Book-Signing with Julia Donaldson for ‘The Christmas Pine’ & ‘Squirrel’s Snowman’ November 2021

Book-Signing with Julia Donaldson for ‘The Christmas Pine’ & ‘Squirrel’s Snowman’ November 2021

What better way to mark the start of the Festive Season? Come and meet Julia Donaldson as she celebrates the release of two magical, Christmassy new books …

In 2020, Julia was commissioned to write a poem in honour of the Trafalgar Square Christmas tree, an annual gift to the UK from Norway. Now, this delightful, rhyming poem, which follows the journey of a little pine tree from the deep Norwegian forest to the sparkling bright centre of London, is released as a beautiful hardback book, with gorgeous, atmospheric illustrations by Norwegian artist Victoria Sandøy.  The Christmas Pine is a modern Christmas classic!

Squirrel’s Snowman‘ is a brand new addition to Julia Donaldson’s well-loved Acorn Wood series, with charming illustrations by Axel Scheffler. In chunky board-book format, with flaps to lift on every page and a darling rhyming story which follows Squirrel and her friends as they try to collect all they need to build a snowman, this is a festive, snowy treat for toddlers!

How does the book-signing work?

The signing is organised in timed slots, from 10am onwards, ending at 1.45pm, to limit queues and crowding.

1 ticket booking admits 1 family group of up to 5 people (1/2 adults and up to 3 children).

Each ticket includes either 1 copy of The Christmas Pine (£12.99) or 1 copy of Squirrel’s Snowman (£6.99)

Additional books can be purchased at the Steyning Bookshop on the day of the signing.

Free refreshments and activities for children are included.

We are sorry, but only these pre-ordered books plus books purchased on the day at the Steyning Bookshop will be signed by Julia.

BOOK YOUR PLACE HERE

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An Evening with Alastair Sawday

An Evening with Alastair Sawday

An exciting chance to meet the man behind the famous name – Alastair Sawday is most famous for his ‘Special Places to Stay’ series of hotel guides, but he has also created a very successful publishing firm, with a popular online presence, and is a passionate environmental activist.
Alastair will speak about his travels, his writing & publishing work, his activism & involvement with the Soil Association, and his commitment to an eco-friendly way of life.
The evening will include drinks & a finger buffet.
The Steyning Bookshop will be on ​hand selling copies of Alastair’s books.

Buy tickets HERE

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Event Details

From 7:00PM to 9:00PM

Location

Steyning Cricket Club, Steyning, BN44 3LE

Attila the Stockbroker on National Poetry Day

Attila the Stockbroker on National Poetry Day

We are thrilled to announce a very special performance by legendary Punk Poet Attila the Stockbroker, celebrating National Poetry Day on Thursday October 7th.  Attila will perform pieces from ‘Heart on his Sleeve‘, his newly published anthology of writings from the last 40 years.  If we are lucky, and in keeping with the ancient church venue, Attila may also whip out his crumhorn or pluck his mandocello, for a couple of numbers from his band Barnstormer 1649‘s 2018 album, ‘Restoration Tragedy‘ – where Early Music meets punk!
Attila will be ably supported by Steyning wordsmith Simon Zec.
Copies of ‘Heart on his Sleeve‘ as well as Attila’s albums and merchandise will be on sale and Attila will be happy to sign & dedicate the books.
Tasty local beers by RIVERSIDE BREWERY  (& soft drinks) will be on sale, card or cash payments will be accepted.

About Attila the Stockbroker
Irrepressible, energetic and impassioned, Son of Southwick Attila the Stockbroker is both a local, and a global, legend! He is a poet, musician, journalist and political activist, who has spent forty years touring the world performing his unique brand of spoken word, poetry and music.
Having played almost four thousand gigs in twenty four countries, releasing countless books and records along the way, Attila’s Collected Works has just been published by Cherry Red Books, the book arm of the celebrated independent record label which released his early 80s albums and his 2015 autobiography ‘Arguments Yard.’
A stalwart of the international spoken word circuit, an established Glastonbury regular, much loved at Brighton And Hove Albion Football Club, co-organiser of Glastonwick beer and music festival, Attila The Stockbroker remains as focused and active as ever, and continues to perform to audiences across the world, including a run of successful recent online lockdown shows.

