Literary Calendar
Events for November 20, 2013 through December 9, 2013
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Barry Norman talks to Claire Armistead, LJCC
In Barry Norman’s candid, witty and moving account of life, love, marriage and loss, he introduces us to his wife, Diana, the remarkable woman he knew so well and loved so deeply. He traces their careers and lives together, describing how Diana moved from being an accomplished journalist, to mother-of-two, to best-selling author. Through his writing, we grow to love Diana’s irrepressible nature, fierce intelligence, her sense of fun and even her stubbornness. With heart-breaking honesty, he shares the difficulty&hellip
Adelle Waldman talks to Alain de Botton, LJCC
Adelle Waldman lives in Brooklyn with her husband, the writer Evan Hughes. She attended Brown University and Columbia University School of Journalism. She has written for the New York Times Book Review, The New Republic, Slate,The New Yorker, The New York Observer, The Wall Street Journal and many others. Before writing The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P she was a newspaper reporter, covering business and legal affairs. She grew up in Baltimore. Alain de Botton was born in Zurich, Switzerland in 1969 and now lives in London. He is&hellip
Jeremy Paxman on Great Britain’s Great War, Daunt Bookshop, Marylebone
The renowned broadcaster and bestselling author has written a magnificent history of the First World War, accompanied by a 5-part flagship BBC TV series to mark its 100th Anniversary. Rich with personalities, surprises and ironies, this broad narrative history paints a picture of courage and confusion, doubts and dilemmas, and is written with Jeremy Paxman’s characteristic flair for storytelling,wry humour and pithy observation. Talks take place at Daunt Books, Marylebone High Street Tickets are £8 (including wine). They may be&hellip
Iain Sinclair on American Smoke
In American Smoke (Hamish Hamilton), the third part of a loose trilogy of topographical ruminations that began with Hackney: That Rose-red Empire and Ghost Milk, Iain Sinclair follows the traces of the writers of the American Beat generation – Kerouac, Burroughs, Charles Olson, Gary Snyder, Malcolm Lowry and more – in a journey that takes in the Old West, Mexico, volcanoes, murder, and a good deal else besides. He will be at the shop to talk about the book with writer, editor and curator Gareth&hellip
John Carey on John Donne, National Portrait Gallery
John Carey, British literary critic and emeritus Merton Professor of English Literature at the University of Oxford explores the poetry and personality of John Donne. In his talk he will give and account of Donne’s life and relate it to the Lothian portrait of Donne which now hangs in the National Portrait Gallery. More information/book tickets
Antonia Fraser discussed the 1832 Reform Bill,Kensington Library
Bestselling historian Antonia Fraser discusses the human and political drama of the events surrounding the Reform Bill of 1832. How close did the country come to revolution? How do the events relate and resonate in regards to today’s political and social landscape? More information/book tickets
Margaret Drabble, Edmund Gordon, Ian McEwan discuss Angus Wilson, Courtauld
A leading novelist of the post-war era, Angus Wilson provided a sharp and often very funny portrait of Britain during this period. He shared with E.M. Forster a concern with the problems of liberal humanism, while his elaborate plotting and rich characterisation recall the works of Dickens. Unusually for a male novelist of his time, he placed women at the centre of several books – notably The Middle Age of Mrs Eliot (1958) and Late Call (1964) – while Hemlock and After (1952) and Anglo-Saxon Attitudes (1956) were&hellip
The Violent Art of Crime Fiction with S. J. Bolton, Andrew Taylor and Barry Forshaw, Kings Place
Some of the best crime writers in the UK discuss their books and the controversial issue of violence in the genre. S. J. Bolton weaves folklore and forensics into dark and dreadful tales in her immensely popular novels. Andrew Taylor is the author of crime and historical novels, including the Richard & Judy international bestsellerThe American Boy. His awards include the CWA’s Diamond Dagger. MG Gardiner is one of the most compelling of psychological crime novelists, writing under the name Meg Gardiner. She’s&hellip
John Freeman talks to Kamila Shamsie: ‘How to read a Novelist’, Daunt Books
John Freeman, former editor of Granta, will be joining us to chat about what makes a great novel. His book collects a number of interviews with well known authors and seeks to fathom what makes a great novelist and a wonderful novel. John will be in conversation with acclaimed novelist Kamila Shamsie, author of Burnt Shadows and Broken Colours. More information/book tickets
Amy Tan on The Valley of Amazement, Foyles
From the author of the Joy Luck Club comes a novel that spans decades and continents, following the lives of three generations of women and the mysterious painting that holds the key to their hidden histories. The story sweeps from San Francisco to Shanghai to New York, and connections are forged across the years — in spite of their three very different lives — as each strives to come to terms with the tumultuous journeys of her forbears. In this exclusive London&hellip
