*A BBC Between the Covers Bookclub choice*

When a young American academic Talissa Adam offers to carry another woman’s child, she has no idea of the life-changing consequences. Behind the doors of the Parn Institute, a billionaire entrepreneur plans to stretch the boundaries of ethics as never before. Through a series of IVF treatments, which they hope to keep secret, they propose an experiment that will upend the human race as we know it.

Seth, the baby, is delivered to hopeful parents Mary and Alaric, but when his differences start to mark him out from his peers, he begins to attract unwanted attention.

The Seventh Son is a spectacular examination of what it is to be human. It asks the question: just because you can do something, does it mean you should? This is an extraordinary novel about unrequited love and unearned power.

Sebastian Faulks has written nineteen books, of which A Week in December and The Fatal Englishman were number one in the Sunday Times bestseller lists. He is best known for Birdsong , part of his French trilogy, and Human Traces , the first in an ongoing Austrian trilogy.

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M. G. Leonard, the award-winning bestselling author of the Adventures on Trains series and Twitch, dazzles in The Ice Children, a future classic with a powerful message at its core.

At the stroke of midnight on the dawn of December, five-year-old Finn Albedo is found frozen in the city park standing on a pedestal of ice. His heart is beating, he is smiling serenely, but no one can wake him. Finn’s big sister, Bianca, suspects that the beautiful sparkling book Finn got from the library has something to do with it, but the book has vanished. Does the tall mysterious stranger who first discovered Finn know more than they will admit?

Each day, more children are found frozen and Bianca realizes she’s running out of time. Her quest to discover the truth and rescue her little brother hurls her into a fantastical winter wonderland, full of beauty and danger, w here all is not as it seems.

Can Bianca save her brother and the other Ice Children before they are forever lost?

M.G.Leonard will be at Village Books signing copies of The Ice Children. No tickets required!

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Join Village Books and Alleyn’s School Enterprises for an evening with bestselling author Ann Cleeves.

Detective Matthew Venn (featured in ITV’s The Long Call) returns in The Raging Storm , the next captivating novel in the Two Rivers series.

When Jem Rosco – sailor, adventurer and local legend – blows into town in the middle of an autumn gale, the residents of Greystone, Devon, are delighted to have a celebrity in their midst. However, when a lifeboat is called out during a raging storm, Rosco’s body is found in a dinghy, anchored off Scully Cove.

DI Matthew Venn came to the remote village as a child, its community populated by the Barum Brethren that he parted ways with, so when superstition and rumour mix and another body is found in the cove, Matthew soon finds his judgement clouded. As the stormy winds howl and the village is cut off, Venn and his team start their investigation, little realizing their own lives might be in danger. . .

Ann will be interviewed by Jack Holden. Jack is a critically acclaimed stage and screen actor, writer and producer, whose debut play ‘Cruise’ garnered rave reviews and an Olivier Award nomination for Best New Play 2022. He has voiced three Ann Cleeves audiobooks, all from the Matthew Venn series.

Ann Cleeves is the author of more than thirty-five critically acclaimed novels. She is the creator of popular detectives Vera Stanhope, Jimmy Perez and Matthew Venn, who can be found on television in ITV’s Vera, BBC One’s Shetland and ITV’s The Long Call respectively. The TV series and the books they are based on have become international sensations, capturing the minds of millions worldwide.

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Roast Figs, Sugar Snow is an irresistible collection of cold-weather recipes that celebrate the unique pleasures of autumn and winter.

This classic cookbook has been revisited, revised and refreshed nearly 20 years after its first publication, with a new foreword by Nigel Slater and seven new recipes. Full of comforting delights from cold-weather climes – from the ski slopes of Italy, to the coffee houses of Vienna and Budapest, the rural reaches of New England and beyond – these recipes will bring warmth to your heart as well as your home.

Recipes featured in the book include Austrian Pasta with Bacon and Smoked Cheese; Salad of Smoked Duck with Farro, Red Chicory and Pomegranates; Melting Leg of Lamb with Juniper; Snow Biscuits; and Roast Figs and Plums in Vodka with Cardamom Cream.

Diana will be chatting to journalist, author and bookshop favourite Felicity Cloake.

Diana Henry is one of the UK’s best-loved food writers. She has weekly columns in The Telegraph Magazine and Waitrose Weekend and her work has appeared in BBC Good Food, House & Garden, Delicious and beyond. Diana’s journalism and books have been recognized with many awards including the Guild of Food Writers, the Fortnum & Mason Food and Drink Awards, and the Andre Simon Food & Drink Awards Her last five books – A Change of Appetite, A Bird in the Hand, Simple, How to Eat a Peach and From the Oven to the Table – were all instant Sunday Times Top 10 Bestsellers.

