Welcome to our event pages. Scroll down for information on who’s visiting us soon.
Our events read like a who’s who of the bestselling books. We’ve hosted events with Michael Palin, Graham Norton, Philip Pullman, Jacqueline Wilson, Judith Kerr, Dan Snow, Yotam Ottolenghi, Adam Kay, Evan Davis, Alexander McCall Smith, Robert Harris, Gail Honeyman and many more.
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If you would like us to host an event for your author, email Lyndsey
Upcoming Events
There are currently no events scheduled.
Past Events
An Evening with Rory Stewart
We’re delighted to present an evening with Rory Stewart, former MP and Cabinet Minister, and co-host, with Alastair Campbell, of the hugely popular podcast, The Rest is Politics. Rory will be discussing his latest book Politics on the Edge: A Memoir from Within which has become an instant bestseller.
Politics on the Edge details Rory’s time from being a political outsider to standing against Boris Johnson in the Conservative Party leadership contest in 2019, and being sacked from the party in the same year.
Tackling ministerial briefs on flood response and prison violence, engaging with conflict and poverty abroad as a foreign minister, and Brexit as a Cabinet minister, Stewart learned first-hand how profoundly hollow and inadequate our democracy and government had become.
Rory Stewart served in the UK Cabinet as Secretary of State for International Development, and before that as Prisons Minister, Minister for Africa, Minister for Development, Environment Minister and Chair of the Defence Committee. Stewart is now the president of the non-profit organisation GiveDirectly, and a visiting fellow at Yale’s Jackson School. He tweets at @RoryStewartUK.
Tickets:
Book & ticket: £30 (includes a copy of Politics on the Edge, book RRP £22)
Book tickets HERE
Please note: Each ticket includes a copy of Politics on the Edge (£22). Rory is doing a very limited number of events to promote his book and we’re honoured he’s chosen Village Books and Alleyn’s School to be one of them. We are always mindful of the cost of our events but have to balance the requirements of publishers for events they allow us to host, which was to include a copy of the book with each ticket.
Photo credit: Tom Campbell
Friday 8th December 2023 7pmThe MCT at Alleyn's, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
Ruskin Park by Rory Cellan-Jones
From the popular tech journalist and Movers and Shakers podcaster, also known across the world for documenting his journey with rescue dog #SophiefromRomania, comes a moving memoir in search of the truth behind his isolated childhood and absent father.
Rory Cellan-Jones knew he was the child of a love affair between two BBC employees. But until his mother died and he found a file labelled ‘For Rory’ he had no idea of the extent of their relationship, and why his unconventional childhood had so tested the bond between him and his mother. ‘For Rory,’ his mother had written on the file, ‘in the hope that it will help him understand how it really was …’
Rory Cellan-Jones was the BBC’s principal technology correspondent until 2021. He now writes an influential Substack column on medical innovation and tech. Through this and his 320k+ twitter followers @ruskin147 he spreads awareness of technological developments in the fields of medicine, health care and – more specifically – Parkinson’s. Together with Jeremy Paxman and several others he has begun a new podcast on Parkinson’s called Movers and Shakers.
Tickets:
Book & Ticket: £30 (includes a copy of Ruskin Park, Book RRP £16.99)
Standard ticket: £15
Under 18s ticket: £12Book tickets HERE
Wednesday 6th December 2023 7.30pmThe Great Hall at Alleyn's, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, SE22 8SU
Dulwich Village Christmas Stocking
The Dulwich Village Christmas Stocking Event is back on Sunday 3rd December from 11am to 5pm!
There will be festive music in the village from 12pm, including the PopChoir singing at 2pm outside Harold George.
There’s also a Nutty’s Children’s Disco from 2-4pm at St Barnabas Parish Hall.
Mystery Stocking Hunt for children throughout the village – details to follow!
Plus festive fun, food and drinks at many of our Dulwich Village businesses.
A FREE EVENT brought to you in partnership with The Dulwich Estate, Southwark Council and Dulwich Village Traders.
Visit the This is Dulwich Village Facebook page for more information.
Sunday 3rd December 2023 11amUntil Sunday 3rd December 20235pm
Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life by Justine Picardie
Published to coincide with a major new V&A exhibition, Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life by Justine Picardie contains never-seen-before images from the Chanel archives and recently discovered portraits of Coco Chanel.
Coco Chanel was the most extraordinary creative. The inventor of the Little Black Dress (LBD), the bob haircut, trousers for women, contemporary chic, a globally bestselling perfume and founder of the most successful fashion brand of all time, she was also an enigma, fashioning the myth of her own life with the same attention to detail as her couture.
Justine Picardie has spent over twenty years exploring the truth about the mystery that was Coco Chanel. In this revised, updated version of her bestselling biography, Picardie shares more details and previously unseen images of the woman who has had such a profound influence on the modern world.
Justine Picardie is the author of six books, including her bestselling memoir If the Spirit Moves You and Miss Dior: A Story of Courage and Couture. She is a contributing editor to Harper’s Bazaar, having previously been its editor-in-chief. She was formerly an investigative journalist for the Sunday Times, a columnist for the Telegraph, editor of the Observer Magazine, editor of Town & Country and features director of Vogue.
Tickets:
Standard ticket: £15
Concession ticket £12*Early bird offer* Book & ticket: £40 (includes a copy of Coco Chanel by Justine Picardie, RRP £35) – This offer is valid until midnight on Sunday 23rd October.
From Monday 24th October: Book & ticket £45 (includes a copy of Coco Chanel by Justine Picardie, RRP £35)
Book tickets HERE
Wednesday 29th November 2023 7.30pmThe Great Hall at Alleyn's, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, SE22 8SU
Gin Tasting Evening with Anthony Gladman
Explore some craft gin and enjoy an evening of tasting with award winning writer and gin expert Anthony Gladman.
Anthony will guide you through the tasting notes of each gin and advise on picking the perfect gin and garnish combination, whilst sampling four different gins from craft distilleries including Hayman’s London Dry Gin and Jensen’s Old Tom Gin.
Anthony’s new book, Gin A Tasting Course, is a flavour-first guide to one of the world’s favourite spirits. This highly illustrated book puts you on the pathway to developing your palate and writing your own tasting notes with a selection of classic cocktails plus the iconic gin and tonic. The book also explores gin’s history, distillation and ingredients and features tasting notes for over 100 of the world’s most exciting classic, floral, citrus, herbal, fruity, spiced, and savoury gins.
Anthony Gladman was named the Guild of Food Writers drinks writer of the year in 2022. He believes the key to everyday happiness lies in drinking better, not more, and he helps readers pursue this through a focus on flavour deepened by an understanding of the liquid in your glass. If you see him at the bar he’ll have a dry martini.
Tickets:
Standard ticket: £15
Book tickets HERE
Thursday 23rd November 2023 7.30pmBell House, 27 College Rd, London SE21 7BG
The Seventh Son by Sebastian Faulks
*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.
Tickets:
Book & Ticket : £35 (includes a copy of The Seventh Son, book RRP £22)
Standard ticket: £15
Under 18s: £12Book tickets HERE
Thursday 16th November 2023 7.30pmThe Great Hall, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, SE22 8SU
Meet M. G. Leonard, bestselling author of 'Adventures on Trains' series and 'Twitch'
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!
Thursday 16th November 2023 4pm-5.30pmVillage Books, 1d Calton Avenue, Dulwich Village, SE21 7DE
Farrow & Ball: How to Redecorate by Joa Studholme and Charlotte Cosby
Following in the footsteps of the bestselling How to Decorate, and a sell-out event in Dulwich in 2019, Joa Studholme, Charlotte Cosby and the Farrow & Ball creative team are back with How to Redecorate. With more than 340 photographs and illustrations and packed with down-to-earth decorating advice on everything from which white to use with which colour, how to select a neutral palette and easy-to-follow ways to build schemes for any room, this is set to become the definitive interior design sourcebook no matter what size your house is.
Colour Curator Joa Studholme has worked with Farrow & Ball for more than 25 years and has become a key part of the brand’s story. She helped launch the first showroom, became the first Colour Consultant and has created many of the paint colours. Creative Director Charlotte Cosby has been working with Farrow & Ball for the past 17 years. She has full responsibility for creative direction, including product development, brand identity, photography, showroom design and much more.
‘Decorating your home should be joyful. Without doubt, the most important thing is to use colours that you really love and feel comfortable with – there are certainly no fixed rules, so the ideas in this book are here not so much to influence, but to inspire, and to help you bring your vision to life.’ Joa Studholme
Tickets:
Book & ticket: £45 (includes a copy of How to Redecorate, book RRP £35)
Standard ticket: £15
Under 18s ticket: £12Book tickets HERE
Thursday 9th November 2023 7.30pmThe Junior School Hall, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, SE22 8SU
An Evening with Monty Don
The nation’s favourite gardener, Monty Don, is coming to Dulwich!
‘Think of your garden like a meal. When you select a recipe, you’re choosing it based on inclination, experience and circumstance. Making a garden, big or small, uses exactly the same process.’
With Monty Don’s new book as a guide you will discover just how joyful and rewarding gardening can be. Whether you want to grow your own veg, create a child-friendly garden, connect with nature, or make the most of houseplants, Monty will help you unlock your space’s potential, showing you what, where and when to plant.
The Gardening Book gives you the basics to grow over 100 popular flowers, foods, shrubs, houseplants and more – each one has a clear, concise, format: what you need, timing, method, and step-by-step photos, all on one spread. It’s a refreshingly accessible approach that will help you build a garden which
best serves your needs and enhances your lifestyle.Please note: Each ticket includes a signed copy of The Gardening Book (RRP £28). Monty is doing a very limited number of events to promote his book and we’re honoured he’s chosen Village Books and James Allen’s Girls’ School to be one of them. We are always mindful of the cost of our events but have to balance the requirements of publishers for events they allow us to host, which was to include a copy of the book with each ticket.
Tickets:
Standard ticket: £35 (includes a signed copy of The Gardening Book. Book RRP £28)Book tickets HERE
Monday 6th November 2023 7.30pmVaughan Williams Auditorium, James Allen's Girls' School. 144 East Dulwich Grove, SE22 8TE
Venice: City of Pictures by Martin Gayford
In this special evening, Martin Gayford, renowned art critic, will be discussing the history of Venice through its most important legacy: pictures.
Venice was a major centre of art in the Renaissance: the city where the medium of oil on canvas became the norm. The achievements of the Bellini brothers, Carpaccio, Giorgione, Titian, Tintoretto and Veronese are a key part of this story. Venetian views were a speciality of native artists such as Canaletto and Guardi, but the city has also been represented by outsiders including Turner, Monet, and more.
In this elegant volume, Gayford – who has visited Venice countless times since the 1970s, covered every Biennale since 1990, and even had portraits of himself exhibited there on several occasions – takes us on a visual journey through the past five centuries of the city known ‘La Serenissima’, the Most Serene. It is a unique and compelling portrait of Venice that will delight lovers of the city and lovers of its art.
Martin Gayford is a writer and art critic. His books include Michelangelo: His Epic Life (Penguin) as well as multiple publications on art and artists for Thames & Hudson, including books co-authored with David Hockney, Antony Gormley and David Dawson.
Tickets:
Book & ticket: £40 (includes a copy of Venice: City of Pictures, book RRP £30, special pre-order price of £25)
Standard ticket: £15
Under 18s ticket:£12Book tickets HERE
Thursday 12th October 2023 7.30pmThe MCT at Alleyn's, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
Cheese & Wine tasting with Emma Young (The Cheese Explorer)
Join us for an evening of cheese and wine! Emma Young, Cheese specialist and author of The Cheese Wheel will be guide you through how to choose, taste, and pair cheese like an expert. In The Cheese Wheel, Emma brings her extensive knowledge and 13 years of industry experience to the page in this innovative, flavour-based companion to the world of cheese.
With over 100 cheeses covered, using The Cheese Wheel, you can:
– Discover the finest cheeses from around the world
– Master how to taste cheese and describe what you like/dislike
– Find out the perfect drink to pair with your cheese
– Design your own cheeseboardIn this special evening, you’ll be tasting six different cheeses, all paired with two different bottles of wine.
Emma Young, also known as The Cheese Explorer, is a highly regarded cheese specialist based in the UK. With experience as a cheesemonger, cheese maker and judge for some of the world’s most prestigious cheese awards, she was worked in the cheese industry for 13 years. With her extensive knowledge, she consults businesses and is a trainer for the Academy of Cheese.
Find her on Instagram @TheCheeseExplorer and www.cheeseexplorer.com
A Village Books and Alleyn’s Schools Enterprises event.
Tickets: £20
Book tickets HERE
Friday 29th September 2023 7.30pmThe Junior School Hall, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, SE22 8SU
An Evening with Ann Cleeves: Bestselling Author and Creator of Vera and Shetland
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.
Tickets:
Book & ticket: £30 (includes a copy of The Raging Storm, book RRP £20)
Standard ticket: £12
Under 18s ticket: £10Book tickets HERE
Friday 22nd September 2023 7pmThe MCT at Alleyn's, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
Roast Figs, Sugar Snow: Food to Warm the Soul by Diana Henry
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.
Tickets:
Book & ticket: £32 (includes a copy of Roast Figs, Sugar Snow, book RRP £22)
Standard ticket: £12
Under 18s ticket: £10Book tickets HERE
Thursday 14th September 2023 7.30pmThe MCT at Alleyn's, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
An Evening with The Reverend Richard Coles
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.
Tickets:
Ticket only: £15
Ticket & book: £30 (Includes one copy of A Death in The Parish, book RRP £18.99)
Two tickets & one book: £45 (Includes one copy of A Death in The Parish, book RRP £18.99)Please note: Copies of A Death in The Parish will be on sale on the night of the event at £18 (book RRP £18.99)
Book tickets HERE
Thursday 15th June 2023 7.30pmThe MCT at Alleyn's, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I: The Mother and Daughter Who Changed History by Tracy Borman
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.
Tickets:
Standard ticket: £12
Book & ticket: £32 (Includes a copy of Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I, book RRP £25)Book tickets HERE
Thursday 8th June 2023 7.30pmLower School Atrium, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
The Ministry of Unladylike Activity by Robin Stevens
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+
Tickets £10 / £8 Concessions (plus Eventbrite booking fee)
Book tickets HEREA Dulwich Festival event.
Sunday 21st May 2023 3pmThe Great Hall at Alleyn's, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, SE22 8SU
Draw with Rob Biddulph!
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+
Tickets £10 / £8 concession (plus Eventbrite booking fee)
Book tickets HEREA Dulwich Festival event.
Saturday 20th May 2023 3pmThe Great Hall at Alleyn's, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, SE22 8SU
An Evening with Adam Kay
Village Books presents award-winning author of This is Going to Hurt, Adam Kay, for a talk about his follow up book Undoctored.
This is Going to Hurt was the publishing phenomenon of the century, read by many millions, and adapted into a major TV series. But it was only part of the story.
Undoctored, Adam’s funniest and most moving book yet, covers what’s happened since hanging up his scrubs. Battered and bruised from his time on the NHS frontline, Kay looks back, moves forwards and opens up some old wounds.
Adam Kay is an award-winning writer and comedian. His debut book, This is Going to Hurt, is a literary sensation: a Sunday Times number one bestseller for over a year, and winning a record-breaking four National Book Awards, it has sold over 2.5 million copies making it the bestselling UK narrative non-fiction book of the 21st century.
Tickets £16.50 (plus Eventbrite booking fee)
Book tickets HEREA Dulwich Festival event.
Thursday 18th May 2023 7.30pmThe Great Hall, Dulwich College, Dulwich Common, SE21 7LD
Henry VIII: The Heart and the Crown by Alison Weir
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.
Tickets £12.50 (plus Eventbrite booking fee)
Book tickets HEREA Dulwich Festival event.
Monday 15th May 2023 7.30pmThe Auditorium, Dulwich College, Common Road, SE21 7LD
Cookery Demonstration with Rukmini Iyer
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.’
Tickets £12.50 (plus Eventbrite booking fee)
Book tickets HEREA Dulwich Festival event.
Sunday 14th May 2023 3pmThe Old Library, Dulwich College, Dulwich Common, SE21 7LD
An Evening with Caleb Azumah Nelson
We can’t wait to welcome ex-Alleyn’s student Caleb Azumah Nelson back to Dulwich to talk about his latest novel Small World. Caleb’s debut novel won the Costa First Novel Award and Debut of the Year at the British Book Awards.
The one thing that can solve Stephen’s problems is dancing. Stephen has only ever known himself in song. But what becomes of him when the music fades? When his father begins to speak of shame and sacrifice, when his home is no longer his own? How will he find space for himself: a place where he can feel beautiful, a place he might feel free?
Set over the course of three summers in Stephen’s life, from London to Ghana and back again, Small Worlds is an exhilarating and expansive novel about the worlds we build for ourselves, the worlds we live, dance and love within.
Caleb will be in chatting to Marie-Claire Amuah whose debut novel One for Sorrow, Two for Joy was published in August 2022.
Tickets £12.50 (Plus Eventbrite booking fee)
Book tickets HEREA Dulwich Festival event.
Friday 12th May 2023 7.30pmThe MCT at Alleyn's, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
Tristan Gooley: How to Read a Tree, Clues and Patterns from Roots to Leaves
Did you know that you can find north by looking at the bark of a London Plane tree? Or that the veins on a leaf can help you find water?
In How to Read a Tree, you’ll discover the signs trees are giving you about their past and the landscape that surrounds it. And you’ll learn rare skills that can be applied every time you pass a tree, whether you are in a town or a wilder spot.
As the author of the international bestsellers The Walker’s Guide and How to Read Water, Tristan Gooley knows how to uncover the phenomena worth looking for. He has been instructing people in the art of reading trees for two decades. Unlike other books of this ilk, Tristan shifts the focus to what you can see. Once you have learned to see these things it is impossible to unsee them – you will never look at a tree the same way again!
‘An important book and a pleasure to read.’ – Raynor Winn, author of The Salt Path
Tickets:
Standard ticket: £12
Book & ticket: £27 (includes a copy of How to Read a Tree, book RRP £20)Book tickets HERE
Wednesday 26th April 2023 7.30pmThe Junior School Hall, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, SE22 8SU
An Evening with Jojo Moyes
Jojo Moyes’s novels have sold 51 million copies around the world, hit the Number One spot in 12 countries and have been translated into 46 languages. Her most recent novel, The Giver of Stars, was a Sunday Times Number One bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick.
Her latest novel Someone Else’s Shoes explores the power of female friendship and tells the story of two women in their forties who find their lives irrevocably altered when they accidentally swap gym bags…
Nisha Cantor and Sam Kemp are two very different women. When wealthy Nisha is cut off by her husband, she doesn’t even have the shoes she was standing in.
That’s because Sam, struggling to keep herself and her family afloat, has accidentally
taken Nisha’s gym bag. Now Nisha’s got nothing. And Sam’s walking tall with shoes that catch eyes – and give her career an unexpected boost.Except Nisha wants her life back – and she’ll start with her shoes . . .
Ticket only: £12
Book & ticket: £30 (Includes a copy of Someone Else’s Shoes, book RRP £22)Book tickets HERE
Thursday 9th March 2023 7.30pmThe Great Hall at Alleyn's, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, SE22 8SU
Gennaro's Cucina: Hearty Money-Saving Meals from an Italian Kitchen
Gennaro Contaldo’s warmth, Italian spirit and sense of fun have led him to be one of the UK’s most-loved chefs. He is renowned for being a mentor to Jamie Oliver and teaching him, with Carluccio, everything Jamie knows about Italian cooking. In 1999, he opened Passione in London, which was awarded Best Italian restaurant in 2005.
In his new cookbook, Gennaro takes us on a culinary journey of regional basic Italian staples and turns them into beautiful meals. With tips and ideas of what to do with leftovers, Gennaro helps home cooks squeeze maximum use from the ‘cucina povera’ ethos, turning humble ingredients into nourishing feasts without taste sacrifice. Encouraging an ethos of zero waste, Gennaro’s Cucina ensures that every part of the ingredient, and your budget, is put to good culinary use.
‘Proper old-school classics to use up every scrap.’ Jamie Oliver
Gennaro will be chatting to author and journalist Felicity Cloake and demonstrating some recipes from his new book.
Tickets:
Standard ticket: £15
Book & ticket: £35 (includes a copy of Gennaro’s Cucina. Book RRP £25)Book tickets HERE
Tuesday 21st February 2023 7.30pmThe MCT at Alleyn's, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
Cooks by Dr Rupy Aujla
Dr Rupy is a trusted NHS GP and food expert behind the bestselling Doctor’s Kitchen. He has a number one rated podcast, The Doctor’s Kitchen, with over 12 million downloads to date, over 295,000 Instagram followers and a million YouTube views.
Rupy’s mission is to help everybody leverage the incredible power of food and lifestyle medicine to support their wellbeing and prevent ill health. His new book Cooks demonstrates that healthy eating every day can be a celebration of ingredients from different cultures, which create dishes that are big on flavour and low on effort. Every recipe has been researched and developed to give maximal health benefits whilst being super simple and flavourful.
Rupy believes that the crux of a healthy lifestyle is consistently eating well every day and this cookbook, with its easy full-flavoured recipes, inspires you to do just that. Rupy will be demonstrating a recipe from his book and discussing the benefits of the power of food and lifestyle medicine to create healthy habits with Dr Saliha Mahmood Ahmed. Saliha is a Doctor, winner of Masterchef 2017 and bestselling author.
Tickets:
Standard ticket: £12
Book & ticket: £32 (includes a copy of Dr Rupy Cooks. Book RRP £22)Book tickets HERE
Tuesday 7th February 2023 7.30pmThe Junior School Hall at Alleyn's, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, SE22 8SU
An Evening with Tom Rob Smith
We’re delighted to be welcoming Dulwich College alumni and bestselling author Tom Rob Smith back to the College for a special event to celebrate the publication of his new book Cold People.
The world has fallen. Without warning, a mysterious and omnipotent force has claimed the planet for their own. There are no negotiations, no demands, no reasons given for their actions. All they have is a message: humanity has thirty days to reach the one place on Earth where they will be allowed to exist . . . Antarctica.
Cold People follows the journeys of a handful of those who endure the frantic exodus to the most inhospitable environment on the planet. While they cling to life on the ice, they must also confront the most urgent of challenges: can they change and evolve rapidly enough to ensure humanity’s future? Can they build a new society in the cold?
Tom will be chatting to Dr Joseph Spence, Master of Dulwich College.
Tom Rob Smith attended Dulwich College from 1987 to 1997. Tom won the International Thriller Writer Award for Best First Novel, the Galaxy Book Award for Best New Writer, the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger Award, and was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize and shortlisted for the Costa First Novel Award and the inaugural Desmond Elliot Prize. Child 44 is now a major motion picture starring Tom Hardy, Noomi Rapace and Gary Oldman.
Tickets:
Standard ticket: £10
Book & Ticket: £25 (includes a copy of Cold People, book RRP £16.99)Books tickets HERE
Thursday 26th January 2023 7.30pmThe Old Library, Dulwich College, Dulwich Common, SE21 7LD
Meet Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks!
Julia Donaldson and Lydia Monks will be at Village Books on Saturday 10th December to sign copies of their new book What The LadyBird Heard At Christmas!
The clever little ladybird is back to celebrate the festive season and to once again save the day! With a cast of wonderful friends, old and new, plenty of festive fun, and of course, a cunning plan to foil. What the Ladybird Heard at Christmas is the fifth title in the bestselling family favourite What the Ladybird Heard adventures.
Join everyone’s favourite crime-busting ladybird this festive season, as she visits her friend the spider in a big old haunted house. Those two bad men, Hefty Hugh and Lanky Len, are up to no good again. They have a devious plan – to steal the children’s Christmas presents from their stockings! It’s a good thing that the clever little ladybird has overheard their awful plotting, and she has a cunning plan to make sure they don’t get away with it.
Event Timings:
11.30am – 12.30pm
12.30pm – 1.30pmTickets:
£12.99 – includes a copy of What The Ladybird Heard at Christmas
*THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT* Do email us if you would like to be added to the waiting list.
Book tickets HERE
Terms & Conditions:
You will be required to show your ticket on the day of the event, to gain entry, and as proof of purchase. Please keep your ticket in a safe place. Please note the session time of your ticket.
To avoid disappointment, we must stress there will be no opportunity to meet Julia and Lydia without a ticket.
Julia and Lydia are very sorry but, in the time allowed, they will only be able to sign copies of books purchased at Village Books. If you would like to order more copies of What The Ladybird Heard At Christmas then do please contact us. Copies of all the books in the What The Ladybird Heard series and books from the Princess Mirror-Belle series will be able to purchase as well. Please contact us to order.
Should you not receive your e-ticket confirmation email please email us quoting your booking reference.
Due to the anticipated high turn-out, please come prepared to queue. You will need to queue outside on Calton Avenue so please do come dressed appropriately for the weather and keep hydrated. Our shop is small so to keep everyone safe we’ll be letting you in a few at a time.
Ticket holders will receive their copy of the book at the bookshop.
Please note the event may be filmed of photographed, as an attendee you consent to footage and/or images of you being used for promotional purposes.
If you have further questions, please contact us
Saturday 10th December 2022 11.30am-1.30pmVillage Books, 1D Calton Avenue, Dulwich, SE21 7DE
Did I Say That Out Loud? An Evening with Fi Glover and Jane Garvey
Award-winning broadcasters Fi Glover and Jane Garvey don’t claim to have all the answers (what was the question?), but in their book Did I Say That Out Loud? they take modern life by its elasticated waist and give it a brisk going over with a stiff brush.
They riff together on the chuff of life, from pet deaths to broadcasting hierarchies, via the importance of hair dye, the perils and pleasures of judging other women, and the perplexing overconfidence of chino-wearing middle-aged white men named Roger.
Did I Say That Out Loud? covers essential life skills (never buy an acrylic jumper, always decline the offer of a limoncello), and suggests the disconcerting possibility that Christmas is a hereditary disease, passed down the maternal line.
At a time of constant uncertainty, what we all need is the wisdom of two women who haven’t got a clue what’s going on either.
