Previous events
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OCT 23
Little Bookstore: Tina Shingler
'Tina grew up in Ripon in the 50's and 60's and went on to work in Italy and then Washington DC. Throughout her travels her natural afro hair has been a personal,cultural, and creative compass. Her book, “Hair Apparent”, is an inspiring journey of resilience and renewal' Tickets are £5 (includes a glass of wine) ...
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OCT 21
David Pleat in conversation with David Dein
David Pleat has lived a life at the heart of football, from his debut as an England Schoolboy international in 1960 to his time as a scout for Tottenham Hotspur up to 2024. In 1986, Pleat was given his shot at the big-time at Tottenham Hotspur. Were it not for a fabricated tabloid scandal, his sole season as manager - which featured a third-placed...
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OCT 08
Waterstones York: Tina Shingler
Growing up in the ’60s as a Black face in a white space, Tina Shingler always knew that her well-being depended on her ability to assimilate. As a Black Barnardo’s child, Tina was ‘boarded out’ to a white foster family in rural Yorkshire. Overwhelmed by the complex texture of Black hair, her foster mother resorted to chopping back Tina’s curls as close...
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OCT 05
Cuckfield Literary Festival: Alex Grant
In September 1962, John Vassall, a clerk at the Admiralty in London, was exposed as a Soviet spy, having been blackmailed into handing over British defence secrets for seven years. Sex, Spies and Scandal covers this dramatic story, featuring a honey trap, espionage, jailed journalists, and a tabloid witch-hunt that nearly toppled Harold Macmillan’s...
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OCT 03
Isle of Wight Literary Festival: Alex Grant
In September 1962, John Vassall, a clerk at the Admiralty in London, was unmasked as a Soviet spy. After being photographed in compromising positions while working at the British embassy in Moscow, Vassall was blackmailed into handing British defence secrets over to his Soviet handlers for seven years. While there have been several successful books...
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OCT 03
Isle of Wight Literary Festival: Norman Fowler
The Best of Enemies is the political diaries of Norman Fowler, one of the most significant politicians of the late twentieth century. Covering the entire Thatcher/Major era – from the former’s election in 1979 to the latter’s defeat in 1997 – during which time Fowler held prominent positions in the Cabinet. As Transport Secretary he was responsible for...
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OCT 02
Waterstones Leeds: Tina Shingler
Growing up in the ’60s as a Black face in a white space, Tina Shingler always knew that her well-being depended on her ability to assimilate. As a Black Barnardo’s child, Tina was ‘boarded out’ to a white foster family in rural Yorkshire. Overwhelmed by the complex texture of Black hair, her foster mother resorted to chopping back Tina’s curls as close...
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SEP 28
Henley Literary Festival: Andrew Pierce
Finding Margaret is the moving story of journalist and broadcaster Andrew Pierce’s search for his birth mother. As he was approaching his fifties, Pierce decided that it was finally time to track down his birth mother. He knew he had lived in a Roman Catholic orphanage in Cheltenham for more than two years and was adopted when he was three years old...
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SEP 28
Henley Literary Festival: Gyles Brandreth
As a former MP and government whip, Gyles knows how Westminster works. He had a ringside seat at the great political events of the 1990s, from the fall of Margaret Thatcher to the rise of Tony Blair. In an updated version of Breaking the Code: Westminster Diaries 1992-7, he provides a fascinating - and funny - insight into the centre of government, with...
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SEP 19
The Write Festival: Andrew Pierce
Andrew Pierce is back to discuss seeking and discovering his birth mother, a hunt that led him to Ireland and an emotional meeting. Finding Margaret is the page-turning autobiographical tale of a man overcoming the guilt of betraying the mum and dad who adopted him to track down the woman he never knew who put him in a Catholic orphanage. Andrew will...
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