We are SO EXCITED to have bagged author, broadcaster and zoologist Lucy Cooke for what will be a FASCINATING evening as she discusses her brilliant book BITCH.
BITCH will change how you think about sex, sexual identity and sexuality in animals and also the very forces that shape evolution. What does it mean to be female? Mother, carer, the weaker sex? Think again. In the last few decades a revolution has been brewing in zoology and evolutionary biology… Lucy Cooke will introduce us to a riotous cast of animals, and the scientists studying them, that are redefining the female of the species…. From the female lemurs of Madagascar, our ancient primate cousins that dominate the males of their species physically and politically, to female albatross couples, hooking up together to raise their chicks in Hawaii. How about the meerkat mothers of the Kalahari Desert – the most murderous mammals on the planet? The bitches in BITCH overturn outdated binary expectations of bodies, brains, biology and behaviour. TICKET PRICE of £12 includes a paperback copy of Bitch, a glass of something upon entry, and all the revolutionary de-bunking of gender stereotypes you need!
ABOUT LUCY COOKE
Lucy studied zoology under Richard Dawkins at New College, Oxford where she specialised in evolution and animal behaviour. She left academia to become an award-winning writer, producer and presenter of documentaries for both TV and radio. Lucy is also the author of four books, which have been translated into over 20 languages, and a columnist for BBC Wildlife magazine. She is, at heart, a story-teller with a reputation for mixing rigorous cutting-edge science, in-depth investigation and a wry sense of humour to reveal surprising truths about the natural world.
Tickets available from the bookshop, by phone on 01903 812062 or online via Ticketsource, click below.
Join us for a convivial, cosy evening at the Bookshop, celebrating the launch of local historian Chris Hare’s new book Hilaire Belloc – The Politics of Living, on Thursday 8th December at 7.30pm. Wine & nibbles will be served, and Chris will give a talk about his insights into the life and work of the controversial figure.
Hilaire Belloc was a Franco-English writer and historian of the early twentieth century, who grew up in Slindon in West Sussex, and is buried in the Catholic church at West Grinstead. He is famous for his poetry and song celebrating the Sussex countryside, but was also an orator, sailor, satirist, writer of letters, soldier, and political activist. Chris Hare – a lifelong Belloc reader – takes a fresh look at Belloc’s career and his attitudes towards religion, politics, war, nature, and mortality, as well as examining claims made alleging Belloc to be anti-Semitic.
Chris Hare runs his own heritage consultancy, History People, and has written extensively on the history of Sussex, its folk music, and Worthing, his home town, in particular. Chris has an MA in Life History from the University of Sussex.
Join us for an evening with GREG MOSSE as he discusses his debut novel The Coming Darkness – in conversation with his wife, best-selling novelist KATE MOSSE. The Coming Darkness is a gripping eco-thriller, set in an eerily prescient, not-too-distant future, which is already being hailed as a successor to Terry Hayes’ I Am Pilgrim. About the Evening We are thrilled that Kate Mosse, best-selling author of Labyrinth, Citadel, City of Tears and many more, will be interviewing Greg. There will also be an audience Q & A and both Greg and Kate will sign books at the end. Tickets are £16.00 (admits one, includes signed hardback copy of The Coming Darkness) or £7 (admits one, no book – but ticket can be redeemed against a purchase of The Coming Darkness on the night). Copies of Kate Mosse’s recent books will also be on sale. This will be a ‘book-group’ style event where members of the public are warmly invited to join our 3 book groups, who will have read the book, but we promise – no spoilers! About Greg Mosse Greg Mosse is a creative writing tutor, playwright, and the founder and leader of the Criterion New Writing script development programme at the Criterion Theatre, London. Since 2015, he has written and produced 25 plays and musicals, often in collaboration. He created the Southbank Centre Creative Writing School – an open access program of evening classes, delivering MA level workshops, and also wrote and validated the MA Creative Writing that he taught for four years for the University of Sussex at West Dean College. The Coming Darkness is his first published novel. About The Coming Darkness Paris, 2037. Global warming and pandemics have torn through the fabric of society. Alexandre Lamarque of the French external security service has lost faith in his job – hunting eco-terrorists, and is ready to give up. But he is drawn back in by an ominous sequence of events: a theft from a Norwegian genetics lab; a string of gory child murders; his mother’s illness; a chaotic coup in a breakaway North African republic… He rapidly finds himself in a heart-thumping race against chaos and destruction, the one man with the ability to see through to the deranged intelligence that is plunging the world headlong into ..the coming darkness.
