Forthcoming events and offers to be found at David's Bookshop, 14 Eastcheap, Letchworth Garden City, Hertfordshire, England.
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.
Books, Music, Gifts & Cards
SALE WEEKEND
All day Saturday & Sunday, 3rd & 4th November
All stock at least 20% off*
Outside sale—all pavement stock is 50p or less all weekend!
Sale hours & discounts are as follows –please read carefully:
Saturday & Sunday all day:
20% off all stock*
“Happy hours” (Sat & Sun 2pm - 4pm only):
30% off nearly all stock*
50% off all secondhand books & cds & most vinyl*
Bookshop open 8 to 7 Sat & 10 to 5 Sun; Music & Gifts 9 to 6 Sat & 10 to 5 Sun.
*Discounts may not be claimed in conjunction with other offers. Excludes ordered goods & tokens. 30% discount excludes new dvds & cd singles. Stock means items on our shelves at the time of the offer. 50% offer excludes internet-listed vinyl.
Book now for the author events below. Please note the venue for each one. Free events - please reserve your seat by phoning 01462 684631 or emailing staff@davids-bookshops.co.uk; tickets for the others are available in the bookshop (you can reserve by phone etc).
Christian Wolmar
Britain's leading transport commentator will talk about Fire & Steam - a New History of British Railways (or how the government has never valued them properly!)
Tuesday October 9th, 7.30pm in the bookshop —admission free.
Cyril Aydon - “Out of Africa”
Come and hear Cyril talking about, and reading from, his book The Story of Man, and explaining why the “Out of Africa” theory of human origins has won out against rival explanations.
Tuesday October 16th, 7.30pm in the bookshop —admission free.
David’s Debate—The Surveillance State
David Blunkett & Simon Carr will debate the motion Law-abiding Britons have nothing to fear from identity cards. Simon Carr is the political sketch writer for the Independent; David Blunkett is the former Home Secretary.
Tuesday November 6th, 7.30 to 8.45pm, tickets £5 (at Howgills, South View).
Professor Richard Holmes
(author of War Walks, In the Footsteps of Churchill etc),
talking about his new book The World at War –exploring eye-witness accounts recorded for the landmark television series.
Monday November 19th, 7.30pm (Spirella Ballroom), tickets £3.
Another year gone by, another tiny act of defiance of our car-addicted culture..............
Wednesday, July 4th at 7.30pm, at David's Bookshop
Cecil Helman:
'Cecil Helman is many things: old-fashioned general practitioner, psychiatrist, cultural anthropologist, storyteller, poet and artist - and all this comes together in Suburban Shaman, a beautifully written, devastatingly honest, and often very funny, account of an audacious and adventurous life.'
Oliver Sacks
He is particularly interested in the humanistic side of medicine - especially the role of stories and narratives in medical care, and what they reveal about the inner worlds of both doctor and patient. Among his other interests are the role of metaphors and symbols in our understanding of the human body, in both illness and health; and what the Western industrialized world can learn from the healing systems of more traditional societies, when dealing with different aspects of human suffering.
‘Medicine is not just about science. It’s also all about stories, and about the mingling of narratives among doctors, and between them and their patients.’
Find out more about Cecil Helman at www.cecilhelman.com
Wednesday 23rd May at 7.30pm - Quirkology
We are pleased to welcome Richard Wiseman, Britain's only professor for the Public Understanding of Psychology, who will explain the ideas behind his new book, Quirkology (£14.99, published 18th May).
Richard recently spoke at the David’s Debate on “The Route to Happiness”
For over twenty years, Prof Richard Wiseman has examined the quirky science of everyday life. He has spent nights in allegedly haunted houses, conducted clandestine experiments in over 30 countries, and dressed up in a giant chicken suit. Quirkology describes his adventures into the backwaters of human behaviour, taking us to places where mainstream scientists fear to tread….“a fresh look at the fascinating phenomenon that is your life”.
Richard Wiseman has an international reputation for his research into unusual areas including deception, luck, humour and the paranormal. He is the psychologist most frequently quoted by the British Media and his research has been featured on over 150 programmes. He is regularly heard on Radio 4 and articles about his work have appeared throughout the national press.
Thursday, June 7th, 7.30pm
Behind the Veil—an evening with mental health
Talk & book signing with S. Westwood, author of Suicide Junkie—a memoir of living with & surviving Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, suicide and self-harm.
This autobiographical novel describes the author’s fights with an obsessive phobia that his skin is hideously ugly and a personality disorder that leads to the edge of despair. He is diagnosed as having Borderline Personality Disorder and severe depression but it is not for a further ten years that his silence regarding his appearance is broken and he is finally diagnosed with Body Dysmorphic Disorder. In the knowledge that his skin problem is a mental disorder rather than a physical deformity the correct medication is, at last, prescribed and the road to recovery begins. Books available now, £10.99.
Wednesday 11 July, 7.30pm.
War-torn Skies—Hertfordshire. Published May, £14.95
Author talk & signing with Julian Evan-Hart.
The archaeology of aircraft—it is 222 years since the Italian diplomat Vincenzo Lunardi landed his balloon in Hertfordshire, accompanied by his dog, cat and a caged pigeon. One of the first fatal military aircraft crashes happened in the county in 1912 (near Willian), and the first Zeppelin to fall in Britain came down at Potters Bar in 1916. The famous DeHavilland family based their aircraft manufacturing business at Hatfield, where the Mosquito was designed and built, Luftwaffe bombers were shot down in the county and American bombers were stationed at its airfields; all have contributed the county’s rich aviation heritage.
Julian Evan-Hart, author of the best-selling book Beginner’s Guide to Metal Detecting, has recently featured in BBC2’s Time Watch and journeyed to Jordan as part of an expedition to locate the sites where Laurence of Arabia fought. He is one of Britain’s leading metal detector experts, and has spent much of his life researching the history of his county.
All events are free - please reserve your seat by telephoning 01462 684631 or emailing staff@davids-bookshops.co.uk.
Literary evening—meet the author
The Gift of Rain
by Tan Twan Eng
Tuesday 8th May, 7.30pm (in the bookshop)
Tan Twan Eng was born in Penang, but lived in various places in Malaysia as a child. He studied law through the University of London, and later worked as an advocate and solicitor in one of Kuala Lumpur's most reputable law firms. He also has a first-dan ranking in aikido and is a strong proponent for the conservation of heritage buildings. He has spent the last year travelling around South Africa, and currently lives in Cape Town where he is working on his second book.
He is visiting Britain for a limited period to attend literary events and will appear on BBC Radio 3.
The Gift of Rain is set in Penang in 1939. With masterful and gorgeous narrative, replete with exotic and captivating images, sounds and aromas, Tan Twan Eng weaves a haunting and unforgettable story of betrayal, barbaric cruelty, steadfast courage and enduring love.
Tan will explain the book’s exotic setting, something of the history of wartime Malaysia, and read selected extracts.
Free admission—please reserve your seat.
Telephone 01462 684631, email staff@davids-bookshops.co.uk
