Events at The Bookshop
The Greatest Intelligence Operation of WWII
Helen Fry at The Bookshop and Sackville College
Thursday 27th February, 7pm
Join us at The Bookshop for a meet and greet drinks reception with British historian, lecturer and biographer, Helen Fry, followed by a talk and Q&A session at Sackville College about her new book, 'The Walls Have Ears'.
Tickets for this event are £10 and available to purchase at The Bookshop. Booking is essential.
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A history of the elaborate and brilliantly sustained World War II intelligence operation by which Hitler s generals were tricked into giving away vital Nazi secrets
At the outbreak of World War Two, MI6 spymaster Thomas Kendrick arrived at the Tower of London to set up a top secret operation: German prisoners' cells were to be bugged and listeners installed behind the walls to record and transcribe their private conversations. This mission proved so effective that it would go on to be set up at three further sites - and provide the Allies with crucial insight into new technology being developed by the Nazis.
In this astonishing history, Helen Fry uncovers the inner workings of the bugging operation. On arrival at stately-homes-turned-prisons like Trent Park, high ranking German Generals and commanders were given a phoney interrogation, then treated as guests, wined and dined at exclusive clubs, and encouraged to talk. And so it was that the Allies got access to some of Hitler's most closely guarded secrets - and from those most entrusted to protect them.
Join us at The Bookshop for a meet and greet drinks reception with Sonia Purnell, followed by a talk and Q&A session at Sackville College about her new book, 'A Woman of No Importance'.
Tickets for this event are £10 and available to purchase at The Bookshop. Booking is essential.
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In 1942, the Gestapo would stop at nothing to track down a mysterious 'limping lady' who was fighting for the freedom of France. The Nazi chiefs issued a simple but urgent command: 'She is the most dangerous of all Allied spies. We must find and destroy her.'
The Gestapo's target was Virginia Hall, a glamorous American with a wooden leg who broke through the barriers against her gender and disability to be the first woman to infiltrate Vichy France for the SOE. In so doing she helped turn the course of the intelligence war.
This is the epic tale of an heiress who determined that a hunting accident would not define her existence; a young woman who gambled her life to fight for the freedoms she believed in; an espionage novice who helped to light the flame of French Resistance.
Based on new and extensive research, Sonia Purnell has for the first time uncovered the full secret life of Virginia Hall, an astounding and inspiring story of heroism, spycraft, resistance and personal triumph over shocking adversity.
Join us at The Bookshop for an evening with Nicola Tallis, who will be giving a talk on her new book 'Uncrowned Queen: The Fateful Life of Margaret Beaufort Tudor Matriach'.
Tickets for this event are £10 and available to purchase at The Bookshop. Booking is essential.
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The first comprehensive biography in three decades of Margaret Beaufort, the mother of the Tudor Dynasty.
During the bloody and uncertain days of the Wars of the Roses, Margaret Beaufort was married to the half brother of the Lancastrian king Henry VI. A year later she endured a traumatic birth that brought her and her son close to death. She was just thirteen years old.
As the battle for royal supremacy raged between the houses of Lancaster and York, Margaret, who was descended from Edward III and thus a critical threat, was forced to give up her son - she would be separated from him for fourteen years. But few could match Margaret for her boundless determination and steely courage. Surrounded by enemies and conspiracies in the Yorkist court, Margaret remained steadfast, only just escaping the headman's axes as she plotted to overthrow Richard III in her efforts to secure her son the throne.
Against all odds, in 1485 Henry Tudor was victorious on the battlefield at Bosworth. Through Margaret's royal blood Henry was crowned Henry VII, King of England, and Margaret became the most powerful woman in England - Queen in all but name.
Nicola Tallis's gripping account of Margaret's life, one that saw the final passing of the Middle Ages, is a true thriller, revealing the life of an extraordinarily ambitious and devoted woman who risked everything to ultimately found the Tudor dynasty.
"Direct, honest and emotionally sensitive
Love & Loss is a candid exploration." - Dr Lisa Dart, writer
Monica will be reading from her book which made her wish she had named it, Love & Gain. Because finding an authentic voice for how love plays out in our lives is in itself a gift, despite the losses. Love is our greatest need and leads to our greatest vulnerability.
"Love is a gift as writing is a gift. A gift which helps me live my life."
She will be joined by friends choosing their own favourite pieces to read. And visitors to the shop are invited to bring a poem and read too.
