A Vintage Summer: Mother Island with Bethan Roberts

It's going to be a Vintage Summer. And no, we aren't just talking about the weather...

For the whole of August, we will be celebrating Vintage Books, with competitions, activities and discovering the mixture of classic and contemporary writing that are the hallmark of one of our most successful publishing imprints.

And on Thursday, July 31 at 7.30pm - to launch the whole month - we will be welcoming Vintage author Bethan Roberts to talk about her new book 'Mother Island'.

Bethan grew up in Abingdon. Her first novel 'The Pools' won a Jerwood/Arvon Young Writers’ Award. Her second novel 'The Good Plain Cook' was serialized on BBC Radio 4’s Book at Bedtime and was chosen as one of Time Out’s books of the year. She also writes short stories (receiving the Olive Cook short story prize from the Society of Authors in 2006) and has had a play broadcast on BBC Radio 4.

Her third novel 'My Policeman' - inspired partly by the private life of EM Forster - was the 'Brighton City Reads' choice for 2012, and one of our favourite books from that year.

'Mother Island' has two storylines and two voices - but one child. Controlling, career-minded new mother Nula employs her contrasting cousin, Maggie, to look after her baby. When their childcare approaches clash too much, Maggie decides to take the child. But has she misread how much Nula will care? A dissection of motherhood and how the lasting subliminal effects of your own parents can have on your approach to your own children.

Read more about the book here and its review in The Independent here.

Tickets for the event are £3 and include a glass of wine. And if we're really lucky, and it turns out to be a real vintage Summer, the event will be in the Mostly Books garden...email us if we can reserve you a space.