‘You’ll laugh, you’ll nod your head so vigorously in agreement that you’ll end up with whiplash and you’ll buy a copy of this book for all your friends for Christmas. If you loved the late, great Victoria Wood, then you’ll love Fi and Jane too.’ Sarra Manning, Red Magazine
Jane Garvey has worked in broadcasting since 1987. She was the first voice on BBC Radio 5 Live when it opened and presented the station’s award-winning Breakfast and Drive programmes with Peter Allen. In 2007 she moved to Radio 4 where she was a presenter on Woman’s Hour.
Fi Glover is the voice behind The Listening Project on BBC Radio 4, and My Perfect Country for the BBC World Service. She worked at BBC Radio 5 Live for seven years, hosting shows like Sunday Service, with Charlie Whelan and Andrew Pierce, Late Night Live, and the Afternoon Show, before moving to BBC Radio 4 as the host of Broadcasting House and then Saturday Live.
Their shared BBC Sounds podcast, Fortunately, which won the Comedy Show of the Year at the Arias in 2018, and a silver Spotlight Award, has been downloaded more than twenty million times and has over 500k subscribers.
Jane and Fi will be chatting to Hannah Macinnes who is a broadcaster and journalist. She presents frequently on Times Radio and is hos of How To Academy’s live programmes and podcast.
Book tickets HERE
Tickets:
Book & Ticket £25 (includes a copy of Did I Say That Out Loud?)
Ticket Only £15Friday 25th November 2022 7.30pmThe MCT at Alleyn's, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
An Evening with Hugh Bonneville
Hugh Bonneville is one of Britain’s most accomplished actors, familiar to audiences worldwide for his roles in Notting Hill, the Paddington films and Downton Abbey. From getting his big break as Third Shepherd in the school nativity play, to mistaking a Hollywood star for an estate agent, Hugh creates a brilliantly vivid picture of a career on stage and screen. What is it like working with Judi Dench and Julia Roberts, or playing Robert de Niro’s right leg, or not being Gary Oldman, twice? A wickedly funny storyteller, Hugh also writes with poignancy about his father’s dementia and of his mother, whose life in the secret service only emerged after her death. Whether telling stories of working with divas, Dames or a bear with a penchant for marmalade, this is a richly entertaining account of his life as an actor.
‘Utterly charming’ – Jack Whitehall
‘Funny, touching, revealing’ – Gyles Brandreth
‘A gorgeous book’ – Richard Curtis
‘Hugh Bonneville’s considerable talent for writing is on display page after page. Beautiful. Touching. And funny’– Gary OldmanHugh Bonneville was born in London in 1963. After school in Sherborne, Dorset, and studying Theology at Cambridge, Hugh became a professional actor in 1985. His career has spanned radio, television, film, and stage, including appearances at the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, Chichester Festival Theatre and in the West End. He received two Emmy nominations for his performance as Robert Crawley in Downton Abbey, and BAFTA nominations for his roles in Iris, Twenty Twelve and W1A.
Tickets:
Standard Ticket: £20
Book & Ticket: £40 (Includes a copy of ‘Playing under the Piano From Downton to Darkest Peru’, book RRP £22)
Concession Ticket: £15Book tickets HERE
Photo credit: Gavin Bond
Thursday 24th November 2022 7.30pmThe MCT at Alleyn's, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
Meet Cressida Cowell!
Meet multi-million-copy-selling author of How to Train Your Dragon, Cressida Cowell! Her new book, Which Way to Anywhere, has been widely critically acclaimed and shot straight to the top of the charts.
Bring along your sketchbooks and ideas books for Cressida to see! A limited edition badge available for every copy of the new book sold.
K2 O’Hero is a seemingly ordinary boy – after all, he and his twin sister Izzabird have been sworn to keep their family’s magical history a secret. Not even their infuriating stepsiblings, Theo and Mabel, know that magic exists. They believe K2 to be the most hopeless person they have ever known.
But K2 has a secret gift: he draws maps of worlds that are beyond the wildest of imaginations. Worlds with six hundred moons, burning rivers and dark, twisty jungles alive with plants that hunt by the smell of fear. But what K2 doesn’t know, is that the maps he draws are real.
When their baby sister Annipeck is kidnapped, the warring stepsiblings will have to use K2’s gift to find a crossing point into one of those worlds and embark on a daring rescue mission. With a terrible beast and a petrifying robot assassin in their way, they must learn to work together quickly – because the future of their family is at stake …
No tickets required!
Wednesday 23rd November 2022 3.30pm-5pmVillage Books, 1D Calton Avenue, Dulwich, SE21 7DE
The Lighthouse of Stalingrad: The Hidden Truth at the Centre of WWII’s Greatest Battle by Iain MacGregor
An enthralling, insightful look into the most decisive battle of the Second World War, shedding new light on the heroic work of those who fought and died as we mark the 80th anniversary of the famous Soviet counterattack at Stalingrad – Operation Uranus, the turning point in the war.
The foundation of the Soviet’s victory during the war was laid during the battle for the city of Stalingrad, resting on the banks of the river Volga. Within this life-and-death struggle for the heart of the city and situated on the frontline was a key strategic building, codenamed: ‘The Lighthouse’.
The Lighthouse of Stalingrad sheds new light on this iconic battle through the prism of the two units who fought for the very heart of the city itself. Iain MacGregor traveled to both German and Russian archives (now likely inaccessible to Western historians for years to come) to unearth previously unpublished testimonies by soldiers on both sides of the conflict.
“MacGregor writes with great fluency and narrative drive, and his account of the context to the battle and the complexity of its fraught swings of fortune and misfortune is compellingly terse.” William Boyd
“A fascinating, well-researched, superbly-organized and well-written account of a complex struggle, within the context of a war of annihilation. It adds a human face to the conflict and conveys the immensity of human suffering involved.” David M. Glantz
Iain MacGregor is the author of the acclaimed oral history of Cold War Berlin: Checkpoint Charlie and his writing has appeared in the Guardian, Spectator and BBC History. He has published books on every aspect of the Second World War on the Eastern Front 1941-45 and has visited archives in Leningrad, Moscow, and Volgograd. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
Tickets:
Standard ticket: £10
Concession ticket: £8Book Tickets Here
Thursday 10th November 2022 7.30pmLower School, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
Sabrina Ghayour: Persiana Everyday
Persiana Everyday is a new collection of more than 100 fuss-free, crowd-pleasing recipes for everyday eating. Designed to ensure maximum flavour with the greatest of ease – including no-cook, quick-prep, quick-cook and one-pot dishes – Persiana Everyday is full of generous, inviting and delicious recipes to cook again and again for family and friends. Recipes include pomegranate and harissa roasted aubergine steak; sticky tamarind, garlic & tomato green beans; orange & dark chocolate rubble cake, and more.
Persiana Everyday will be the go-to cookbook for those who love food packed with flavour but whether due to a busy family or simply due to life’s demanding pace, just don’t have the time to spend in the kitchen.
Sabrina will be demonstrating some recipes from this new book and will be chatting to Guardian journalist and author Felicity Cloake.
Sabrina Ghayour is one of the strongest voices in Middle Eastern food today. Sabrina’s debut cookbook, Persiana, was awarded ‘Best New Cookbook’ at the Observer Food Monthly awards 2014 and ‘Book of the Year’ at the 2015 Food & Travel Awards. Her follow up books, Sirocco, Feasts, Bazaar, and her most recent book Simply were all Sunday Times bestsellers.
This event will be followed by a book signing.
Book tickets HERE
Tickets:
Book & Ticket £35 (includes a copy of Persiana Everyday. Book RRP £26)
Standard £15
Under 18s £12Monday 7th November 2022 7.30pmThe Great Hall, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
Lucy Worsley Book Signing!
Bestselling author Lucy Worsley will be visiting Village Books on Thursday 3rd November from 5pm to 6pm. Lucy will be signing copies of her bestselling new book Agatha Christie: A Very Elusive Woman. No tickets are required, just turn up at the bookshop!
If you’re not able to be here but would like a copy dedicated as a special gift, do contact us to arrange.
Why did Agatha Christie spend her career pretending that she was ‘just’ an ordinary housewife, when clearly she wasn’t?
She was born in 1890 into a world which had its own rules about what women could and couldn’t do. Lucy Worsley’s biography is not just of an internationally renowned bestselling writer. It’s also the story of a person who, despite the obstacles of class and gender, became an astonishingly successful working woman.
With access to personal letters and papers that have rarely been seen, Lucy Worsley’s biography is both authoritative and entertaining and makes us realise what an extraordinary pioneer Agatha Christie was – truly a woman who wrote the twentieth century.
‘Christie lovers should read this biography for the same reason they read her novels.’ The Times
‘A model of how to combine biographical information, analysis and literary criticism into a propulsive narrative’ Daily Telegraph
‘Worsley’s book excels in bringing a broader historical perspective to Christie’s life and work, and her enthusiasm is infectious.’ Observer
Thursday 3rd November 2022 5pm-6pmVillage Books, 1D Calton Avenue, Dulwich, SE21 7DE
Meet Andy Griffiths!
We’re so excited to announce that Andy Griffiths, bestselling author of the Treehouse Series is coming to visit us at the bookshop on Friday 14th October! He’ll be coming all the way from Australia for his UK tour and will be signing copies of his latest book The 156-Storey Treehouse: Festive Frolics and Sneaky Snowmen!
Andy and Terry are celebrating Christmas in their ever-growing Treehouse which has thirteen new levels, including an aquarium wonderland, a wishing well, a world-record breaking level, a TV quiz show (hosted by no other than Quizzy the quizzical quizbot); a lost property office and a lost sausage office; a super-stinky stuff level and the amazing mind-reading sandwich-making machine, which makes the perfect amazing sandwich for you – every single time!
But it’s the night before Christmas, and they’ve got carols to sing, lists to write, a new book to finish, and the real Santa to uncover . . .
Well, what are you waiting for? Come on up!
Andy Griffiths is an internationally successful, award-winning children’s author. His books have been bestsellers in his homeland Australia, the USA and the UK. He is the co-creator of the bestselling, award-winning Treehouse series with illustrator Terry Denton, which has been published in over thirty countries.
No tickets required!
Friday 14th October 2022 3.30-5pmVillage Books, 1D Calton Avenue, Dulwich, SE21 7DE
An Evening with Elly Griffiths
Village Books and Alleyn’s School Enterprises are delighted to welcome bookshop favourite Elly Griffiths to Dulwich to celebrate the publication of her new thriller Bleeding Heart Yard.
DS Cassie Fitzgerald has a secret – but it’s one she’s deleted from her memory. In the 1990s when she was at school, she and her friends killed a fellow pupil. Thirty years later, Cassie is happily married and loves her job as a police officer.
One day her husband persuades her to go to a school reunion and another ex-pupil, Garfield Rice, is found dead, supposedly from a drug overdose. As Garfield was an eminent MP and the investigation is high profile, it’s headed by Cassie’s new boss, DI Harbinder Kaur. The trouble is, Cassie can’t shake the feeling that one of her old friends has killed again. Is Cassie right, or was Garfield murdered by one of his political cronies?
It’s in Cassie’s interest to skew the investigation so that it looks like the latter and she seems to be succeeding. Until someone else is killed…
Elly Griffiths is the author of the bestselling series featuring Dr Ruth Galloway. The most recent, The Locked Room, was a Sunday Times hardback number one. The series has won the CWA Dagger in the Library and has been shortlisted five times for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year.
This event will be followed by a book signing.
Tickets:
Standard ticket £10
Concession ticket £8Book tickets HERE
Thursday 6th October 2022 7.30pmLower School, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
An Evening with Jeremy Bowen
Jeremy Bowen, the BBC’s Middle East Editor has been covering the region since 1989. More recently he has been reporting on the Russian invasion of Ukraine from the heart of the conflict. The Making of the Modern Middle East is his account of the making of the modern Middle East.
In this new book, in part based on his acclaimed podcast, Bowen takes us on a journey across the Middle East and through its history. He meets ordinary men and women on the front line, their leaders, whether brutal or benign, and he explores the power games that have so often wreaked devastation on civilian populations as those leaders, whatever their motives, jostle for political, religious and economic control.
With his deep understanding of the political, cultural and religious differences between countries as diverse as Erdogan’s Turkey, Assad’s Syria and Netanyahu’s Israel and his long experience of covering events in the region, Bowen offers readers a gripping and invaluable guide to the modern Middle East, how it came to be and what its future might hold.
Jeremy Bowen is the BBC’s International Editor. He has reported from more than seventy countries, covering thirteen wars including those in Afghanistan, Lebanon, Chechnya, Somalia, the Middle East, Rwanda and former Yugoslavia. His previous books include Six Days, War Stories and The Arab Uprisings.
This event will be followed by a book signing.
Tickets:
Book & Ticket £30 (Includes a copy of The Making of the Modern Middle East: A Personal Story Book RRP £20)
Standard Ticket £15
Concession Ticket £12Book tickets HERE
Thursday 29th September 2022 7.30pmThe MCT at Alleyn's, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
An Evening with Robert Harris
Robert Harris is the bestselling author of Fatherland, The Ghostwriter, Munich, and more. Act of Oblivion is his spellbinding new novel reimagining the biggest manhunt of the 17th century: the search for two Englishmen, charged in the killing of King Charles I…
1660. Colonel Edward Whalley and his son-in-law, Colonel William Goffe, cross the Atlantic. They are on the run and wanted for the murder of Charles I. Under the provisions of the Act of Oblivion, they have been found guilty in absentia of high treason. In London, Richard Nayler, secretary of the regicide committee of the Privy Council, is tasked with tracking down the fugitives. He’ll stop at nothing until the two men are brought to justice. A reward hangs over their heads – for their capture, dead or alive.
Act of Oblivion is an epic journey across continents, and a chase like no other.
Robert Harris is the author of fourteen bestselling novels including the Cicero Trilogy – Imperium, Lustrum and Dictator – Fatherland, Enigma, The Ghost, An Officer and a Spy, which won four prizes including the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, and more. His work has been translated into forty languages and he is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature.
This event will be followed by a book signing.
Tickets:
Book & Ticket: £35 (includes a copy of Act of Oblivion, book RRP £22
Standard Ticket: £15
Concession Ticket: £12Book tickets HERE
Thursday 22nd September 2022 7.30pmThe MCT at Alleyn's, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
Meet Rob Biddulph!
Come along to Village Books to meet Rob Biddulph and get your copy of Peanut Jones and the Twelve Portals signed, the second title in the Peanut Jones series.
Some legends are born, some are drawn…
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 suspect it might have something to do with the magical world of Chroma and the wicked Mr White’s plot to wipe out colour, art and creativity. It’s time to head back to the Illustrated City and help the resistance fight back.
Rob Biddulph is a bestselling and multi awardwinning author/illustrator. He is the author of many highly, acclaimed, awardwinning picture books, including Blown Away, GRRRRR!, Odd Dog Out, Sunk, Kevin, Show and Tell, Dog Gone and the Dinosaur Juniors series. 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. In 2020 he broke the Guinness World Record for the largest ever online art class when 45,611 people tuned in to his live #DrawWithRob YouTube class.
No tickets required!
Tuesday 20th September 2022 3.30pm - 4.30pmVillage Books, 1D Calton Avenue, Dulwich, SE21 7DE
An Evening with Adam Kay
Village Books and James Allen’s Girls’ School are delighted to welcome bestselling author Adam Kay to Dulwich.
This is Going to Hurt was the publishing phenomenon of the century, read by many millions, and adapted into a major TV series. But it was only part of the story.
Undoctored is the follow up book, and Adam’s funniest and most moving book yet. He reflects on what’s happened since hanging up his scrubs and examines a life inextricably bound up with medicine. Battered and bruised from his time on the NHS frontline, Kay looks back, moves forwards and opens up some old wounds.
Adam Kay is an award-winning writer and comedian. His debut book, This is Going to Hurt, is a literary sensation: a Sunday Times number one bestseller for over a year, and winning a record-breaking four National Book Awards, it has sold over 2.5 million copies making it the bestselling UK narrative non- fiction book of the 21st century.
This event will be followed by a book signing.
Tickets:
Ticket & Book: £35 (Includes a copy of Undoctored, book RRP £22)
Two Tickets & One Book £50 (Includes one copy of Undoctored, book RRP £22)Book tickets HERE
Wednesday 14th September 2022 7.30pmVWA, James Allen's Girls' School, 144 East Dulwich Grove, London, SE22 8TE
An Evening with Maggie O'Farrell
Maggie O’Farrell is a bestselling and award-winning author. She has written eight novels and in 2020 her novel Hamnet won the Women’s Prize for Fiction. Maggie will be discussing her latest novel The Marriage Portrait with journalist Hannah Beckerman.
The Marriage Portrait brings to life Florence in the 1560s as Maggie tells the tale of Lucrezia, third daughter of Cosimo de’ Medici. When Lucrezia’s sister dies on the eve of marriage to Alfonso d’Este, ruler of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio, Lucrezia is thrust into the limelight. Alfonso quickly asks for her hand in marriage and Lucrezia faces court life for the first time.
As Lucrezia sits in uncomfortable finery for the painting which is to preserve her image for centuries to come, one thing becomes worryingly clear. In the court’s eyes, she has one duty: to provide the heir who will shore up the future of the Ferrarese dynasty. Until then, for all of her rank and nobility, the new duchess’s future hangs entirely in the balance.
With the drama which she illuminated Shakespeare’s world, Maggie brings Renaissance Italy to life and offers an unforgettable portrait of a resilient young woman’s battle for her survival.
Maggie O’Farrell’s novels include The Hand That First Held Mine, Instructions For A Heatwave, and The Distance Between Us.
This event will be followed by a book signing.
Tickets:
Book & Ticket £35 (Includes a copy of The Marriage Portrait, book RRP £25)
Standard Ticket £20
Concession £15Book tickets HERE
Thursday 1st September 2022 7.30pmThe MCT at Alleyn's, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
The Magic Faraway Tree: A New Adventure by Jacqueline Wilson – BOOK SIGNING
This is your chance to meet Jacqueline Wilson as she signs copies of her new book (and the first in the series by an author other than Enid Blyton) The Magic Faraway Tree: A New Adventure.
Milo, Mia and Birdy are on a countryside holiday with their parents when they wander into the Enchanted Wood. Among the whispering leaves, there is a beautiful tree that stands high above the rest. They soon discover that the Magic Faraway Tree is home to some remarkable creatures, including a fairy called Silky, her best friend Moonface and a whole host of talking animals. Together the siblings explore the Faraway Tree and the extraordinary places they discover above it, including the Land of Unicorns, the Land of Bouncy Castles and the Land of Princes and Princesses.
“I had such fun writing a brand-new Faraway Tree book. I read the three original Enid Blyton books many times as a child, marvelled at all the adventures and wished I could be Silky’s best friend and share Moonface’s toffee shocks. It’s a privilege to be able to write about Enid Blyton’s iconic characters and invent new children and magical creatures of my own for new readers to enjoy.”
In a gorgeous hardback package beautifully illustrated throughout by Mark Beech, this is a book that will be treasured by existing Faraway Tree fans of all generations, as well as readers who are discovering the magic of the Faraway Tree for the first time
Ticket Price: £12.99 (includes a signed copy of The Magic Faraway Tree: A New Adventure)
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Parents accompanying their children do not require a ticket.
We want all fans to have the best possible experience meeting Jacqueline. In the interest of the limited time available and to maximise the number of readers that Jacqueline can meet, the following terms and conditions will be in effect for this book signing. We are putting these rules in place for the safety and enjoyment of everyone involved.
Please respect each other and Jacqueline on the day. Be kind to each other and take the opportunity whilst in line to make some friends. We look forward to seeing you there!
Terms and conditions:
You will be required to show your ticket on the day of the event, to gain entry, and as proof of purchase. Please keep your ticket in a safe place. Your ticket is single-use only and will be scanned on arrival at the bookshop.
To avoid disappointment, we must stress there will be no opportunity to meet Jacqueline without a ticket.
Should you not receive your e-ticket confirmation email please contact events@village-books.co.uk quoting your booking reference.
Due to the anticipated high turn-out, please come prepared to queue – we will aim to keep you updated on your waiting time which may be around an hour. You will need to queue outside on Calton Avenue so please do come dressed appropriately for the weather and keep hydrated. Our shop is small so to keep everyone safe we’ll be letting you in a few at a time.
Ticket holders will receive their copy of the book at the bookshop. Jacqueline is very happy to sign extra copies of The Magic Faraway Tree. Extra copies can be purchased in the bookshop when you present your ticket at the counter.
Jacqueline is very sorry but in the time allowed she will only be signing copies of The Magic Faraway Tree: A New Adventure at this event. Please don’t bring along other books from home, as they will not be signed.
For health and safety reasons Jacqueline will not be participating in any posed photos. We request that customers stay in front of the signing table. You are welcome to take photos of Jacqueline while she is signing.
Please note the event may be filmed of photographed, as an attendee you consent to footage and/or images of you being used for promotional purposes.
If you have further questions, please contact: events@village-books.co.uk
Monday 30th May 2022 3pmVillage Books, 1D Calton Avenue, Dulwich, SE21 7DE
Russia: Revolution and Civil War 1917-1921 by Antony Beevor
We’re delighted to be welcoming bestselling author Antony Beevor back to Dulwich in May! Antony will be discussing his new book Russia: Revolution and Civil War 1917-1921 with Sam Leith, Literary Editor of The Spectator magazine.
Between 1917 and 1921 a devastating struggle took place in Russia following the collapse of the Tsarist empire. Many regard this savage civil war as the most influential event of the modern era. An incompatible White alliance of moderate socialists and reactionary monarchists stood little chance against Trotsky’s Red Army and Lenin’s single-minded Communist dictatorship. Terror begat terror, which in turn led to even greater cruelty with man’s inhumanity to man, woman and child. The struggle became a world war by proxy as Churchill deployed weaponry and troops from the British Empire, while armed forces from the United States, France, Italy, Japan, Poland and Czechoslovakia played rival parts.
Using the most up to date scholarship and archival research, Antony Beevor, author of the acclaimed international bestseller Stalingrad, assembles the complete picture in a gripping narrative that conveys the conflict through the eyes of everyone from the worker on the streets of Petrograd, to the cavalry officer on the battlefield and the woman doctor in an improvised hospital.
Antony Beevor’s books have been appeared in thirty-three languages and sold over eight million copies. Antony’s last book Arnhem: The Battle for the Bridges, 1944 was an instant Sunday Times bestseller.
Tickets:
Book & Ticket £40 (includes a copy of Russia: Revolution and Civil War 1917-1921 by Antony Beevor, RRP £30)
Standard ticket £15
Concessions £12Book tickets HERE
Tuesday 24th May 2022 7.30pmThe Great Hall, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
Crime novel panel with Abigail Dean, author of Girl A and Louise Candlish, author of Our House
A Dulwich Festival Event
Sunday Times bestselling author Louise Candlish, winner of the British Book Awards 2019 Crime and Thriller Book of the Year for her novel Our House, will be talking about her latest release, The Heights, a twisty revenge thriller. She will be joined by Abigail Dean, whose debut novel, Girl A immediately became a New York Times and Sunday Times Bestseller in 2021. Girl A tells the story of Lex, better known to the world as Girl A, who escaped her family home where she and her siblings were held captive by their parents.
Tickets: £10, plus booking fee
Book tickets HERE
Sunday 22nd May 2022 7.30pmThe Old Library, Dulwich College, SE21 7LD
Melissa Hemsley: Feel Good
A Dulwich Festival Event
Join Melissa Hemsley, bestselling author of Eat Happy and Eat Green, discussing her latest recipe book Feel Good with Felicity Cloake, Guardian food writer. Melissa will also bring a sweet treat from the book for the audience.
Feel Good contains 100 easy and uplifting recipes to help you feel your best, whether it’s a quick dinner after a long day, cook-ahead lunches to see you through the week or a heart warming tray bake for an evening of comfort and nourishment.
Tickets: £10, plus booking fee
Book tickets HERE
Sunday 22nd May 2022 10.30amThe Auditorium, Dulwich College, SE21 7LD
FREE EVENT! Sustainable Play: 60+ cardboard crafts and games for an earth-kind home by Sydney Piercey
Filled with 60+ creative, accessible and plastic-free projects and play ideas, Sustainable Play is packed with crafts and games to enjoy with your children on slow, rainy or drawbridge days at home. Sydney provides you with budget-friendly, easy-to-follow ideas to play and create in this handbook, inspired by her family’s love of the simple things.
From step-by-step projects to create magical toys from your leftover cereal boxes to joy-filled games using everyday objects from around your home, Sustainable Play will equip you with the inspiration you need to entertain your children in a creative, stimulating and sustainable way – being kind to the planet in the process.
‘I adore Sydney’s approach to play… good for our planet, and good for our souls too.’ – Daisy Upton, author of Five Minute Mum
*This is a free drop in session. Sydney will be at Village Books on Saturday 21st May from 2pm to 3.30pm and will be demonstrating some of the games in her book. Do drop by and say hello to Sydney!*
Saturday 21st May 2022 2pmUntil Saturday 21st May 2022Village Books, 1D Calton Avenue, Dulwich, SE21 7DE
Monica Ali - Love Marriage
A Dulwich Festival Event
Join Monica Ali, author of the critically acclaimed Brick Lane, in discussing Love Marriage, her first novel in a decade, with John Mullan, Lord Northcliffe Professor of Modern English Literature at University College London.
Tickets: £10, plus booking fee
Book tickets HERE
Wednesday 18th May 2022 7.30pmSt Barnabas Church, 40 Calton Ave, Dulwich Village SE21 7DG
Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers
A Dulwich Festival Event
Join Dulwich Festival and Village Books for an evening with Clare Chambers, author of the hugely successful novel Small Pleasures, which featured on the Women’s Prize Longlist in 2021.
Small Pleasures is an unforgettable tale of genuine, grown-up romantic anguish set in the suburbs of South East London in the late 1950s. Jean Swinney is a journalist on a local paper, trapped in a life of duty and disappointment from which there is no likelihood of escape.When a young woman, Gretchen Tilbury, contacts the paper to claim that her daughter is the result of a virgin birth, it is down to Jean to discover whether she is a miracle or a fraud. As the investigation turns her quiet life inside out, Jean is suddenly given an unexpected chance at friendship, love and – possibly – happiness.