Artemis Cooper discusses Patrick Leigh Fermor, Kensington Library
Bestselling biographer Artemis Cooper talks about the life and times of the enigmatic writer Patrick Leigh Fermor. Artemis will also discuss The Broken Road, Fermor’s final book about his journey through Europe in 1933, and take questions on the art of researching and writing biography. More information/book tickets
Amy Tan at Kings Place
Join Amy Tan for a discussion of her hit debut novel, The Joy Luck Club. In 1949, four Chinese women, recent immigrants to San Francisco, meet every week to play mahjong, eat dim sum and gossip about their children. Through their stories, and those of their four daughters, the novel explores the fault lines between two generations and two cultures. The book became an instant New York Times bestseller, was nominated for the National Book Award, and has since been adapted into a successful film,&hellip
Nadeem Aslam and Kamila Shamsie discuss the Pakistani novel, Courtauld
Pakistan produces people of extraordinary bravery,’ Nadeem Aslam has written, ‘but no nation should ever require its citizens to be that brave.’ His sentiment is shared by Kamila Shamsie, and the work of both novelists has focused on the human cost of conflict in their homeland. Nadeem Aslam was born in Pakistan, and experienced the devastation of General Zia’s martial rule before his family fled to Huddersfield when he was 14. He has traced the plight of his compatriots from&hellip
Literary Death Match at Kings Place
To ensure this will be a literary December to remember, Literary Death Matchreturns to Kings Place for an enchanting Christmas special rife with lit, wit, and smash literary and comedic hits. This is going to be one to remember — don’t miss it! The night will feature four writers reading their own wonderful tales for seven minutes or less, judged by three all-star judges. Two finalists will be chosen to compete in the Literary Death Match finale, a vaguely-literary game that will steal your&hellip
Edna O’Brien with Alex Clark at Kings Place
Edna O’Brien scandalised audiences with her 1960 novel Country Girls. Last year she published her memoirs to great acclaim. This time the winner of the prestigious Frank O’Connor Prize looks back on 50 years of writing short stories withThe Love Object, a collection of her best. Read all reviews for The Love Object. Edna O’Brien will be interviewed by critic and broadcaster Alex Clark. More information/book tickets
Sir Max Hastings on Catastrophe, LJCC
Sir Max Hastings renowned journalist, author and historian talks about his new book, Catastrophe: Europe Goes to War 1914, a magisterial chronicle of the calamity that befell Europe in 1914 as the continent shifted from the glamour of the Edwardian era to the tragedy of total war. From the best-selling author of All Hell Let Loose comes a magisterial chronicle of the calamity that befell Europe in 1914 as the continent shifted from the glamour of the Edwardian era to the&hellip
Carlos Acosta at the Bloomsbury Institute
Join us for a special Book Club event with Carlos Acosta, author of Pig’s Foot, at the Bloomsbury Institute. International ballet dancer Carlos Acosta and his editor Bill Swainson discuss Pig’s Foot. Selected as one of The Waterstones Eleven for the best fiction debuts of 2013, Carlos Acosta’s Pig’s Foot is a dazzling novel of revolution, family secrets, love and identity across four generations. Full of dark comedy, magical history and startling revelations, Pig’s Foot is a dazzling evocation of Cuba’s tumultuous history. Oscar Kortico, great-grandchild of the founders of a&hellip
Philip Hoare on The Sea Inside at the Southbank
Philip Hoare heads the bill at the LGBT literary salon with his new book The Sea Inside. Plus Barbara Brownskirt, singer Marcus Reeves and other festive treats. Described by The New York Times as ‘London’s most theatrical salon’, Polari returns for the autumn, showcasing the best in established, new and up-and-coming LGBT literary talent and performance. More information/book tickets
Carlos Acosta on Pig’s Foot, Kings Place
The dazzling dancer Carlos Acosta has already entranced readers with his autobiography. He now comes to Kings Place to talk about his much awaited second book, Pig’s Foot, a sweeping literary novel full of dark comedy and magical history; a big tale of revolution, family secrets, love and identity set in the Cuban hinterland across three generations. More information/book tickets
Professor A. C. Grayling talks friendship, LJCC
To mark the publication of his new book, A. C. Grayling roves the rich traditions of friendship in literature, culture, art, and philosophy, bringing into his discussion familiar pairs as well as unfamiliar—Achilles and Patroclus, David and Jonathan, Coleridge and Wordsworth, Huck Finn and Jim. Grayling lays out major philosophical interpretations of friendship, then offers his own take, drawing on personal experiences and an acute awareness of vast cultural shifts that have occurred. More information/book tickets