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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260515T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260515T200000
DTSTAMP:20260404T174947Z
CREATED:20260107T163335Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260404T174947Z
UID:10000025-1778871600-1778875200@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Ellie Levenson
DESCRIPTION:New date — this event had to be rescheduled due to Ellie’s train being at an hours long standstill last time. We’re so glad that it’s been possible to find a new date when Ellie will be able to travel up to us again!\n \nWe’re delighted to welcome Ellie Levenson to the Book Tree to discuss her deeply suspenseful and original debut novel! \nRoom 706 is both reflective and pacy with the tension of a very real threat looming over the narrator throughout. Caught somewhere she shouldn’t be when the worst happens — in the wrong place at precisely the worst time — she must face the most confronting situation of her life and discover what matters most. \nBuilt upon a brilliant concept brought to life sensitively\, and led by a deeply layered and very believable main character\, this story is gripping and emotional in equal measure and lingers long after turning the final page. \nThis event will start at the slightly earlier time of 7pm\, and the shop door will be open from 6.30pm with complementary wine and cordial available on arrival. \nTickets are free and guarantee entry to the event. Please contact the shop or use the booking form below to reserve your seats. \nWe look forward to seeing you there! \n  \nAbout the Book\nA tense\, riveting read about the unpredictable ripple effects luck and choices can have — Tracy Sierra \nA love story wrapped in a grenade — Cecelia Ahern \nIf she knew it would end this way\, would it ever have begun?\nWhen mother of two Kate goes to meet her lover James in a hotel room\, she watches in horror when she switches on the TV and realises their hotel has been taken under terrorist siege. Told to stay silent and hidden\, Kate is trapped in a room with a man she’s been having an affair with for years – her escape hatch\, her release valve – but who she doesn’t really know at all. \nIn one room\, with the possibility of death looming\, Kate is left to contemplate what has led her here. She reflects on the grief and heartbreak of her young life\, the complexities of her relationship with her husband\, Vic\, and the pure\, unadulterated love she feels for her children. Intricately weaving Kate’s past in with her present\, Room 706 follows one woman taking stock of her life\, and considering what life might hold in store – if she makes it home. \nI devoured it… I haven’t stopped thinking about it — Jennie Godfrey \nA suspenseful real-time page-turner with an ending that demands to be talked about — Erin Kelly \n  \nAbout the Author\nEllie Levenson has worked as a journalist\, writer and lecturer for many years. \nHer freelance work as a feature writer and columnist saw articles published across national newspapers\, consumer magazines and specialist publications\, with a special focus on writing accessibly about politics\, language and social issues. \nEllie has extensive experience as a lecturer in journalism at Goldsmiths College\, University of London\, and has been a guest lecturer at many other institutions. She has also worked as an Adjunct Professor at the London programmes of Boston University and Syracuse University. \nBefore becoming a novelist\, Ellie wrote non-fiction books for adults and non-fiction and picture books for children. These include Politics in 100 words (Quarto\, 2020)\, Creativity and Feature Writing: How to get hundreds of new ideas every day (Routledge\, 2015)\, The Election (Fisherton Press\, 2015) and The Noughtie Girl’s Guide to Feminism (Oneworld\, 2009).