But there will, inevitably, be a price to pay.Tickets: £15 (includes a glass of wine), plus booking fee
Book tickets HERE
Monday 16th May 2022 7.30pmBell House, 27 College Road, SE21 7BG
The Wood That Built London by Chris Schuler
It is hard to imagine that the busy townscape of South London was once a great wood, stretching almost seven miles from Croydon to Deptford or that, scattered through the suburbs, from Dulwich to Norwood, a number of oak woodlands have survived since before the Norman Conquest.
Join Village Books and Alleyn’s School Enterprises for an evening with Chris Schüler who will be discussing his book The Wood That Built London, a compelling narrative history that charts the fortune of the North Wood from the earliest times: it’s ecology, ownership, management, and its gradual encroachment by the expanding metropoli.
‘In this meticulously researched yet accessible work, historian C J Schüler brings to life a largely forgotten slice of the capital’s topography.’ Geographical Magazine
Chris Schüler is the author of three illustrated histories of cartography: Mapping the World, Mapping the City and Mapping the Sea and Stars and co-author of the best-selling Traveller’s Atlas. Schüler has also written for The Independent, The Independent on Sunday, The Financial Times and New Statesman.
Tickets:
£10 Standard Ticket
£8 Concessions
£25 Book & Ticket. (Includes a copy of The Wood That Built London. Book RRP £19.99)Book tickets HERE
Wednesday 23rd March 2022 7.30pmLower School, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
Perfectly Imperfect Puppy by 'The Dogfather' Graeme Hall
The ultimate life changing programme for training a well behaved, happy dog by ‘The Dogfather’ Graeme Hall
When raising a puppy, we all want to make sure we’re doing it right, but sometimes the unrealistic expectations of perfection can be overwhelming. Bringing up a puppy who’s imperfectly perfect for you makes much more sense. With a huge proportion of the UK now spending a lot more time at home with their newly acquired pups, the nation has never needed the Dogfather’s advice more. In his brand new book, Graeme Hall ‘The Dogfather’, outlines his tried and tested programme to training well behaved, happy puppies.
Having worked with over 5,000 dogs, Graeme Hall has a unique understanding of the early developmental period. Now he is here to help with his stress free guide to training and caring for your puppy, so they grow into a contented, well adjusted dog. From choosing the right puppy for your lifestyle (including the benefits of a rescue or disabled puppy) and preparing for them to come home, to the crucial socialisation period, early training and adolescence, Graeme covers everything you need to know. All whilst providing useful insight and research into puppy behaviour which will prevent problems later in life.
Tickets:
Book & Ticket £22.50 (Book RRP £14.99)
Standard Ticket £10
Concessions £8Book tickets HERE
Friday 18th March 2022 7.30pmThe MCT at Alleyn's, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
An Evening with Radio 4's Justin Webb
Join Village Books and Alleyn’s School Enterprises for an evening with Radio 4’s Justin Webb where he will be discussing his memoir The Gift of a Radio: My Childhood and Other Train Wrecks.
Justin’s childhood was far from ordinary: Between his mother’s undiagnosed psychological problems, and his step-father’s untreated ones, his life at home was dysfunctional. Life at a Quaker boarding school wasn’t much better with gun-wielding school masters and sub-standard living conditions.
And the backdrop to this coming of age story? Britain in the 1970s. Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin and Free. Strikes, inflation and IRA bombings. A time in which attitudes towards mental illness, parenting and masculinity were worlds apart from the attitudes we have today.
Candid, unsparing and darkly funny, Justin Webb’s memoir is a portrait of personal and national dysfunction. Was it the brutal experiences of his upbringing, or an innate ambition and drive that shaped the urbane and successful radio presenter we know and love now?
‘Justin is a great broadcaster because he sounds like a real human being. This hugely entertaining book helps explain why’. John Humphrys
Justin Webb is the longest serving presenter of BBC Radio 4 Today programme. For almost 40 years he has been a voice on the airwaves or a presence on our TV screens. He has reported from around the world and has won several awards including Political Journalist of the Year for his coverage of the Obama presidential campaign.
Book & Ticket £25 (Book RRP £16.99)
Ticket only £10
Concessions £8Book tickets HERE
Thursday 24th February 2022 7.30pmThe MCT at Alleyn's, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
The Fell by Sarah Moss
At dusk on a November evening in 2020 a woman slips out of her garden gate and turns up the hill. Kate is in the middle of a two-week quarantine period, but she just can’t take it any more – the closeness of the air in her small house, the confinement. And anyway, the moor will be deserted at thistime. Nobody need ever know.
But Kate’s neighbour Alice sees her leaving and Matt, Kate’s son, soon realizes she’s missing. And Kate, who planned only a quick solitary walk – a breath of open air – falls and badly injures herself. What began as a furtive walk has turned into a mountain-rescue operation…
Uncannily observed, suspenseful, witty and profoundly humane, The Fell asks probing questions about the place the world has become since March 2020, and the place it was before.
Sarah Moss is the author of eight novels including the Sunday Times top ten bestseller Summerwater, and Ghost Wall, which was longlisted for the Women’s Prize. She has also written a memoir of her year living in Iceland. She was born in Glasgow and grew up in the north of England. After moving between Oxford, Canterbury, Reykjavik, Cornwall and the Midlands, she now lives in Dublin, where she teaches English and creative writing at UCD.
Tickets from £8
Book tickets HERE
All tickets includes a *free* glass of sparkling wineThursday 25th November 2021 7.30pmBell House, 27 College Rd, London SE21 7BG
A Spotter’s Guide to Countryside Mysteries by John Wright - CANCELLED
*UPDATE – 22ND NOVEMBER*
Due to unforeseen circumstances we have sadly decided to cancel this event. A full refund will be issued and more information will be sent via email from the MCT at Alleyn’s School.
Take a walk in the countryside and so many questions come up. Why is this field laid out the way it is? What is the mass of twigs in the middle of this tree? What is the enormous bulge on the trunk of that tree? Sit down for a rest and you might ponder why a traditionally green grass grows a white sheath on its stem. And what of the fuzzy red balls on roses? Or choke (one of the commonest fungi on the planet but how would you recognise it? And what does cause a ‘fairy ring’ anyway?
One of Britain’s best-known naturalists, John Wright provides a thrilling guide to the natural (and unnatural) mysteries of the countryside throughout the UK and Ireland. He provides the tools to identify Witch’s Broom, Robin’s Pincushion, Dew ponds and Hollow Ways, and also their histories, how they come to be, and where to find them.
John Wright is a naturalist and one of Great Britain’s best known field mycologists. His most recent books include four books in the River Cottage Handbook series, A Natural History of the Hedgerow and The Forager’s Calendar.
Tickets from £10
Buy tickets HERETuesday 23rd November 2021 7.30pmLower School, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
Gangsta Granny Strikes Again! by David Walliams - BOOK SIGNING
Your chance to meet bestselling author, David Walliams as he signs copies of his first ever sequel Gangsta Granny Strikes Again!
Gangsta Granny Strikes Again! is an extraordinarily brilliant and rollicking mystery adventure illustrated by artistic genius, Tony Ross, and the sequel to the much-loved and bestselling Gangsta Granny which is celebrating its 10th anniversary year.
Expect the unexpected in this wonderfully entertaining and laugh-out-loud escapade, which will have readers on the edge of their seats as they join Ben on his quest to unravel the mystery of the return of The Black Cat.
Ticket Price: £14.99 includes a copy of Gangsta Granny Strikes Again! (RRP £14.99) and an exclusive Gangsta Granny swag bag.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Parents accompanying their children do not require a ticket.
We want all fans to have the best possible experience meeting David. In the interest of the limited time available and to maximise the number of readers that David can meet, the following terms and conditions will be in effect for this book signing. We are putting these rules in place for the safety and enjoyment of everyone involved.
Please respect each other and David on the day. Be kind to each other and take the opportunity whilst in line to make some friends. We look forward to seeing you there (costumes encouraged)!
Terms and conditions:
You will be required to show your ticket on the day of the event (which will be exchanged for a wristband), to gain entry, and as proof of purchase. Please keep your ticket in a safe place. Your ticket is single-use only and will be scanned on arrival at the bookshop.
To avoid disappointment, we must stress there will be no opportunity to meet David without a ticket.
Should you not receive your e-ticket confirmation email please contact events@village-books.co.uk quoting your booking reference.
Due to the anticipated high turn-out, please come prepared to queue – we will aim to keep you updated on your waiting time which may be around an hour. You will need to queue outside on Calton Avenue so please do come dressed appropriately for the weather and keep hydrated. Our shop is small so to keep everyone safe we’ll be letting you in a few at a time.
Ticket holders will receive their copy of the book and goody bag at the bookshop.
David Walliams is very sorry but, in the time, allowed he will only be able to sign one book per person, per ticket holder. Sadly, he cannot add dedications.A photo opportunity will be available with David by the signing table, so please feel free to bring your cameras! Our team will be on hand to take your camera/phone to get a photo of you with David whilst he signs your book. Please note only ONE photo per family permitted due to timing restrictions.
All our team handling books/cameras are double-vaccinated, and will wear masks on the day
Please note the event may be filmed of photographed, as an attendee you consent to footage and/or images of you being used for promotional purposes.
If you have further questions, please contact: events@village-books.co.uk
Tuesday 16th November 2021 4pmVillage Books, 1D Calton Avenue, Dulwich, SE21 7DE
An Evening with Dame Eileen Atkins
Join us for an evening with Dame Eileen Atkins where she will be discussing her new memoir: Will She Do?
Will She Do? is the story of a girl from a council estate in Tottenham, born in 1934 to an electric meter reader and a seamstress, who was determined to be an actress.
Candid and witty, this memoir takes Atkins from her awkward performances in working men’s clubs at six years of age as dancing ‘Baby Eileen’, through the war years in London, to her breakthrough at thirty two on Broadway with The Killing of Sister George, for which she received the first of four Tony Award nominations.
Made a Dame in 1991, Eileen Atkins has been on American and British stage and screen since 1957 and has won an Emmy, a BAFTA and is a three time Olivier Award winner. She has appeared in television and films ranging from Doc Martin to Cranford to The Crown. She also co created Upstairs, Downstairs and wrote the screenplay for Mrs Dalloway.
‘She is the cur’s cods, the terrier’s testicles, the business. I will go farther and declare that Atkins is the finest actor appearing in the world right now’ the late A. A. Gill
Tickets from £12
Book tickets HEREThursday 4th November 2021 7.30pmThe MCT at Alleyn's, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
An Evening with Alexander McCall Smith (LIVE STREAM EVENT)
Join us for an evening in with the fantastic Alexandar McCall Smith, who be discussing the latest instalment in THE NO. 1 LADIES’ DETECTIVE AGENCY and his new stand alone novel.
The Joy and Light Bus Company
Mma Ramotswe knows she is very lucky indeed. She has a loving family, good friends and a thriving business doing what she enjoys most: helping people. But the latest mystery she is called upon to solve is distinctly trickier than it initially appears, and, of course, there’s plenty to handle in her personal life between Charlie and his new bride and Mma Makutsi and her talking shoes.
In the end, Mma Ramotswe’s patience and common-sense will win out, and, without a doubt, all will be the better for it.
The Pavilion in the Clouds
It is 1938 and the final days of the British Empire. In a bungalow high up in the green hills above the plains of Ceylon, under a vast blue sky, live the Ferguson family: Bella, a precocious eight-year-old; her father Henry – owner of Pitlochry, a tea plantation – and her mother Virginia. The story centres around the Pavilion in the Clouds, set in the idyllic grounds carved out of the wilderness. But all is not as serene as it seems. Bella is suspicious of her governess, Miss White’s intentions. Her suspicion sparks off her mother’s imagination and after an unfortunate series of events, a confrontation is had with Miss White and a gunshot rings off around the hills.
Years later, Bella, now living back in Scotland at university in St Andrews, is faced, once again with her past. Will she at last find out what happened between her Father and Miss White? And will the guilt she has lived with all these years be reconciled by a long over-due apology?
Tickets from £8
Book tickets HEREThursday 28th October 2021 7pm
The 143-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths (LIVE STREAM EVENT)
Joining us live from his writing room in Australia, best-selling author Andy Griffiths is ready to make half-term that little bit sillier!
Andy and Terry have added thirteen new levels to their Treehouse (it used to be 130 storeys, but it keeps on growing!) including a word-o-matic (it knows every word in the whole world!); a recycling depot; a wrecking ball; a deep, dark cave with a real live, fire-breathing dragon; a complaining room; a spooky graveyard (where it’s always midnight, even in the middle of the day); and a camping ground where you can have a nice, relaxing camping holiday.
Andy’s been a bit stressed, so Terry has decided the perfect way for them to relax is to head up to their new camping ground level for a much-needed holiday. But it turns out to be not quite as relaxing as Terry originally planned. . .
Terry forgets to pack the tent and the food, their attempt at fishing ends in disaster, the spooky campfire stories are a little too spooky and then, to make matters worse, all of Andy’s fellow campers start mysteriously disappearing.
Can Andy brave the dark, dark woods and rescue them in time to finish writing their next book?
Ticket Only £5 – this ticket will give you access to the live stream event only
Book & Ticket £12.99 – this ticket will give you access to the live stream event, a copy of 143-Storey Treehouse (RRP £12.99) and A FREE COPY of The Treehouse Fun Book (RRP £6.99)
Book tickets HERETuesday 26th October 2021 9.30am
Draw with Rob!
Village Books and Alleyn’s School Enterprises are delighted to be welcoming award-winning and record-breaking author and illustrator Rob Biddulph to Dulwich!
Rob will be celebrating the publication of the first book in his brand new middle-grade series for boys and girls: Peanut Jones and the Illustrated City. Fizzing with magic, danger, friendship and art, this exciting and funny adventure is just what you would expect from the creative genius behind #DrawWithRob.
Join us to take part in a live Draw with Rob session, hear him talk about Peanut Jones and the Illustrated City, as well as his latest picture book An Odd Dog Christmas.
Rob Biddulph was the official World Book Day Illustrator for 2019, 2020 and 2021. He is the author of many award-winning picture books, including Blown Away, GRRRRR!, Odd Dog Out, Sunk and more. In March 2020 he started #DrawWithRob, a series of twice-weekly draw-along videos designed to help parents whose children were forced to stay home from school due to the Covid 19 pandemic. #DrawWithRob became an internet sensation, garnering national and international media coverage, and has been used as a learning resource by thousands of families across the globe. In 2020 he broke the Guinness World Record for the largest ever online art class when 45,611 people tuned in to his live #DrawWithRob YouTube class.
Tickets from £8
Book tickets HERESunday 17th October 2021 3pmThe MCT at Alleyn's, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love by Yotam Ottolenghi and Noor Murad
Join Village Books and Alleyn’s School Enterprises for an evening with bestselling author Yotam Ottolength and Noor Murad to celebrate the publication of the first book in a new series Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love.
Yotam and Noor will be demonstrating recipes from the book while chatting to author and journalist Felicity Cloake.
The series of Ottolenghi Test Kitchen (OTK) books was born out of lockdown. The world changed, the way people cooked changed and as chefs, Yotam, Noor and the OTK team changed too. The book is a combination of all that is Ottolenghi but focuses on raiding your kitchen cupboard, fridges and freezers and using what you have to produce inventive, Ottolenghi-fied meals.
Shelf Love is filled with practical solutions for ingredient swaps and recipe tweaks. It is everything we know and love about Ottolenghi but with a stripped back approach. The Ottolenghi team will teach you about how to utilise what you have in your kitchen to put a delicious meal on the table.
At the core of Shelf Love are three key elements – Flexibility: to make a recipe your own using the condiments you have, Creativity: adding test kitchen twists and tricks to explore unique flavour combinations, and Relatability: food that is comforting yet still hold the familiar ‘Ottolenghi’ flavourd that people know and love.
This event is in partnership with Alleyn’s School Enterprises
THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT.
Please contact boxoffice@alleyns.org.uk to be added to the waiting list.Thursday 14th October 2021 7.30pmThe MCT at Alleyn's, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
Bake-along Live with Jane’s Patisserie (LIVE STREAM EVENT)
The next best thing to having Jane’s Patisserie with you in your kitchen!
Whether you’re a first-time baker or a professional pâtissier, Jane’s signature style of baking is for everyone, to share, inspire and spread a little joy.
In this exclusive event, Instagram sensation Jane will lead you through her one of her iconic bakes, but in typical Jane fashion she will customise the recipe, featuring a new spin on an old classic.
Follow along in real time from the comfort of your own kitchen and end up with new baking knowledge and a delicious Sticky Toffee Brownie to enjoy with your family and friends (or to keep to yourself!).
Ahead of the event, you will receive your ingredients list so you can ensure you have everything ready for the bake-along.
Tickets from £15
Book tickets HEREMonday 27th September 2021 7.30pm
An Evening with Dame Joan Bakewell (LIVE STREAM EVENT)
When Joan Bakewell, Labour Peer, author and famous champion of the older people’s right to a good and fruitful life, decided that she could no longer remain in her old home, she had to confront what she calls ‘the next segment of life.’ So much of the world is on the move – voluntarily or not – and so many people are living to a great old age. In using the tale of her own life, Joan Bakewell tells us a story of our times and how she is learning to live to the sound and tune of The Tick of Two Clocks: the old and the new.
Joan Bakewell says: ‘Old age is no longer a blip in the calendar, just a few declining years before the end. Old age is now a major and important part of life: It should command as much thought – even anxiety – as teenagers give to exam results and young marrieds how many children to have . . . I am in my 80s and moving towards the end of my life. But in a more actual sense, I have moved from my dear home of 50 odd years into another . . . the home where I will be until the end. Writing here of how it has happened is in a sense a reconciliation with what cannot be avoided, but which can be confronted’.
Tickets from £8
*Signed copies available*
Book tickets HERETuesday 14th September 2021 7.30pm
A Curious Absence of Chickens: A journal of life, food and recipes from Puglia by Sophe Grigson (LIVE STREAM EVENT)
‘Puglia is a region I wanted to get to know intimately, to understand culture, life, history and geography, reflecting through the prism of the food that’s put on the tables of locals and tourists, too. I’m reminded of my 20-year old self, scribbling in notebooks as I first travelled through Italy’s south, only this time I’m back to stay.’
After her children grew up and left home, Sophie Grigson found herself living alone. About to turn 60, she took the decision to sell or give away most of her belongings, to pack up her car and to drive to Puglia on her own to start a new life. In a part of Italy where she didn’t know anyone, having last visited the region 40 years ago, this narrative book of food writing, stories and recipes brings to life the region, its food and the local characters that she meets along the way.
This is a book about courage, hope, new horizons and, above all, delicious food.
Tickets from £8
Book tickets HERETuesday 7th September 2021 7.30pm
Poison For Breakfast by Lemony Snicket (LIVE STREAM EVENT)
Calling all Lemony Snicket fans, young and old!
A brand-new book from the bestselling author of A Series of Unfortunate Events – a cautionary tale about his own demise.
For more than twenty years, Lemony Snicket has led millions of young readers through a mysterious world of bewildering questions and unfortunate events. With this latest book – a love letter to readers young and old about the vagaries of real life – long-time fans and new readers alike will experience Snicket’s distinctive voice in a new way.
This true story – as true as Lemony Snicket himself – begins with a puzzling note under his door: You had poison for breakfast. Following a winding trail of clues to solve the mystery of his own demise, Snicket takes us on a thought-provoking tour of his predilections…
Tickets from £6
Book tickets HERESunday 5th September 2021 6.30pm
House of Music by Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason (live stream event)
Seven brothers and sisters. All of them classically trained musicians. One was Young Musician of the Year and performed for the royal family. The eldest has released her first album, showcasing the works of Clara Schumann. These siblings don’t come from the rarefied environment of elite music schools, but from a state comprehensive in Nottingham. How did they do it?
Their mother, Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason, opens up about what it takes to raise a musical family in a Britain divided by class and race. What comes out is a beautiful and heartrending memoir of the power of determination, camaraderie and a lot of hard work. The Kanneh-Masons are a remarkable family. But what truly sparkles in this eloquent memoir is the joyous affirmation that children are a gift and we must do all we can to nurture them.
“Riveting, taking in prejudice as well as sacrifice. There are 4.30am starts, lost instruments, fractured wrists, all captured with vivid flourishes. A paean to camaraderie.” Observer
Tickets from £8
Book tickets HERETuesday 22nd June 2021 7.30pm
Yours Cheerfully by A J Pearce (Live Stream Event)
From the bestselling author of Dear Mrs Bird comes a sequel, Yours Cheerfully. An inspirational, funny, moving and uplifting story of courage at the height of World War II.
London, October 1941. Following the departure of the formidable Editor, Henrietta Bird, from Woman’s Friend magazine, things are looking up for Emmeline Lake as she takes on the challenge of becoming a young wartime advice columnist. Her relationship with boyfriend Charles, now stationed back in the UK, is blossoming, while Emmy’s best friend Bunty is still reeling from thevery worst of the Blitz, but bravely looking to the future. Together, the friends are determined to Make a Go of It.
When the Ministry of Information calls on Britain’s women’s magazines to help recruit desperately needed female workers to the war effort, Emmy is thrilled to be asked to step up and help. But when she and Bunty meet a young woman who shows them the very real challenges that women war-workers face, Emmy must tackle a life-changing dilemma between doing her duty, and standing by her friends.
Tickets from £6
Book tickets HEREMonday 21st June 2021 7.30pm
Clothes...And Other Things That Matter by Alexandra Shulman (Live Stream Event)
In Clothes… and other things that matter, Alexandra Shulman delves into her own life to look at the emotions, ambitions, expectations and meanings behind the way we dress.
From the bra to the bikini, the trench coat to trainers, she explores their meaning in women’s lives and how our wardrobes intersect with the larger world – the career ladder, motherhood, romance, sexual identity, ambition, failure, body image and celebrity.
By turns funny, refreshingly self-deprecating and often very moving, this startlingly honest memoir from the ex-Editor of British Vogue will encourage women of all ages to consider what their own clothes mean to them, the life they live in them and the stories they tell.
Tickets from £8
Book tickets HERETuesday 8th June 2021 7pm
Jane Lovett: Just One Pan (Live Stream Event)
Jane Lovett is known and loved for her delicious, original recipes that are always reassuringly fool-proof and deceptively straightforward.
Just One Pan is no exception – packed with over 100 exciting yet totally fuss-free recipes for everything from quick dinners to weekend lunches. This cookbook is bursting with bakes, casseroles, gratins, dhals, frittatas and hearty salads of every description, all of which are made using one pan, pot or dish. You’ll be sure to find inspiration for whatever you are in the mood for, alongside Jane’s much-loved Hints & Tips to help you get ahead in the kitchen.
No more endless washing up, or unnecessary hassle, just quick, achievable yet always impressive recipes to get fantastic and flavourful home-cooked food on the table, whatever the occasion.
Tickets from £8
Book tickets HERETuesday 25th May 2021 7.30pm
Award Wining Author Nadifa Mohamed in conversation with Riza Iqbal (Live Stream Event)
Village Books are delighted to be working with the Royal Society of Literature (and our good friends Chorleywood Bookshop and Sevenoaks Bookshop) on this event with award winning author Nadifa Mohamed who will be discussing her new novel The Fortune Men with BBC World Service presenter Razia Iqbal.
The story of a murder, a British miscarriage of justice, and a man too innocent for his times
Mahmood Mattan is a fixture in Cardiff’s Tiger Bay, 1952, which bustles with Somali and West Indian sailors, Maltese businessmen and Jewish families. He is a father, chancer, petty criminal. He is a smooth-talker with rakish charm and an eye for a good game. He is many things, but he is not a murderer.
So when a shopkeeper is brutally killed and all eyes fall on him, Mahmood isn’t too worried. Since his Welsh wife Laura kicked him out for racking up debts he has wandered the streets more often, and there are witnesses who allegedly saw him enter the shop that night. But Mahmood has escaped worse scrapes, and he is innocent in this country where justice is served. Love lends him immunity too: the fierce love of Laura, who forgives his gambling in a heartbeat, and his children. It is only in the run-up to the trial, as the prospect of returning home dwindles, that it will dawn on Mahmood that he is in a fight for his life – against conspiracy, prejudice and cruelty – and that the truth may not be enough to save him.
Tickets from £6
Book tickets HERETuesday 25th May 2021 7.30pm
Fall: The Mystery of Robert Maxwell by John Preston (Live Stream Event)
In February 1991, the media mogul and former MP Robert Maxwell made a triumphant entrance into Manhattan harbour aboard his yacht, the Lady Ghislaine, to complete his purchase of the ailing New York Daily News. Crowds lined the quayside to watch his arrival, taxi drivers stopped their cabs to shake his hand and children asked for his autograph. But just ten months later, Maxwell disappeared from the same yacht off the Canary Islands, only to be found dead in the water soon afterward.
Maxwell was the embodiment of Britain’s post-war boom. Born an Orthodox Jew, he had escaped the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, fought in World War 2, and was decorated for his heroism with the Military Cross. He went on to become a Labour MP and an astonishingly successful businessman. But on his death, his empire fell apart, as long-hidden debts and unscrupulous dealings came to light.
What went so wrong? In this gripping book, John Preston delivers the definitive account of Maxwell’s extraordinary rise and scandalous fall.
Tickets from £8
Book tickets HEREMonday 24th May 2021 7.30pm
The Well Gardened Mind with Sue Stuart-Smith (Live Stream Event)
How can gardening relieve stress and help us look after our mental health? What lies behind the restorative power of the natural world? In a powerful combination of contemporary neuroscience, psychoanalysis and brilliant storytelling, The Well Gardened Mind investigates the magic that many gardeners have known for years – working with nature can radically transform our health, wellbeing and confidence.
‘The wisest book I’ve read for many years. Much more than a gardening book, much more than a guide to better mental health, it is a wholly convincing story of how troubled minds might find a way of reconnecting to themselves and rebuilding confidence and hope by way of nature. Hugely recommended.’ Stephen Fry
Sue Stuart-Smith is a prominent psychiatrist and psychotherapist. She worked in the National Health Service for many years, becoming the lead clinician in psychotherapy in Hertfordshire.She is married to Tom Stuart-Smith, the celebrated garden designer, and, over 30 years together, they have created the wonderful Barn Garden in Hertfordshire.
