at St Cuthbert's Church, 5 Lothian Rd, Edinburgh EH1 2EP.This October, we are delighted to …
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Baillie Gifford winner Craig Brown on A Voyage Around the Queen
Monday 14th October, 7.30pm
Craig Brown has been writing the parodic celebrity diary for Private Eye since 1989 alongside a rich variety of publications, including the Guardian, the New Statesman …
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Rosanna Pike for A Little Trickerie
Tuesday 15th October, 7.30pm
Listen. My one-time friend Maria did tell me once: 'Make your own paradise, Tibb, since this world is no sweet place for people like us'.Whether you're …
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Adrian Tinniswood
Wednesday 16th October, 7.30pm
The thoroughly entertaining prequel to historian Adrian Tinniswood's Sunday Times bestselling The Long Weekend opens the doors on the excess, intrigue, and absurdities of life in …
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Diarmaid MacCulloch
Thursday 17th October, 7.30pm
Few matters produce more public interest and public anxiety than sex and religion. Much of the political contention and division in societies across the world centres …
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Kate Summerscale
Friday 18th October, 7.30pm
Bestselling true crime writer and author of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, Kate Summerscale, returns with her most modern case yet... one that gripped 1950s UK, …
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Sharon Blackie
Monday 21st October, 7.30pm
Ungainly giantesses. Sequin-strewn fairy godmothers. Misunderstood witches. Fierce grandmothers. Hairy-chinned hags. Craggy crones. Women populate mythology, but they are rarely celebrated as heroines. Author Sharon Blackie …
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Goethe: His Faustian Life with A.N. Wilson
Tuesday 22nd October, 7.30pm
The story of a revolution started by Goethe, in subjectivism, individualism and freedom. One of the most prolific and well-researched biographers currently working today, we are …
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Elle McNicoll
Thursday 24th October, 7.30pm
Award-winning author Elle McNicoll returns with a big-hearted small-town romance perfect for fans of Alice Oseman, Beth Reekles and Gilmore Girls. Join Elle in the bookshop …
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The Dead of Winter: Sarah Clegg talks Demons, Witches and Ghosts
Friday 25th October, 7.30pm
Come, discover the dark side of our festive season with a fascinating exploration of the strange folk tales and arcane traditions still haunt winter to this …
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Taffy Brodesser-Akner
Monday 28th October, 7.30pm
From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Fleishman Is in Trouble, Taffy Brodesser-Akner, comes a darkly exhilarating novel about an American family and its inheritance - …
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The Scapegoat with Lucy Hughes-Hallett
Monday 28th October, 7.30pm
From the winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize, Lucy Hughes-Hallett, comes an extraordinary story of the meteoric rise and fall of George Villiers, the first Duke …
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SCOTCH: The Balmoral Guide to Scottish Whisky
Wednesday 30th October, 7.30pm
From the experts behind the world-famous SCOTCH whisky bar, located at the iconic Edinburgh hotel The Balmoral, comes an essential guide that will tell you everything …
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On Mysticism with Simon Critchley
Thursday 31st October, 7.30pm
A provocative and personal examination, ranging from medieval mystics to T. S. Eliot and Krautrock, On Mysticism explores what is meant by mysticism and how it …
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M. L. Rio
Monday 4th November, 7.30pm
Join us for an evening with M. L. Rio, beloved author of If We Were Villains, to talk about her latest endeavour Graveyard Shift. Atmospheric and …
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Kaliane Bradley for The Ministry of Time
Tuesday 5th November, 7.30pm
A BOY MEETS A GIRL. THE PAST MEETS THE FUTURE. A FINGER MEETS A TRIGGER. THE BEGINNING MEETS THE END. ENGLAND IS FOREVER. ENGLAND MUST FALL. …
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Oliver Burkeman for Meditations for Mortals
Wednesday 6th November, 7.30pm
Your happier, freer and more fulfilling life starts today! Join us and bestselling author of Four Thousand Weeks Oliver Burkeman to learn how to safely dive …
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James Crossland
Thursday 7th November, 7.30pm
This November, come along to the bookshop to find out more about Rogue Agent, the first biography of ‘British Agent’ in Moscow, Sir Robert Bruce Lockhart. …
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Cooking and the Crown: Royal Recipes with Tom Parker Bowles
Friday 8th November, 7.30pm
Blending history, monarchy, and gastronomy, Tom Parker Bowles' Cooking and the Crown guides the reader on an adventure across royal culinary history. Come along for this …
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Celebrating 20 Years of The Happy Pear with David and Stephen Flynn
Monday 11th November, 7.30pm
Let's face it: while we want to eat more fruit and veg and things we know are good for us, we sometimes fall short because we're …
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Julian Baggini
Tuesday 12th November, 7.30pm
How does the food we eat shape our lives? Philosopher and author Julian Baggini joins us in the bookshop to answer this very question. Extracting essential …
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Ed McDonald
Thursday 14th November, 7.30pm
We are thrilled to welcome back author of the fantasy series Blackwing and bookseller favourite, Ed McDonald! He joins us this November to talk about the …
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Bendor Grosvenor for The Invention of British Art
Friday 15th November, 7.30pm
Beautifully illustrated throughout, The Invention of British Art is a provocative and captivating survey of the glories of British art. We hope you will join us …
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Andrew Michael Hurley
Friday 15th November, 7.30pm
From award-winning author Andrew Michael Hurley comes a beautifully written and triumphantly creepy new novel. Join us this November to delve into Barrowbeck, a perfectly pitched …
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Church Going with Andrew Ziminski
Monday 18th November, 7.30pm
Join us for a charming history of Britain's churches - by an author who spends his life working in them! Whether you've got a passion for …
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Michael Downes for Story of the Century: Wagner and the creation of The Ring
Tuesday 19th November, 7.30pm
Michael Downes is a conductor, writer and lecturer. His books include those written both with and about British composer Jonathan Harvey, and a collaboration with Nike …
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Jenny Colgan for Close Knit
Wednesday 20th November, 7.30pm
In 2015 Jenny Colgan was inducted into the Love Stories Hall of Fame - and with good reason. Over fifteen million copies of her books sold, …
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Chris Brookmyre for The Cracked Mirror
Tuesday 26th November, 7.30pm
Chris Brookmyre is one of Britain's leading crime writers. His 2016 novel Black Widow won both the McIlvanney Prize and the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel …
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Damien Lewis
Thursday 28th November, 7.30pm
Calling all historians and military history aficionados! In his latest book, Damien Lewis recounts the mavericks who made the SAS with characteristic pace and swashbuckling style. …
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