COVID precautions
St Andrews Church is a spacious, well-ventilated venue, which we selected especially in order to be COVID-safe. Seating is not numbered or allocated, you may choose where to sit. Please be mindful of others and space yourselves sensibly.

Event Details

Starts at 7:30PM

Location

St Andrew’s Church, Steyning, Steyning, BN44 3RS

To book online click here

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An Online Evening with Lucy Atkins & William Shaw

An Online Evening with Lucy Atkins & William Shaw

Thursday 29th July 7.30pm VIA ZOOM.

To celebrate the lovely honour of being the Crime Writer Association’s Bookshop of the Month for July 2021, we wanted to celebrate crime writing! So we are delighted that thriller writer & journalist Lucy Atkins will be Zooming in to discuss her fourth novel, the critically-acclaimed thriller ‘Magpie Lane’. Lucy will be joined by wonderful writer William Shaw, with his interviewing hat on.

This will be a kind of ‘Open Book Group’ style event – 2 of our book groups will be reading ‘Magpie Lane’, we are very happy to invite non book-group members to join the event but we strongly recommend that you read the book first, as there may be SPOILERS and we can’t have that with a thriller!

Lucy Atkins is an award winning British author and journalist. She has written four novels, most recently the critically acclaimed MAGPIE LANE. Many of her books are published internationally and THE NIGHT VISITOR (2017) has been optioned for television. Lucy teaches on the Creative Writing Masters degree at the University of Oxford. She was a judge for the 2017  Costa Book Awards  , and is a book critic for The Sunday Times. She has lived in Boston, Seattle and Philadelphia, and is now based in Oxford, with her family and her dog.

About Magpie Lane

When the eight-year-old daughter of an Oxford College Master vanishes in the middle of the night, police turn to the Scottish nanny, Dee, for answers.

As Dee looks back over her time in the Master’s Lodging – an eerie and ancient house – a picture of a high achieving but dysfunctional family emerges: Nick, the fiercely intelligent and powerful father; his beautiful Danish wife Mariah, pregnant with their child; and the lost little girl, Felicity, almost mute, seeing ghosts, grieving her dead mother.

But is Dee telling the whole story? Is her growing friendship with the eccentric house historian, Linklater, any cause for concern? And most of all, why was Felicity silent?

Roaming Oxford’s secret passages and hidden graveyards, Magpie Lane explores the true meaning of family – and what it is to be denied one.

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A World of Dinosaurs! – kids event with VICKY WOODGATE

A World of Dinosaurs! – kids event with VICKY WOODGATE

Our kids author event this summer on FRIDAY 20th AUGUST at 11 am in our lovely bookshop garden will be lots of ROARING good fun! We are thrilled to welcome illustrator / author VICKY WOODGATE back for a dino-tastic event celebrating her new book ‘A World of Dinosaurs’. Expect lots of Cool Facts, LIVE Drawing and a Roaring Quiz with amazing competition giveaway signed prints!

Tickets are just £4 per child – and ticket-bearers get £4 OFF Vicky’s book. Free refreshments for children.

Book in store, call 01903 812062, or online via Ticketsource (incurs a small booking fee)

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Julia Donaldson Live Virtual Event: Songs, Stories and Q & A

Julia Donaldson Live Virtual Event: Songs, Stories and Q & A

Celebrate Independent Bookshop Week with Julia Donaldson, in the comfort of your own home!

Saturday 19th June, 10.30am to 11.30am.

Join Julia Donaldson for this special one-off live, online event. Julia will read her latest stories, including ‘The Woolly Bear Caterpillar’, perform songs accompanied by her husband, Malcolm, and answer questions from the audience. The event will stream live via Zoom, in a collaboration with Wee Three Indies, At Home with 4 Indies, and The Steyning Bookshop.

