by Gudrun Bowers | 1, Apr 2020
The eagerly awaited sequel to the Costa Award winning Days Without End by one of Ireland’s greatest writers and current Irish Laureate.
A Thousand Moons extends the sequence of Barry’s eight novels, which touch each time on the worlds of two families – the Dunnes and the McNultys. In this novel, as in Days Without End, we meet with Thomas McNulty and John Cole, American Civil War soldiers, now a couple, living on a tobacco farm in Tennessee. Their adopted Sioux daughter Winona is the narrator this time, and we follow her journey as she deals with the consequences of a violent act against her. Full of memorable characters and written in Barry’s gorgeous lyrical prose, dreamy yet unflinching when confronted by the darker side of humanity, this is a wonderful book.
by Gudrun Bowers | 12, Nov 2018
Lucia Berlin’s collection of short stories, A Manual for Cleaning Women was published posthumously to great acclaim, and Evening in Paradise is a follow-up selection from Berlin’s remaining stories.
The stories are loosely autobiographical, arranged chronologically to follow the arc of Berlin’s life, and take us from a pair of seven year olds running a scam in El Paso, through the beauty and disillusionment of a young girl’s first romantic liaison, to young wives coping with kids, their husband’s addiction, abandonment, to a furious old woman on the roof of her own house while her family try to celebrate Christmas. Savage, funny, shocking and beautiful, they present some unforgettable images – the iridescent, sulphurous smoke of the smelter in a mining town, the yellow aromo blossom sticking to a couple’s skin – in concise writing that brings the reader up short with its power. The dark thread of alcoholism runs through many of the stories as well as the brighter threads of love, romantic and maternal, and of beauty found in the most unlikely places. Outstanding.
by Gudrun Bowers | 21, Aug 2017
We are thrilled to present a fantastic science event with science writer Dr Michael Brooks and TV presenter/writer Rick Edwards. This entertaining and informative show, based on their hit podcast and upcoming book Science(ish) examines the science behind the movies. Illustrating their theories with film clips from iconic movies, Michael and Rick will ponder whether it’s really possible to bring back an extinct species (Jurassic Park), whether we will ever be able to travel back in time and meet our parents (Back to the Future) and if it is possible that we are, in fact, already living in a computer simulation (The Matrix).
Dr Michael Brooks is an author, journalist and broadcaster, holds a PHD in Quantum Physics and is editor-at-large of the New Scientist, as well as writing a weekly column for the New Statesman. He is the author of At The Edge of Uncertainty, The Secret Anarchy of Science and the bestselling 13 Things That Don’t Make Sense.
Rick Edwards is a TV presenter and writer with a particular interest in mathematics and the natural sciences. As a broadcaster Rick has most recently made a foray in to the world of quizzing as the host of BBC1’s daytime show !mpossible which aired in January 2017 and will return for an extended second run in May this year. Amongst his other numerous presenting credits are: ITV2’s comedy roast Safeword, BBC Three’s live current affairs debate show Free Speech and Channel 4’s Paralympic Breakfast Show. He also writes a monthly fashion column for The Observer, and has made forays into stand-up comedy.
Advance booking highly recommended for this event, as it promises to be fantastic fun and very popular!
Start time is 7.30pm, wine and soft drinks will be on sale, and a reduced price of £7 is available for under 18’s.
Booking is available online at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/event/FDFIGM
or by phoning us on 01903 812062.
by Gudrun Bowers | 26, May 2017
by Gudrun Bowers | 22, Jan 2026
Come and meet JULIA DONALDSON at a very special signing event at the Steyning Bookshop on World Book Day, as she celebrates the publication of her beautiful new picture book ‘THE MAGIC FEATHER’!
THE MAGIC FEATHER is a rhyming fairy-tale adventure about the magic of nature and caring for our environment. It features stunning, delicate illustrations by Catherine Rayner, who also illustrated Julia’s previous books The Go-Away Bird and The Bower Bird.
This is an amazing opportunity to meet the nation’s favourite children’s author and be the first to get a collectable, signed, first edition copy of The Magic Feather, 8 days before its official publication date!
ABOUT THE BOOK-SIGNING
The signing will be ticketed with four available time slots at 3.30pm, 4pm, 4.30pm or 5pm, with 20 families in each slot.
Your ‘ticket’ for the signing costs £12.99 which pays for your copy of THE MAGIC FEATHER, and entitles the ticket bearer, plus up to 5 additional family members, entry to the signing.
