autumn/winter events

19th November (Mon), 7.30pm at Spirella Ballroom
The World at War with Richard Holmes—tickets £3

The famous 1973 BBC documentary series "The World at War" told the history of World War II through the testimony of key participants, from civilians to statesmen of the day, and from all sides in the conflict. Now Richard Holmes has revisited the transcripts for his new book, priced £25. Hear the stories behind the series and book.

4th December (Tues), 7.30pm in the Bookshop
Imagining Magdeburg—poetry with John Gohorry

John Gohorry is the working name of Don Smith, who taught from 1971 to 2006 at North Herts College. Imagining Magdeburg (Shoestring Press, £8.95) is his third full collection of poems. www.johngohorry.co.uk

28th December (Fri), 7pm in the Bookshop
Trivia Quiz

Get your brain working again after the stupefying Christmas excess! Form a team of up to 6 people for this annual gathering
Entry is free—it helps us if you let us know you will be entering.

17th January (Thurs), 7.30pm in the Bookshop
Villages of Vision with Gillian Darley

Author Gillian Darley will give a talk entitled Villages of Vision—still?
Gillian Darley is a former architectural correspondent of the Observer. She is the former Chairman of the Society for Protection of Ancient Buildings. Her biographies include Sir John Soane and John Evelyn (both shortlisted for the James Tate Memorial Prize) and Octavia Hill.
Her book, Villages of Vision (Five Leaves Press, £14.99), explains the origins, aesthetics and philosophy behind planned villages which appeared all over Britain and Ireland – the best known being Portmeirion, Port Sunlight, New Lanark and Bournville. The new revised edition includes a greatly expanded gazetteer (including Letchworth) which shows where such villages can be seen – not as museums but as evolving, living places. Gillian Darley covers hundreds of these strange and pretty arcadias built by aristocrats, industrialists and visionaries— of particular interest to residents and students of Letchworth and the Garden City movement.Admission is free—please reserve your seat.

24th January (Thurs), 7.30pm at Howgills
Animal Rights debate

Debating the motion “Animal experiments are ethically wrong” will be Dr. Gill Langley, Science Director of the Dr Hadwen Trust for Humane Research (a medical research charity funding exclusively non-animal research techniques) and Dr Simon Festing, Executive Director, Research Defence Society (representing medical researchers in the public debate about the use of animals in medical research and testing). Tickets £3 from David’s Bookshop.

26th February (Tues), 7.30pm in the Bookshop
Joanna Trollope in conversation with Sarah Harrison

Joanna Trollope has been writing for over thirty years: she first wrote a number of historical novels (under the name Caroline Harvey), and more recently, her enormously successful contemporary works of fiction, several of which have been televised. The Choir was her first contemporary novel, followed by A Village Affair and A Passionate Man. The Rector's Wife was her first number one bestseller, and made her into a household name. Since then she has written more contemporary novels, including A Spanish Lover, Other People’s Children, Marrying the Mistress, Girl from the South and Brother and Sister. All of these have attracted considerable critical acclaim as well as commercial success. Joanna was appointed OBE 1996. Her new novel Friday Nights will be published in February.
Sarah Harrison is the author of 23 books, including Flowers of the Field and How to Write a Blockbuster, and regularly appears on radio and television. Tickets £3 from David’s Bookshop.