Tickets £5 Or FREE when you order one of the following books from the Steyning Bookshop:

The Woolly Bear Caterpillar by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Yuval Zommer – £12.99** The Hospital Dog by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Sara Ogilvie – £6.99 The Scarecrow’s Wedding by  Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Axel Scheffler – £6.99

Please book your event access ticket here or by calling us on 01903 812062. If you would like to purchase one of the 3 books, you will get £5 off the book price if you state that you are an event ticket-holder. You can purchase the books + postage via our website store, in person at the shop, or by telephone. If purchasing via our website we will manually adjust the price so do mention in the ORDER NOTES that you are a ticket-holder.

Book here

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‘Woolly Bear Caterpillar’ Book-Signing with Julia Donaldson June 24th 2021

‘Woolly Bear Caterpillar’ Book-Signing with Julia Donaldson June 24th 2021

Meet Julia Donaldson at her first ‘in-person’ book-signing for more than a year, as she celebrates the launch of her new picture book, The Woolly Bear Caterpillar, wonderfully illustrated by Yuval Zommer.
This charming ‘Ugly Duckling’ style story is full of facinating nature facts and even includes a mini-book of bug facts by Michael Blencowe, from Sussex Wildlife Trust.
The signing will take place under shelter in the garden of the Steyning Bookshop, in timed 30-minute slots from 3.30pm onwards on Thursday 24th June 2021.
Tickets are £12.99 which includes 1 copy of The Woolly Bear Caterpillar for signing. 1 ticket booking admits 1 family group of up to 5 (1 adult / 4 kids or  2 adults, up to 3 kids). There will be no more than 25 bookings per 30 minute slot to avoid long queues. 

To book online (booking fee applies): 3.30pm slot click here

4 pm slot click here NOW SOLD OUT

4.30pm slot click here

Or call us on 01903 812062 to book.

All About Your Brain – A Fun, Family Science Event!

All About Your Brain – A Fun, Family Science Event!

A fun, fact-filled interactive event for families with children aged 7-11. Neurobiologist turned writer Liam Drew will introduce curious kids and budding scientists to the amazing & mysterious world of the brain. Starting with the weird and wonderful brains of different animals, we’ll look at how information gets into the brain, then how our brains learn, make memories, and think.  We’ll look, too, at emotions, sleep, and how we are all unique – with lots of time for questions and conversation!

To take place in the Steyning Bookshop back garden marquee, at 11am on Saturday 26th June.

Family tickets £10 per family. Includes a copy of The Brain Book by Dr Liam Drew.

Book here

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Book-Signing with LIZ PICHON

Book-Signing with LIZ PICHON

Exclusive – this is Liz Pichon’s first live ‘real-life’ event for a year! 

Meet best-selling ‘Tom Gates’ author LIZ PICHON for a special book-signing to celebrate the paperback release of ‘Shoe Wars‘, her hilarious new book – chockful of crazy cartoons, bursting with invention and packed with mad gadgets! On Saturday 26th June, from 3pm.

Book-signing will take place under shelter in the beautiful back garden at the Steyning Bookshop, with appropriate social-distancing measures.
Signing will be in 30 minute slots with no more than 25 bookings per slot.
1 booking costs £7.99 and includes a paperback copy of ‘Shoe Wars’ for signing. 1 small family group of 1-5 people constitutes 1 booking.
The Steyning Bookshop will have copies of all Liz Pichon’s books on sale for signing. Customers may not bring their own books from home for signing.

Book 3pm slot here

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Book 3.30pm slot here

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Further signing times will be released if demand is high.

Call us on 01903 812062 for more information.

An Online Evening with Esther Freud

An Online Evening with Esther Freud

We are so excited that renowned, award-winning novelist Esther Freud is to join us LIVE for a VIRTUAL EVENT on Zoom, to discuss her new novel I Couldn’t Love You More – an unforgettable novel about love, motherhood, secrets and betrayal.