Julia will be happy to sign any number of books that are bought from The Steyning Bookshop on the day only. If you require multiple copies of THE MAGIC FEATHER please do NOT book multiple tickets – we will have PLENTY of extra copies for you to purchase on the day!
You will receive your copy of The Magic Feather upon entry to the bookshop, where you will get the chance to purchase other books by Julia, before going through to get the books signed and meet Julia!
There will be refreshments and activities for children while you wait.
ABOUT THE MAGIC FEATHER
Imagine if you could speak to birds . .that’s just what happens to one young girl when she is given a magic feather that transforms their trills and twitters into words – and she discovers that they need her help! Join her as she embarks on an amazing journey across the sea to save the birds nests from the queen’s woodcutters. A stunningly illustrated book with a wonderful rhyming tale about the magic of nature.
TICKETS
Tickets go on sale 24/1/26 at 9.30am.
You can book a place at the signing by following the link below (small booking fee applies) or calling the bookshop on 01903 812062.
The link leads to our Ticketsource page where ALL time slots are listed, please choose the one that suits you.
We regret that our bookshop is not easily wheelchair accessible, please call us if you need to discuss access options before booking.
by Gudrun Bowers | 14, Jan 2026
Calling all budding comic book creators! Join author / illustrator DAVID O’CONNELL for a fun comic workshop based around David’s hilarious BEASTIE BROS books.
You’ll create your own mini comic and learn the basics about how to put a story together, including designing the characters, and thinking about settings.
Suitable for children aged 6-10 years.
ABOUT DAVID O’CONNELL
David O’Connell is a writer and illustrator living in Brighton. He works mostly in children’s books, particularly humorous picture books and young fiction, with over fifty books to his name. His latest books are the BEASTIE BROS series, a highly illustrated chapter book series following the adventures of Dash the Firefly, Dribble the Snail and their gang of garden mini-beast friends! Perfect for fans of Bunny vs Monkey and Toto the Ninja Cat! David has also illustrated the upcoming KOALAS IN CAPES series, written by Terrie Chilvers, and illustrated Tom Vaughan’s recent HERCULES series.
ABOUT THE EVENT
START TIME 2.30pm FINISH TIME ends by 4pm
For children of 6+ years
Tickets £5 per child – entitles you to £5 OFF a purchase of any of David’s books!
All materials and refreshments will be provided. Parents welcome to stay and watch, no ticket required for parents.
Tickets via online link below (small booking fee appplies) or in person from the bookshop.
by Gudrun Bowers | 10, Jan 2026
Join geographer David Riviere for an illustrated talk on dew ponds, a neglected feature of the country’s landscape heritage. The talk will touch on his survey work for the South Downs National Park Authority, as well as the history, construction and recent revival of dew ponds.
David is the author of the book DEW PONDS, published by Amberley Publishing in 2025. Copies will be on sale on the night – your £5 ticket purchase entitles you to £5 off the RRP of the book.
Talk starts at 7.30pm, venue is the Steyning Bookshop – we will be squeezing into the bookshop rear kitchen/diner – it might be a squash and a squeeze!
Tickets £5 per person, online below (small booking fee applies to online tix) or in person from the bookshop.
by Gudrun Bowers | 7, Nov 2025
The return of this popular festive workshop for Xmas 2025! Join Gudrun & Alice for a relaxing evening of crafting, and learn how to upcycle old books into various charming handmade decorations.
Over the years, many customers have admired the paper tree garlands that hang over our tables in December, and the various paper creations that we craft for our shop windows, so now’s your chance to make some yourself!
There will be a chance to try your hand at one, two or even three different upcycled decorations, depending on how speedy you are with the scissors! All materials will be supplied and there will be festive snacks and beverages.
This crafting evening is for adults and older teens (13+) only, as the projects are fairly fiddly.
Only 10 spaces, so we can all fit around the table! Tickets are £7
by Gudrun Bowers | 7, Nov 2025
The return of this popular workshop for Xmas 2025! Join our relaxed and informal evening workshop and learn to make a simple linocut Christmas card!
The workshop will be led by (current and ex!) bookshop part-timers Alice and Sarah, who in their ‘real jobs’ run Patternmakers, a fabric block-printing company – so they know their cutting tools!
This workshop is for adults or older teens (sharp tools!) and is suitable for beginners. It will take place around the big kitchen table in the bookshop back kitchen. All materials are provided, but it’s a good idea to come with some simple design ideas in your mind (or on paper!). There will be drinks and Christmassy nibbles too!