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/ellie-levenson/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Book Club Fiction,Debut,Fiction,In Conversation With,Meet the Author
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260416T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260416T210000
DTSTAMP:20260312T180743Z
CREATED:20260301T205549Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260312T180743Z
UID:10000033-1776367800-1776373200@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Kate Gray
DESCRIPTION:We can’t wait to chat with Kate about her gripping new summer thriller\, where family drama and dark secrets collide in a sun-drenched Italian villa to set in motion a mystery which kept us guessing right up to the end! \nC.M. Ewan recommends Welcome to the Family as “the perfect destination thriller” which combines “a messed up family with devastating secrets and a twisting murder mystery” to create “a stunning summer page-turner”. \nIn this character driven crime novel\, an alternating viewpoint casts doubt on the motivations of others to weave complicated family loyalties\, lies and betrayal into a quickly developing mystery where we could never be sure who to trust. That’s all we’ll say for now\, so that you can find out for yourself spoiler free! \nThis event will start at 7.30pm and the shop door will be open from 7pm with complementary wine and cordial available on arrival. \nTickets are free and guarantee entry to the event. Please contact the shop or use the booking form below to reserve your seats. \n  \nAbout the Book\nSimmering tension turns deadly in this twisty and addictive summer mystery – a cracking family thriller — T.M. Logan \n  \nHoliday with your in-laws can be murder . . .\nRosie Riley is nervously excited about meeting the Fraser family. She’s head-over-heels for her boyfriend Theo and she hopes that spending a fortnight with the Frasers at their luxury Tuscan villa is a good sign of where their relationship is headed. \nFenna Fraser has been part of the family for years. She’s always enjoyed the glam annual holiday\, but this year she’s especially tired with a new baby in tow and she fears her mother-in-law will be more critical than ever. No one is good enough for her sons. \nIt starts as the perfect family holiday.\nIt ends with one of these women arrested for murder.\nWho is guilty? Who is the victim? And did they deserve it? \nA red hot thriller which simply demands to be read by a pool… I didn’t know who to believe; lies\, betrayal and buried secrets ensured I read Welcome to the Family in one weekend — Jo Murray \n  \nAbout the Author\nKate Gray is the author of page-turning summer thrillers. She loves writing about terrifying situations that anyone could find themselves in. If these happen to take place in exotic locations then that’s even better! \nAs well as her twisty\, suspense thrillers\, she also writes feel-good uplifting fiction as Katy Colins. \nKate lives in North Yorkshire with her husband\, two young children and two rescue cats. She also runs creative writing workshops and mentors aspiring authors. \nBefore becoming a full-time author\, Kate worked in public relations and was a freelance journalist. Her work has been featured in Stylist\, Marie Claire\, and national newspapers. Her debut psychological thriller The Honeymoon published to critical acclaim in 2023 and was followed by The Summer Party in 2024. Welcome to the Family is Kate’s third book in this genre\, and will be published by Headline in April 2026.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/kate-gray/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Fiction,In Conversation With,Launch Event,Meet the Author,Mystery,Psychological Thriller
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260331T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260331T210000
DTSTAMP:20260324T170408Z
CREATED:20260218T173121Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260324T170408Z
UID:10000031-1774985400-1774990800@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Ava Glass
DESCRIPTION:We are delighted to welcome brilliant spy fiction author Ava Glass to Pickering to discuss her new page-turner\, which is published in March! \nInspired by her time working with spies and later as a crime reporter in the US\, Ava’s fiction is laced with tension and is addictively entertaining. The Hiding Season features a compelling main character who’s easy to root for from the beginning as she tries to build a new life for herself after her old one falls apart\, through to her unwitting discovery of something she wasn’t meant to see\, and the ensuing cat and mouse chase to survive. The fast-paced story is packed with plenty of action and suspense — all of which kept us hooked until the final page! \nOne of the vanishingly few female authors writing spy fiction\, Ava Glass is breaking down the door to the most male-dominated genre. We can’t wait to chat with her about The Hiding Season (spoiler free!)\, the art of writing gripping espionage and crime thrillers\, and balancing real world inspiration with the perfect fictional spy story. \nFor a taste of what to expect\, there’s a great article in The Yorkshire Times here: https://yorkshiretimes.co.uk/article/The-Spy-WHO-Nodded-At-Me \nThe event will start at 7.30pm and the shop door will be open from 7pm with complementary wine and cordial available on arrival. \nTickets are free and guarantee entry to the event. Please contact the shop or use the booking form below to reserve your seats. \nWe look forward to seeing you there! \n  \nAbout the Book\nA twisting cat and mouse chase from the mountains of Montana to the heart of Texas that warns the reader\, be careful who you trust! — Ruth Ware \nIn this gripping\, atmospheric thriller\, a woman becomes the only witness to a deadly crime . . . making her the next target.