This will be a kind of ‘Open Book Group’ style event – we invite you to read the book first and then join our 3 book groups online, where after a short interview, Esther will be happy to take questions from audience members. The event price of £15 INCLUDES a hardback copy of I Couldn’t Love You More, so when you pre-order the book with us, do mention that you are a ticket-holder! You can book here or call us on 01903 812062.

Esther Freud’s cult first novel Hideous Kinky was shortlisted for the John Llewellyn Rhys prize and made into a film starring Kate Winslet. After publishing her second novel, Peerless Flats, she was chosen as one of Granta’s Best of Young British novelists along with Kazuo Ishiguro and Jeanette Winterson. Her last novel, Mr Mac and Me, won Best Novel in the East Anglian Book Awards. I Couldn’t Love You More is her ninth novel.

https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/thesteyningbookshop

An Online Evening with Novelist Claire Fuller

An Online Evening with Novelist Claire Fuller

We are thrilled that award-winning novelist Claire Fuller is going to join us for a virtual event on Wednesday April 21st, to discuss her latest amazing novel ‘Unsettled Ground’. This will be a kind of ‘Open Book Group’ style event – we invite you to read the book first and then join our 3 book groups online, where after a short interview, Claire will be happy to take questions and respond to your observations.

Claire Fuller is a firm favourite of all our staff and book group members here at the Steyning Bookshop. She came to Steyning to discuss her gripping, unsettling debut novel ‘Our Endless Numbered Days’ with our book group, and then returned to tell us about ‘Swimming Lessons’, her beautifully written second novel. We sadly missed a visit for ‘Bitter Orange’ her darkly simmering third novel (which I adored!) so we are really looking forward to welcoming Claire back, albeit virtually, to talk about her new novel ‘Unsettled Ground’, published on March 25th.

‘Unsettled Ground’ is a beautifully-observed portrait of lives lived at the fringe of society, and what happens when those edges fray. The central characters, 51 year-old twins, Julius and Jeanie, have lived a sheltered rural existence with their mother, Dot, surviving hand-to-mouth on what they can earn from their garden produce and odd farming jobs. When Dot dies suddenly, the twins are forced to confront the outside world, and long-kept secrets begin to surface, casting doubt on family truths and shattering their precarious existence.

Claire Fuller was born in Oxfordshire, England, in 1967. She gained a degree in sculpture from Winchester School of Art, but went on to have a long career in marketing and didn’t start writing until she was forty. She has written three previous novels: Our Endless Numbered Days, which won the Desmond Elliott Prize, Swimming Lessons, which was shortlisted for the RSL Encore Award, and Bitter Orange. She has an MA in Creative and Critical Writing from the University of Winchester and lives in Hampshire with her librarian husband. You can visit Claire’s website here!

Call us on 01903 812062 to purchase your copy of ‘Unsettled Ground’ and register to join the event, OR buy online via our website here!

Online Author Event with LUCY JAGO

Online Author Event with LUCY JAGO

On March 25th we will welcome novelist & biographer Lucy Jago, who’ll be discussing her wonderful new historical novel ‘A Net for Small Fishes’ live online via Zoom. All 3 of our bookgroups are reading ‘A Net for Small Fishes’ but we are keen for this to be an open event for interested readers far and wide! Entry to this event is FREE with purchase of ‘A Net for Small Fishes’ from the Steyning Bookshop. This will be a book-group style discussion, whereby most participants will have read the book already, so we suggest buying and reading the book prior to the event, to avoid spoilers! You can buy the book via our online store here (be sure to include your email address for the Zoom link!) or ring us on 01903 812062 to pay & collect from our porch collection box.

‘A Net for Small Fishes’ is a richly-imagined historical novel set at the Jacobean court, loosely based on a true scandal that rocked the court of James the First. It is already attracting rave reviews such as this, in the Guardian, which calls the novel ‘gloriously immersive’.