Start time: 7pm. Ends by 9pm. Tickets £25 via link below (booking fee applies) or direct from the shop in person!
by Gudrun Bowers | 24, Oct 2025
Ring the bells and round up the reindeer… It’s the return of our FESTIVE DRAW-OFF DING DONG, a fun family illustration show! Watch as our star cast of authors & illustrators SOPHY HENN, STEVEN LENTON, NICK SHARRATT and ADAM STOWER pit their wits and their pencils against the fiendish festive drawing challenges dished up by our M.C, children’s author JIM BECKETT. YOU, the audience, will be the judge and decide WHO will be our DING DONG winner!
This is a HILARIOUS illustration show for kids age 5-11 and their parents, with LOTS of audience participation! The show will last for approx 1 hour and afterwards you’ll have the chance to buy books at our pop-up bookstall, and get them signed and doodled in, by the authors.
We have a bit more space this year as the event venue is THE PENFOLD HALL in Church Street, Steyning.
Child ticket £5, Accompanying Adult ticket £3, Extra sibling Tickets £3. Under 2’s on laps – no charge. If you have little babies and toddlers it’s fine to bring them, they don’t need a ticket if they are sitting on an adult’s lap, but please take them outside if they are disrupting things!
Start time: 2pm
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATORS
SOPHY HENN is the incredibly talented author AND illustrator behind the new HAPPY HILLS series of graphic novels, the PIZAZZ series, the BAD NANA series, and also has heaps of gorgeous picture books to her name.
STEVEN LENTON is the wonderful illustrator behind the festive new picture book HOW TO GROW A REINDEER, and illustrated the other lovely books in this lovely series by Rachel Morrisoe. Steven also illustrates the Dino-Dad series, by Andy Day, the Shifty McGifty series, by Tracey Corderoy, and has also written his own cute chapter book series.
NICK SHARRATT is the beloved illustrator of Jacqueline Wilson’s Tracy Beaker series, and has written / illustrated countless bright, colourful, jolly picture books, including the best-selling YOU CHOOSE series. His latest book MULLETS is a hilarious celebration of the iconic MULLET hairstyle!
ADAM STOWER is best known for creating the vibrant, lively illustrations for David Walliams’ recent books, including SANTA & SON, a funny festive chapter book, just out in hardback. Adam has also written and illustrated his own adorable chapter book series MURRAY AND BUN – the latest book is Murray the Ghosthunter, and the KING COO series – the latest book is King Coo: The Secret in the Woods.
Our M.C JIM BECKETT is the author of the hilarious BUZZ SAUSAGE WOLF, a cute illustrated chapter book, as well as the fast-paced middle-grade novels THE CARAVAN AT THE EDGE OF DOOM, and FOUL PROPHECY.
TICKETS ONLINE VIA LINK BELOW OR DIRECT FROM THE BOOKSHOP ON 01903 812062
by Gudrun Bowers | 6, Oct 2025
We are super-stoked to be teaming up with the good folk at Chanctonbury Wines for an evening with cheese expert & food writer PATRICK MCGUIGAN. Patrick will be sharing highlights from his epic hunt to identify the World’s Best Cheeses, celebrating the launch of his new book ‘One Cheese to Rule Them All’, and giving us a guided tasting of a few of the (more accessible!) cheeses he encountered. This boutique evening will take place at Chanctonbury Wines in Steyning, and will include a fascinating talk, cheese and wine tasting, and a copy of this splendid new book!
ABOUT THE BOOK
100 cheeses from around the world. Decades of prize-winners. Two World Cheese Awards judges to guide you. Which is the ONE CHEESE TO RULE THEM ALL? You decide…. Are you a Comté connoisseur or does your heart belong to Rogue River Blue? Can you tell your Brie from your Camembert? Can you name an award-winning Indian cheese and would you recognise a cheese iron? Expect fascinating stories and stats, and an odyssey through the delicious world of cheese to discover the ONE cheese to rule them all. A wonderful gift for the turophiles (cheese lovers!) in your life!
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
World Cheese Awards judges Patrick McGuigan and Carlos Yescas have a wealth of knowledge garnered from years of travelling and tasting. Patrick McGuigan is a UK-based cheese writer and teacher, who has travelled from the Swiss Alps to the pastures of Vermont to interview the world’s best cheesemakers, maturers and cheesemongers. He writes extensively on the subject for national newspapers and magazines, such as The Telegraph and delicious, and has appeared on BBC Radio 4’s The Food Programme. Carlos Yescas is a cheese scholar and author. For the past 10 years, he has worked promoting artisanal and raw milk cheeses and protecting traditional cheesemaking practices. He is a judge in various international cheese competitions, including the World Cheese Awards.
