Join us as we welcome local thriller-writing legend Elly Griffiths for a very special event on the publication day of her new mystery novel The Great Deceiver. The Great Deceiver is the seventh book in Elly’s Brighton Mysteries series, which are set in the 50’s and 60’s and inspired partly by her grandfather’s life on the stage. The Brighton Mysteries are an engaging blend of colourful period detail, sharp plotting and lively, likeable characters, and we can’t wait to discover the next enigma for Max Mephisto the magician to solve! About Elly Griffiths Acclaimed crime author Elly Griffiths worked in publishing before becoming a full-time writer. She is best known for her award-winning, chart-topping Dr Ruth Galloway series and The Brighton Mystery series, and has also written 3 standalone novels and a best-selling mystery series for children. Elly Griffiths lives near Brighton with her husband, an archaeologist. She is #18 on the list of most borrowed authors from UK libraries and is a hugely in demand for events, regularly holding audiences spellbound. About The Great Deceiver – published by Quercus Books 24/10/23 Magician Max Mephisto, now divorced and living in London, is on his way to visit daughter Ruby and her newborn baby when he is hailed by a voice from the past, fellow performer Ted English, aka the Great Deceiver. Ted’s assistant, Cherry, has been found dead in her Brighton boarding house and Ted is convinced that he’ll be accused of her murder. The inhabitants of the boarding house, most of whom are performing in an Old Time Music Hall show on Brighton pier, are a motley crew, and a sinister radio personality called Pal is also connected to the boarding house. Max agrees to talk to his friend, Superintendent Edgar Stephens, who is investigating the case. When a second magician’s assistant is killed, Edgar suspects a serial killer. He persuades Max to come out of semi-retirement and take part in a summer show….. But who can pose as his assistant? Edgar shocks the team by recommending someone close .. The venue for this event is the beautiful Church of St Andrew and St Cuthman in Steyning. Disabled access is available.
TICKETS CAN BE PURCHASED ONLINE HERE or from the bookshop, in person or by phone on 01903 812062.
Join writer, vinyl collector and music buff Jonathan Scott as he takes us on a journey to the very beginnings of recorded sound, to celebrate the release of his new book Into the Groove: The Story of Sound from Tinfoil to Vinyl.. We are really excited about this fascinating music/science blend event, which will hopefully answer that eternal question “Just HOW can discs of bumpy plastic capture sound?” Into the Groove follows the grooves from the first capture of airborne sounds, to steampunk synthesisers, from Thomas Edison’s eureka, to first-wave turntablists, from tin-foil to gold, from cylinder to disc, from swinging shellac to victorious vinyl…
Jonathan’s talk will take us on a whistle-stop tour of his fascinating findings, including audio of the earliest sounds – from the first live performance to the first F-bomb! This is vinyl’s origin story, a format repeatedly written off, threatened by radio, tape, compact disc and download, only to endure and come back stronger. A story which starts in 1877 with grooves of tin foil in a workshop in New Jersey, and ends a century later as the format goes interstellar.
An illustrated talk with slides & audio. Complimentary wine / soft drinks will be served. Doors open 7pm, event starts 7.30pm We regret that the venue is not wheel-chair accessible.
Join the fabulous Sophy Henn for an afternoon of DEADLY fun, as we peek inside an alligator’s jaws, investigate why a lion’s tongue is so dangerous, and learn about the world’s ONLY poisonous primate! *With animal draw-along at the end! This fun, interactive event is based on Sophy’s brand new bookLIFESIZE DEADLY ANIMALS,a fact-filled picture book that’s FULL of the world’s DEADLIEST creatures! Ticket gives £4 off one of Sophy Henn’s LIFESIZE books. AGE GUIDE: for children aged 5-9. FAQS: This event will take place in the bookshop back kitchen, so space in limited, therefore we are only issuing 20 tickets. Accompanying adults do not need to purchase a ticket, but as space is very tight, please keep number of adults / baby siblings to a minimum! Parents of children over 7yrs are welcome to drop n go. The event will last 1 hour.
We are delighted to welcome veteran broadcaster Edward Stourton back to Steyning, for an enlightening evening in conversation with guest interviewer Richard Burge, discussing Ed’s new memoir Confessions.
Edward Stourton has worked in broadcasting for over forty years, and regularly presents BBC Radio Four programmes such as The World at One, The World This Weekend, Sunday and Analysis. He has been a foreign correspondent for Channel Four, ITN and the BBC, and for ten years he was one of the main presenters of the Today programme.
Confessions is a fascinating read, describing the “awokening”, as Stourton puts it, of someone born to privilege who has begun to question the assumptions of his class. Ed was born to wealthy, upper-class expat parents, in colonial Nigeria. He was sent back to Britain to be educated first at Ampleforth, and then at Cambridge University. As a young journalist he reported first from party conferences and picket lines and then from war zones, witnessing international headline-making events, from Haiti to Hong Kong, before returning home to present the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.
During this time, the Empire has given way to the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, men-only clubs have been replaced by Me Too, and instead of a choice selection of voices on a handful of radio and television channels, we have millions of voices on YouTube, Instagram, Tik Tok. The world has changed, and so has Ed.
We know that guest interviewer Richard Burge (ex Head of Wilton Park, now CE of London Chamber of Commerce) will do a marvellous job of drawing out the most thrilling anecdotes from Ed’s remarkable life.
Wine & soft drinks will be served. The historic Brotherhood Hall venue is accessed by a staircase, we regret there is no disabled access.
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.