Lucy Jago

Lucy Jago is an award-winning writer of fiction and non-fiction, and a former documentary producer for Channel 4 and the BBC. Her first book, The Northern Lights, won the National Biography prize and has been translated into eight languages; her YA novel, Montacute House, met with critical acclaim in the US and the UK.

Lucy was awarded a Double First Class Honours Degree from King’s College, University of Cambridge, and a master’s degree from the Courtauld Institute, London. Lucy is a Fellow of the Royal Literary Society and lives in Somerset.

An Online Evening with Elly Griffiths

An Online Evening with Elly Griffiths

Thursday March 11th at 7.30m

Elly will chat to fellow crime-writer William Shaw about her thrilling new novel ‘Night Hawks’ in a live online Zoom event.
Elly Griffiths is a firm local favourite with readers here in Steyning, as she is based in Brighton, although ‘Night Hawks’ is set amongst the windswept landscapes of North Norfolk. It is Elly’s 13th novel featuring lovable forensic archaeologist Dr Ruth Galloway.
We can’t wait to hear more about Elly’s inspiration for this story, which is rich in twisty intrigue, and layered with folk-myths and ancient superstitions.  
A group of metal detectorists called The Night Hawks stumble upon a body while searching for buried treasures on a Norfolk beach….A double murder-suicide on an isolated farm… The body of a giant dog excavated in the farm grounds… Strange rumours of a spectral hound…What is the connection, and why do Ruth and DCI Nelson find all their avenues of enquiry lead them back to Black Dog Farm?

Tickets are £5, your booking entitles you to £5 off your copy of ‘Night Hawks’ (RRP £20, our price £17, price with event ticket £12!) Call us to reserve and pay for your copy, mention you are a ticket holder to get your discount! Or order the book via our website here (mention you are a ticket holder in the ORDER NOTES to claim your £5 off) Lockdown permitting, we hope we will have signed copies!

Tickets can be booked via TICKETSOURCE here .

Book now

Or you can call us on 01903 812062 to book.

Where Snow Angels Go – Live Online Event with Maggie O’Farrell

Where Snow Angels Go – Live Online Event with Maggie O’Farrell

Join award-winning author Maggie O’Farrell, and the incredibly talented illustrator Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini at 6pm on Thursday 5th November to celebrate the launch of their gorgeous new book, Where Snow Angels Go; an extraordinary and compelling modern fairy tale about the bravery of a little girl and the miracle of a snowy day. Chaired by Katherine Woodfine, this virtual event will feature an enchanting reading and mesmerising live drawing from Maggie & Daniela, as well as an opportunity for you to ask the duo questions. It’ll be a magical event not to be missed!

Event suitable for ages 5+

Event format: Zoom

Book + Ticket price £14.99 ( your copy of Where the Snow Angels Go will be reserved at the Steyning Bookshop as soon as we receive your booking) OR Event-only price £2. We will contact you by email with the Zoom Meeting ID after your booking and again the day before the event.

Book here: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/booking/t-qempkq

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Praise for Where Snow Angels Go, publishing Thursday 5th November

As perfect as a snowflake. As magical as snow.” – M. G. Leonard

“[It] has all the tell-tale signs of a future classic. A perfect, magical Christmas story.” – Sarah Crossan

An enchanting, emotive and magical piece of work that transported me” – Laura Dockrill

Where Snow Angels Go is a tender and magical story, told in O’Farrell’s characteristically beautiful, witty prose which is matched perfectly by Daniela Terrazzini’s sweepingly lovely artwork.” –  Anna James

In The Downtime – virtual book launch

In The Downtime – virtual book launch

Steyning’s own Poet Laureate, Simon Zec, has a new collection of poetry coming out with Steyning’s own publisher, Real Press (run by the lovely David Boyle). We are so sad we cannot have a big, boozy book launch party at the shop, but do join us virtually via Zoom to hear Simon talk about his book and hopefully recite a few pieces. (BYOB!) Sorry, you’ll miss out on Sara’s incredible canapes though…!