Tickets from £6
Book tickets HEREWednesday 19th May 2021 7.30pm
Philip: The Final Portrait by Gyles Brandreth (Live Stream Event)
Philip: The Final Portrait is the story of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh – the longest–serving consort to the longest–reigning sovereign in British history. Building upon Gyles Brandreth’s acclaimed 2004 book Philip and Elizabeth, Portrait of a Marriage, this extraordinary account is fully revised, presenting new information about the last twenty years alongside previously unpublishedroyal correspondence. Written with unique insight and authority by an author who knew the prince for more than forty years, it is testament to an enduring friendship.
Philip: The Final Portrait tells the story of two contrasting lives, assesses the Duke of Edinburgh’s character and achievements, and explores the nature of his relationships with his wife, his children and their families –and with the press and public and those at court who were suspicious of him in the early days. It is a powerful, revealing and, ultimately, moving account of a long life and a remarkable royal partnership.
Tickets from £8
Book tickets HERETuesday 18th May 2021 7pm
An Evening with Sophie Hannah and Adele Geras (Live Stream Event)
Join mother and daughter Adele Geras and Sophie Hannah as they talk about their new books, writing careers, changing direction and how to insert a murder into a story.
Based on a real-life voyage, Dangerous Women by Hope Adams (Adele Geras) is a sweeping tale of confinement, hope and the terrible things we do to survive.
The Killings of Kingfisher Hall by Sophie Hannah see Poirot return to solve another muder mystery.
Book tickets HERE
Tickets from £6Monday 17th May 2021 7.30pm
Operation Pedestal by Max Hastings (Live Stream Event)
An epic, intimate new account of one of the greatest naval dramas of World War II, from number one bestselling historian Max Hastings.
In 1942, the Luftwaffe had a stranglehold on Malta. In the months of April and May, they dropped more bombs on the island than on London in the entire Blitz. British attempts to bring in supplies and reinforcements were failing with heavy losses, and the people on Malta were closing in on starvation as the Axis attempted to force their surrender.
Operation Pedestal saw an armada of fifty British ships, painstakingly loaded with food and medical supplies, ammunition and fuel, attempt to fight its way in convoy to the island. Over the course of a few fierce days, Britain scraped a victory and ensured Malta’s survival – though at the loss of a horrifying number of ships and lives. It was an emblematic moment when, in the cruel accountancy of war, the price was worth paying.
Book tickets HERE
*Free access to live stream event when you order a signed copy of Operational Pedestal*Thursday 13th May 2021 7.30pm
The Orwell Prize Longlist Conversation: Douglas Stuart, Madeleine Bunting and Ciaran Jenkins (Live Stream Event)
Join Douglas Stuart, Madeleine Bunting, Ciaran Jenkins and The Orwell Foundation as they discuss the political implications behind their Orwell-Prize longlisted work.
Douglas Stuart is longlisted for The Orwell Prize for Political Fiction 2021 for his Booker Prize winning book Shuggie Bain, and Madeleine Bunting is listed for the Political Writing prize for her book Labours of Love. Ciarian Jenkins has been longlisted for the Orwell Prize for Journalism.
The Orwell Prize longlists feature the finest political writing across non-fiction, fiction and journalism of last year: work that our judging panels believe best fulfils Orwell’s state ambition “to make political writing into an art.”
This event will be chaired by Nicci Gerrard.
Tickets from £8
Book tickets HERETuesday 11th May 2021 7pm
Exclusive Live Cook-Along with Rukmini Iyer (Live Stream Event)
Join us for a night-in like no other: a virtual cook-along with best-selling author of The Roasting Tin series, Rukmini Iyer. Follow live at home as Rukmini leads you through one of her wildly popular recipes – with step-by-step instructions and expert tips, it’s the next best thing to having her in your kitchen!
While your dish is in the oven Rukmini will be sitting down with Felicity Cloake to discuss the inspiration behind her Roasting Tin series, introduce her new book, The Green Barbecue, and answer questions.
You will be cooking from the Sunday Times bestseller The Green Roasting Tin, a collection of 75 effortless vegetarian and vegan recipes. You will receive your ingredients list a week before the event so you can stock up.
The cook-along will be a masterclass in Rukmini’s trademark style of fuss-free, flavour-focussed food. Hazel loves cooking from Rukmini’s books and The Roasting Tin Around the World has been one ofour bestselling books at the bookshop too!
Tickets from £10
Book tickets HEREMonday 10th May 2021 6.30pm
Letters to Camondo by Edmund De Waal (Live Stream Event)
63 rue de Monceau, Paris
Dear friend,
As you may have guessed by now, I am not in your house by accident. I know your street rather well.Count Moïse de Camondo lived a few doors away from Edmund de Waal’s forebears, the Ephrussi, first encountered in his bestselling memoir The Hare with Amber Eyes. Like the Ephrussi, the Camondos were part of belle époque high society. They were also targets of anti-semitism.
Camondo created a spectacular house and filled it with the greatest private collection of French eighteenth-century art for his son to inherit. But when Nissim was killed in the First World War, it became a memorial and, on the Count’s death, was bequeathed to France.
The Musée Nissim de Camondo has remained unchanged since 1936. Edmund de Waal explores the lavish rooms and detailed archives and uncovers new layers to the family story. In a haunting series of letters addressed to the Count, he tells us what happened next.
Tickets from £8
Books tickets HERE
**The first 50 people to buy a book and ticket option will received a dedicated signed copy of Letters to Camondo**Thursday 6th May 2021 7.30pm
Murder: A Biography with Kate Morgan (Live Stream Event)
The stories and the people involved in the history of murder are stranger, darker and more compulsive than any crime fiction. There’s Richard Parker, the cannibalized cabin boy whose death at the hands of his hungry crewmates led the Victorian courts to decisively outlaw a defence of necessity to murder. Dr Percy Bateman, the incompetent GP whose violent disregard for his patient changed the law on manslaughter. Ruth Ellis, the last woman hanged in England in the 1950s, played a crucial role in changes to the law around provocation in murder cases. And Archibald Kinloch, the deranged Scottish aristocrat whose fratricidal frenzy paved the way for the defence of diminished responsibility. These, and many more, are the people – victims, killers, lawyers and judges, who unwittingly shaped the history of that most grisly and storied of laws.
Join lawyer and writer Kate Morgan on a dark and macabre journey as she explores the strange stories and mysterious cases that have contributed to UK murder law.
Tickets from £6
Book tickets HEREWednesday 5th May 2021 7.30pm
An Evening with Ann Patchett and Emma Straub (Live Stream Event)
Join us for an evening with bestselling authors Ann Patchett and Emma Straub.
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
A story of two siblings, their childhood home, and a past that they can’t let go.
Like swallows, like salmon, we were the helpless captives of our migratory patterns. We pretended that what we had lost was the house, not our mother, not our father. We pretended that what we had lost had been taken from us by the person who still lived inside.
“Her finest novel yet” – Sunday Times
All Adults Here by Emma Straub
After Astrid Strick – a widowed, 68-year-old mother of three living in upstate New York – witnesses an accident she resolves to live more honestly, starting with the mistakes she made in raising her family.
But are her kids, tangled in their own messy adults lives, really ready to be treated like grown ups?
Tickets from £6
Book tickets HERETuesday 4th May 2021 7.30pm
The Power of Geography by Tim Marshall (Live Stream Event)
If you want to understand what’s happening in the world, look at a map.
Tim Marshall’s global bestseller Prisoners of Geography showed how every nation’s choices are limited by mountains, rivers, seas and concrete. Since then, the geography hasn’t changed, but the world has.
In this revelatory new book, Marshall takes us into ten regions that are set to shape global politics and power. Find out why the Earth’s atmosphere is the world’s next battleground; why the fight for the Pacific is just beginning; and why Europe’s next refugee crisis is closer than it thinks.
In ten chapters covering Australia, The Sahel, Greece, Turkey, the UK, Iran, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Spain and Space, delivered with Marshall’s trademark wit and insight, this is a lucid and gripping exploration of the power of geography to shape humanity’s past, present – and future.
Tickets from £6
Book tickets HEREWednesday 28th April 2021 7pm
An Evening with Clare Chambers and Rachel Joyce (Live Stream Event)
Join us for an evening with bestselling authors Clare Chambers and Rachel Joyce.
Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers: With the emotional intelligence of Maggie O’Farrell and the witty observational skills of Kate Atkinson, this is a novel of unexpected second chances set in 1950s England.
Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce: This is a story that is less about what can be found than the belief it might be found; it is an intoxicating adventure story but it is also about what it means to be a woman and a tender exploration of a friendship that defies all boundaries.
Book tickets HERE
Tickets from £6Monday 26th April 2021 7.30pm
Dermot O'Leary: Toto The Ninja Cat (Live Stream Event)
Toto is no ordinary cat, and she can’t wait for you to join her on her fourth ninja adventure!
Toto and her friends are due to be looking after the French ambassador on a day of sightseeing, finishing at the Tower of London to see the animal world’s crown jewels: a sacred diamond cat collar.
But when they arrive, the collar has disappeared – and what’s worse, it looks like Toto’s boss Larry is responsible, with Toto as his accomplice! Toto is almost arrested, but she escapes to try and get to the bottom of the mystery and clear her name.
She and her friends will have to follow some strange clues that will take them to a secret bookshop, Buckingham Palace and the rats’ underground city in the sewers… Can they defeat an unexpected villain and bring the thief to justice?
Book Tickets HERE
Tickets from £6Thursday 22nd April 2021 4.30pm
Money and Power with Vince Cable (Live Stream Event)
Through economics, our politicians have the power to transform people’s lives for better or worse. Deng Xiaoping who lifted millions out of poverty by opening up China; Franklin D Roosevelt whose ‘New Deal’ helped the USA break free of the Great Depression. Or Peron and his successors in Argentina who brought the country to the brink of ruin.
In Power and Money, Vince Cable examines the legacy of sixteen world leaders who transformed their countries’ economic fortunes and who also challenged economic convention. From Thatcher to Trump, from Lenin to Bismarck, Money and Power provides a whole new perspective on the science of government.
Book tickets HERE
Tickets from £8Thursday 22nd April 2021 7.30pm
Barbarossa with Jonathan Dimbleby (Live Stream Event)
Barbarossa, Hitler’s invasion of Russia in June 1941, was the largest military operation in history, its aim nothing less than ‘a war of extermination’ to annihilate Soviet communism, liquidate the Jews and create lebensraum for the so-called German master race. But it led to the destruction of the Third Reich, and was entirely cataclysmic.
In Barbarossa, drawing on hitherto unseen archival material – including previously untranslated Russian sources, Jonathan Dimbleby recounts not only the story of the military campaign, but the politics and diplomacy behind this epic clash of global titans.
Book tickets HERE
Tickets from £10Tuesday 20th April 2021 7.30pm
The Adventures of Miss Barbara Pym by Paula Byrne (Live Stream Event)
Acclaimed by Philip Larkin as the era’s own Jane Austen, this engrossing and shrewdly observed biography of Barbara Pym is the first to make full use of the Pym archives and sheds dramatic new light on both Pym the woman and the writer.
She was Pym to friends. Miss Pym in her diaries. Sandra in seduction mode. Pymska at her most sophisticated. She became beloved as one of the wittiest novelists of the late twentieth century, with an unparalleled ability for revealing the inner workings of domestic life. But who was Barbara Pym and why is this English writer – one of the great chroniclers of the human heart – not more widely known?
The Adventures of Miss Barbara Pym brings Pym back to centre-stage as one of the great English novelists: a courageous writer and brave woman with a hilarious sense of fun.
Tickets from £6
Book tickets HEREMonday 19th April 2021 7.30pm
All Dogs Great and Small by Graeme Hall (Live Stream Event)
Have you ever wished you could get the dogs in your life to behave better?
Graeme Hall ‘The Dogfather’, star of Channel 5’s Dogs Behaving (Very) Badly, imparts his wisdom on how to build the best relationship with your dog, told through the stories of some of the special dogs he’s loved and trained throughout his career.
A dog with behavioural issues is an unhappy dog (and likely has an unhappy owner). The good news is that everyone can learn to understand and communicate better with their dog. Through sharing the stories of some of the special dogs Graeme has loved or helped, All Dogs Great and Small will give you the tools to help your beloved pet and bring much-needed harmony to your home.
Tickets from £8
Book tickets HERETuesday 13th April 2021 7pm
Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson (Live Stream Event)
Two young people meet at a pub in South East London. Both are Black British, both won scholarships to private schools where they struggled to belong, both are now artists – he a photographer, she a dancer – trying to make their mark in a city that by turns celebrates and rejects them. Tentatively, tenderly, they fall in love. But two people who seem destined to be together can still be torn apart by fear and violence.
At once an achingly beautiful love story and a potent insight into race and masculinity, Open Water asks what it means to be a person in a world that sees you only as a Black body, to be vulnerable when you are only respected for strength, to find safety in love, only to lose it. With gorgeous, soulful intensity, Caleb Azumah Nelson has written the most essential British debut of recent years.
Tickets from £6
Book tickets HEREMonday 12th April 2021 7.30PM
Shearwater with Roger Morgan-Grenville (Live Stream Event)
Ten weeks into its life, a Manx shearwater chick will emerge from its burrow and fly 8,000 miles from the west coast of the British Isles to the South Atlantic. It will be unlikely to touch land again for four years.
Part memoir, part homage to wilderness, Shearwater traces the author’s 50-year obsession with one of nature’s supreme travellers. In the finest tradition of nature writing, Roger Morgan-Grenville, author of Liquid Gold – described by Mary Colwell (Curlew Moon) as ‘a book that ignites joy and warmth’ – unpicks the science behind its incredible journey; and into the story of a year in the shearwater’s life, he threads the inspirational influence of his Hebridean grandmother who instilled in him a love of wild places and wild animals.
Full of lightly-worn knowledge, acute human observation and self-deprecating humour, Shearwater brings to life a truly mysterious and charismatic bird.
Tickets from £6
Book tickets HEREThursday 8th April 2021 3pm
Draw with Rob Biddulph (Live Stream Event)
Pencils at the ready!
If you love drawing, then you won’t want to miss our brilliant build a story event with Rob Biddulph. Pick up your pencils and learn how to build your own story, and even create your own book, step-by-step.
With easy to follow instructions and warm-hearted humour, let Rob show you that anyone can learn to Draw with Rob!
Tickets from £10
Book tickets HEREWednesday 7th April 2021 9.30am
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell (Live Stream Event)
To celebrate the paperback publication of the award winning and bestselling Hamnet, we’re delighted to be welcoming Maggie O’Farrell back to Dulwich! Maggie will be discussing Hamnet with actress Emma Harding.
On a summer’s day in 1596, a young girl in Stratford-upon-Avon takes to her bed with a fever. Her twin brother, Hamnet, searches everywhere for help. Why is nobody at home? Their mother, Agnes, is over a mile away, in the garden where she grows medicinal herbs. Their father is working in London. Neither parent knows that one of the children will not survive the week.
Hamnet is a novel inspired by the son of a famous playwright. It is a story of the bond between twins, and of a marriage pushed to the brink by grief. It is also the story of a flea that boards a ship in Alexandria; a kestrel and its mistress; and a glovemaker’s son who flouts convention in pursuit of the woman he loves. Above all, it is a tender and unforgettable reimagining of a boy whose life has been all but forgotten, but whose name was given to one of the most celebrated plays ever written.
Books tickets HERE
Tickets from £8
Wednesday 7th April 2021 7pm
Dave Goulson: Gardening for Bumblebees (Live Stream Event)
From the Sunday Times bestselling author of A Sting In The Tale comes this practical guide to creating a paradise for pollinators.
There are twenty six different species of bumblebees to be found in the UK, of around 250 species worldwide. Bumblebees are among the most important of our insects; these superb pollinators ensure that wildflowers set seed and reappear each year, and that our vegetable and fruit crops give us bountiful harvests. With the decline in the populations of our wild bees, these beloved creatures need looking after more than ever.
Gardening for Bumblebees shows you how you can provide a refuge for bumblebees to feed, breed and thrive. No matter how large or small your space is, Dave Goulson shows you how you can make a pollinator-friendly haven. In this book you will learn the best trees, shrubs and flowers for pollinators, how to create the perfect nest and breeding site, and the best ways to control pests. Gardening For Bumblebees will encourage and inspire gardeners and allotmenters alike to make their patch more bee friendly.
Tickets from £6
Book tickets hereThursday 1st April 2021 7pm
Common Ground by Naomi Ishiguro (Live Stream Event)
Did you ever have a friend who made you see the world differently?
It’s a lonely life for Stan, at a new school that feels more ordeal than fresh start, and at home where he and his mother struggle to break the silence after his father’s death. When he encounters fearless, clever Charlie on the local common, all of that begins to change. Charlie’s curiosity is infectious, and it is Charlie who teaches Stan, for the first time, to stand on his own two feet. But will their unit of two be strong enough to endure in a world that offers these boys such different prospects?
The pair part ways, until their paths cross once again, as adults at a London party. Now Stan is revelling in all that the city has to offer, while Charlie seems to have hit a brick wall. He needs Stan’s help, and above all his friendship, but is Stan really there for the man who once showed him the meaning of loyalty?
Tickets from £6
Book tickets HEREWednesday 31st March 2021 7.30pm
The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd (Live Stream Event)
We’re delighted to to welcome bestselling author Sue Monk Kidd to our virtual stage, where she’ll be talking about her beautiful new novel The Book of Longings.
Ana is born in Galilee at a time when women are seen as possessions, only leaving their fathers’ homes to marry.
Ana longs to control her destiny. Taught to read despite her mother’s misgivings, she wants to be a writer and to find her own voice. A voice that will speak for the silenced women around her.
Betrothed to an elderly widower, Ana almost despairs. But an encounter with a charismatic young carpenter in Nazareth awakens new longings in her, and a different future opens up.
Yet this is not a simple love story. Ana’s journey will bring both joy and tragedy, but it will also be enriched by the female friendships she makes along the way.
The Book of Longings is an exquisite tale of dreams and desire, and of the power of women to change the world.
Tickets from £6
Book tickets HEREFor overseas postage plese contact the bookshop for a quote.
Monday 22nd March 2021 7.30pm
One Two Three Four with Craig Brown (Live Stream Event)
John Updike compared them to ‘the sun coming out on an Easter morning’. Bob Dylan introduced them to drugs. The Duchess of Windsor adored them. Noel Coward despised them. JRR Tolkien snubbed them. The Rolling Stones copied them. Loenard Bernstein admired them. Muhammad Ali called them ‘little sissies’. Successive Prime Ministers sucked up to them. No one has remained unaffected by the music of The Beatles. As Queen Elizabeth II observed on her golden wedding anniversary, ‘Think what we would have missed if we had never heard The Beatles.’
One Two Three Four traces the chance fusion of the four key elements that made up The Beatles: fire (John), water (Paul), air (George) and earth (Ringo). It also tells the bizarre and often unfortunate tales of the disparate and colourful people within their orbit, among them Fred Lennon, Yoko Ono, the Maharishi, Aunt Mimi, Helen Shapiro, the con artist Magic Alex, Phil Spector, their psychedelic dentist John Riley and their failed nemesis, Det Sgt Norman Pilcher.
From the bestselling author of Ma’am Darling comes a kaleidoscopic mixture of history, etymology, diaries, autobiography, fan letters, essays, parallel lives, party lists, charts, interviews, announcements and stories. One Two Three Four joyfully echoes the frenetic hurly-burly of an era.
Tickets from £6
Book tickets HEREWednesday 17th March 2021 7pm
One Pot, Pan, Planet with Anna Jones (Live Stream Event)
Award-winning cook Anna Jones blazes the trail again for how we all want to cook now: quick, sustainably and stylishly.
In this exciting new collection of over 200 simple recipes, Anna Jones limits the pans and simplifies the ingredients for all-in-one dinners that keep things fast and easy. These super varied every night recipes celebrate vegetables and deliver knock-out flavour but without taking time and energy.
There are one-tray dinners, like a baked dahl with tamarind-glazed sweet potato, quick dishes like tahini broccoli on toast, one-pot soups and stews like Persian noodle as well as one-pan fritters and pancakes such as golden rosti with ancho chilli chutney.
One brings together a way of eating that is mindful of the planet. Anna gives you practical advice and shows how every small change in planning, shopping and reducing waste will make a difference. There are also 100 recipes for using up any amount of your most-eaten veg and ideas to help you use the foods that most often end up being thrown away.
This book is good for you, your pocket and the planet.
Anna will be in conversation with Guardian journalist Felicity Cloake.
Tickets from £8
Book tickets HEREFor overseas postage plese contact the bookshop for a quote.
Monday 15th March 2021 7.30pm
Transient Desires by Donna Leon (Live Stream Event)
Join us for an evening in with bestselling crime writer Donna Leon, where we’ll be chatting all things Brunetti and of course her latest novel Transient Desires.
In his many years as a Commissario, Guido Brunetti has seen all manner of crime and known intuitively how to navigate the various pathways in his native Venice to discover the person responsible. Now, in the thirtieth novel in Donna Leon’s masterful series, he faces a heinous crime committed outside his jurisdiction. He is drawn in innocently enough: two young American women have been badly injured in a boating accident, joy riding in the Laguna with two young Italians. However, Brunetti’s curiosity is aroused by the behaviour of the young men, who abandoned the victims after taking them to the hospital. If the injuries were the result of an accident, why did they want to avoid association with it?
As Brunetti and his colleague, Claudia Griffoni, investigate the incident, they discover that one of the young men works for a man rumoured to be involved in more sinister night-time activities in the Laguna. To get to the bottom of what proves to be a gut-wrenching case, Brunetti needs to enlist the help of both the Carabinieri and the Guardia di Costiera. Determining how much trust he and Griffoni can put in these unfamiliar colleagues adds to the difficulty of solving a peculiarly horrible crime whose perpetrators are technologically brilliant and ruthlessly organised.
Tickets from £6
**The first 30 people to buy a copy of Transient Desires will receive a signed copy of the book**
Book tickets HEREFor overseas postage plese contact the bookshop for a quote.
Thursday 11th March 2021 7.30pm
Lisa Jewell - Invisible Girl (Live Stream Event)
Join us for a thrilling evening-in with bestselling author Lisa Jewell.
YOU DON’T SEE HER. BUT SHE SEES YOU…
MIDNIGHT: In an area of urban wasteland where cats hunt and foxes shriek, a girl is watching…
When Saffyre Maddox was ten, something terrible happened, and she’s carried the pain of it ever since. The man who she thought was going to heal her didn’t, and now she hides, learning his secrets, invisible in the shadows.
Owen Pick is invisible too. He’s never had a girlfriend; he’s never even had a friend. Nobody sees him. Nobody cares.
But when Saffyre goes missing from opposite his house on Valentine’s night, suddenly the whole world is looking at Owen.
Accusing him. Holding him responsible for Saffyre’s disappearance…
Tickets from £6
Book tickets HEREMonday 8th March 2021 7.30pm
Hadley Freeman: House of Glass (Live Stream Event)
After her grandmother died, Hadley Freeman travelled to her apartment to try and make sense of a woman she’d never really known. Sala Glass was a European expat in America – defiantly clinging to her French influences, famously reserved, fashionable to the end – yet to Hadley much of her life remained a mystery. Sala’s experience of surviving one of the most tumultuous periods in modern history was never spoken about.
When Hadley found a shoebox filled with her grandmother’s treasured belongings, it started a decade-long quest to find out their haunting significance and to dig deep into the extraordinary lives of Sala and her three brothers. The search takes Hadley from Picasso’s archives in Paris to a secret room in a farmhouse in Auvergne to Long Island and to Auschwitz.
A moving memoir following the Glass siblings throughout the course of the twentieth-century as they each make their own bid for survival, House of Glass explores assimilation, identity and home – issues that are deeply relevant today.
Tickets from £6
Book tickets HEREWednesday 3rd March 2021 7pm
Devilishly Dark Debuts (Live stream event)
Get ready for a gripping evening with three exciting debut authors. Ashley Audrain, Abigail Dean and Inga Vesper will be discussing their thrilling new books as part of our very first virtual ‘panel’ event. The event will be chaired by presenter and producer Joe Haddow
The Push by Ashley Audrain
‘I think she pushed him,’ I said to you quietly. ‘I think she pushed him . . .’ The arrival of baby Violet was meant to be the happiest day of my life. But as soon as I held her in my arms I knew something wasn’t right. I had always known that the women in my family aren’t meant to be mothers. My husband Fox says I’m imagining it. He tells me I’m nothing like my own mother, and that Violet is the sweetest child. But she’s different with me. Something feels very wrong.
Is it her? Or is it me? Is she the monster? Or am I?
Girl A by Abigail Dean
Girl A,’ she said. ‘The girl who escaped. If anyone was going to make it, it was going to be you.’
Lex Gracie doesn’t want to think about her family. She doesn’t want to think about growing up in her parents’ House of Horrors. And she doesn’t want to think about her identity as Girl A: the girl who escaped. When her mother dies in prison and leaves Lex and her siblings the family home, she can’t run from her past any longer. Together with her sister, Evie, Lex intends to turn the House of Horrors into a force for good. But first she must come to terms with her six siblings – and with the childhood they shared.
The Long, Long Afternoon by Inga Vespa
Yesterday, I kissed my husband for the last time . . .
It’s the summer of 1959, and the well-trimmed lawns of Sunnylakes, California, wilt under the sun. At some point during the long, long afternoon, Joyce Haney, wife, mother, vanishes from her home, leaving behind two terrified children and a bloodstain on the kitchen floor.
While the Haney’s neighbours get busy organising search parties, it is Ruby Wright, the family’s ‘help’, who may hold the key to this unsettling mystery. Ruby knows more about the secrets behind Sunnylakes’ starched curtains than anyone, and it isn’t long before the detective in charge of the case wants her help. But what might it cost her to get involved? In these long hot summer afternoons, simmering with lies, mistrust and prejudice, it could only take one spark for this whole ‘perfect’ world to set alight . . .