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Monica Suswin is a published author in the developing field of Writing for Wellbeing. Her background is in humanistic psychotherapy and she has worked as a psychotherapist, a BBC radio producer (on the Woman’s Hour Team) and a journalist. Monica has an MA in Creative Writing (Sussex University), and facilitates Writing for Healing Workshops in her Cabin on the Hill. She has a grown-up daughter, son-in-law and two grandsons and lives in Sussex.
Join us at The Bookshop on Thursday 14th May, at 7pm, for a very special performance of Charlie Markwick's show 'Orienteering: Poetic Insights into Dementia and Loss'. Tickets are £10 and available to purchase at The Bookshop. Booking is essential.
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"I guess we were no different to anyone else.
When my wife Molly was diagnosed with dementia she went into denial and I went into the bomb shelter. For Molly the denial went on for a very long time. Being me I quickly stepped out of the shelter. Life wasn’t easy but it was for living.
By the autumn of 2016, Molly was starting to acknowledge what was happening. At this time the bindweed of dementia had progressed quite far and I was by then cast into the role as carer. What choice did I have? And if this sounds like sour grapes it isn’t. I had no choice I wanted to care for her. I loved her and more than anything else in the world I wanted to make her time left with me, our family and friends a time with real quality. None of us are prepared for this role, none of us know how to face the challenge of dementia, none of us know just how much we can take on and cope with. The courses I was offered were great but they fell far short of what I really needed.
So over the time I was caring for Molly I kept notes, I thought, I wrote. Out of that came this show: “Orienteering“. A show which offers people a chance to roam off the beaten track of conventional dementia training. Hopefully a road map for people who may be feeling there is no hope, people feeling that the way ahead is closed. I am determined to help them see that dementia is not the end, it is the start of something new." - Charlie Markwick
We are delighted to announce that acclaimed novelist and historian, Alison Weir will be returning to The Bookshop on Wednesday 27th May!
Join us for a meet and greet drinks reception with Alison at The Bookshop, followed by a talk and Q&A session at Sackville College about the history behind her new novel, 'Katheryn Howard, The Tainted Queen: Six Tudor Queens 5'.
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A NAIVE YOUNG WOMAN AT THE MERCY OF HER AMBITIOUS FAMILY.
At just nineteen, Katheryn Howard is quick to trust and fall in love.
She comes to court. She sings, she dances. She captures the heart of the King.
Henry declares she is his rose without a thorn. But Katheryn has a past of which he knows nothing. It comes back increasingly to haunt her. For those who share her secrets are waiting in the shadows, whispering words of love... and blackmail.
KATHERYN HOWARD
THE FIFTH OF HENRY'S QUEENS.
HER STORY.
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Tickets are £15 and available to purchase at The Bookshop. Booking is essential. If you have any queries don't hesitate to contact us on 01342 322669 or email us at sarah.bookshop@outlook.com.
A delighful night of warm-hearted acoustic songs from Lemon & Paice followed by Scrabble! Tables of 4 need to be booked please and if poss can one of the table bring a Scrabble board! Entry £4 per head. 30 mins music then Scrabble Ahoy! See you there. Booking is essential.
WWII’s Most Dangerous Spy
Sonia Purnell at The Bookshop and Sackville College
Thursday 12th March, 7pm
Uncrowned Queen
Nicola Tallis at The Bookshop
Thursday 16th April, 7pm
Katheryn Howard: The Tainted Queen
Alison Weir at The Bookshop and Sackville College
Wednesday 27th May, 7pm
Coming Soon 2020
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Poetry and Prose on Love & Loss
with Monica Suswin and Friends
Saturday 25th April
Orienteering
Poetic Insights into Dementia and Loss
Thursday 14th May, 7pm
Saturday 21st March
Laura Carter Book Signing: Rocket the Dachshund
A poor little kitten is in a tight spot! What can our hero do to save the day? A heart warming and hilarious story with an unexpected ending.
Saturday 28th March
Eric Macfarlane Book Signing: The Pleasure of Reading
The Pleasure of Reading reflects on the joys of owning and reading books. It looks at the situations that lead people to become keen readers and the ways in which parents and teachers can encourage children's love of stories. It is critical of traditional methods of studying literature that deter many children from regarding reading as a pleasurable activity. The book also looks at the interests and passions that motivate novelists and the wide range of subjects on which they choose to write, the kind of stories they tell, the themes that they explore and the skill with which they handle their plots, characters and settings. Particular attention is given to the novelist's role as a protester against injustice, persecution and the abuse of power.
Past Events
Book Signings
Summer Songs and Scrabble!
Saturday 6th June, 7pm