Simon describes the collection as ‘Trying to find the cracks in the darkness where the light can shine through.’ Click HERE to buy the book from us.

The book features beautiful cover art by two talented local artists, Benita Hibbert and Rob Winterson, and these are available as limited-edition prints. The first 20 prints are being offered at a bargain price as part of a book+print bundle – for £28.99 you can get a signed book and 1 of each limited-edition, signed print . Click HERE to buy.

To join Simon’s virtual launch party, simply email us at info@steyningbookshop to express your interest, you will then receive the Zoom link.

A Criminal Conversation with Elly Griffiths, William Shaw & Lesley Thomson

A Criminal Conversation with Elly Griffiths, William Shaw & Lesley Thomson

Join best-selling thriller writers Elly Griffiths, William Shaw, and Lesley Thomson for a live-stream online event at 7.30pm on Thursday 15th October. Tickets cost £5 which can be refunded against a book purchase – all 3 authors are happy to sign & dedicate their books for event participants. Tickets can be booked online, by phone, or in person at the bookshop. Attendees will receive a Zoom Invitation link via email. Click HERE to book online.

Brighton-based writer Elly Griffiths‘ new novel The Postscript Murders (out 1st October in hardback) is a sequel to The Stranger Diaries, likewise featuring the gay, Sikh DS Harbinder Kaur. An ingenious literary mystery  set amongst the crime writers’ community – a world of literary agents, murder consultants and publishers. DS Kaur is asked to investigate the death of 90 year-old Peggy Smith, who just happened to be a ‘murder consultant’ who plotted deaths for authors. The investigation takes her from the sleepy Sussex seaside town of Shoreham-by-Sea to the granite streets of Aberdeen, encountering a cast of quirky characters, as the clock ticks and crime writers are bumped off one by one! Elly’s lively, engaging characters and gentle humour complement her brilliantly twisty plotting.

William Shaw‘s riveting and atmospheric new novel Grave’s End is the third in his DS Alexandra Cupidi series, and dives deep into the corruption and power games of property developers …. When an unidentified cadaver is found in a freezer in an unoccupied luxury house, no-one seems to know or care who it is or who placed it there. The case is handed to DS Alexandra Cupidi and leads her to a series of murderous cover-ups and buried secrets, tracing back to the disappearance of a public-school boy 25 years earlier. Grave’s End zings with William’s characteristic razor-sharp observation, iron-clad plotting, and also delivers a powerful environmental message.

Lesley Thomson‘s latest novel Death of a Mermaid, set largely in Newhaven, is the darkly simmering story of a family reunion…. Freddy Powers walked away from her family 20 years ago, swearing she’d never return, after her father couldn’t accept her sexuality. But after the death of her mother, she finds herself back in Newhaven, helping run the family’s fishery business. The sudden disappearance of Freddy’s first love, Mags, ignites old passions and reveals long-hidden secrets. Freddy finds herself embroiled in the hunt for Mags and must confront her past and face the truth about her family. Death of A Mermaid is a thrilling story, peopled with well-crafted characters, suffused with menace and a vivid sense of place.

We can’t wait to hear these 3 writers chatting about their books, their research and their inspirations! There will be a chance for attendees to ask questions. Don’t forget your ticket gives £5 off the price of a book, and all 3 authors have offered to sign & dedicate books for event attendees! You can order your signed book in store, or, if you are not local, shortly we will add the books to our online store.

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Mary Ann Ochota’s Secret Britain – Virtual Event!

Mary Ann Ochota’s Secret Britain – Virtual Event!

We are beyond thrilled that lovely Mary Ann Ochota (who visited Steyning for a fascinating walk/talk and event in June last year) is going to discuss her new book ‘Secret Britain’ LIVE ONLINE on Thursday 22nd October at 7.30pm.

‘Secret Britain’ takes a curious tour of the strange items and intriguing history of ancient Britain, ranging from the far Northern Isles to the Cornish coast. From famous treasures like the Sutton Hoo helmet, to little-known curiosities like Viking-inscribed spinning weights, prehistoric wooden goddesses and the compelling evidence for ancient British mummification, Mary-Ann reveals the way these ancient sites and objects still resonate today, with her characteristic enthusiasm and eye for curious detail.

