The Lost Girl

The Lost Girl

Last year we were very fortunate to host Carol Drinkwater, the charming former actress and author of a series of books about her olive farm in France when she was launching a debut novel, The Forgotten Summer, an atmospheric family drama set on a Provence vineyard estate. Now we have her keenly awaited second novel, one that she was very excited about when we met her. Set in present day France where a mother drawn to Paris to search for her missing daughter finds herself caught up in a terrorist attack which devastates Paris, this intriguing story draws on the experience of France both now and in the immediate post war era. A page-turning summer read.

An Evening with Carol Drinkwater

An Evening with Carol Drinkwater

We are delighted to warmly welcome Carol Drinkwater back to Steyning, for an intimate event in the artistic ambience of the Gluck Studio at 7.30pm on Thursday 6th July.
Carol is an actress and writer who starred in the classic BBC series ‘All Creatures Great and Small’, and who is also celebrated for her bestselling series of memoirs about her life on an olive farm in Provence. Carol will be introducing her gripping, powerful new novel ‘The Lost Girl’. Described as ‘a heart-rending story of love and loss’, the novel explores the darker side of Paris, as photographer Kurtiz gets caught up in a devastating terrorist attack whilst searching for her missing daughter. Amidst the chaos and bloodshed, a sympathetic stranger offers a helping hand, and the possibility of resolution.
Carol went down a storm when she appeared at one of our Sussex Produce Cafe author suppers last September to discuss her previous novel ‘The Forgotten Summer’, so do book early for this one to avoid disappointment!
Ticket price of £14 includes a copy of ‘The Lost Girl’, drinks and delicious hand-made canapes.

The Lost Girl

The Lost Girl

Ravilious & Co: The Pattern of Friendship

Ravilious & Co: The Pattern of Friendship

In the 75 years since Eric Ravilious’s untimely death in the Second World War, he has become one of the most popular and important artists of the twentieth century. His association with Edward Bawden is well known, but his wider circle included artists, friends and lovers who influenced and supported each other in many different ways. Mainly brought together by Paul Nash’s teaching at the Royal College of Art, the group included his wife Tirzah Garwood, Peggy Angus, Enid Marx, Helen Binyon and others. Andy Friend’s fascinating and ambitious group biography traces the links and influences between them, giving more prominence to the women in the group than has perhaps been done before, and illuminates the shared experiences that gave rise to some of the finest art and design of the period. Plentifully illustrated, this book is as beautiful as it is enthralling.

An Evening with Matt Haig

An Evening with Matt Haig

We are very lucky and super-excited that Matt Haig will be stopping by Steyning to talk about his wonderful new novel How to Stop Time.

Matt Haig is an incredibly talented and prolific writer who has turned his hand to award-winning adult fiction, children’s and YA novels, and non-fiction. His non-fiction book Reasons to Stay Alive was a number one Sunday Times bestseller and was in the UK top 10 for 46 weeks, and his heart-warming children’s novel ‘A Boy Called Christmas’ was a huge hit and is currently being adapted into a film by Studio Canal. His other adult novels include the hilarious, inventive The Humans, and the unusual vampire novel The Radleys, and his many works for children include Steyning Bookshop favourite To be a Cat.
How to Stop Time is Matt’s fifth work of adult fiction. It is the romantic, bitter-sweet, century-hopping tale of an unassuming history teacher, Tom Hazard, who, owing to an unusual genetic condition, is over 400 years old. From Elizabethan England to Jazz Age Paris, from New York to the South Seas, Tom has seen a lot, and now craves an ordinary life. He is trying to tame the past that is fast catching up with him, but the only thing he mustn’t do is fall in love……

The film rights to How to Stop Time have already been snapped up by Studio Canal, with Benedict Cumberbatch set to take the title role – so grab your chance to meet Matt before he is whisked off to the Cannes festival high life!

Matt will appear at the beautiful Gluck Studios, an intimate space seating just 50, so do book early for this absolute gem of an opportunity! Ticket price of £13 INCLUDES a fresh-off-the-press hardback copy of How to Stop Time, so it’s a complete bargain!

 

An Evening with Louise Doughty

An Evening with Louise Doughty

Thursday 29th June at 7.30 pm.
We are thrilled to have bagged a visit from Louise Doughty as part of our celebrations for Independent Booksellers Week!

Louise is a novelist and playwright who is best known for her 2013 novel Apple Tree Yard which was a top ten bestseller and was shortlisted for the CWA Steel Dagger Award and the National Book Award Thriller of the Year. A four-part TV adaptation of Apple Tree Yard with Emily Watson in the lead role was recently broadcast on Sunday nights on BBC 1, and received rave reviews.
Louise’s eighth novel  Black Water is just out in paperback from Faber, and is a tense, contemplative literary thriller which is attracting widespread critical acclaim and has already been nominated as one of the New York Times Book Review ‘Notable Books of 2016’. Spanning Europe during the Cold War, through California and the Civil Rights struggle, to Indonesia during the massacres of 1965 and the decades of military dictatorship that followed, Black Water is an epic novel that explores some of the darkest events of recent world history through the story of one troubled man.
“A compelling and vivid psychological drama, with plenty of bite.” The Guardian

Louise will be in conversation with her editor at Faber & Faber, Louisa Joyner.
Ticket price includes one of Louise’s novels in paperback, plus complimentary wine / soft drinks and nibbles.
The venue is the lovely Gluck Studio just off Church St in Steyning.

An Evening with Juliet West

An Evening with Juliet West

We are delighted to welcome novelist Juliet West to the bookshop for an intimate evening as part of our celebrations for Independent Bookseller’s Week 2017. Weds 28th June at 7.30pm.

Juliet will introduce her new novel ‘The Faithful’, a rich and gripping tale of deception and desire, set against the very well-researched historical background of Sussex in the 1930’s. Tensions mount in the seaside Sussex village of Aldwick as Oswald Mosley’s Blackshirts arrive to set up camp, and local girl Hazel finds herself torn between friendship and desire. Secrets and betrayals take the story to London, the battlefields of the Spanish Civil War and beyond. It will  be fascinating to hear Juliet share her passion for history – her best-selling first novel ‘Before The Fall’ was also inspired by a true story, set in the First World War.

Juliet lives near Chichester and both her novels are published by Pan Macmillan.

Tickets are £7 to include wine/soft drinks and a voucher towards Juliet’s new book ‘The Faithful’.

 

 

A272, An Ode to a Road – An Illustrated Talk with Pieter and Rita Boogaart

A272, An Ode to a Road – An Illustrated Talk with Pieter and Rita Boogaart

You may love or hate the A272, a 99 mile stretch of road winding between Hadlow Down and Winchester, but we, like many locals, have long been baffled as to why a Dutch couple decided to write a book about it!

‘A272 An Ode to a Road’ has been an unlikely bestseller for Pieter and Rita Boogaart. Tonight is your chance to find out the romantic story behind their long-standing obsession with the road, as well as to hear fascinating insights about the buildings, landscape and landmarks you might encounter if you journeyed the whole stretch. Pieter and Rita will illustrate their talk with a Powerpoint presentation, and will take questions at the end.

Ticket price includes a voucher towards purchase of the book, and wine, soft drinks and nibbles will  be provided.

The venue is the Gluck Studio, a lovely converted artist’s studio with beautiful gardens, just off Church St in Steyning.