The Human Computer with Ben Jeapes, Saturday 5th October 2019

Local author and friend of the shop Ben Jeapes will be running an interactive children's workshop to create a 'Human Computer'.  Learn about the inspirational Ada Lovelace with hands on activities and book reading.

This event on Saturday 5th October at 10am  is aimed at children aged 5-11 years old.

Tickets cost £7 per child,  price includes tea and biscuits for accompanying adults and £2 redeemable against Ben's book
  

Tickets available from Eventbrite or in shop.

TICKET NUMBERS STRICTLY LIMITED 

Ben's latest book 'Ada Lovelace' is published on 3rd October 2019.

Ada Lovelace by Ben Jeapes illustrated by Nick Ward.
Part of the 'first names' series this is the biography of a truly amazing woman: the world's first computer programmer, despite the disadvantage of having lived in a age with no electricity and indeed no computers.  Or so you would think.

Robert Harris in Conversation - Monday 9th September

Bestselling Robert Harris will be in conversation with broadcaster and book fanatic, Howard Bentham, at the Amey Theatre, Abingdon, on Monday 9th September.  

Join Robert Harris, author of bestselling novels such as Fatherland, Pompeii and Munich, as he talks about his new book, The Second Sleep, which will be published on 5th September.

1468. A young priest, Christopher Fairfax, arrives in a remote Exmoor village to conduct the funeral of his predecessor. The land around is strewn with ancient artefacts - coins, fragments of glass, human bones - which the old parson used to collect.

Did his obsession with the past lead to his death? As Fairfax is drawn more deeply into the isolated community, everything he believes - about himself, his faith and the history of his world - is tested to destruction.

Tickets are £20 and include a copy of The Second Sleep (RRP £20).  Tickets will be available from the Amey Theatre Box Office from 5th June.

Doors open at 6.45pm for a 7.30pm start. Robert will be signing copies of his book after the event.  Refreshments will be available to purchase at the Amey theatre bar. 

The Amey Theatre, Park Road, Abingdon OX14 1DE.

IBW Event: Kim Sherwood - Testament - 18th June

Come along to Mostly Books on Tuesday 18th June to hear Kim Sherwood talk about her critically acclaimed first novel, Testament. The event will be taking place during Independent Bookshop Week (IBW).

Of everyone in her complicated family, Eva was always closest to her grandfather. She is making a film about his life. She is with him when he dies.

It is only when she finds the letter from the Jewish Museum in Berlin, hidden in his painting studio, that she realises how many secrets he kept. As she uncovers everything he endured in the Holocaust - and what it took to learn to live again - Eva is confronted by the lies that haunt her family, and a truth that changes her own identity. Kim Sherwood's hope-filled first novel is a powerful portrait of survival echoing through the generations; a testament of love, legacy, and all the important questions we leave unasked.

Kim will be visiting Mostly Books as part of a tour to celebrate the paperback publication of Testament.  Doors will open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start.  Tickets £5, to include a drink on the night and £1 redeemable against a copy of Testament.  Tickets available from Mostly Books or on Eventbrite

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Testament - *Longlisted for the Desmond Elliot Prize * Winner of the Bath Novel Award * Shortlisted for the Author’s Club Best First Novel Award *

Kate Clanchy in conversation - 8th May 2019

Hear Kate Clanchy in conversation with Mostly Books’ owner, Sarah Dennis, as they talk about Kate’s new book Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me on Wednesday 8th May at 7.30pm. 

‘Thirty years ago, just after I graduated, I started training to be a teacher. As far as I remember, it was because I wanted to change the world, and a state school seemed the best place to start. Certainly, it wasn’t a compromise or a stopgap career:

I had no thought of being a writer, then…’

Kate Clanchy has taught in state schools for nearly thirty years. Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me is an extraordinary memoir, detailing a life’s work spent teaching in a national institution. The book is made up of stories; stories of the children she’s taught, some of the teachers she’s worked with and some of the lessons she’s learned along the way.

Recommended by Philip Pullman  who says it is “The best book on teachers and children and writing that I’ve ever read.” this event is not to be missed.

Kate Clanchy is a writer, teacher and journalist. She’s the recipient of several awards for her writing. In 2018, an anthology of her students’ work, England: Poems from a School, was published to great acclaim and in the same year she was awarded an MBE for services to literature.

   

The event will be taking place at Mostly Boks.  Tickets are £6 and include a drink plus £2 redeemable off a copy of the book.  Tickets are available on EventBrite and in the shop.  Kate will be signing copies of her book at the end of the event.