‘Secret Britain’ is a beautiful hardback book to treasure, for intrepid explorers and armchair travellers alike, packed with full-colour photographs, detailed descriptions, and handy visitor tips.

A signed copy of the book will be yours to pick up from the Steyning Bookshop / have posted to you, if you choose the BOOK + EVENT TICKET PRICE of £20. Alternatively, if you’d just like to join the online event, you can get an event-only ticket for £6 – if you later decide to buy the book, we will give you £5 off the book price of £20.

ONLINE EVENT- ADVANCE BOOKING ESSENTIAL. You can book via TICKETSOURCE here

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Once registered you will receive an email with access codes to the event. You will also receive a reminder a day before and an hour before the event

For those who haven’t yet dipped their toes into the waters of an Online Event, do not fear! You will need to install Zoom onto your pc / laptop / tablet, of course, and you will need to tell us the email address you used for your Zoom registration… then, just click on the link we will send by email and you’ll be ‘in the room’!

Virtual Signing for ‘Hospital Dog’ with Julia Donaldson

Virtual Signing for ‘Hospital Dog’ with Julia Donaldson

October 1st sees the publication of ‘Hospital Dog’, Julia Donaldson’s gorgeous new picture book, charmingly illustrated by Sara Ogilvie (who was the star artist behind ‘Detective Dog’).

Since we still can’t gather in person for a big book launch, we are celebrating the release with a ‘virtual signing’ – Julia Donaldson is happy to name dedicate and sign all copies of the book pre-ordered via our online store. Just order here and add the dedication names in the ‘order notes’ box at checkout. Book costs £12.99 plus P&P. No extra charge for the signing! Julia is kindly continuing to add dedications to all copies of ‘Hospital Dog’ purchased via our website for all October and November 2020!

Story-telling & Draw-Along with GUY PARKER-REES – Live Zoom!

Story-telling & Draw-Along with GUY PARKER-REES – Live Zoom!

On Saturday 12th September at 11am, fabulous illustrator GUY PARKER-REES will GO LIVE on ZOOM with a lovely story-telling and drawing event, perfect for 3-8 year olds. To join in the fun, all you need to do is pre-order a copy of Guy’s brilliant new picture book ‘Elephant Me’ – either via our website, by popping into the shop, or calling us on 01903 812062. Make sure you give us your email address so we can send you the Zoom Link!

‘Elephant Me’ is available as a paperback at £6.99 and hardback at £12.99.

CANCELLED – Pre-Schooler Fun with Sam Lloyd

CANCELLED – Pre-Schooler Fun with Sam Lloyd

A fun weekday morning session for pre-schoolers with popular author / illustrator Sam Lloyd, on Tuesday 24th March at 11.30am.

Sam’s event will be based around her new picture book Put Your Botty on the Potty, a brilliant, funny and fresh take on the potty training book! There will be stories, singing, colouring and sticking, and children will be able to create their own ‘Moo Monster’…and put him on the potty!

Sam Lloyd is hugely talented at creating laugh-out-loud funny books for children. Her titles include the Whoops-A-Daisy-World series and Mr Pusskins, which was the winner of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, and the Booktrust Early Years Award for Best Pre-School Book. Sam’s novelty books include Calm Down, Boris, Hello Dudley, What’s In Your Tummy Mummy, Grumpy
Gertie and Farty Fred. 


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Bad Mothers’ Day with Stephanie Calman

Bad Mothers’ Day with Stephanie Calman

Tuesday 17th March 7.30pm at the bookshop
Just before Mothers’ Day (on Sunday 22nd March), let’s celebrate bad mothers with Stephanie Calman.

