Upcoming Events at The Bookshop
Thursday 19th May at 7pm
David Bellamy
Explore the deserts, mountains and souks of the Middle East, with best-selling author and artist David Bellamy.
Following on from David's highly acclaimed Arctic Light , this book provides an intriguing and often entertaining insight into South Arabia and the Swahili Coast, Jordan, Lebanon and Oman. It describes the history, culture, customs and geography of the region and the daily life of its inhabitants, as viewed through the eyes of a world-renowned watercolour artist and life-long adventurer. Filled with personal anecdotes and humour, David Bellamy's unique account shines a light on the Middle East and highlights the incredible beauty and fascinating culture of this much-neglected region.
David's stunning artwork, that he painted during his various expeditions, features throughout the book and captures perfectly the diverse and majestic nature of the region. Watercolourists will be inspired by the author's awe-inspiring ability to depict sweeping vistas and create a sense of space in his paintings, and to capture the very essence of a place through his art.
Thursday 26 May 2022 at 7pm. Rebecca Schiller
When Rebecca Schiller moved to a smallholding in Kent, she found that the simple life was not as simple as she hoped. This beautifully written memoir describes how Rebecca learned about her land - not only how to grow things and react to the changing seasons, but also the history of her land. By learning how the land had been used in the past, piecing together the stories of the former owners and of the ancient trees, Rebecca placed herself in the continuum of history and found her way back to happiness.In 2017, Rebecca Schiller turned fantasy to reality and moved her family to a countryside smallholding for a life of sowing and growing.But as the first few years go by, and the ever-expanding list of tasks builds to a cacophony, it becomes clear that this is not going to be simple.
Another January comes in, and with it the threat of a mental health crisis, and so Rebecca turns to the garden where she has made her home, and to the women of this place's past. Here, she stumbles on a wild space of imaginative leaps, where she begins to uncover the hidden layers of her plot's history - and of herself. The ground under Rebecca's boots offers hard lessons as the seasons shift, delivering unflinching glimpses of damage done to peoples and the planet and regular defeats in her battle with the slugs.
Yet as the New Year returns, carrying a life-changing diagnosis and then a global pandemic, Rebecca begins to move forwards with hope: the smallholding has become her anchor, her teacher and her family's shelter. Because when we find ourselves in an unknown land, we all need something small to hold on to and a way to keep ourselves earthed.
*****
'The "how I moved to a field and had a breakdown book" that desperately needed to be written. Incredibly bold, brave, poetic and absolutely beautiful: a fascinating insight into the mind." - Sophie Heawood, author of The Hungover Games
'So honest, so raw and so vulnerable. This much-needed story of resilience integrates history, myth and folklore, drawing on the histories of the people who have gone before and to whom this land once belonged.' - Dr Pragya Agarwal, author of Sway: Unravelling Unconscious Bias
'A lyrical journey through nature and the human heart. Inspiring.' - Sarah Langford, author of In Your Defence
Friday 27th May
Krys and John
A Walk at 6pm
Join the fabulous Krys O'Brien and John on their first High Street Walk of 2022.We can guarantee fun and laughter all the way, plus a bit of exercise thrown in for good measure, and we will forever change your view of our wonderful High Street. These walks are always fully booked so please book early.Photo credit Bonx Trigwell.
Thursday 16th June
Anne Fletcher
A moving and original account of the effect of Scott's tragic expedition on the men's wives and families, who fame and history have overlooked
Friday 8th July
Catherine Belton
THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
‘An outstanding exposé of Putin and his criminal pals … [A] long-awaited, must read book’ SUNDAY TIMES
‘Books about modern Russia abound … Belton has surpassed them all. Her much-awaited book is the best and most important on modern Russia’ THE TIMES
A chilling and revelatory expose of the KGB’s renaissance, Putin’s rise to power, and how Russian black cash is subverting the world.
In Putin’s People, former Moscow correspondent and investigative journalist Catherine Belton reveals the untold story of how Vladimir Putin and his entourage of KGB men seized power in Russia and built a new league of oligarchs.
Through exclusive interviews with key inside players, Belton tells how Putin’s people conducted their relentless seizure of private companies, took over the economy, siphoned billions, blurred the lines between organised crime and political powers, shut down opponents, and then used their riches and power to extend influence in the West.
In a story that ranges from Moscow to London, Switzerland and Trump’s America, Putin’s People is a gripping and terrifying account of how hopes for the new Russia went astray, with stark consequences for its inhabitants and, increasingly, the world.
‘A fearless, fascinating account … Reads at times like a John le Carré novel … A groundbreaking and meticulously researched anatomy of the Putin regime, Belton’s book shines a light on the pernicious threats Russian money and influence now pose to the west’ Guardian
Thursday 28th July
Nick Eades
Improver: A Pilot's Journey, the first edition of Nick Eades' autobiographical account of his career in aviation, have been written in a way that will appeal to the general readers who might not know much about aviation. Nick Eades is originally from the South coast of England where he grew up close to Shoreham Airport in Sussex in a family with a strong aviation background. He now lives in East Grinstead with his wife Liz, who he met while flying. They have two grown sons, James and Robert. Nick plans to continue writing and is planning his third book, Overtaken by a Butterfly: The Stories Behind Running the World, about his experiences going running whilst travelling around the world during his career as a pilot.
