By Erin Evett and Kellie Smith
An Evening with The Candid Book Club and Jendella Benson at Waterstones Piccadilly
11 October, 7:00 p.m.
Waterstones Piccadilly
Join The Candid Book Club and author Jendella Benson at Waterstones Piccadilly, where Benson will be discussing her debut book Hope & Glory. It is set in Peckham, and follows the titular character Glory as she returns to London to find her family broken after the death of her father. It is masterfully written and includes themes of love, loss, family and secrets. Benson is an author, blogger, photographer and host of the podcast Black Ballad Presents: The Survival Guide. For more information and ticket prices, click here.
Using Social Media to Build Your Author Brand, Troubadour Publishing
12 October, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Online
An effective author ‘brand’ is an excellent foundation for developing your writer platform and audience-building efforts. Social media and blogging are both great opportunities for authors and readers alike. Both can be used to grow a dedicated readership, connect directly with your readers, seek out event opportunities and connect with other like-minded authors. So, just how do you begin?
Delivered online by Troubadour Publishing’s assistant marketing manager Phillippa Iliffe, this session will discuss the major social media platforms – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Goodreads – and delve into the world of book blogging. As a new and upcoming writer, see how social media can help you implement your marketing plans from the very start and develop an authentic and trusted author brand.
The event is free to attend and you can register for a place here.
Gower St Presents: Soma Sara in Conversation with Nimco Ali (OBE)
12 October, 6:30 – 7:45 p.m.
Waterstones Gower Street
Join activists Soma Sara and Nimco Ali (OBE) at Waterstones Gower Street, as they discuss Sara’s collection of essays Everyone’s Invited and Ali’s book What We're Told Not to Talk About (But We're Going to Anyway): Women's Voices from East London to Ethiopia. Both women have set up charities to help vulnerable women, including Ali’s work against the practice of FGM (female genital mutilation). This evening seeks to unpick the imbalance of racial power we see in today’s society and the impact that social media has had on exposing these issues. For more information and ticket prices, click here.
Bloomsbury at 35: Abdulrazak Gurnah and Alexandra Pringle in Conversation
13 October, 7:30 – 8:30 p.m.
The London Library, SW1Y 4LG
Join this fantastic evening to celebrate as Bloomsbury Publishing approaches their 35th anniversary. Join Executive Editor Abdulrazak Gurnah and Nobel Prize-winning author Alexandra Pringle as they discuss the steps they took to exceed in their illustrious careers, as well as the varying changes they have seen across the publishing industry over the last thirty years. They will be in conversation with Yassmin Abdel-Magied, author of It’s Not About The Burqa and The New Daughters of Africa. Tickets here.
Berwick Literary Festival
13 – 16 October
Berwick-Upon-Tweed
Berwick Literary Festival (BLF) once again welcomes an array of speakers such as Martin Bellamy, Lisa Hobman and Kathleen Jamie (plus many more), as well as writing workshops, sponsored live performances in the town’s Maltings Theatre and promoted poetry.
Shortlisted authors from Berwick Rotary Club’s annual short story competition for local children are also invited to an “Oscars-style” awards ceremony in the Guildhall on the Saturday of the Festival. Winners and runners-up in each category are awarded prizes by the Club, with a certificate for all participants.
Tickets for all events are priced as low as possible at £5, except for the writing workshops, which are priced at £15. Some live events and all Zoom events are free, but booking is essential. Tickets can be booked here.
Ronnie Archer-Morgan, Dorchester Literary Festival
19 October, 4:00 p.m.
Dorford Centre, DT1 1RR
Don’t miss out on this fascinating talk, where Archer-Morgan, one of the beloved hosts of Antique Roadshow, shares his own life story. Born in the fifties to a Sierra Leonean mother battling mental health problems, he demonstrates his pure resilience. Whilst in and out of care, battling racism and coming into contact with criminals and police, he eventually managed to find his feet in the music industry. This eventually led him to beginning his own antique gallery and set him on the path to becoming a much-loved household name. For more information and ticket prices, click here.
The British Book Awards Presents: Sathnam Sanghera
20 October, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
The House of St Barnabas, W1D 4NQ
You definitely will not want to miss out on this brilliant series of events brought to you by The British Book Awards, where you can be privy to exclusive behind-the-scenes conversations with bestselling authors and the people who helped them along the way. To kick off the series, acclaimed Empireland author and winner of The British Book Award for Non-Fiction: Narrative, Sathnam Sanghera will be joined by Olivia Mead and Annie Moore, Senior Campaigns Officers at Penguin General. This is definitely not one to miss, a perfect event for fans of Empireland as well as any publishing hopefuls looking to get into marketing and publicity, as you’ll hear all about how these publishing powerhouses helped this ever important book to reach its key readership. Don’t miss out, tickets here.