Daughter of the late well-loved humorist and cartoonist Mel Calman, Stephanie is the author of six books including the bestselling Confessions of a Bad Mother. Her latest, Confessions of a Bad Mother – the Teenage Years, published by Pan Macmillan, is full of witty and wry observations on life with teenagers, and is a must-read for parents and grandparents alike – and probably should be read by teenagers themselves!

Ticket includes a glass or two of wine, and ticket price of £5 is redeemable against book purchase.

Stephanie Calman is the founder of the 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. She is married to the author Peter Grimsdale.

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Stories & Draw-Along with Alice McKinley

Stories & Draw-Along with Alice McKinley

On Saturday 14th March at 11 am, we have a lovely event for younger children with up-and-coming illustrator Alice McKinley. Alice will read her book ‘Nine Lives Newton’ and lead a fun draw-along session.

Alice’s charmingly funny picture book debut ‘Nine Lives Newton’ is released by Simon & Schuster Children’s books in March.

Featuring wonderfully exuberant illustrations, the book tells the story of Newton, the dog who thinks he has nine lives and infinite luck. And if Newton has nine lives, then that means he can do all his favourite things but be MUCH more daring….but what if Newton’s got it all wrong and he’s not quite as invincible as he thinks he is?

Tickets are just £3 for children (accompanying adults are free) and the ticket price is redeemable against purchase of ‘Nine Lives Newton’.

Age guide 4-9 years.


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‘Greta and the Giants’ – Environmental Stories & Crafts with Zoe Tucker

‘Greta and the Giants’ – Environmental Stories & Crafts with Zoe Tucker

Half term kids event. Tuesday 18th February at 2.30pm.

Join us for environmentally-themed stories & crafts with author and designer Zoe Tucker.
Zoe’s picture book ‘Greta and the Giants’ tells the story of Greta Thunberg’s environmental mission, re-imagining Greta as a forest child struggling against giants who are chopping down all the trees.

Zoe will read stories and help children get busy making an environmentally-themed crafty project!

Perfect for ages 4-8.
Ticket price £3 redeemable against a book.
Free refreshments provided.

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Julia Donaldson Book Signing with POSTMAN BEAR! February 2019

Julia Donaldson Book Signing with POSTMAN BEAR! February 2019

BOOK SIGNING AND CHARACTER MEET AND GREET. Saturday 1st February from 11.30am. Booking Essential. 

To celebrate 20 years of the Acorn Wood books, we have a very special visitor on February 1st! Postman Bear will be making an appearance at the Steyning Bookshop, accompanied by his creator, Julia Donaldson! We will have Acorn Wood themed games and  activities, free refreshments for children, and of course Julia will be meeting fans to sign books purchased at the shop.

To book your place, either call the shop on 01903 812062, pop in, or use our NEW ONLINE BOOKING SYSTEM! This event is essentially free – with a book purchase. To allow for online booking, we will charge £7 per family group. A family group can consist of either 1 or 2 adults and up to 3 children. This will entitle you to a confirmed place at the signing. Your £7 payment will be deducted from the price of the Julia D book/s that you purchase on the day. The Steyning Bookshop will have a full range of all Julia’s books on sale for signing, including of course, all the lovely Acorn Wood books! We regret that attendees are not permitted to bring books purchased elsewhere to be signed by Julia. Booking will be in timed half hour slots, starting at 11.30am.

The 11.30, 12 and 12.30 slots are full, we are booking into afternoon slots now. Please give us a ring on 01903 812062 if this link does not work or the slot has sold out without us noticing!

Book now2 pm slot.


Book now
2.30pm slot

The delightful Acorn Wood series are some of our very favourite picture books for pre-schoolers. With their simple rhyming stories, charming illustrations by Axel Scheffler and fun flaps to peek under on every page, they are a perfect introduction into Julia and Axel’s world. The original four stories are Postman Bear, Fox’s Socks, Hide and Seek Pig, and Rabbit’s Nap, which have all been re-issued as smart new anniversary editions by Macmillan to celebrate 20 years in print! Even more excitingly, Julia and Axel are creating four new stories set to be published in 2021 and 2022.