Tickets from £6
Book tickets HERETuesday 2nd March 2021 7.30pm
Launch Party - The Shadowy Third: Love, Letters, and Elizabeth Bowen by Julia Parry (Live Stream Event)
We’re delighted to invite you to the virtual launch party of The Shadowy Third: Love, Letters, and Elizabeth Bowen by Julia Parry!
Join us to celebrate the publication of this brilliant book on Thursday 25th February at 7pm. Julia will be in conversation with the Observer’s Genevieve Fox.
A sudden death in the family delivers Julia a box of love let te rs. Dusty with age, they reveal an illicit affair between the celebrated twentieth-century Irish novelist Elizabeth Bowen and Humphry House – Julia’s grandfather. So begins an intriguing quest to discover and understand this affair, one with profound repercussions for Julia’s family, not least for her grandmother, Madeline. This is a book about how stories are told in real life, in fiction and in families.
Inspired by Bowen’s own obsession with place and memory, Julia travels to all the locations in the letters – from Kolkata to Cambridge and from Ireland to Texas. The fascinating unpublished correspondence, a wealth of family photographs, and a celebrated supporting cast that includes Isaiah Berlin and Virginia Woolf add further richness to this unique work.
Book tickets HERE
Thursday 25th February 2021 7pm
Mary Lawson - A Town Called Solace (Live Stream Event)
From the award-winning Canadian author of Crow Lake, The Other Side of the Bridge (nominated for the 2006 Booker Prize) and Road Ends comes a novel set in the frozen north of Canada in 1972. A novel about childhood trauma, painful histories that need reckoning with and the moments in life when we can change for the better.
Clara’s sister is missing. Angry, rebellious Rose, had a row with their mother, stormed out of the house and simply disappeared. Eight-year-old Clara, isolated by her distraught parents’ efforts to protect her from the truth, is grief-stricken and bewildered.
Liam Kane, newly divorced, newly unemployed, newly arrived in this small northern town, moves into the house next door, a house left to him by an old woman he can barely remember and within hours gets a visit from the police. It seems he’s suspected of a crime.
At the end of her life Elizabeth Orchard is thinking about a crime too, one committed thirty years ago that had tragic consequences for two families and in particular for one small child. She desperately wants to make amends before she dies.
Set in Northern Ontario in 1972, A Town Called Solace explores the relationships of these three people brought together by fate and the mistakes of the past. By turns gripping and darkly funny, it uncovers the layers of grief and remorse and love that connect us, but shows that sometimes a new life is possible.
Tickets from £6
Book tickets HEREWednesday 24th February 2021 3pm
Juliet Nicolson: Frostquake (Live Stream Event)
Boxing Day 1962: The snow began to fall and it did not stop for ten weeks. Juliet Nicolson was eight years old when the snow started. The drifts in Essex reached twenty-three feet. In London, milkmen made deliveries on skis. On Dartmoor 2,000 ponies were buried in the snow, and starving foxes ate sheep alive. It wasn’t just the weather that was bad.
The threat of nuclear war had reached its terrifying height with the recent Cuban Missile Crisis. Unemployment was on the rise, de Gaulle was blocking Britain from joining the European Economic Community, Winston Churchill, still the symbol of Great Britishness, was fading.
And yet underneath the frozen surface, new life was beginning to stir. A new breed of satirists threatened the complacent decadence of the British establishment. A game-changing band from Liverpool topped the charts, becoming the ultimate symbol of an exuberant youthquake.
When the thaw came, ten weeks of extraordinary weather had acted as a catalyst between two distinct eras. From poets to pop stars, shopkeepers to schoolchildren, and her own family’s experiences, Juliet Nicolson traces the hardship of that frozen winter and the emancipation that followed.
That spring, new life was unleashed, along with freedoms we take for granted today.
Book tickets HERE
Ticket only £5 – Access to the live stream event only
Book & Ticket £18.99 – Includes a copy of Frostquake (Book RRP £18.99). Collection from Village Books
Book, Ticket, P&P £21.99 – Includes a copy of Frostquake (book RRP £18.99) and postage to any UK address.For overseas postage plese contact the bookshop for a quote.
Wednesday 10th February 2021 8pm
A. C. Grayling: The Good State (Live Stream Event)
The foundations upon which our democracies stand are inherently flawed, vulnerable to corrosion from within. What is the remedy?
A. C. Grayling makes the case for a clear, consistent, principled and written constitution, and sets out the reforms necessary – among them addressing the imbalance of power between government and Parliament, imposing fixed terms for MPs, introducing proportional representation and lowering the voting age to 16 (the age at which you can marry, gamble, join the army and must pay taxes if you work) – to ensure the intentions of such a constitution could not be subverted or ignored. As democracies around the world show signs of decay, the issue of what makes a good state, one that is democratic in the fullest sense of the word, could not be more important.
A. C. Grayling CBE MA DPhil (Oxon) FRSA FRSL is the Master of the New College of the Humanities, London, and its Professor of Philosophy. He is also a Supernumerary Fellow of St Anne’s College, Oxford. He is the author of over thirty books of philosophy, biography, history of ideas, and essays. He has twice been a judge on the Booker Prize, in 2014 serving as the Chair of the judging panel. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, a Vice President of Humanists UK, Patron of the Defence Humanists, Honorary Associate of the Secular Society, and a Patron of Dignity in Dying.
Book tickets HERE
Ticket only £8 – access to live stream only
Book & Ticket £12– includes a signed copy of The Good State (Book RRP £9.99, collection from Village Books)
Book, Ticket, P&P £14 – includes a signed copy of The Good States (Book RRP, £9.99) and postage to any UK address.A link to the online event will be sent 24 hours before the event.
Tuesday 9th February 2021 7pm
UnPresidented by Jon Sopel (Live Stream Event)
We’re delighted to be welcoming Jon Sopel back to Village Books, albeit in a digital sense! Jon will be joining us live from Washington and will be interviewed by bestselling author and broadcaster James Naughtie.
Experience life on the campaign trail through Jon’s very personal account of this extraordinary race for the White House. As the election heats up and a global pandemic slowly sweeps in, challenging the very institutions of American politics and the Trump presidency, Jon shows us what really goes on behind the scenes at every key moment; from the Democratic primaries and the discussions with evangelical Trump supporters at rallies and debates, to controversial interviews with the likes of Steve Bannon, and encounters with the humourless White House ‘wranglers’.
As American lives are lost at a devastating rate and the election becomes a battle for the very soul of the nation, Jon will lay bare the real story of the most talked about Presidential race in history.
Jon Sopel has been the BBC’s North America Editor since 2014. He has covered the 2016 and 2020 elections and Trump’s White House at first hand, reporting for the BBC across TV, radio and online. He also presents the highly successful Americast podcast with Emily Maitlis and Anthony Zurcher. As a member of the White House Press Corps, he has accompanied both President Obama and President Trump on Air Force One and interviewed President Obama at the White House. He has travelled extensively across the US and recently rode a Harley Davidson down the West Coast (that wasn’t for work though). He lives in Washington and London. He is the author of severl books including If Only They Didn’t Speak English and A Year at the Circus: Inside Trump’s White House
James Naughtie is special correspondent for BBC News and one of the country’s best-known broadcasters. His latest book On The Road is published in paperback on 18th February. He presented Today on Radio 4 for 21 years, and has reported for the BBC from around the world for more than three decades. Alongside his journalism he has wide cultural interests, and has written and produced many documentaries on music and books, and presented concerts from across Europe for radio and television. On Radio 4, he has hosted every edition of Bookclub since it began in 1998.
To pre-order a signed copy of On The Road please click HERE
Book tickets HERE
Ticket only £10 – access to live stream only
Book & Ticket £25– includes a copy of UnPresidented (RRP £20) and collection from Village Books.
Book, Ticket, P&P £28 – includes a copy of UnPresidented (RRP, £20) and postage to any UK address.Thursday 28th January 2021 7.30pm
Appeasing Hitler: Chamberlain, Churchill and the Road to War by Tim Bouverie (Live Stream Event)
On a wet afternoon in September 1938, Neville Chamberlain stepped off an aeroplane and announced that his visit to Hitler had averted the greatest crisis in recent memory. It was, he later assured the crowd in Downing Street, ‘peace for our time’. Less than a year later, Germany invaded Poland and the Second World War began.
This is a vital new history of the disastrous years of indecision, failed diplomacy and parliamentary infighting that enabled Nazi domination of Europe. Drawing on previously unseen sources, Appeasing Hitler presents an unforgettable portrait of the ministers, aristocrats and amateur diplomats whose actions and inaction had devastating consequences.
‘One of the most promising young historians to enter our field for years’ Max Hastings
Tim Bouverie was a political journalist at Channel 4 News for over 4 years. He worked alongside Michael Crick, as his producer, and covered all major political events, including both the 2015 and 2017 General Elections and the EU Referendum. He regularly reviews history and politics books, and has written for the Spectator, Observer and Daily Telegraph.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Ticket only £8 – access to live stream only
Book & Ticket £12 – includes a signed copy of Appeasing Hitler (book RRP £9.99, collection from Village Books)
Book, ticket, P&P £15 – includes a signed copy of Appeasing Hitler (book RRP, £9.99) and postage to any UK addressFor overseas postage plese contact the bookshop for a quote.
Monday 18th January 2021 7.30pm
The Happy Health Plan with The Happy Pears (Live Stream Event)
Want to improve your health, lose weight or gain more energy? A plant-based diet might be the answer you’re looking for.
The Happy Health Plan brings you 90 brand new, mouth-watering recipes and four bespoke meals straight from the Happy Pear kitchen. The recipes have been specially designed with medical experts to look after your heart, give you glowing skin, calm your gut and help you lose weight, without counting a single calorie. The Happy Health Plan’s aim is to transform whole-body health through the magic of plant-based wholefood ingredients.
Cooking with more plants means that every meal is full of fibre, high in vitamins and low in saturated fat, which means they boost your energy, reduce cholesterol and keep you fuller for longer.
Including lots of classic dishes, from a creamy carbonara to a katsu curry, a fluffy pancake stack and even a berry crumble, this book will help you to look after your whole body health, inside and out, with tastier food than ever before.
David and Stephen Flynn have over 1 million fans across social media, including half a million on Instagram. They have been hailed as ‘the poster boys for a healthy way of life’ by the Sunday Times and have a whole host of fans across the world including Jamie Oliver, Dr Rangan Chatterjee and Joe Wicks. They have over 20 years’ experience as plant based chefs.
Book tickets HERE
Ticket only £6 – access to live stream only
Book & Ticket £18 – includes a signed copy of The Happy Health Plan (book RRP £16.99, collection from Village Books)
Book, ticket, P&P £21 – includes a signed copy of The Happy Health Plan (book RRP, £8.99) and postage to any UK addressThursday 14th January 2021 7.30pm
Downsizing with Tom Watson (Live Stream Event)
‘Two years ago I turned 50, weighed 22 stone and was heavily medicated for type 2 diabetes. I thought it would be all downhill from there. By radically changing my nutrition, cutting out sugar, and taking up exercise, I’ve changed my life and reversed my diabetes. I hope my story will inspire others to regain their health and happiness and discover the new lease of life I’m experiencing.’ Tom Watson
Tom Watson began to put on weight in his early twenties. As time progressed he found himself adjusting his belt, loosening his collar and upsizing his wardrobe to XXL. He continued to pile on the pounds when he entered the world of politics as MP for West Bromwich East. By December 2014, his bathroom scales had tipped to 22 stone. After being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in late 2015, he decided to take control of his diet and exercise. Within a short time his long-term blood sugar levels were within normal range. By July 2018, he came off medication.
In Downsizing Tom Watson shares his honest, very frank and inspiring account of how he radically changed the way he ate, lost eight stone and reversed his type 2 diabetes.
Book tickets HERE
Ticket only £5 – access to live stream only
Book & Ticket £10 – includes a signed copy of Downsizing (book RRP £8.99, collection from Village Books)
Book, ticket, P&P £12 – includes a signed copy of Downsizing (book RRP, £8.99) and postage to any UK addressFor overseas postage plese contact the bookshop for a quote.
Thursday 7th January 2021 7.30pm
Olive, Mabel and Me: An Evening with Andrew Cotter (Live Stream Event)
Olive and Mabel are now global celebrities thanks to Andrew Cotter’s brilliant and hilarious commentary in a series of online contests between his two Labradors. This series, including Game of Bones, went viral overnight and has been viewed more than 60 million times on social media. During lockdown and beyond, Olive and Mabel’s performances have entertained dog owners, sports fans and a host of celebrities everywhere.
In Olive, Mabel & Me: Life and Adventures with Two Very Good Dogs, Cotter gives fans a commentary of a different kind as he tells the heart-warming tale of his life with his two famous Labradors, of his extraordinary relationship with them and their many adventures together. This is the full story of Olive and Mabel’s rise to internet stardom, with a little help from Andrew, of their lives together and how walking and climbing in the mountains allows them to all find peace, happiness and exhilaration away from the hectic world of the media.
Above all, this is a book about the love we have for our dogs and the companionship and pleasure we can find from sharing our lives with our fabulous canine friends.
Andrew Cotter is one of the most recognisable voices in sports broadcasting. He is one of the leading commentators on the BBC’s golf, rugby, tennis and athletics coverage.
We’re delighted to be working with our friends at Chorleywood Bookshop for this live stream event.
Book tickets HERE
Ticket only £6
Book & Ticket £20 – includes a signed copy of Olive, Mabel & Me (Book RRP £20). Collection from the bookshop.
Book, Ticket, P&P £22 – includes a signed copy of Olive, Mabel & Me (Book RRP £20), and postage to any UK addressFor overseas postage please contact the bookshop for a quote.
A link to the live stream event will be sent by the bookshop.
Tuesday 8th December 2020 6.30pm
A poetic evening with Barbara Kingsolver
The poems of How to Fly (in Ten Thousand Easy Lessons) find breath and lightness in the common business of living, from the bestselling author of The Poisonwood Bible. Join us for an evening with Barbara Kingsolver as she reads from her collection.
Barbara Kingsolver’s generous collection is divided into thematic sections that loop and interweave to form a carefully patterned whole. A wonderful series of ‘How to’ poems that balance tongue-in-cheek pragmatism with revelatory wisdom, a complicated yet affirmative family pilgrimage to Italy, cherished childhood memories, the perils and pleasures of being a [female] writer, elegies to lost loved ones, and elegies to the planet.
In partnership with our friends at Chorleywood Bookshop.
Book Tickets HERE
Tickets £6 – Access to live stream only
Book & Ticket £17.99 – Access to live stream, a copy of How To Fly (RRP £14.99) and free postage to any UK addressTuesday 1st December 2020 7.30pm
A Night in with Stephen Fry: Troy
Join Stephen Fry – multi-award winning comedian, actor, presenter, writer, and masterful storyteller – for a captivating evening in, as he at last tells the passionate and powerful story of Troy. Curl up on your sofa as Stephen brings to life the legendary kidnapping of the beautiful Helen, for whom the Greeks launched a thousand ships and lay siege for ten bloody years; king of the gods Zeus, who triggered war when he asked Trojan prince Paris to judge the fairest goddess of all; and the terrible, brutal war with casualties on all sides.
Stephen Fry celebrates the launch of his new book Troy, following his bestsellers Mythos and Heroes, by sharing tales of heroism and hatred, revenge and regret, and desire and despair – and showing how these human passions still speak to us today.
Don’t miss this opportunity to join one of Britain’s best-loved authors as he invites us to join him at the fireside to hear the greatest story ever told.
Book Tickets HERE
Book & Ticket: £28 (this ticket will give you access to the live stream event with Stephen Fry and a copy of Troy. The first 100 people to sign up to the event will get a signed copy of Troy.)Monday 30th November 2020 6.30pm
A thrilling evening with David Baldacci
Join us this November for a live stream event with bestselling thriller writer David Baldacci who will be discussing his new book Daylight.
Daylight is the gripping follow up to Long Road to Mercy and A Minute to Midnight featuring Special Agent Atlee Pine from one of the world’s most favourite thriller writers.
FBI Agent Atlee Pine’s search for her twin sister, Mercy, coincides with military investigator John Puller’s high-stakes case, leading them both into a global conspiracy from which neither of them will escape unscathed.
Ever since Mercy was abducted after a brutal incident when the girls were just six years old, Atlee has been relentless in her search for the truth. Now, just as time is running out on her investigation, she finally gets her most promising breakthrough yet – the identity of her sister’s kidnapper: Ito Vincenzo. Last known location: New Jersey.
As Atlee and her assistant, Carol Blum, race to track down Vincenzo, they run into Pine’s old friend John Puller, who is investigating Vincenzo’s family for another crime involving a military installation.
Working together, Pine and Puller pull back the layers of deceit, lies and cover-ups that strike at the very heart of global democracy. And the truth about what happened to Mercy is finally revealed.
And that truth will shock Atlee Pine to her very core.
David Baldacci is one of the world’s bestselling and favourite thriller writers. With over 130 million copies in print, his books are published in over eighty territories and forty-five languages, and have been adapted for both feature-film and television.
We’re delighted to be working with Chorleywood Bookshop and Simply Books for this live stream event.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Book & Ticket Offer £20 (Book RRP £20)
Tickets £6 (access to live stream only)Ticket holders will be sent a link to the live stream 48 hours ahead of the event.
Thursday 19th November 2020 7.30pm
Launch Event, The Windsor Knot by S J Bennett
The Windsor Knot, described by Amanda Craig as “Miss Marple meets The Crown” is the first in a five-part series Her Majesty The Queen Investigates. The Queen has been living a double life ever since she was a teenager: by day she upholds her royal duties, while secretly solving cases as an amateur detective, and The Windsor Knot finds her with a case of murder to investigate
Join us to hear author S J Bennett talk about the inspiration for this wonderfully well-observed and affectionate portrayal of royal daily life, and how she accessed the precise details and expertise about Royal life at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.
Sophia is an award-winning writer who has written ten books for teenagers. This is her first novel for adults. Sophia will be chatting with Hazel Broadfoot, owner of Village Books, Dulwich.
A link to the event will be sent on Wednesday 28th October
FREE EVENT
Book tickets HEREThursday 29th October 2020 7pmVirtual Event
Rob Biddulph is coming to Village Books!
How very exciting! Rob Biddulph, famed for his fantastic Draw With Rob sessions during lockdown, is coming to decorate the bookshop window with some of his drawings on Saturday 24th October.
Come along to the bookshop at 9.45am to watch Rob decorate our bookshop window. From 10.45am he will doing a socially distanced meet and greet, and signing copies of his books.
If you aren’t able to visit us on Saturday we are accepting pre-orders for signed, personally dedicated copies of his books, including his new books Draw With Rob at Christmas and Dog Gone! He’ll also be signing The Adventures of Parsley the Lion, the classic favourite by Michael Bond, which is published next month with Rob’s stunning illustrations.
If you would like to pre-order a signed copy and would like a personal dedication, please order online and either put the details in the order notes box, or email us at hello@village-books.co.uk by Friday 23rd October
Saturday 24th October 2020 9.45amVillage Books, Dulwich
Virtual Event: Meet Andy Griffiths, author of the bestselling Treehouse Series!
Village Books are delighted to be working with Macmillan Books for a virtual event with Andy Griffiths, author of the forthcoming The 130 Storey Treehouse: Laser Eyes and Annoying Flies!
Andy and Terry Denton have added 13 new levels to their ever growing treehouse including a soap bubble blaster, a grabinator (it can grab anything from anywhere at any time), a time-wasting level, a toilet paper factory (because you can never have too much toilet paper…) and an extra-terrestrial observation centre.
The 130 Storey Treehouse is a laugh-out-loud story told through a combination of text and cartoon-style illustrations in a shiny 10th book special edition.
Andy will be talking about the latest book in the Treehouse Series all the way from Australia and viewers will have a chance to ask Andy their own question about his books.
Tickets: £12.99, includes a copy of The 130 Storey Treehouse (RRP £12.99) with a signed bookplate
Copies will be sent free of charge to UK addresses. For overseas posting please contact the bookshop for a quote.WATCH THE RECORDING HERE
Tuesday 20th October 2020 10amVirtual Event
An Evening with Elinor Lipman - CANCELLED
We are sorry to cancel this event – Elinor has taken the sensible step of not travelling to London in the current uncertain times. We hope to be able to reschedule at a future date. If you bought tickets you should receive a refund over the next few days – any problems do get in touch with us. Elinor’s two latest titles are in stock in the bookshop and we’d recommend them as excellent books to cheer your day.
The Washington Post described Elinor as “an enchanting, infinitely witty yet serious, exceptionally intelligent, wholly original, and Austen-like stylist”
Elinor Lipman is the award-winning author of eleven novels, including The View from Penthouse B and The Inn at Lake Devine; one essay collection, I Can’t Complain; and Tweet Land of Liberty. She lives in New York City.
Tickets £10 (includes a glass of wine)
Book tickets HERETuesday 17th March 2020 7.30pmBell House, 27 College Rd, Dulwich, London, SE21 7BG
This Too Shall Pass: Stories of Change, Crisis and New Beginnings with Julia Samuel
If change is the natural order of things, why do many of us feel ill-equipped to deal with it?
‘Time and again, I have witnessed the limitless creative ways in which we anaesthetise pain, but trying to avoid unhappiness means it will last longer. Pain is the agent of change: if we build walls around it, it remains untouched and alive inside us, slowly contaminating our other feelings. But if we accept the agent of change, and learn how to adapt, we will have the energy and confidence to take the next step.’ Julia Samuel
We live in a culture of limitless choice – and life is now more complex than ever. In This Too Shall Pass, acclaimed psychotherapist Julia Samuel draws on hours of conversations with her patients to show how we can learn to adapt and thrive during our most difficult and transformative experiences. Illuminated by the latest social and psychological research, This Too Shall Pass unflinchingly deals with the hard times in family, love, work, health and identity. These powerful, unforgettable and deeply intimate stories about everyday people will inform our understanding of our own unique response to change and enlighten the way we approach challenges at every stage of life.
Julia Samuel MBE is a leading psychotherapist and one of the UK’s leading counsellors. Seeing over 20 clients every week, she has worked in private practice and with the NHS for the last thirty years and is Founding Patron of Child Bereavement UK. Julia is the bestselling author of Grief Works. She’s been featured on Desert Island Discs and has been interviewed on National TV.
Tickets £10/£8
Book tickets HEREWednesday 11th March 2020 7.30pmThe Lower School Atrium, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
Robin Stevens: Murder Most Unladylike
Village Books and James Allen’s Girls’ School are delighted to welcome bestselling author Robin Stevens back to Dulwich!
Robin will be talking about her bestselling series Murder Most Unladylike including her new book Top Marks For Murder.
Daisy and Hazel are finally back at Deepdean, and the school is preparing for a most exciting event: the fiftieth Anniversary. Plans for a weekend of celebrations are in full swing. But all is not well…Beanie witnesses a shocking incident in the woods close by – a crime that Daisy and Hazel are sure is linked to the Anniversary. As parents descend upon Deepdean, decades-old grudges, rivalries and secrets begin to surface, and soon Deepdean’s future is at stake. Can the girls solve the case – and save their home?
Robin will also be discussing her World Book Day title The Case of the Drowned Pearl. On holiday at the seaside, the girls discover a body on the beach. They soon realise this is Antonia Braithwaite: a famous swimmer, nicknamed The Pearl, who was due to compete at the Berlin Olympics next month. It appears she has accidentally drowned in the sea – but it’s odd that this should happen to such a strong swimmer. Even more mysteriously, she smells not of the sea, but of Pears soap. Rushing back to their hotel, Daisy and Hazel discover several suspicious guests who all had reason to murder Antonia . . .
Robin Stevens was born in California and grew up in an Oxford college, across the road from the house where Alice in Wonderland lived. When she was twelve, her father handed her a copy of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and she realised that she wanted to be either Hercule Poirot or Agatha Christie when she grew up.
Robin is now a full-time author who lives in Oxford with her husband and her pet bearded dragon, Watson.
Tickets £10/£8 for under 18s
Book tickets HERESunday 1st March 2020 3pmVWA, James Allen's Girls' School, 144 East Dulwich Grove, London, SE22 8TE
The Mercies with Kiran Millwood Hargrave
We’re always thrilled to find a brilliant new novelist to introduce and we’re delighted to be bringing a huge new talent to Dulwich. Kiran Millwood Hargrave is an award-winning poet, playwright and children’s novelist. Her first novel for adults The Mercies is being published by Picador in February.
Inspired by the real events of the Vardø storm and the 1620 witch trials, The Mercies is a breath-taking story of love, evil, and obsession, at the ever dark edge of civilisation. On Christmas Eve, 1617, the sea around the remote Norwegian island of Vardø is thrown into a reckless storm. As Maren Magnusdatter watches, forty fishermen, including her father and brother, are lost to the waves, the menfolk of Vardø wiped out in an instant. Now the women must fend, and fish, for themselves.
The novel has been widely praised in advance of its publication: “The Mercies took my breath away. A beautifully rendered portrait of a community, a landscape, a relationship, I read it with equal parts hope and dread. Kiran has masterfully built up an incredible claustrophobic atmosphere, shot through with delicate intimacy. On finishing it I pressed the book to me, hoping to absorb some of her skill.” – Tracy Chevalier, author of The Girl with the Pearl Earring.
Kiran will be talking about her work and the writing process – join us for what promises to be a fascinating insight to one of the year’s most talked about novels.
Tickets £10 (to include a glass of wine)
Book tickets here
Thursday 27th February 2020 7.30pmBell House, 27 College Road, Dulwich, SE21 7BG
Eat Green with Melissa Hemsley
We’re delighted to launch our 2020 events programme with a return visit from one of our favourite food writers, Melissa Hemsley. Melissa will be talking about her fabulous new cookbook Eat Green, a flexitarian approach to cooking designed to help you produce delicious meals, with minimum fuss and maximum flavour. The recipes are flexible so you can add meat in or take it out, making the book suitable for meat-eaters and vegetarians alike. If you want to eat more healthily with less waste, this is the perfect book to get you started. But don’t just take our word for it:
‘A delicious and much needed nudge towards a healthier and more sustainable kitchen’ Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall
‘In this beautiful book, Melissa joyfully guides the reader through the small changes that really can make a big difference. The recipes are bright, unfussy and delicious – Melissa’s passion is infectious. More than a recipe book, this is a guide for how to shop and eat now!‘ Skye Gyngell
Come and hear how Melissa will help you shop smart, waste less and make a difference. Melissa Hemsley is one-half of the bestselling Hemsley Sisters, the authors of The Art of Eating Well and Good + Simple. She is a Vogue columnist and runs Sustainability Sessions that complement her Eat Think Grow columns for Vogue.
