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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An Evening with Poet and Novelist Brian Bilston

An Evening with Poet and Novelist Brian Bilston

Tuesday 11th February 7.30pm at the Gluck Studio.

We are really excited to have finally bagged a visit from Brian Bilston, the hilarious poet and novelist, frequently described as the ‘Accidental Poet Laureate of Twitter’. Brian’s novel ‘Diary of a Somebody’ is just out in paperback and has been short-listed for the Costa Book Award, First Novel Category.
‘Diary of a Somebody’ is the achingly funny story of a year in the life of .. ‘Brian Bilston’. It’s January 1st and Brian Bilston’s life needs to change. His ex-wife has taken up with a new man, a motivational speaker and marketing guru to boot; he seems to constantly disappoint his long-suffering son; and at work he is drowning in a sea of spreadsheets and management jargon. Brian’s resolution is to write a poem every day; poetry will be his salvation. But there is an obstacle to his happiness in the form of Toby Salt, his arch nemesis in the Poetry Group and rival suitor to Liz, Brian’s new poetic inspiration. When Toby goes missing, Brian is the number one suspect… Part tender love story, part murder mystery, part coruscating description of a wasted life, and interspersed with some of the funniest poems about the mundane and the profound, Diary of a Somebody is a unique, warm, and hilarious novel.

Brian Bilston has been dubbed ‘the Banksy of Poetry’ – he has kept his identity secret and stumbled into poetry via composing short poems on Twitter, eventually racking up more than 50,000 followers. His first volume of poetry ‘You Took the Last Bus Home’ was released in 2017, and ‘Diary of a Somebody’ came out in 2019. His powerful poem ‘Refugees’ has also been released as a beautifully illustrated children’s picture book. His clever, wry poems can take the shape of Christmas trees or Venn diagrams, he can poke fun at grammar pedants, and take the piss out of Jeremy Clarkson, but also tap into profound depths.

Tickets are £12 to include a paperback copy of ‘Diary of a Somebody’, plus wine & nibbles. Brian’s other books will also be on sale.

Pop into the shop, give us a ring on 01903 812062 , or book online –  we think this will be a popular one so buy soon!

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Glorious. I will be astonished if I read a more original, more inventive or funnier novel this year.’ – Adam Kay, author of This Is Going to Hurt