ABOUT THE EVENT
This boutique event will take place at Chanctonbury Wines. Your ticket includes a tasting plate of 4/5 cheeses and a wine to match each – carefully selected by Rob at Chanctonbury Wines, AND a copy of ‘One Cheese To Rule Them All’ (hardback, RRP £20) as well as the fascinating talk -all for the amazing price of £30!
Additional drinks & books can of course be purchased on the night.
Doors Open at 6:40PM, Starts at 7:00PM, Finish time…. 9pm ish??
by Gudrun Bowers | 29, Sep 2025
Join author / illustrator STUART DOUCH for a fun history event celebrating the launch of his graphic novel 1066 The Battle of Hastings.
This is a 2 hour interactive event packed with interesting activities, perfect for kids aged 9+, teenagers, families and history / comic book fans!
ABOUT THE EVENT
Learn about the history behind the Battle of Hastings with Stuart Douch, writer and artist of 1066 The Battle of Hastings- the Graphic Novel
Discover the armour and weapons used in the Battle of Hastings, including an amazing interactive demo from fully qualified re-enactor Mike Everest from Portals to the Past
Join a comic drawing workshop with Stuart
‘TASTE-OFF’ Sample some authentic Norman and Anglo-Saxon recipes!
Audience Q and A
Book-signing – get your copy of 1066 signed by Stuart!
VENUE: THE PENFOLD HALL, CHURCH STREET, STEYNING
DATE/TIME: 1.30pm to 3.30pm, Saturday 8th November
TICKETS: £4 child / £5 adult £16 Family: 2 adults 2 child or 1 adult 3 children – Purchase via button below (small booking fee applies) or in person at the Steyning Bookshop
ABOUT 1066 The Graphic Novel
1066 is one of the most famous dates in the history of the nation: the year of the Battle of Hastings. It was a key turning point in the nation’s history, marking the end of the Anglo-Saxon era and the start of the Norman period. This graphic novel tells the story of what happened before, during and after this iconic battle.
Discover all the details surrounding the story, from the mistakes and decisions that meant William of Normandy became the first Norman king of England to how Harold was killed – was it REALLY by an arrow in the eye? See the action as it unfolds, in exciting comic-strip panels, and learn not only about the events and the key participants on both sides, but also the tactics and weapons the armies employed, and some of the different languages of the time.
ABOUT STUART DOUCH
Stuart Douch is a well-known and well-loved local educator, teacher and historian who also happens to be an artist, cartoonist, caricaturist, and illustrator of historical graphic novels! His graphic novel, 1066: The Battle of Hastings, is published by GMC Publications in October 2025. Stuart served as Headmaster of Sompting Abbotts Preparatory School from 2013 to 2023. He is also a private tutor of English and History for students from Year 5 to Year 13. 1066 is his first published book and we are delighted to help launch it!
Stuart Douch
by Gudrun Bowers | 19, Sep 2025
Don your cloaks and sharpen your fangs as we welcome talented author /illustrator HOLLY SWAIN to the bookshop for a fun Hallowe’eny kids event!
Holly Swain will be introducing her 2 hilarious picture books COLIN’S CASTLE and COLIN’S GRANDMA, starring Colin the Vegetarian Vampire (and his friend Duck) There will be stories, drawing and a ‘Colin the Vampire’ – themed craft activity.
Also we’ll be giving out sweet treat rewards for anyone who dresses up – think CLOAKS, vampires, ghosts, monsters, witches and more!
Tickets
Child tickets are £4 – fully redeemable against the purchase of one of Holly’s books. Extra siblings are just £2. Accompanying adults do not need to pay!
Age guide: This event is suitable for children aged 3-8.
WEDNESDAY 29th OCTOBER at 11am at the STEYNING BOOKSHOP
Tickets Available via link below or direct from the bookshop
ABOUT HOLLY SWAIN
Holly Swain is a children’s book illustrator, living in Hove with her husband Matt and their two daughters. As a kid she always loved to draw, making up characters and their worlds. She used to have a huge roll of paper under her bed that she constantly drew on which gradually got smaller and smaller, by which time she was big enough to go to college. She studied Illustration at UWE Bristol and then did an MA in Brighton. She is the author of Colin’s Castle and Colin’s Grandma, both published by Harper Farshore.
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