Kassia St Clair - 11th October 2018

Journalist and author, Kassia St Clair, will be at Mostly Books from 7.30pm (doors open at 7pm) on 11th October, talking about her new book The Golden Thread.

Kassia's debut book The Secret Lives of Colour took the publishing world by storm and The Golden Thread is expected to do the same with the fascinating story of the world's fabrics and how they have affected history.

From the mummies of Ancient Egypt; via the silken dragon robes of Imperial China and the woollen sails of Viking longboats to the Indian calicoes and chintzes that powered the Industrial Revolution -- fabrics, manmade and natural, have changed and shaped the world we live in.  At the event, Kassia will introduce guests to an alternative history of civilisation and human creativity as she talks about the inspiration behind The Golden Thread.

Tickets are £5, including a drink with £2 redeemable against the price of the book on the night.  Copies of The Secret Lives of Colour will also be available to purchase in paperback. Tickets are available from Mostly Books and from EventBrite.

Discover Isadora Moon with Author Harriet Muncaster - 18th October 2018

Harriet Muncaster is the creator of a shop favourite part fairy, part vampire, Isadora Moon.  Harriet will be at the shop from 4pm on 18th October, introducing children to the latest of her fabulous books, Isadora Moon Makes Winter Magic, with an interactive event and book signing.

Expect plenty of wings, fangs and lots of laughs.  The Isadora Moon books are extremely popular so this event will sell out fast.  Book today to avoid disappointment!

Tickets are £3, including £1 redeemable off the price of Isadora Moon Makes Winter Magic on the day.  Available from Mostly Books and on EventBrite.

Elys Dolan and Santa's Wonderful Workshop - 24th November 2018

Hugely talented children’s author and illustrator, Elys Dolan, will be at Mostly Books on 24th November at 11am.  

Elys has written a wide range of children's books including Knighthood for Beginners & Steven Seagull Action Hero and will be at Mostly Books to talk about her new picture book, Santa's Wonderful Workshop.  Get your children excited about writing and illustrating in the build up to Christmas by meeting a fun and inspiring author.   

After the event, Elys will be creating a winter themed window display for us which we will keep in the run up to Christmas - Keep your eyes peeled to see her wonderful creation!

Tickets are £3 with £1 redeemable off the price of Santa's Wonderful Workshop.  Tickets available at Mostly Books or on EventBrite.

Crime Panel Author Event - Discover a Debut! - April 18th 2018

Debut authors Olivia Kiernan and Karen Hamilton will be coming to Abingdon for an evening of Crime and Thriller chat!

Both Olivia and Karen have new Crime novels out this month and are coming to Abingdon to give the Crime fans among you some insight into their new books, the writing process and their inspiration.

The event will be taking place in the shop on 18th April and places are limited so get in touch to book your ticket today!

Tickets are £5 which include a drink on arrival plus £2 redemption against a purchase on the night.  Doors open at 6.30pm for a 7pm start.

An Evening with Kate Young

After the shop had shut on a dark November evening, the team at Mostly Books cleared down the display tables in preparation for a books and food event with Kate Young. 

For one night, the fiction books were set aside to make space for some hungry guests and some gorgeous cookbooks.  As each guest arrived they were offered a glass of wine or a soft drink as they settled down around communal tables to wait for the event to start.  Conversation ensued with guests comparing book group experiences and chatting about their love of food and cooking.

At 7pm Sarah introduced everyone to Kate Young and the official event began. Kate chatted about her experiences of creating the Little Library Cookbook, the inspiration behind the idea and how she had made it happen.

Kate described how she had initially had aspirations of owning her own cafe and had never expected things to move in the direction that it had.  Through a series of unexpected events, she found herself making copious amounts of food for her close friends over a hot few days in June so that it could all be photographed for her new cookbook.

As the floor opened for questions, the group were clearly interested and engaged in Kate’s experiences.  There was a lot of discussion around the books that inspired the recipes in The Little Library Cookbook and what they meant to Kate.

During the discussion guests dug into some spice cookies from We Have Always Lived in the Castle and sausage rolls from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.  Halfway through the evening tasters of Chocolatl (inspired by Book of Dust by Philip Pullman) appeared much to everyone's delight.

As the event drew to a close, Kate answered the final questions and, after Sarah closed the official section of the event, guests rushed to grab their copy of the Cookbook and to get it signed by Kate.

Gradually the crowd dispersed and, as everyone left, all that could be heard were exclamations about how much they had enjoyed the event and what a pleasure it was to meet Kate.