Book tickets here
Wednesday 12th February 2020 7.30pmBell House, 27 College Road, Dulwich, SE21 7BG
Checkpoint Charlie: The Cold War, the Berlin Wall and the Most Dangerous Place on Earth by Iain MacGregor
Published to coincide with the thirtieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie is a vivid and poignant exploration of the history of the Berlin Wall and the wider conflict it came to symbolise.
East Germany committed a billion dollars to the creation of the Berlin Wall in the early 1960s, an eleven-foot-high barrier consisting of seventy-nine miles of fencing, 300 watchtowers, 250 guard dog runs, twenty bunkers, operated around the clock by guards who shot to kill. Over the next twenty-eight years, at least five thousand people attempted to smash through it, swim across it, tunnel under it, or fly over it.
In November 1989, the East German leadership buckled in the face of a civil revolt that culminated in half a million East Berliners demanding an end to the ban on free movement. The world’s media flocked to capture the moment which, perhaps more than any other, signalled the end of the Cold War. Checkpoint Charlie had been the epicentre of global conflict for nearly three decades.
Checkpoint Charlie includes never-before-heard interviews with the men who built it; the families who tried to cross it; the soldiers who guarded the checkpoints; and many more.
Book Tickets HERE
Tickets £8 (includes a glass of wine)Thursday 21st November 2019 7.30pmBell House, 27 College Rd, Dulwich, London, SE21 7BG
Cruickshank’s London: A portrait of a City in 20 Walks with Dan Cruickshank
Join Village Books and Alleyn’s School Enterprises for an evening with one of Britain’s best loved historians, Dan Cruickshank. Dan will be talking about his new book Cruickshank’s London where he vividly describes some of the historic walks that span North, East, South and West London. As he tours the city, Dan Cruickshank uncovers the forgotten stories that shaped the districts we all thought we knew: from the mysterious Celtic origins of Hampstead Heath, via the West Ham churches inscribed with the occult symbols of the Knights Templar, to the features of Tower Bridge that were included to appease Queen Victoria’s infamous temper.
Cruickshank’s London is not just a walking guide: it is a love letter to a city whose history immerses and inspires anyone who passes through.
Dan Cruickshank is an architectural historian and television presenter. He is an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects, a member of the Executive Committee of the Georgian Group, and on the Architectural Panel of the National Trust. His recent work includes the BBC television programmes Civilisation Under Attack (2015) and At Home with the British (2016), and the books A History of Architecture in 100 Buildings (2015) and Spitalfields (2016). He lives in London.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Book & Ticket Offer £30 (Book RRP £25)
Tickets £10/8This event is in partnership with Alleyn’s School Enterprises
Monday 11th November 2019 7.30pmThe Great Hall, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
My Penguin Year: Life with the Emperors by Lindsay McCrae
Lindsay McCrae is an award-winning cameraman. His passion for wildlife filming began at the age of fourteen when he wrote to BBC Springwatch and encouraged them to come and film near his home in the Lake District. To his delight, they did! He then took out a loan from his Mother to buy his first camera and secured an internship with the film crew from Springwatch.
Since then his career has taken off, culminating in the TV documentary Dynasties about emperor penguins, narrated by Sir David Attenborough and watched by eight million people in November 2018.
Lindsay spent an extraordinary year in the Antarctic living alongside the most resilient creatures in nature. He endured unimaginable weather conditions and witnessed behaviour new to science, all the while living isolated on an Antarctic ice shelf for an entire winter that lasts eight months. And finally, how could anyone forget the intervention he and the crew took to save the penguins from death in the storm?
My Penguin Year is Lindsay’s story and the culmination of a childhood dream. An event for all the family, Lindsay will be discussing his extraordinary journey and sharing some stories and photographs of his expedition to film the incredible emperor penguins – from a frost bitten nose to near impossible journeys across a harsh landscape, and being over 15,000 km from home with no way back for a whole year. This event is suitable for the whole family – budding cameramen and camerawomen welcome!
This event is in partnership with James Allen’s Girls’ School.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Tickets £10/£8Sunday 3rd November 2019 3pmVWA Auditorium, James Allen's Girls' School, 144 East Dulwich Grove, London, SE22 8TE
The Street Trees of Dulwich: Guided Walk with Paul Wood
Join Paul Wood, author of London is a Forest and London’s Street Trees, for a guided walk through Dulwich Village. Learn the stories behind the trees we find in the village that we all know and love. From Himalayan Birch to Persian Silk and Dogwoods, you will learn about the wonderful array of native and exotic trees that line our streets.
This circular guided walk will start and finish at Village Books (Dulwich Village) and will follow a route around the village. On returning to Village Books, there will be tea, coffee and cake. Paul will also be signing copies of his new book London Is A Forest.
In London Is A Forest Paul explores the city’s urban nature and looks at the remarkable variety of life supported in this unique metropolitan ecosystem.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Tickets £6 (includes tea, coffee, and cake in Village Books after the guided walk)Sunday 13th October 2019 10amVillage Books, 1d Calton Avenue, Dulwich Village, SE21 7DE
An Evening with Simon Jenkins: A Short History of London
LONDON: a settlement founded by the Romans, occupied by the Saxons, conquered by the Danes and ruled by the Normans. This unremarkable place – not even included in the Domesday Book – became a medieval maze of alleys and courtyards, later to be chequered with grand estates of Georgian splendour. It swelled with industry and became the centre of the largest empire in history. And rising from the rubble of the Blitz, it is now one of the greatest cities in the world.
From the prehistoric occupants of the Thames Valley to the preoccupied commuters of today, Simon Jenkins brings together the key events, individuals and trends in London’s history to create a matchless portrait of the capital. He masterfully explains the battles behind the way London was conceived and built – and especially the perennial conflict between money and power.
Fascinating for locals and visitors alike, this is narrative history at its finest, from the most ardent protector of our heritage.
Simon Jenkins is author of the bestselling A Short History of England, A Short History of Europe, Britain’s 100 Best Railway Stations, England’s Thousand Best Churches and England’s Thousand Best Houses. He is a former Editor of the Evening Standard and The Times, and columnist for the Guardian.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Book & Ticket offer £30 (Book RRP £25)
Tickets £10/£8This event is in partnership with Alleyn’s School Enterprises
Thursday 10th October 2019 7.30pmThe MCT at Alleyn's, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
An Evening of Wine Tasting with Jancis Robinson
Join Village Books and Alleyn’s School Enterprises for an evening of wine tasting and discussion with wine critic Jancis Robinson. Jancis will be returning to Dulwich to discuss how the world of wine has changed since 2013 when the last edition of the World Atlas of Wine was published and talking about the 8th edition of the World Atlas of Wine, co-authored with Hugh Johnson. Jancis has chosen six wines from Dulwich Vintners to taste and discuss.
The World Atlas of Wine is recognized by critics as the essential and most authoritative wine reference work available. This eighth edition will bring readers, both old and new, up to date with the world of wine. With beautiful photography throughout, Hugh Johnson and Jancis Robinson have created a classic that no wine lover can afford to be without.
Jancis Robinson was voted the world’s most influential wine critic in polls in the US, France and internationally in 2018. Jancis was the first person outside the wine trade to qualify as a Master of Wine, in 1984. She was awarded an OBE in 2003 by Her Majesty the Queen, on whose cellar she now advises.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Standard Ticket: £30Tuesday 8th October 2019 7.30pmThe Great Hall, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
Chinese Cooking with Ching-He Huang
Join us for an evening of chat and food demonstration with chef and bestselling author Ching-He Huang. Ching will be demonstrating recipes from her new book Wok On: Deliciously Balanced Meals in 30 Minutes or Less.
Perfect for sautéing, braising, frying and steaming, cooking with a wok is a way of life all over Asia. In Wok On, Ching celebrates the huge versatility of this magical 2,000-year-old cooking pot with fast, fresh and fun dishes that are simple enough for every day as well as every cook.
Created with nutrition, taste and affordability in mind, the recipes focus on the techniques you may not have considered when using your wok and include everything from dumplings and curries to stir-fries and soups.
A stunning and accessible guide, Wok On includes recipes that range from Thai Green Sweet Potato Curry, to Saucy Mushroom and Ginger Tofu, Japanese Rice Omelette, Vegan Pho, Taiwanese Seafood Pancake and Golden Macanese Cod. It will inspire both stir-fry lovers and the novice alike.
Ching-He Huang was born in Taipei, Taiwan. An Emmy-nominated TV chef, her culinary ethos is to use fresh, organic, ethically sourced ingredients to create modern dishes that fuse Chinese tradition with innovation. Her TV series include Chinese Food Made Easy, Chinese Food in Minutes, Exploring China and Ching’s Amazing Asia. She is the author of eight cookbooks and appears regularly on TV including ITV’s This Morning and BBC’s Saturday Kitchen.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Tickets£10/£8Tuesday 1st October 2019 7.30pmThe MCT at Alleyn's, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
Tracy Chevalier - A Single Thread
Tracy Chevalier is the author of ten novels, including At the Edge of the Orchard, Remarkable Creatures and Girl with a Pearl Earring, an international bestseller that has sold over five million copies.
Join Village Books and Alleyn’s School Enterprises on Thursday 26th September where Tracy will be talking about her new novel A Single Thread, her first novel set in the UK since Remarkable Creatures.
It is 1932, and the losses of the First World War are still keenly felt. Violet Speedwell, mourning for both her fiancé and her brother and regarded by society as a ‘surplus woman’ unlikely to marry, resolves to escape her suffocating mother and strike out alone.
A new life awaits her in Winchester. Yes, it is one of draughty boarding-houses and sidelong glances at her naked ring finger from younger colleagues; but it is also a life gleaming with independence and opportunity. Violet falls in with the broderers, a disparate group of women charged with embroidering kneelers for the Cathedral, and is soon entwined in their lives and their secrets. As the almost unthinkable threat of a second Great War appears on the horizon Violet collects a few secrets of her own that could just change everything.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Book & Ticket offer £22 (Book RRP £14.99)
Tickets £10/8This event is in partnership with Alleyn’s School Enterprises
Thursday 26th September 2019 7.30pmThe Great Hall, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
The Super Tutor by Joe Norman
Joe Norman has been a tutor for over 15 years. For him, education is what you still remember when you have forgotten everything else. What ideas have stayed with you from the classroom? How do you write an essay? How do you read a poem?
Whether you are still a student or long finished with formal education, The Super Tutor offers a first-class schooling for anyone who wants to learn – the kind of learning that will stay with you a lifetime. Drawing on his experience of tutoring, Joe Norman will share his top seven essential and imaginative lessons, including: how to write, how to read, common mistakes and, most importantly, how to think. Stripping away grades, praise, university places or examiners, this book celebrates the love of learning things for their own sake.
Joe Norman won an assisted place at Winchester College, and studied at Oxford University.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Tickets £10/8Wednesday 18th September 2019 7.30pmLower School, Alleyn's School, Townley Road, East Dulwich SE22 8SU
Jon Sopel: A Year at the Circus, Inside Trump's White House SOLD OUT
As the BBC’s North America Editor, Jon Sopel covered the 2016 election and Trump’s White House at first hand. Join Village Books and Dulwich College Enterprises for an evening with Jon where he will be discussing his new book A Year at the Circus: Inside Trump’s White House, and the impact Trump’s presidency has had on the most iconic of American institutions.
You are invited to step inside the Oval Office where Trump called for loyalty from FBI Director James Comey, and experience life as a reporter in the Briefing Room, where the tense relationship between the media and the President is played out. Guiding you through these rooms, Jon reveals the inner workings of the Trump White House and details the key moments and conversations that have unfolded within its walls.
From Kim Jong-un and Kavanaugh to Merkel and the Mueller Inquiry – this is your insider guide to the Washington Circus. Roll up, roll up …
Jon Sopel has been the BBC’s North America Editor since 2014, reporting for the BBC across TV, radio, and online. As a member of the White House Press Corps, he has accompanied both President Obama and President Trump on Air Force One and interviewed President Obama at the White House. He is the author of the If Only They Didn’t Speak English: Notes from Trump’s America.
Sorry, this event is sold out. To go on the waiting list email dulwich@village-books.co.uk
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Book & Ticket Offer £25 (Book RRP £20)
Standard Ticket £10
Concession £8Sunday 15th September 2019 7pmThe George Farha Auditorium, Dulwich College, Dulwich, SE21 7LD
The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal
An intoxicating tale of art, obsession and possession, The Doll Factory is set in London in 1850/51, and tells the story of Iris, an apprentice doll-maker who dreams of being a painter, and of Silas, a curiosity collector enchanted by the strange and beautiful with ambitions of founding a museum dedicated to his macabre obsessions.
The Great Exhibition is being constructed in Hyde Park, and two people meet among the crowd. For Iris, it is the encounter of a moment, forgotten seconds later, but for Silas, the meeting marks a new beginning. When Iris is asked to model from the Pre-Raphaelite artist Louis Frost, she agrees on the condition that he will also teach her to paint, and suddenly her world begins to expand, to become a place of the new dual freedoms of art and love. But Silas has thought of one thing only since that chance encounter, and his obsession is darkening.
Elizabeth Macneal is a professional potter, working out of a small studio at the bottom of her garden, and her work is sold in the Wallace Collection and Botanique Workshop, among others. In 2017, Elizabeth completed the Creative Writing MA at UEA, with the opening chapters of The Doll Factory forming her dissertation, and where she was awarded the Malcolm Bradbury Scholarship.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Tickets £10 (Includes a glass of wine)Tuesday 11th June 2019 7.30pm
Meet the QCs - Tom Grant and William Clegg
Join Village Books and Alleyn’s School Enterprises for an evening with two leading barristers who will be discussing their books and their work.
Court Number One by Tom Grant details some of the trials of the most famous and infamous defendants of the twentieth century including Madame Fahmy, Ruth Ellis, Jeremy Thorpe and Ian Huntley. Grant will be talking about some of the cases from the book and also discussing the decline of a society built on deference and discretion, the tensions brought by a more permissive society and the rise of trial by mass media.
William Clegg QC’s book Under the Wig is a memoir by the QC who has fought some of the biggest murder trials in Britain. Clegg will be talking about his most intriguing trials, from the acquittal of Colin Stagg to the shooting of Jill Dando, to the man given life because of an ear print. All the while he lays bare the secrets of his profession, from the rivalry among barristers to the nervous moments before a verdict comes back, and how our right to a fair trial is now at risk.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Wednesday 5th June 2019 7.30pm
Confessions of a Bad Mother: The Teenage Years By Stephanie Calman
***THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT***
***To request a signed copy or to be added to a waiting list then please email dulwich@village-books.co.uk***We imagine the teenage years as a sort of domestic meteor strike, when our dear, sweet child, hitherto so trusting and innocent, is suddenly replaced by a sarcastic know-all who cruelly disregards the important wisdom we have to pass on. But with her characteristic unflinching honesty and bracing wit, Stephanie Calman debunks that myth.
Stephanie takes a fresh look at the whole process of the teenage years and finds that her teenagers are frequently thinking and feeling the same thing as she is: that the other person has all the power and basically hates them.
And having nurtured them through every stage of development, from walking to school by themselves to their first hangover, she finds herself dreading the separation – feeling bereaved even – as they skip off to university without a second glance.
Stephanie will be talking to her husband Peter Grimsdale about her new book and how to navigate the teenage years.
Stephanie Calman is the founder of the ground-breaking Bad Mothers Club website and the author of six previous books including the bestselling Confessions of a Bad Mother . She created the hit Channel 4 sitcom Dressing For Breakfast and has appeared on many TV shows including Have I Got News For You and The Wright Stuff . She has also written for most British newspapers and magazines including the Daily Telegraph, Observer, Guardian, Cosmopolitan, GQ and Harpers & Queen, and has contributed to a wide variety of radio programmes, including Woman’s Hour and The Today Programme.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Tickets £10 (includes a glass of wine)Wednesday 15th May 2019 7.30pm
Bazaar with Sabrina Ghayour
Join us for an evening of chat and food demonstration with bestselling author of Persiana: Sabrina Ghayour. Sabrina will be returning to Dulwich to demonstrate some of the recipes from her new book Bazaar: Vibrant Vegetarian Recipes.
In Bazaar, Sabrina brings her trademark passion for strong flavours and simple ingredients to a collection of delicious vegetarian recipes. A lifelong carnivore, Sabrina has ensured these recipes really pack a punch that guarantee even the most die-hard meat eaters won’t feel like anything is missing. Packed full of easy-to-achieve flavours and depth, each recipe utilizes the abundance of varied flavour profiles of the East, from spices, herbs and perfumed aromatics to hearty staples such as grains and pulses, combined with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.
Sabrina will be talking to Guardian Food Journalist Felicity Cloake.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Tickets £10/£8This event is in partnership with Alleyn’s School Enterprises.
Tuesday 7th May 2019 7.30pm
Hard Pushed: A Midwife's Story
Join Village Books and Alleyn’s School Enterprises for an evening with Leah Hazard, an NHS Midwife who will be talking about her new book Hard Pushed: A Midwife’s Story
Leah Hazard’s life on the NHS frontline, working within a maternity system at breaking point, is more extreme than you could ever imagine. From the bloody to the beautiful, from moments of vulnerability to remarkable displays of human strength, from camaraderie to raw desperation, from heart-wrenching grief to the pure, perfect joy of a new-born baby, Leah has seen it all. Through her eyes, we meet Eleanor, whose wife is a walking miracle of modern medicine, their baby a feat of reproductive science; Crystal, pregnant at just fifteen, the precarious, flickering life within her threatening to come far too soon; Mrs Bhatti, who insists that Leah simply must write her own elaborate thank-you card; and Pei Hsuan, who has travelled hundreds of miles to somehow find herself at the open door of Leah’s ward.
Hard Pushed is for fans of Adam Kay’s This is Going to Hurt and Christie Watson’s The Language of Kindness, and tells the story of life at the frontline of the maternity ward.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Tickets £10/£8This event is in partnership with Alleyn’s School Enterprises.
Wednesday 1st May 2019 7.30pm
Sir Ivan Rogers on Brexit
***THIS EVENT HAS NOW SOLD OUT***
If you would like a signed copy of 9 Lessons in Brexit please email dulwich@village-books.co.uk“Remember the words of Ivan Rogers the next time you hear some posh boy in a suit telling you ‘no deal’ wouldn’t hurt at all and might even be a jolly good thing.” J.K. Rowling
Two and a half years after Britain voted to leave the European Union, the political debate over Brexit seems as intense and as complicated as ever. Who and what can we trust, and how on earth do we make sense of it all? Ivan Rogers is uniquely placed to tell some home truths about the failure of the British political class and the flaws, dishonesty and confusion inherent in the UK’s approach to Brexit so far.
Ivan will be talking about the ideas in his book 9 Lessons in Brexit. This event is for anyone who wants to understand what has been going on and what our post-Brexit outcomes can be, if they are to be based on anything other than wishful thinking.
“Ivan Rogers on blistering form, setting out the unpalatable truths of Brexit that effectively got him sacked as our man in Brussels.” George Parker, Political Editor, The Financial Times
Ivan Rogers is a former British civil servant, he was Principal Private Secretary to Tony Blair from 2003 to 2006, and served David Cameron as Prime Minister’s Adviser for Europe and Global Issues from 2012 to 2013. From 2013 to 2017, he was the UK’s Permanent Representative to the EU and was the UK’s most senior negotiator with other Member States and the European institutions. Since his resignation in 2017, Rogers has not spoken publicly. Now he shares his experience and knowledge ahead of Britain’s scheduled March 29 exit date from the EU.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Tickets £10/8Wednesday 27th March 2019 7.30pm
Meet Andy Griffiths!
Andy Griffiths, author of THE TREEHOUSE books will be at Village Books on Wednesday 27th March from 4pm to 5pm.
Come along to meet Andy and get your favourite Treehouse books signed!
Andy will also be signing copies of his new book The Treehouse Fun Book 3
For more information please contact Village Books on 020 8693 2808 or email dulwich@village-books.co.uk
Wednesday 27th March 2019 4pmVillage Books, 1D Calton Avenue, Dulwich, SE21 7DE
Farrow and Ball: Recipes for Decorating with Joa Studholme
***THIS EVENT HAS NOW SOLD OUT***
If you would like a signed copy of Recipes for Decorating please email dulwich@village-books.co.ukJoa Studholme has worked for Farrow & Ball for 23 years and creates colour schemes for more than 4,500 rooms per year. In Recipes for Decorating she shares her unrivalled experience by offering a wide range of precise colour ‘recipes’ for successful decorating schemes, showing exactly which of Farrow & Ball’s internationally renowned paint colours work well together, whatever your decorating style.
Joa will be talking about how to select the right range of colours for your home, how colour can create a harmonious room, and how to combine colour with light and space to get the most of out of every area.
‘The different choices that people make in their decorating never cease to amaze and delight me. And thank goodness for that – the world would be a far duller place if we all liked the same things. So in the book we have included sleek, ultra-modern rooms, farmhouse rooms, diminutive and huge rooms – all very personal in style but all decorated with love’ – Joa Studholme
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Tickets £10 (includes a glass of wine)Tuesday 26th March 2019 7.30pm
War Doctor: Surgery on the Front Line with Dr David Nott
***THIS EVENT HAS NOW SOLD OUT***
If you would like a signed copy of War Doctor please email dulwich@village-books.co.ukDavid Nott is a consultant surgeon for the NHS but for more than twenty five years, he has taken unpaid leave from his job to volunteer in some of the world’s most dangerous war zones. From Sarajevo under siege in 1993, to clandestine hospitals in rebel-held eastern Aleppo, he has carried out life-saving operations and field surgery in the most challenging conditions, and with none of the resources of a major London teaching hospital. Driven both by compassion, the desire to help others and the thrill of extreme personal danger, David is now widely acknowledged to be the most experienced trauma surgeon in the world. War Doctor is his extraordinary story.
David’s interview on Radio 4 Desert Island Discs in 2016 was one of the most popular and moving episodes of the series. The BBC’s Kate Humble said “Kirsty Young interviewing David Nott on Desert Island Discs is one of the most beautiful pieces of radio ever. Listen to a three minute soundbite here. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p03x0tm9
David Nott was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2012 Birthday Honours and in 2016 he received the Robert Burns Humanitarian Award and the Pride of Britain Award. He lives in London with his wife and two daughters. War Doctor is his first book.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Tickets £10/8Wednesday 13th March 2019 7.30pm
Three Best-selling Novelists on How and Why They Write
Join Village Books and Alleyn’s School Enterprises for an evening with three fabulous novelists.
Ruth Hogan’s debut novel The Keeper of Lost Things was a Sunday Times Bestseller, and has sold over 800,000 copies since publication. Her latest novel Queenie Malone’s Paradise Hotel is a story about mothers and daughters, families and secrets, and the astonishing power of friendship.
Hannah Beckerman’s novel If Only I Could Tell You has been gathering praise from authors including Marian Keyes, Jojo Moyes, John Boyne, Kate Mosse and Erin Kelly. If Only I Could Tell You is a life affirming novel with a secret that will break your heart and an ending that will put it together again.
Harriet Evans is the author of Sunday Times bestselling novels The Butterfly Summer and A Place For Us. Harriet’s latest novel, The Wildflowers, was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick for 2018 and has praised by authors such as Sophie Kinsella, Lesley Pearce and India Knight. The Wildflowers is an epic tale of family secrets, lies and memories of those perfect summer days. Harriet’s new novel, The Garden of Lost and Found, will be out in April.
Harriet, Ruth and Hannah will be talking about their novels, how and why they write, and much more!
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Tickets £10/8Tuesday 5th March 2019 7.30pm
An Homage to P.G. Wodehouse: Jeeves and the King of Clubs by Ben Schott
Join bestselling author Ben Schott as he discusses his new novel based on the work of P G Wodehouse: Jeeves and the King of Clubs.
‘Vibrates with the spirit and rhythms of Wodehouse’s heart.’
Sunday Times‘A delight to read’ Observer
Storm clouds loom over Europe. Treason is afoot in the highest social circles. The very security of the nation is in peril. Jeeves, it transpires, has long been an agent of British Intelligence, but now His Majesty’s Government must turn to the one man who can help . . . Bertie Wooster.
In this magnificent new homage to P. G. Wodehouse, Ben Schott leads Jeeves and Wooster on an uproarious adventure of espionage through the secret corridors of Whitehall, the sunlit lawns of Brinkley Court, and the private clubs of St James’s, complete with an unforgettable cast of characters – old and new.
Fully approved by the Wodehouse Estate, Jeeves and the King of Clubs is faithful to the history and personality of Wodehouse’s characters – but casts them in new roles and era, with hilarious results.
Ben will be in conversation with Dr Spence, Master of Dulwich College.
Ben Schott is a journalist, public speaker and brand strategist. He lives in London and the US. This is his first novel. Schott is the author of Schott’s Original Miscellany. A number one bestseller in the UK, within months and three more Miscellanies followed.
P.G. Wodehouse wrote around seventy novels and some three hundred short stories over seventy-three years. Wodehouse spent many happy years at Dulwich College and remained devoted to the College for his entire life.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Tickets £10/£8This event is in partnership with Dulwich College Enterprises.
Tuesday 26th February 2019 7.30pm
Gin & Giggles with The Midults
Join Village Books and The Midults for an evening of gin and giggles! Founders Annabel Rivkin and Emilie McMeekan will be discussing their new book I’m Absolutely Fine! A Manual for Imperfect Women. They’ll be offering a wry, heartfelt and edgy look at what it is to be a grown-up woman : with all the anxiety and potential, all the fun and dysfunction woven through every minute of every day.