Join us on Sunday 20th November, from 2pm, for a very special book-signing with Julia Donaldson as she celebrates TWO lovely new picture books; the stunning Colours, Colours Everywhere, beautifully illustrated by Sharon King-Chai, and the long awaited return of everyone’s favourite little ladybird in What the Ladybird Heard at Christmas, charmingly illustrated by Lydia Monks.
How it Works The book-signing will be split into 40-minute time-slots to reduce queue times. Each single ‘ticket’ admits ONE FAMILY GROUP of up to 5 persons (please specify how many adults / children). A £12.99 ticket includes a copy of What the Ladybird Heard at Christmas, a £14.99 ticket includes a copy of Colours, Colours Everywhere, and a £27.98 ticket includes both books. You can buy additional copies at the bookshop on the day. If you want to purchase multiple copies – don’t buy multiple tickets please! You’ll have plenty of chance to buy more books on the day of the signing, and Julia will sign AND name-dedicate ALL books either pre-ordered or purchased at The Steyning Bookshop that day! We will provide fun activities and free biscuits / juice for children while you wait to meet Julia. We are sorry, but Julia will not sign books purchased elsewhere or brought from home.
About the Books Colours, Colours Everywhere is Julia’s third book with the talented illustrator Sharon King-Chai, following the stunning Animalphabet and Counting Creatures. In lyrical rhyme, follow the adventures of a little girl and her tree frog friend as they discover a world of colours, sumptuously illustrated with fold-out pages and peep-through cut-outs. What the Ladybird Heard at Christmas is the fifth book in Julia Donaldson & Lydia Monks’ best-selling What the Ladybird Heard series, and sees the plucky little ladybird once again foiling the dastardly plans of those baddies, Hefty Hugh and Lofty Len as they plot to steal the children’s Christmas presents from their stockings! A lively rhyming story with vibrant illustrations.
We are delighted to welcome best-selling author Jess Kidd back to Steyning to talk about her astonishing new novel The Night Ship. Jess has many fans amongst our staff and book group members for her previous books Things in Jars, The Hoarder, and Himself, which all share a certain gothic sensibility, quirky humour, and supremely inventive writing. The Night Ship, published on 11th August, is inspired by the infamous shipwreck of the Dutch merchant vessel The Batavia, in 1629, and interweaves the stories of two compelling child narrators, 350 years apart, who both find themselves stranded on the remote atoll where the Batavia met her end. The book is an incredible feat of imagination: bold, visceral, haunting, and unforgettable – we can’t wait to hear more! EVENT FORMAT: Author talk ‘in conversation’ followed by audience Q&A and book signing. A complimentary glass of wine / soft drink will be served upon arrival. This is to be an ‘open book group’ style evening – we encourage audience members to purchase our ‘book with ticket’ option and pop in to the shop to claim your book and read it prior to the event, where you’ll be joining our 3 book groups, who will have read the book. But we will try to guarantee no spoilers on the night for those who prefer to wait!
Click HERE to book via Ticketsource (NOT Steyning Bookshop book group members)
About Jess Kidd
Jess Kidd was brought up in London as part of a large family from county Mayo and has a PhD in Creative Writing from St. Mary’s University. Her debut, Himself, was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards in 2016. She won the Costa Short Story Award the same year. Her second novel, The Hoarder was shortlisted for the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year 2019. Both books were BBC Radio 2 Book Club Picks. Her next book, the Victorian detective tale Things in Jars, attracted widespread critical acclaim. Jess’s work has been described as ‘Gabriel García Márquez meets The Pogues.’ She is also currently developing her own original TV projects with leading UK and international TV producers.