A huge thanks to Kate for travelling to Abingdon from London. This was the first foodie related event at Mostly Books for quite some time and it definitely won’t be the last!

More pictures can be seen on our facebook page here.

Julia Golding at OLA

On Tuesday 26^th September, pupils from four schools; OLA, OLA Juniors, St Edmunds and Long Furlong, excitedly waited for Julia Golding to arrive. 

Julia is a multi-award winning writer for children and young adults. She is the author of the ‘Cat Royal’ series of books set in eighteenth century London.

. . 'Reader, you are set to embark on an adventure about one hidden treasure, two bare-knuckle boxers, three enemies and four hundred and thirty-eight rioters.

I was brought up in Drury Lane, so I have become accustomed to a life less than ordinary. But this turn of events, I have to say, surprised even me. Follow me, and I will show you in The Diamond of Drury Lane.'

Julia has also written ‘Mel Foster and the Demon Butler’ a warm and witty gothic tale, perfect for fans of Chris Riddell's Goth Girl and lovers of historical adventure. You can find out more about Julia and her books at www.juliagolding.co.uk.

Before the event began, the sharp eyed among the crowd noticed Julia outside

the auditorium as she signed a pile of pre-ordered books .  Once signing was complete, Julia headed into meet the crowd and what a crowd it was….!  The energy was noticeable in the room with some children clearly very excited to be hearing from such a great author.

Over the course of the next hour or so, Julia regaled the audience with stories of her books and the writing process.  She has been writing since 2006 (longer than some of the audience had been alive!) and writes under three different names so there were plenty of good stories to share with the excitable crowd.

Towards the end of the event, three children were invited to pick out hats from a range offered by the author and were then asked to say what they thought the hat represented.  The favourite response (by far!) was from the young boy who decided that his hat had turned him into an assassin!!!

After hearing Julia speak, the floor was opened to questions.  The questions posed to Julia were intelligent and relevant, ranging from why Julia was an author (because she realised that someone was willing to pay her to do something that she loved) to information about her website (Julia does all of her own web design).

At the end of the event, Julia invited any children whose questions had not been answered to come and meet her at the signing table.  A long queue formed as questions were asked and more books were signed.

Before long, it was time for the children to head home so the last goodbye was said as the final books were signed (we got some for the shop).  All of the children left happy and laden with books.

A huge thank you to Julia for such a great event and to Barbara and the team at OLA for hosting.

Scarlett Thomas at Chandlings

On the afternoon of 12th September, 100 excited year 5 & 6 pupils piled into the Lantern Hall at Chandlings School to be greeted by acclaimed author Scarlett Thomas.

After a brief introduction by librarian, Elspeth Greig, and our very own Sarah from Mostly Books, Scarlett took to the floor.

After starting off with an introduction to all things magic and the characters in her new book Dragon's Green, Scarlett soon whipped the children into a frenzy when she started asking them questions such as whether they had magical powers, what those powers were and whether they would take the place of a friend who was going to be eaten by a dragon(!).

Scarlett introduced all of the Kharakters that exist in Dragon's Green and asked

the children to nominate one of their teachers to go up to the front to be analysed!!  Mr Hancock was the (un)lucky volunteer and after a number of questions were answered by the children (our favourite being 'Is Mr Hancock nice or scary?'), it was decided that he was a Bard with a smattering of Witch (yes, it's true, boys & men can be witches too).* 

The children were then asked a bunch of questions about themselves and the answers helped Scarlett identify five pairs of pupils to come to the front of the hall.  Based on the answers that they were given, each pair was aligned to one of the five main characters in Dragon's Green: Euphemia Sixten Bookend Truelove (otherwise known as Effie), Maximilian Underwood, Wolf Reed, Alexa Bottle (known as Lexy) & Raven Wilde.  All 10 children were given magic crystals to take away with them as a reminder of everything that Scarlett had talked about.

When Scarlett opened the floor for questions, the children interrogated her on a range of topics including the stories, the process of writing and what made Scarlett become an author. 

 After the talk was finished, a long queue formed for the children to meet the author and to give them the opportunity to have their book signed. 

It was a brilliant afternoon and a great way for the pupils at Chandlings to start their new school year.  A huge thank you to Scarlett and the team at Chandlings for making it such a great success.

Dragon's Green by Scarlett Thomas was published in paperback on 7th September.  

* If you would like to find out which Kharakter you are, you can take a quiz on the WorldQuake website (click here to go to the quiz).