I’m absolutely fine but I slightly need to pee, I followed the road less travelled and now I don’t know where the hell I am, I just ate the fridge, my sock is slipping off inside my shoe, another week has ended without me becoming accidentally rich, my jeans hate me, unexpected object in the bagging area, I’ll have a café mocha vodka Valium latte to go please, where’s my phone? My anxieties have anxieties, no… not like that – here, I’ll do it, do I have to do everything?
Annabel and Emilie founded The Midult in 2016. They are journalists, worriers and incredibly good friends. Together they write a Midult column in the Saturday Telegraph Magazine and Annabel has a column in the Evening Standard’s ES Magazine.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Tickets £10 (includes a gin or seedlip cocktail)Thursday 31st January 2019 7.30pm
After Hours Bookshop
Join us for a late night Christmas shopping evening this Thursday from 5.30pm. Enjoy a delicious glass of Prosecco and a mince pie to get you in the festive mood, expert advice from booksellers who really know their stuff and 15% off all stock.
Thursday 13th December 2018 5.30pm - 8.00pm
Dan Snow: On This Day in History
Join us for an evening with Dan Snow as he looks back at over 3000 years of the most important stories from the past. From the Ides of March to D-Day, Dan Snow tells the story of an important event that happened on each day of the year. Some are famous – from Julius Caesar fatally ignoring a soothsayer’s warning about 15 March to how World War II actually ended (D-Day) – and others more surprising – from Ada Lovelace’s meeting in 1833 which led to the invention of the computer, or the Great Beer Flood of 1814 that killed eight people. Dan shows how each offers a different and unexpected insight into our past.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Tickets £10/£8
Ticket & Book £22.50This event is in partnership with Alleyn’s School Enterprises
Wednesday 28th November 2018 7.30PM
An Afternoon with Jacqueline Wilson
The wonderful Jacqueline Wilson is coming to Dulwich for one of only two London events this autumn. Discover how she started her writing career and created some of her most popular characters, and hear about her new book My Mum Tracy Beaker.
There will be no book signing after the talk but there will be an opportunity for to ask questions.
My Mum Tracy Beaker will be on sale at the event for £10 (RRP £12.99) and every book will have a special Jacqueline Wilson book plate.BOOK TICKETS HERE
Adult ticket £10
Child ticket £7This event is in partnership with James Allen’s Girls’ School
Sunday 18th November 2018 3pm
Vietnam with Max Hastings
From the best-selling author of All Hell Let Loose comes a masterful chronicle of one of the most devastating international conflicts of the 20th century and how its people were affected. Vietnam became the Western world’s most divisive conflict since the Second World War. Max Hastings has spent the past three years interviewing scores of participants on both sides, as well as researching a multitude of American and Vietnamese documents and memoirs, to create an epic narrative of an epic struggle.
Max worked as a BBC TV reporter in Vietnam during the war, met President Lyndon Johnson at the White House in 1968, and finally came out of Saigon with the May 1975 final helicopter evacuation- experiences that inform his descriptions of the sweat-soaked paddies and jungles where a million rival combatants fought, and two million Vietnamese died. His knowledge and research brings a new view on this conflict.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Tickets £10/£8
Ticket & Book £35 (Book RRP £30)This event is in partnership with Alleyn’s School Enterprises
Thursday 15th November 2018 7.30PM
Tracy Borman: Henry VIII and The Men Who Made Him
Henry VIII is well known for his tumultuous relationships with women, and he is often defined by his many marriages. But what do we see if we take a different look? When we see Henry through the men in his life, a new perspective on this famous king emerges.
In this talk, Tracy will tell the story of England’s most famous monarch through the eyes of the men who surrounded him.
Tracy Borman is a bestselling author and historian, specialising in the Tudors. She is joint chief curator of Historic Royal Palaces and chief executive of the Heritage Education Trust. Tracy has presented and appeared in several historical documentaries.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Tickets £10/£8
Ticket & Book £30 (Book RRP £25)This event is in partnership with Alleyn’s School Enterprises
Tuesday 6th November 2018 7.30pm
Michael Palin In Conversation with David Baddiel
Michael Palin will be at the MCT at Alleyn’s this November discussing his new book Erebus.
Join the former Monty Python stalwart and much-loved television globe-trotter – as he discusses his books and writing, and brings to life the world and voyages of HMS Erebus, one of the most extraordinary adventures of the nineteenth century.
Michael will be in conversation with comedian, novelist and television presenter David Baddiel.
This is a live event – Michael and David will be in the MCT. The event is being recorded to be shared elsewhere as a Penguin Podcast. The Penguin Podcast allows listeners to understand the origins and creative processes of constructing a story, and the experiences that influenced its development.
Don’t miss this chance to be in the audience as Michael discusses five objects that inspired or shaped the writing of his book, telling us the stories behind his story.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Ticket & Book £25
Two tickets and one Book £35A signed copy of Erebus: The Story of a Ship by Michael Palin is included with every purchase.
Monday 5th November 2018 7.30PM
An Afternoon with Lauren Child
Join us for an afternoon with the current Children’s Laureate as she looks at the inspiration behind her work, the magic of reading and writing for children, and how ideas can come from anywhere. Lauren will be in conversation with writer and broadcaster Nicolette Jones.
Lauren Child is a multi-award winning, bestselling writer and artists whose books are known and loved across the world. She is best known as the creator of the successful book series Clarice Bean, Ruby Redfort and Charlie and Lola.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Adult £10, Child £7
Child Ticket & Book £20 (Mary Poppins RRP £20)Sunday 4th November 2018 3pm
Speeches of Note: Shaun Usher in Collaboration with Alleyn’s Drama
We are delighted to announce an evening of historic speeches compiled by Shaun Usher and dramatised by Alleyn’s Drama Department.
In Speeches of Note you’ll discover speeches that altered the course of history, like Nelson Mandela’s on the day he became South Africa’s first black President. You’ll find gloriously unexpected speeches as Kermit the Frog takes to the podium, and celebrate lives well-lived, including Tilda Swinton’s tribute to ‘every alien’s favourite cousin’, David Bowie.
Shaun Usher is the writer and sole custodian of the popular blogs lettersofnote.com, listsofnote.com and speechesofnote.com. He is the author of Letters of Note; Lists of Note and More Letters of Note.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Tickets £10/£8Speeches of Note will be on sale after the event for the special price of £20 (RRP £25)
This event is a partnership with Alleyn’s School Enterprises.
Thursday 11th October 2018 7.30pm
Adam Rutherford and The Story Of How We Became Us
Join Village Books and Alleyn’s School Enterprises Ltd, for an evening with Adam Rutherford, popular science broadcaster, presenter of Radio 4’s Inside Science and author of the best-selling, A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived.
Adam will be talking about his new book The Book of Humans which explores how many of the things once considered to be exclusively human are not.
Illuminated by the latest scientific discoveries, it is a thrilling compendium of what unequivocally fixes us as animals and reveals how we are extraordinary among them.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Tickets £10/£8This event is a partnership with Alleyn’s School Enterprises.
Tuesday 9th October 2018 7.30pm
Jenni Murray – A History of the World in 21 Women
Join us on Tuesday 2nd October as Radio 4 Woman’s Hour presenter Jenni Murray celebrates the lives, struggles and achievements of some of history’s most extraordinary women from around the globe. They ruled empires, they led nations. They were pioneers in the arts and geniuses of science. They spoke truth to power and fought for change. All had a profound impact on the shaping of our world.
‘Every single woman in this book flies in the face of the conventional notion that women are somehow the ‘weaker sex’. Every one of them was, or is, strong, ambitious and determined… What we can learn from these women is that your sex has nothing to do with it.’ Jenni Murray
Jenni Murray is a journalist and broadcaster who has presented BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour since 1987. She is the author of several books, including A History of Britain in 21 Women and Memoirs of a Not So Dutiful Daughter.
A History of the World in 21 Women will be on sale on the night for £15.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
Book & Ticket £25 (includes a copy of A History of the World in 21 Women, RRP £16.99)
Ticket only £12
Under 18 £8This event is a partnership with Alleyn’s School Enterprises.
Tuesday 2nd October 2018 7pm
An Evening with Graham Norton
Join us for an evening of fun, laughter and chat with Graham Norton. Graham’s second novel, A Keeper, is published on 4th October. He will be in conversation with Hannah Beckerman discussing his new novel and why he loves writing fiction.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
£25 (ticket includes a copy of A Keeper)Graham Norton is one of the UK’s best loved broadcasters. He presents The Graham Norton Show on BBC1, has a weekly show on BBC Radio 2, and writes a column for the Telegraph. He is the winner of eight BAFTA awards.
Graham will be in conversation with Hannah Beckerman. Hannah is an author and journalist, writing features and book reviews for The Guardain, The Observer and the FT Weekend Magazine. Her new novel, If Only I Could Tell You, will be published next February.
This event is a partnership with James Allens Girls School.
Saturday 29th September 2018 7.30pm
Take Nothing With You with author Patrick Gale
Join us for an evening of entertaining discussion about writing with one of the UK’s leading authors. Patrick is the author of bestselling novels including The Whole Day Through, the Richard and Judy bestsellers Notes From An Exhibition and A Perfectly Good Man, the Costa nominated A Place Called Winter and his latest, Take Nothing With You. And he was the author of the BBC drama, Man in an Orange Shirt.
Patrick’s sixteenth novel, Take Nothing With You, is a sad-funny comedy of resilience and survival that is sure to appeal to fans of Rough Music as well as to readers newly drawn to his work from watching Man in an Orange Shirt.
Patrick will be in conversation with Hannah Beckerman. Hannah is an author and journalist, writing features and book reviews for The Guardian, The Observer and the FT Weekend Magazine. Her new novel, If Only I Could Tell You, will be published next February.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
£10 / £8This event is a partnership with Alleyn’s School Enterprises
Wednesday 26th September 2018 7.30pm
Conversation and Cooking with Yotam Ottolenghi
Join us for an evening of chat and food demonstration with Yotam Ottolenghi and Tara Wigley to celebrate the launch of Yotam’s latest cookbook, Simple.
Yotam and Tara will be demonstrating how easy the recipes are and will be chatting with Guardian Food journalist Felicity Cloake.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
£35 (ticket includes a copy of Simple (Book RRP £25))
£15 / £10 (ticket only)Simple showcases Yotam’s standout dishes that will suit whatever type of cooking you find easy – whether that’s getting wonderful food on the table in under 30 minutes, using just one pot to make a delicious meal, or a flavoursome dish that can be prepared ahead and then served when you’re ready.
Felicity Cloake is freelance journalist and writer with a weekly column in The Guardian. She also writes for The New Stateman, FT, Observer, Daily Mail, Daily Telegraph, Metro, olive, delicious, Literary Review, Sainsbury’s magazine, Waitrose Food Illustrated and Fire and Knives.
This event is a partnership with Alleyn’s School Enterprises
Tuesday 18th September 2018 7.30pm
Sir Chris Hoy, six times Olympic Gold Medal winner, discusses Bikes & Cycling
We are thrilled to announce an evening with Sir Chris Hoy MBE, one of Great Britain’s most successful Olympic athletes of all time, with six gold medals and one silver. Sir Chris will be talking about his career, all things bikes and cycling, and answering questions from the audience. He will then be signing copies of his new book How to Ride a Bike.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
£25 (ticket includes a copy of How to Ride a Bike)
Under 18’s £10 (ticket only)How to Ride a Bike is an invaluable manual for cyclists of all ages, experience and ability. There’s advice on diet, the psychology of cycling, and plenty of stories and anecdotes from Chris’s Olympic track career. Full of helpful and inspiring advice for those getting on a bike for the first time in a while, along with plenty of tips and tricks for seasoned cyclists this is a book for beginners and pros alike.
Chris was voted 2008 BBC Sports Personality of the Year, and he was awarded a Knighthood in the 2009 New Year Honours list.
This event is a partnership with Dulwich College.
Monday 17th September 2018 19.00
Paris Through the Eyes of Sebastian Faulks
Sebastian Faulks is a giant of our contemporary literary world. Since his 1993 novel Birdsong captured the imagination of readers across the country, he has seen his novels lauded, adapted for film, stage, and radio, and (of course) read avidly. Faulks is beyond doubt a master’ says the Financial Times.
Join us on 12th September for an evening with Sebastian as he chats about his writing, his loves and how Paris Echo came about.
BOOK TICKETS HERE
£25 (ticket includes a copy of Paris Echo (Book rrp £20))
£10 / £8 (ticket only)In Paris Echo you have a Paris you have never seen before – a city in which every building seems to hold the echo of an unacknowledged past, the shadows of Vichy and Algeria. in her desire to understand their lives, and through them her own, she finds a city bursting with clues and connections.
Sebastian Faulks is the author of The Girl at the Lion D’Or, Birdsong and Charlotte Gray to name a few.
This event is a partnership with Alleyn’s School Enterprises.
Wednesday 12th September 2018 7.30pm
An evening with Antony Beevor
The British fascination with heroic failure has clouded the story of Arnhem – the battle for the bridges leading to the Lower Rhine in 1944 – in myths. Antony Beevor, the distinguished military historian, has reconstructed the terrible reality of the fighting. It is a gripping account of an iconic moment in British and European history as well as an analysis of the cost of failure, which included pitiless German reprisals.
Antony Beevor’s previous bestselling books include Berlin, D-Day, Ardennes 1944 and the multiple prize-winning Stalingrad.
BOOK TICKETS HERE Tickets are £10/£8 This event is taking place on Thursday 21st June 7.30pm in the MCT at Alleyns School
Thursday 21st June 2018 7.30pmMCT at Alleyns School, Townley Road, Dulwich, SE22 8SU
The Secret Life of the Teenage Brain with Sarah-Jayne Blakemore SOLD OUT
Why does an easy child become a challenging teenager?
Why do teenagers struggle to get up in the morning?
Why do they often take excessive risks?We often joke that teenagers don’t have brains. For some reason, it’s socially acceptable to mock people in this stage of their lives. The need for intense friendships, the excessive risk taking and the development of many mental illnesses – depression, addiction, schizophrenia – begin during these formative years, so what makes the adolescent brain different?
Drawing upon her cutting-edge research in her London laboratory, award-winning neuroscientist, Sarah-Jayne Blakemore explains what happens inside the adolescent brain, what her team’s experiments have revealed about our behaviour, and how we relate to each other and our environment as we go through this period of our lives. She shows that while adolescence is a period of vulnerability, it is also a time of enormous creativity – one that should be acknowledged, nurtured and celebrated.
This event is sold out. Call the bookshop to join the waiting list on 8693 2808.
Watch Sarah-Jayne’s TED talk here.
‘Beautifully written with clarity, expertise and honesty about the most important subject for all of us. I couldn’t put it down’ Robert Winston
Tuesday 22nd May 2018 7.30pmBell House, 27 College Road, Dulwich SE21 7BG
Behind the scenes in the NHS with Christie Watson & Caroline Elton SOLD OUT
We were thrilled to host Christie Watson and Caroline Elton for an event as they discussed the NHS, share their views of life behind the scenes and what it is like for the teams that look after us in hospitals.
Doctors and nurses are the people we turn to when we fall ill and who look after us. They are the people we trust with our lives, and with the lives of those we love. But what is it like from their side?Christie Watson was a nurse for twenty years. Taking us from birth to death and from A&E to the mortuary, The Language of Kindness is an astonishing account of a profession defined by acts of care, compassion and kindness.
Christie’s book has received many fantastic reviews. Just to quote a couple:
“An amazing book – terrifying at times, but tender and truthful. Let’s be thankful for wonderful nurses – and writers – like Christie Watson” JACQUELINE WILSON
“A remarkable book about life and death and so brilliantly written it makes you hold your breath” RUBY WAX
Caroline Elton is a psychologist who specialises in helping doctors. For over twenty years she has listened as doctors have unburdened themselves of the pressures of their jobs: the obstetrician whose own fertility treatment failed; the trainee oncologist who found herself unable to treat patients suffering from the disease that killed her father; the brilliant neurosurgeon struggling to progress her career in an environment that was hostile to women.
Drawing on extraordinary case studies and decades of work supporting clinicians, Also Human presents a provocative, perceptive and deeply humane examination of the modern medical profession.
Caroline Elton’s book, Also Human has received rave reviews, including Hilary Mantel saying “All agree there is a crisis in health care, but this book looks behind the headlines and tots up the human cost of a flawed system. Written with perceptive sympathy for the wounded healer, it is necessary reading for both doctors and patients”.
Tuesday 8th May 2018 7.30pmBell House, 27 College Road, Dulwich SE21 7BG
Introducing debut novelist AJ Pearce
We had the most wonderful evening with AJ Pearce on Monday 23 April. Picked as one of the leading debut novelists of 2018 this event was a treat for our customers and ourselves.
London, 1941. Emmeline Lake and her best friend Bunty are trying to stay cheerful despite the Luftwaffe making life thoroughly annoying for everyone. Emmy dreams of becoming a Lady War Correspondent and when she spots a job advertisement in the newspaper she seizes her chance – but after a rather unfortunate misunderstanding, she finds herself typing letters for the formidable Henrietta Bird, the renowned agony aunt of Woman’s Friend magazine.
Mrs Bird is very clear: letters containing any form of Unpleasantness must go straight into the bin. But as Emmy reads the desperate pleas from women who may have Gone Too Far with the wrong man, or can’t bear to let their children be evacuated, she decides the only thing for it is to secretly write back . . .
Irresistibly funny and enormously moving, Dear Mrs Bird by AJ Pearce is a love letter to the enduring power of friendship, the kindness of strangers and the courage of ordinary people in extraordinary times.
If you have not read Dear Mrs Bird we urge to pick up a copy now and get reading.
AJ was picked by The Guardian as one of the debuts for 2018. Hannah Beckerman says “joyfully uplifting and optimistic novel…Despite its historical setting, Dear Mrs Bird’s timely story of courage and good humour in adversity is being pitched as the literary tonic of the year”.Hazel has read Dear Mrs Bird and says “I loved Dear Mrs Bird and was completely swept up in the story of Emmy and Bunty. The portrayal of their lives in London during the Blitz was so vividly realised it felt real and I really cared what happened to them. I devoured the book in a single sitting and highly recommend it. It has all the warmth and charm of The Guernsey Potato and Peel Pie Society and I’m certain it will find as wide an audience. I can’t wait to be able to recommend it in the bookshop”.
Picador Publishing Director Francesca Main and Design Manager Katie Tooke share the story behind the cover of this very special book here.
Monday 23rd April 2018 7pmBell House, 27 College Road, Dulwich SE21 7BG
An Evening with Susie Steiner in conversation with DS Graham McMillan
Susie Steiner and DS McMillan came to Dulwich to discuss working together on plotting the crimes so the books have a real authenticity. Whilst researching her latest book Persons Unknown, Susie Steiner worked with DS Graham McMillan. DS McMillan is a real life detective whose views and thoughts add a reality to Susie’s crime novels making them unique.
It was a fun event and if you have not read any Susie Steiner thrillers we recommend you start now!
Detective Sergeant Graham McMillan has been in the police force for 20 years. Since 2007 he has worked for the Major Crime Unit in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire. This 182-strong dedicated team works across the three counties responding to the most serious crimes, including murder and kidnap. DI Graham McMillan is currently on Channel 4’s 24 Hours in Police Custody.
Wednesday 18th April 2018 7.30pmBell House, 27 College Road, Dulwich SE21 7BG
An Evening with Joanna Trollope
On Wednesday 7 March we had a wonderful evening of chat and conversation with Joanna Trollope.
Joanna is the perfect author for a bookshop to host an event with, warm, engaging, loves sharing her writing experiences with the audience and the conversation at this event was enlightening.
Joanna’s latest novel, An Unsuitable Match, is an a uplifting story of love, family and second chances.‘Why on earth, after all you’ve been through, all you’ve survived, all you’ve achieved, why do you want to get married?’
Rose Woodrowe has just got engaged to Tyler Masson – a wonderful, sensitive man who is head-over-heels in love with her. The only problem? This isn’t the first time for either of them, and their five grown-up children have strong opinions on the matter . . .
Like Rose’s daughter, Laura, who remembers her parents’ painful divorce and doesn’t want to see her mother hurt again. Or the twins, Emmy and Nat, who simply don’t trust the man their mother has fallen for. Then there’s Tyler’s children: Seth, too busy with his San Francisco sourdough bakery to get to know his father’s new partner; and Mallory, the aspiring actress, who is still wrestling with the issues of her own childhood.
Who to listen to? Who to please? Rose and Tyler are determined to get it right this time, but in trying to make everyone happy, can they ever be happy themselves?
Wednesday 7th March 2018 7.30pm
An Evening with Elly Griffiths
On Thursday 22 February Elly Griffiths, author of wonderfully atmospheric crime fiction featuring forensic archaeologist Ruth Galloway, came to Dulwich to talk about her new novel, THE DARK ANGEL.
Boiled human bones have been found in Norwich’s web of underground tunnels. When Dr Ruth Galloway discovers they were recently buried, DCI Nelson has a murder enquiry on his hands. The boiling might have been just a medieval curiosity – now it suggests a much more sinister purpose.
Elly was in conversation with Sarah Crompton. Sarah is the former Arts Editor-in-Chief and a huge fan of Ruth Galloway series.
This was a fantastic event, Elly was brilliant, great communicator and extremely popular with our audience.
Thursday 22nd February 2018 19.00
Lose Weight for Good with Tom Kerridge
On Tuesday 30 January 2018 Michelin star chef Tom Kerridge talked about how to cook full flavour meals for a low-calorie diet with a difference.As Tom says: ‘It’s impossible to stick to a diet if the food you’re expected to eat is boring and doesn’t fill you up. So I’ve developed lots of tasty and satisfying recipes that people will love to cook and eat, but that will also help them lose weight.
I truly believe that this attitude works. I’ve been there myself and now I want to help others get there too.’
Tom Kerridge worked as a chef in restaurants across Britain before deciding to set out on his own, and take over a rundown pub in the quiet town of Marlow. He opened The Hand & Flowers with his wife Beth in 2005, and it went on to become the first (and only) pub in the world to acquire two Michelin stars. In 2014 he opened The Coach, his second pub in Marlow, which within its first year of trading received three AA Rosettes, was voted third best pub in Britain by the Top 50 Gastropub Awards, and awarded a Michelin star in 2017. Tom is also a familiar presence on the nation’s television screens, hosting two of his own BBC series, and at the helm of BBC’s Food & Drink and Bake Off: Crème de la Crème.
Tom has been developing top recipes for over twenty-six years and knows how to make food taste great. He also understands how much willpower it takes to lose weight, having lost an astonishing eleven stone in the last four years. In his new book and BBC2 TV show, Lose Weight for Good, Tom is turning his chef’s skills to making low-calorie cooking delicious and simple.
Tuesday 30th January 2018 7.30pm
Alison Weir & the Medieval Queens of England
Alison Weir came to Dulwich on Thursday 16th November to tell the dramatic story of five Norman queens from her new book Queens of the Conquest. From Matilda of Flanders, who supported William the Conqueror in his invasion of England in 1066, to the turbulent Empress Maud who founded the Plantagenet dynasty as the mother of Henry II. Stripping away centuries of romantic mythology and delving beyond the prejudice and credulity in contemporary sources, Alison will reveal a more balanced and authentic picture of these extraordinary women.
Love, hate, ambition and tragedy all feature in this epic saga.
Alison Weir is the top-selling female historian in the United Kingdom, and has sold over 2.7 million books worldwide. She has published seventeen history books, including Elizabeth the Queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, The Lady in the Tower and Elizabeth of York, and six historical novels. Her latest biography is The Lost Tudor Princess, and her latest novel is Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen, the first in a series of novels about the wives of Henry VIII.
Thursday 16th November 2017 7.30pm
Philip Pullman in conversation with Nicolette Jones
We were honoured that Philip Pullman came to Dulwich talk about his life in writing and his new collection of essays on storytelling called Daemon Voices (David Fickling Books).
Dæmon Voices: Essays on Storytelling is a unique collection of Philip Pullman’s essays, written over 20 years and brought together for the first time. Reflecting a lifetime of writing, each carefully curated story is a meditation on the power and importance of storytelling. Warm, funny, generous, entertaining and deeply considered, they offer thoughts on a wide variety of topics including the origin of Philip’s own stories, the craft of writing, other storytellers and the importance of stories in our culture. Together, the essays form a lively personal exploration of storytelling by one of the world’s greatest storytellers.
Philip was in conversation with The Sunday Times journalist, Nicolette Jones.
Tuesday 7th November 2017 19.30pm
An evening with Evan Davis
Lies and deception, flannel and waffle, distracting decoration or flamboyance, artifice and insincerity, pure nonsense and gibberish: bullshit is everywhere you look. And never has there been more concern about it. From President Trump to the Brexit debate, we hear constant talk of falsehoods and fake news, and appeals to alternative facts. So why has bullshit apparently become the communications strategy of our time?
Drawing on behavioural science, economics, psychology and his knowledge of the media, in this event Evan set out to explore the surprising logic of the bullshit we encounter. He stepped inside the panoply of deception and spin employed not just in recent politics, but in all walks of life, to explain why these falsehoods are both pervasive and persistent. Drawing on behavioural science, economics, psychology and his extensive knowledge of the media, Evan set out why fake news has apparently become the communications strategy of our time and charts a route through it.
Evan Davis is the main presenter of the BBC2 current affairs show, Newsnight. Before taking up that role in September 2014, he was a presenter of the Today programme on BBC Radio 4. He is also well-known as the presenter of the BBC2 business reality show Dragons Den. And on Radio 4, he hosts a weekly business discussion programme the Bottom Line.
Sunday 5th November 2017 7.30pm
An evening with Salley Vickers in conversation with Joy Rhoades
Salley came to Dulwich on Thursday 19th October and chatted with Joy Rhoades about her writing and books.
Salley Vickers first novel Miss Garnet’s Angel was an international word of mouth bestseller, and she has since established herself as one of our leading novelists, in the tradition of Penelope Fitzgerald and Marilynne Robinson. In her latest book, Cousins, brilliant and mercurial Will Tye suffers a life changing accident with consequences which echo through three generations of the Tye family. Each member of the family holds some clue to the chain of events which may have led to the accident and each holds themselves to blame.