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After his debut with Murder Before Evensong , Canon Clement returns in A Death in the Parish, the new novel from no. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author and all-around national treasure the Reverend Richard Coles.

It’s been a few months since murder tore apart the community of Champton apart. As Canon Daniel Clement tries to steady his flock, the parish is joined with Upper and Lower Badsaddle, bringing a new tide of unwanted change. But church politics soon become the least of Daniel’s problems. His mother – headstrong, fearless Audrey – is obviously up to something, something she is determined to keep from him. And she is not the only one. And then all hell breaks loose when murder returns to Champton in the form of a shocking ritualistic killing…

Richard Coles is a writer, broadcaster and an Anglican priest. He co-presents Saturday Live on BBC Radio 4 and appears, from time to time, on QI, Have I Got News For You , and Would I Lie To You? He writes regularly for the Sunday Times , and is the author of half a dozen books, including a bestselling autobiography, Fathomless Riches , and the bereavement bestseller The Madness of Grief , after the death of his partner, David Coles. Murder Before Evensong , the first book in the Canon Clement Mystery series, was an instant number 1 Sunday Times bestseller.

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Anne Boleyn is a subject of enduring fascination. By far the most famous of Henry VIII’s six wives, she has inspired books, documentaries and films, and is the subject of intense debate even today, almost 500 years after her violent death. Dramatic though this story is, of even greater interest – and significance – is the relationship between Anne and her daughter, the future Elizabeth I.

Elizabeth was less than three years old when her mother was executed. It is often assumed that her mother exerted little influence over her. But this is both inaccurate and misleading. There is compelling evidence that her mother exerted a profound influence on her character, beliefs and reign. Piecing together evidence from original documents and artefacts, this book tells the story of Anne Boleyn’s relationship with, and influence over her daughter Elizabeth. In so doing, it sheds new light on two of the most famous and influential women in history.

Tracy Borman is joint Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces and Chief Executive of the Heritage Education Trust. She studied and taught history at the University of Hull and was awarded a PhD in 1997. Tracy is the author of a number of highly acclaimed books including Crown & Sceptre, The Private Lives of the Tudors: Uncovering the Secrets of Britain’s Greatest Dynasty, Thomas Cromwell: The Untold Story of Henry VIII’s Most Faithful Servant , and more.

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Join Robin Stevens, author of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize winning and bestselling Murder Most Unladylike series to find out about her brand-new series The Ministry of Unladylike Activity. Robin will share her tips and tricks on how to write the perfect murder mystery and the inspiration behind her new team of detectives.. You will also get the chance to put your own sleuthing skills to the test and ask your burning questions, like any good detective.

Age guide: 8+

A Dulwich Festival event.

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Village Books presents multi-award-winning author and Lockdown legend Rob Biddulph for a fun, drawing-filled session. Rob will talk about his latest book Peanut Jones and the Twelve Portals, in which famous works of art are disappearing from all over the world. One moment they are there, the next, they have crumbled to dust. Peanut Jones and her friends are on the case.

Rob Biddulph is a bestselling and multi award-winning author and illustrator. He is the author of many highly acclaimed, award-winning picture books, including Blown Away, GRRRRR!, and Odd Dog Out. In March 2020 during Lockdown, he started #DrawWithRob, a series of twice-weekly draw-along videos designed to help parents whose children were forced to stay home from school.

Age guide: 5+

A Dulwich Festival event.

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Alison Weir, No . 1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Six Tudor Queens series, returns with the second in a captivating new trio of novels spanning three generations of history’s most iconic family, the Tudors : Henry VIII: The Heart and the Crown

A young boy grows up dreaming of knights and chivalry . Harry is the second son . He is never meant to rule . But the death of his brother changes everything, and great destiny awaits this young prince . One day he will be the most infamous king in English history…

Alison Weir is the biggest-selling female historian (and the fifth best-selling historian) in the United Kingdom since records began in 1997. She has published thirty-two titles and sold more than 3 million books worldwide.

A Dulwich Festival event.

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Rukmini Iyer is the bestselling author of The Roasting Tin series. India Express is her most personal book to date. Inspired by a conversation with her parents, talking about the 24-hour train journeys they used to take when courting in India. India Express features easy weeknight one- tin and one-pan curries, as well as everyday Bengali and South Indian recipes from both sides of Rukmini’s family.

Rukmini Iyer is a recipe writer, food stylist and former lawyer, who loves creating delicious and easy recipes with minimum fuss and maximum flavour. Her Roasting Tin books have sold over 1.5 million copies globally, and have been described by The Guardian as ‘some of the best cookbooks of the past decade.’

A Dulwich Festival event.

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