Cousins is a subtle novel weaving darkness and light which takes us from the outbreak of World War Two to the present day, exploring the recurrence of tragedy, the nature of transgression, and the limits of morality and love.
Joy is the author of The Woolgrower’s Companion is the gripping love story of one woman’s fight to save her home and a passionate tribute to Australia’s landscape and its peoples.
Hazel loved Joy’s novel and says – it is a gripping tale beautifully told that has been described as “Captain Corelli meets The Thornbirds”, though she thinks it has a flavour of A Town Like Alice.
Thursday 19th October 2017 7pm
Adam Kay in conversation with Hardeep Singh Kohli
We had a fantastic evening in the company of comedian, writer and former junior doctor, Adam Kay, as he did his stand-up set in his childhood home of Dulwich to mark the publication of his new book This is Going to Hurt.
This is Going To Hurt is a Sunday Times Bestseller and a brilliant albeit sad read. You’ll laugh, cry and be shocked by the tale but in the end you’ll want to buy another copy for a friend.
Welcome to the life of a junior doctor. Scribbled in secret after endless days, sleepless nights and missed weekends, Adam Kay’s This Is Going to Hurt provides a no-holds-barred account of his time on the NHS front line. Hilarious, horrifying and heartbreaking by turns, this is everything you wanted to know – and more than a few things you didn’t – about life on and off the hospital ward. And yes, it may leave a scar.
Wednesday 18th October 2017 7.30pm
An evening with Robert Harris
A full theatre came along on Monday 16th October and heard Robert Harris talk about his writing and his new book Munich. Munich is set over the four days of the Munich Conference, and is filled with the real-life characters and events of the time.
September 1938 Hitler is determined to start a war. Chamberlain is desperate to preserve the peace. The issue is to be decided in a city that will forever afterwards be notorious for what takes place there. As Chamberlain’s plane judders over the Channel and the Furher’s train steams relentlessly south from Berlin, two young men travel with secrets of their own. Hugh Legat is one of Chamberlain’s private secretaries; Paul Hartmann a German diplomat and member of the anti-Hitler resistance. Great friends at Oxford before Hitler came to power, they haven’t seen one another since they were last in Munich six years earlier. Now, as the future of Europe hangs in the balance, their paths are destined to cross again. When the stakes are this high, who are you willing to betray? Your friends, your family, your country or your conscience?
Robert was in conversation with Hannah Beckerman. Hannah is a full-time author and journalist, writing features for the FT Weekend Magazine and book reviews for The Observer and The Sunday Express.
This is classic Robert Harris and it’s a treat to welcome him to Dulwich.
Robert Harris is the author of eleven bestselling novels: the Cicero Trilogy – Imperium, Lustrum and Dictator – Fatherland, Enigma, Archangel, Pompeii, The Ghost, The Fear Index, An Officer and a Spy, which won four prizes including the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, and Conclave.
Monday 16th October 2017 7.30pm
An afternoon with Judith Kerr
Judith Kerr is one of the nation’s most celebrated and beloved authors. Her picture books, such as The Tiger Who Came to Tea and Mog the Cat, are classics and children love her work.
Judith came to Dulwich on Sunday 15th October and chatted with Nicolotte Jones. Nicolette has been the Children’s Books Reviewer of The Sunday Times for more than two decades. She is a Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow at King’s College, London for September 2016-June 2017, as she was at University College, London in 2010-12 and summer 2013.
Katinka’s Tail is the brand new picture book from the beloved and iconic Judith Kerr. This magical new book is brimming with her trademark warm humour and exquisitely imaginative artwork. Come on a wondrous journey with Katinka, a perfectly ordinary pussycat, with a not-quite-so-ordinary tail.
Sunday 15th October 2017 3pm
An evening with Alexander McCall Smith
An evening with Alexander McCall Smith is an evening of sheer delight and we were not disappointed. Sandy discussed the eagerly anticipated new Isabel Dalhousie novel, A Distant View of Everything, and catch up with little Bertie and the cast of 44 Scotland Street in The Bertie Project.
Alexander McCall Smith, often referred to as ‘Sandy’, is one of the world’s most prolific and best-loved authors. For many years he was a professor of Medical Law and worked in universities in the UK and abroad before turning his hand to writing fiction. He has written and contributed to more than 100 books including specialist academic titles, short story collections, and a number of immensely popular children’s books.
Alexander was in conversation with Peter Guttridge. Peter is a novelist, critic, writing teacher and a chairperson/interviewer at a wide range of literature festivals and events. He is a former Director of the Brighton Literature Festival and the current co-director of Books By The Beach, the Scarborough Book Festival. (www.booksbythebeach.co.uk). For eleven years he was the Observer newspaper’s crime fiction critic. He is the author of eleven novels, two works of non-fiction and numerous short stories.
Tuesday 3rd October 2017 7.30pm
Sweet talk with Yotam Ottolenghi & Helen Goh
We were thrilled when Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Goh came to Dulwich to take all things Sweet.
Renowned for fresh evocative ingredients and bold inventive flavour, Ottolenghi has absolutely changed the way we eat and cook in this country. From Middle Eastern food to the very best Vegetarian recipes and world famous cakes and desserts, the Ottolenghi cookbooks have become national favourites. Sweet is a return to Yotam’s roots as a pastry chef and offers a mouthwatering array of recipes for hand-crafted sweet treats, freshly made with love, flair, real ingredients and lots of attention to detail. This is the quintessential Ottolenghi flavour formula brought to baking.
Yotam and Helen assembled a pudding from Sweet and at the end it was auctioned for charity, raising over £350 for the food bank at All Saints Church.
Monday 25th September 2017 7.30pm
An evening with Rachel Joyce & Sarah Winman
Bestselling authors, Sarah Winman and Rachel Joyce came to Dulwich to talk about their wonderful new novels, Tin Man & The Music Shop.
The event was held in the lovely Bell House which we think is going to one of our favourite location.
The Music Shop by Rachel Joyce is a new novel about learning how to listen and how to feel; and about second chances and choosing to be brave despite the odds. Because in the end, music can save us all …
This link for specially collated The Music Shop playlist: bit.ly/TheMusicShopPlaylist
Tin Man by Sarah Winman is the unforgettable and achingly tender new novel from Sarah Winman, author of the international bestseller When God was a Rabbit and the Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller A Year of Marvellous Ways.
Rachel and Sarah will be in conversation with Hannah Beckerman. Hannah is a full-time author and journalist, writing features for the FT Weekend Magazine and book reviews for The Observer and The Sunday Express.
Thursday 21st September 2017 7pm
An evening with Judy Murray
We were delighted to host Judy Murray to celebrate the publication of her memoir Knowing the Score.
As mother to tennis champions Jamie and Andy Murray, Scottish National Coach, coach of the Fed Cup, and general all-round can-do woman of wonder, Judy Murray is the ultimate role model for believing in yourself and reaching out to ambition. As a parent, coach, leader, she is an inspiration who has revolutionised British tennis. From the soggy community courts of Dunblane to the white heat of Centre Court at Wimbledon, Judy Murray’s extraordinary memoir charts the challenges she has faced, from desperate finances and growing pains to entrenched sexism.
Judy chatted with Alexandra Heminsley, author of Running Like A Girl and most recently Leap In.
We all need a story of ‘yes we can’ to make us believe great things are possible. This is that story. And we were inspired after meeting Judy.
Sunday 17th September 2017 7.30pm
Harry Potter Magic Bookshop Trivia Tournament
As part of the 20th anniversary celebrations for Harry Potter, the publisher Bloomsbury is running an official Harry Potter Trivia Tournament. Twenty bookshops across the UK have been chosen to host the quiz and Village Books were delighted to be one of only two shops chosen in London.
Overseen by an independent official adjudicator, we had 21 team contest the seven categories of questions. With an age range from 5 to 65 this quiz appealed to all ages. At the half way stage two teams were tied on 26 points for the top spot, closely followed by a further three teams on 25. This quiz couldn’t be closer. As the last three rounds began there was silence in the room as quiz master Pip Torrens read out the questions.
After considerable checking of the scores by our independent adjudicator it was with great pleasure that the winners by a margin of 3 points and having answer 86% of the questions correctly the winners were announced, The Fizzing Quizbees. Now we await news of the national quiz and revision has begun.
Village Books donated profits from this event to Lumos, the children’s charity founded by J K Rowling.
Friday 7th July 2017 7pm
Gail Honeyman comes to Dulwich to discuss Eleanor Oliphant SOLD OUT Event
On Thursday 6th July hosted Gail Honeyman in Village Books. Gail discussed her fantastic debut novel, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine which both Hazel and Sheila adored.
In a packed bookshop, at this sold out event , Gail was fantastic and we had a brilliant discussion.
Eleanor Oliphant has a normal job in an office 5 days a week – and a very abnormal home life at the weekend. She is a lonely misfit – until a chance event disrupts her ordered world with unexpected results.
Hazel says “Eleanor’s voice is wonderful, and Gail Honeyman has written a superb debut novel that will make you laugh and cry”.
There’ll be wine, cake, chat, fun and laughter.
Thursday 6th July 2017 7pm
Spanish Food Celebration with Monika Linton, founder of Brindisa
We were thrilled to welcome Monika Linton, founder of Brindisa, to celebrate the publication of Brindisa, The True Food of Spain.
Monika, along with Brindisa’s Executive Chef Josep Carbonell, demonstrated recipes from the book. There were tastings of Spanish food, and a glass of delicious sherry.
Brindisa is the ultimate book of contemporary Spanish cooking, including classic regional recipes, tapas dishes and information about the best ingredients and producers. Ranging from simple traditional breakfasts and mid-week dinners to celebratory lunches and weekend get-togethers, this is a true celebration of the food, people and countryside of Spain. With 250 colour illustrations.
Wednesday 28th June 2017 7.30pm
A Manual for Heartache – How to make sense of a tragedy with Cathy Rentzenbrink & Dr Suzanne O’Sullivan
How do we make sense of heartache? Cathy Rentzenbrink and Dr Suzanne O’Sullivan will discussed learning to deal with heartache, grief and loss. They explored how to cope with life at its most difficult and how that suffering may change us forever but we can emerge filled with hope.
Cathy Rentzenbrink is the author of a bestselling and stunning memoir called The Last Act of Love about the life and death of her brother. Cathy was still a teenager at the time and her happy family was torn apart by this unthinkable tragedy. In A Manual for Heartache she describes how she learnt to live with grief and loss and find joy in the world again.
Cathy was in conversation with Dr. Suzanne O’Sullivan.
Dr Suzanne O’Sullivan is the author of the It’s All in Your Head: True Stories of Imaginary Illness, winner of the 2016 Wellcome Book Prize. Dr Suzanne O’Sullivan is a consultant neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London.
Tuesday 27th June 2017 7.30pm
Dulwich Village Street Tree Walk with Paul Wood
Paul Wood, author of London’s Street Trees: Field Guide to the Urban Forest came to Dulwich on Sunday morning 25th June for a glorious exploration of the street trees in Dulwich Village.
Well – they’re London planes, aren’t they? Everyone knows that? But what else lines our streets and road in Dulwich Village? In fact the magnificently green streets of London are in no way a monoculture.
Paul shared his knowledge of London street trees. You’ll never walk around the Village again without reflecting on the trees that line our beautiful streets.
We are planning another event this autumn, so watch out for that news.Sunday 25th June 2017 10am
Independent Bookshop celebration Saturday 24th June in Village Books
Saturday 24th June began a week long UK wide celebration of Independent Bookshops.
We welcomed John Gordon Sinclair, often known as Gordy, famous for Gregory’s Girl and now a best selling crime writer. Gordy discussed his “desert island books”. Gordy choose the 10 books that influenced him, shaped his career and gave him inspiration to become a writer.
Gordy also talked you about his latest book, Walk in Silence, a compelling kidnap featuring lawyer Keira Lynch who immediately becomes embroiled in trouble when she arrives in Albania.
Saturday 24th June 2017 11amVillage Books in Dulwich Village, 1d Calton Ave., Dulwich Village
Celebrate literary Italy with Lucy Foley & Louisa Young
Lucy Foley, author of The Invitation and Louisa Young, author of Devotion came to the bookshop on Tuesday 13th June to chat and discuss all things Italian. The evening began with delicious Italian wine and arancini throughout the evening.
The Invitation is a sweeping love story set during the 1950s in Italy, filled with mystery, glamour and danger.
‘A seductive love tale’ says the Sunday Times Style magazine.
Devotion is a novel of family, love, race and politics set during the electric change of the 1930s. The third book in the series set in the difficult years between the two World Wars, this is a novel of love, family, race and politics in the 1930s.
‘Young expertly weaves politics, race and loyalty into the family’s narrative’ says the Observer
Tuesday 13th June 2017 7pm
Henry Hemming Talk
To celebrate the release of Henry Hemming’s latest book ‘M: Maxwell Knight, MI5’s Greatest Spymaster‘, the author came to Dulwich to talk about two remarkable female spies and the man who ran them: an animal-loving drop-out who went on to become MI5’s greatest spymaster.
This is the dramatic true story of a maverick MI5 officer who recruited two women in the 1930s to penetrate the British Communist movement. Their skillful, deft work led to the exposure of a Soviet spy-ring in the Woolwich Arsenal, a famous court case and one of them being hailed in America as ‘Britain’s counter-espionage heroine’.
Read what the Telegraph had to say here.
Ben Macintrye says in his review of Henry’s book “Hemming has done a superb job of peeling back the layers covering this most veiled of spies”. “Impressive detective work. Read the full review here.
Monday 5th June 2017 7pm
Marianne Kavanagh book launch celebrating Should You Ask Me
We were delighted to host the book launch to celebrate the publication of Marianne Kavanagh’s latest book SHOULD YOU ASK ME.
SHOULD YOU ASK ME is a captivating story about people at their worst and best: raw, rich, and utterly compelling. Just before D-Day in 1944, on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, an elderly woman walks into a police station. She has information, she says, about human remains recently discovered nearby.
The bodies could have stayed buried for ever – like the pain and passion that put them there. But Mary Holmes is finally ready to tell the truth. The young constable sent to take her statement is still suffering from the injuries that ended his army career.
As he tries to make sense of her tale, William finds himself increasingly distracted. Mary’s confession forces his own violent memories to the surface – betrayals and regrets as badly healed as his war wounds. Over six days, as pressure builds for the final push in Europe, two lives reveal their secrets.Thursday 25th May 2017 6.30pm
Roger McGough + LiTTLe MACHiNe Poetry & Music Show
Roger McGough’s new show with Walter, Steve & Chris of LiTTLe MACHiNe featured a fine selection of vintage, classic & surprising poems set to music. It’s a gala gig that’s making waves! They came to James Alleyns Girls School for a wonderful evening of music and poetry.
Hilarious and surreal, McGough is a poet of many voices. Menace and melancholy there may be, but with plenty of McGough’s characteristic wit and wordplay too. Formed in 2009, LiTTLe MACHiNe set classic poems to music and perform them with energy, passion and humour. It’s poetry but not like you’ve heard or seen it before.
‘the most brilliant music and poetry band I’ve seen in decades’
Carol Ann Duffy, Poet Laureate‘LiTTLe MACHiNe’s sophisticated way with poetry made me fall in love with old and new favourites all over again. They make you laugh and break your heart.’ Gillian Clarke
Monday 22nd May 2017 7pm
Maggie O’Farrell at Alleyn's
In May Maggie O’Farrell came to Dulwich to discuss her writing. It was an absolutely fantastic event, over 200 ardent fans packed The Great Hall in Alleyns school as Hannah Beckerman interviewed her.
Maggie O’Farrell is the author of seven novels, including The Hand That First Held Mine, which won the 2010 Costa Novel Award, Instructions For A Heatwave, which was shortlisted for the 2013 Costa Novel Award, and This Must Be The Place.
Hannah Beckerman is an author and journalist. Her debut novel, The Dead Wife’s Handbook, is published by Penguin. She is a freelance features writer and book critic for The Observer, the FT Weekend Magazine and The Sunday Express
Thursday 18th May 2017 7.30pm
Ross Raisin at Dulwich Hamlet FC
Shortlist magazine and Village Books hosted Ross Raisin, in conversation at Dulwich Hamlet FC on Wednesday 5th April. Ross was chatting about his latest novel, A Natural.
A hugely popular event and run as a book+ticket deal we had 100% book sales conversion rate.
As one customer said on twitter “Thank you
@bookshopdulwich for the chance to hear and meet the hugely talented author Ross Raisin this evening”.Wednesday 5th April 2017 7.00pm
Flora Shedden Cake Decorating Demonstration ****SOLD OUT***
At a sold out event on Saturday 18th March Flora Shedden showed us how to decorate a cake brilliantly and without fuss and shared tips and advice’e Great British Bake Off.
Saturday 18th March 2017 2pm
Robin Stevens in Village Books Dulwich Village
We were thrilled to welcome best-selling author Robin Stevens to Dulwich Village on Saturday 10th December 3pm-5pm.
Robin signed copies of Mistletoe and Murder – the latest adventure for Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong. Robin is such a lovely author, generous with her time and everyone a fantantic time.
If you’ve not read her books they are great reads, ideal for 8+.
Saturday 10th December 2016
Chris Mullin's Hinterland
All serious politicians are supposed to possess a hinterland, but not all do. Chris Mullin was one who did. Chris was a Labour MP from 1987 until 2010 and served as a minister in three departments. His successful campaign to free the innocent people convicted of the Birmingham bombings was described as ‘one of the greatest feats ever achieved by an investigative reporter’.
Hinterland is the wry and revealing political memoir from the man behind the celebrated diaries A View From the Foothills, A Walk-On Part and Decline and Fall. A Very British Coup, his novel telling the story of an outsider elected as leader of the Labour party, is enjoying a resurgence. Chris will be talking about his life, both in and out of politics, and answering questions.
This was a highly entertaining, interesting and thought-provoking evening.
Tuesday 22nd November 2016 7.30pm
Lauren Child - Blink and You Die
We were absolutely delighted to welcome back to Dulwich best-selling author Lauren Child. Her newest book is the series finale for Ruby Redfort. In Blink and You Die Ruby is running scared – a whole bunch of people want her dead, and worst of all, one of them is in her own team!
It was a fantastic event, Lauren was lovely and chatted with her fans, signed books and was up for photos. The Ruby Redfort series is hugely popular and if you have not read any we urge you to try one and you’ll be hooked.
Thursday 17th November 2016 6.30pmAll Saints Church, Lovelace Road, West Dulwich, SE21 8JY
Village Books in Dulwich Village celebrates 20 years.
Hazel and Julian celebrated 20 years in 2016 of owning your local bookshop in Dulwich on Saturday 24th September with a fun day for all the family.
We also celebrated Julian’s retirement and a packed bookshop, sipping champagne toasted his new life in the West country.
The bookshop has existed on this site for over 90 years and been a stalwart of the Dulwich community. We thank you for supporting us for the last 20 years and very much look forward to serving you and the Dulwich community for the next twenty years or more…
Saturday 24th September 2016 9am - 5.30pm
An Evening with Ruby Wax with Village Books in Dulwich Village
Ruby Wax, chatted with journalist Sarah Crompton about her new book A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled. ‘Five hundred years ago no-one died of stress: we have invented this concept and now we let it rule us, not to mention frazzle us’.
Outrageously witty, smart and accessible, Ruby Wax showed ordinary people how and why to change for good. With advice for adults, for children and for teenagers, A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled is the only guide you need for a healthier, happier life.
Portrait photography © Steve Ullathorne
Friday 15th January 2016 7.30pm
An Evening with Nigella with Village Books in Dulwich Village
We were delighted to welcome Nigella Lawson to Dulwich to celebrate publication of Simply Nigella, the first new book in three years from one of the nation’s favourite food writers. Tying in with a BBC2 television series, the book has recipes that are uncomplicated and relaxed for everything from quick suppers to stress-free crowd pleasers and sweet treats. It is the perfect antidote to our busy lives: a calm and glad celebration of food to soothe and uplift.
Nigella was in conversation with the award winning columnist of The Sunday Telegraph Diana Henry, best-selling author of A Bird in the Hand.
Portrait image ©Debra Hurford Brown
Tuesday 8th December 2015 7.30pm
An evening of Wine Tasting with Jancis Robinson OBE
Dulwich was delighted to welcome Jancis Robinson OBE and Master of Wine, described by Decanter as ‘the most respected wine critic and journalist in the world’.
The Oxford Companion to Wine was first published in 1994 to worldwide acclaim and has won every major wine book award. It has been extensively revised in a major new edition, the first in almost a decade. To celebrate its publication we tasted wines chosen by Jancis from local supplier, Dulwich Vintners. The wines were chosen to illustrate how much the world of wine has changed since the last edition was published in 2006.
Friday 27th November 2015 7.30pm
Meet Edmund de Waal
EDMUND DE WAAL is one of the world’s leading ceramic artists. His best-selling memoir, The Hare with Amber Eyes was described as “a masterpiece” by the Sunday Times and “the most enchanting history lesson imaginable” by the New Yorker.
In his new book, The White Road, he travels the globe to tell the story of his obsession with porcelain and the lure it held for the Europeans who encountered it. The journey begins in China and travels through Venice, Versailles, Dublin, Dresden, South Carolina and the hills of Cornwall to tell the history of porcelain. Woven into this is an intimate memoir of his life as a potter, and his deepening understanding of the ‘white gold’ he has worked with for over 45 years.
In our event with Edmund he talked about his new book and answered questions.
Thursday 8th October 2015 7.30pm
An evening with Tom Holland
TOM HOLLAND is the award winning and bestselling author of Rubicon, Persian Fire, Millenium and In the Shadow of the Sword. In Rubicon, described by Ian McEwan as “Narrative history at its best”, Tom recounted the final 100 years of the Roman Republic. In his new work, Dynasty, he returns to that era, telling the story of the House of Caesar with its gallery of leading characters: Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius and finally Nero.
Dynasty is as riveting as Rubicon and we were delighted to welcome Tom to Dulwich to celebrate its publication. Tom talked about his work, answered questions, and signed copies of Dynasty.
Thursday 24th September 2015 7:30pm
How to Train Your Dragon with Cressida Cowell
Cressida Cowell, the bestselling author and illustrator of the wildly popular series, How To Train Your Dragon (also a blockbuster film series), came to Dulwich to talk about the LAST book in the series, How to Fight a Dragon’s Fury.
Cressida was absoulely brilliant and hilarous. The audience, a mixture of families got top tips on becoming an author or illustrator, listened to the behind-the-scenes details about how the books became films, and learnt some Dragonese.
Sunday 13th September 2015 3PM
An evening of Cooking & Conversation with Rick Stein
One of our favourite TV chefs came back to Dulwich for a sell out event with a memorable new food odyssey as he explores the flavours of the Eastern Mediterranean. His new book, From Venice to Istanbul, accompanies a major BBC TWO series and takes us on a mouth-watering journey from Venice through Greece, Croatia and Albania to Turkey and beyond.
Rick Stein is a vivacious and captivating speaker and this was an extremely entertaining evening as he demonstrated dishes from the book and answered questions from the audience.
Thursday 3rd September 2015 7.30pm
Michael Palin - Author Event
Michael Palin is a scriptwriter, comedian, novelist, actor, playwright and television presenter. We were delighted to welcome him to Dulwich to celebrate the publication of Travelling to Work: Diaries 1988-1998 – the third volume of his widely acclaimed diaries. The book covers the years from 1988 when Michael embarked on Around the World in 80 Days, the first of his hugely successful travel series.
Image by John Swannell
Thursday 27th November 2014 7.30pm
Books are my Bag with Jo Brand
Books Are My Bag is a nationwide celebration of real bookshops – and now in its 2nd year we were thrilled that Jo Brand offered to step behind the till and help out. Jo was hilarous and incredibly generous with her time. Along with sharing her “Desert Island Books”, Jo served behind the till in her own inimitable style.
Saturday 11th October 2014 3.30pm - 5.30pmVillage Books
Chris Riddell - Author Event
We were delighted to welcome Chris Riddell, author and illustrator of the fabulous Ottoline books to Dulwich. Chris came into the shop to celebrate his latest book: Goth Girl and the Fete Worse Than Death, the second in the series.
Thursday 2nd October 2014 3.30 - 5.30pmVillage Books
Conversation & Cooking with Yotam Ottolenghi
Yotam Ottolenghi came to Dulwich for an evening of conversation and cooking to celebrate publication of his new book. Plenty More picked up where Plenty left off with 120 more dazzling vegetable-based dishes, including Alfonso mango and curried chickpea salad, Candy beetroot with lentils, and even desserts such as Roasted rhubarb with sweet labneh.
He was fantastic and chatted away whilst chopping vegetables and was hugely popular with the audience. We had over a 50% conversion rate of book sales v audience numbers.
Thursday 18th September 2014 7.30pm
Skulduggery Event with Derek Landy
Derek Landy returned to Dulwich for the ninth and shocking, heart-wrenching book in the jaw-droppingly stupendous Skulduggery Pleasant series!
Friday 5th September 2014 6.30pmSt Barnabas Parish Hall, Dulwich
An Evening with Mary Berry
Village Books, Dulwich, in association with Alleyn’s School, were proud to present an evening with Mary Berry. The much-loved judge of the BBC’s The Great British Bake Off talked about and signed copies of her new book Mary Berry Cooks.
Thursday 20th March 2014 7.30pmAlleyn's Great Hall
A brilliant and fun evening was had with Tim Moore and Ned Boulting
Tim Moore, described by The Observer as “the world’s funniest travel writer”, celebrated the publication of The Cyclist Who Went Out in the Cold. Following the success of Geronimo and French Revolutions Tim has turned his attention to the Iron Curtain and sets off to cycle its 9000km route – on a tiny-wheeled, two-geared East German shopping bike. The resultant book is laugh-out-loud funny.
Tim was chatting with Ned Boulting, the well respected author and sports journalist, and even had his shopping bike with him! It was a highly entertaining evening, just for cyclists.
The event took place in The Great Hall at Alleyn’s, Townley Road, Dulwich SE22 8SU