\nMaya Landry is in desperate need of a fresh start. \nAlone and heartbroken\, she finds work as a caretaker at an exclusive ski resort for the elite in the mountains of Montana. Quiet and empty in the summer months\, it’s the perfect escape. \nAll Maya wants is to be alone. But she’s not alone on the mountain. Someone else is there. A killer with his next victim in his sights. \nAfter Maya finds a body\, she must run for her life. One man tells her that he can save her. But can she trust him? Is he everything he claims to be? \nOnly one thing is certain: the killer will stop at nothing. And Maya is the only witness to their crime . . . \nA stunningly paced and artfully rendered thriller\, The Hiding Season gripped me from the first word and kept me up late into the night. Riveting — Megan Davis \n  \nAbout the Author\nDubbed ‘The new queen of spy fiction’ by the Guardian newspaper\, ‘the real thing’ by the Washington Post and ‘A worthy heir to the James Bond mantle’ by James Patterson\, A.C. ‘Ava’ Glass is the CWA Dagger-shortlisted author of the popular Emma Makepeace series (which included The Chase\, The Trap\, and The Traitor. Her critically acclaimed 2023 thriller The Traitor was a Grazia Book of the Month\, a Washington Post Book of the Year\, a Cosmopolitan Book of the Year\, and a Richard and Judy Bookclub pick. \nAva Glass’ novels are based on first-hand experience working with spies for the British government alongside several years working as an investigative journalist and crime reporter in the US. Her time in that world fascinated her\, and the people she met back then inspire every book she writes.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/ava-glass/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Fiction,In Conversation With,Meet the Author,Spy Fiction,Thriller
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260313T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260313T210000
DTSTAMP:20260312T191953Z
CREATED:20260125T200945Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260312T191953Z
UID:10000028-1773430200-1773435600@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Gay Marris
DESCRIPTION:We are excited to welcome Gay Marris back to the Book Tree for what is sure to be a fascinating evening! \nMany of you will remember her previous event in 2024 when she enthralled us with her debut novel A Curtain Twitcher’s Book of Murder — a deliciously dark and gripping crime novel in short stories about a series of murders on Atbara Avenue\, the very picture of a quiet suburban street. \nThe Beasts of the Black Loch\, the first book in the new A Natural History of Murder series\, is published on 12th March. We can’t wait to chat with Gay about her brilliant combination of science and cosy crime\, the clues which can be found in nature\, her writing process and more at this in conversation event. \nThe novel is gorgeously atmospheric\, steeped in its wild Highlands setting with wonderful descriptions of the flora and fauna from the perspective of the very knowledgeable Dr Ava Dickens\, whose point of view is a delight to read. There’s an eclectic cast of characters — isolated together and each raising suspicion in one way or another — combined with a hint of local folklore\, a crumbling estate turned hotel setting\, and a satisfying mystery which kept us guessing. The story reads like a classic whodunit for Agatha Christy fans\, with a scientific twist as Ava uses her knowledge of the natural world to find a killer wreaking havoc in an otherwise peaceful place ruled by nature. \nThis event will start at 7.30pm and the shop door will be open from 7pm with complementary wine and cordial available on arrival. \nTickets are free and guarantee entry to the event. Please contact the shop or use the booking form below to reserve your seats. \nWe look forward to seeing you there! \n  \nAbout the Book\nIn 50\,000 acres of remote Scottish mountains and moor sits Dorcha Hall: a former hunting lodge nestling amongst ancient forests\, on the shores of the enigmatic ‘Black Loch’. At night\, lights glow from within\, smoke curls from its chimneys\, and in the forgiving murk of the gloaming\, it looks magical. In daylight\, its mouldering plasterwork and failing plumbing present a less romantic reality. \nDr Ava Dickens has come to Dorcha to visit her godson\, Alastair – a young man whose parents’ sudden death has taken him from a quiet life in academia to owning Loch Dorcha. He and his very new wife are convinced the only way to make the estate work is to run the Hall as a hotel. But Ava is a rigorous scientist\, her specialty animal behaviour\, and she is by no means certain that the evidence is indicative of a successful outcome. \nWhen one of the hotel guests is found dead in his bed\, having gulped down poisonous insect repellant rather than the whisky sitting next to it\, Ava’s knowledge of the female Culicoides impunctatus – aka the Highland midge – leads her to doubt that it was an accident. And worse is to come… \n  \nAbout the Author\nDr Gay Marris is a retired research scientist whose career focussed on insect ecology\, parasites and honey bee health. Her first novel\, A Curtain Twitcher’s Book of Murder\, is set in the deceptively dangerous suburbs of 1960s London\, where she grew up. \nFrom a young age Gay had a profound curiosity about nature. Many formative hours were spent in the company of tadpoles\, caterpillars\, and other wildlife gathered on garden safaris. Time well spent. She went on to study at Dundee University\, was awarded a degree in Zoology and\, later\, a doctorate. \nPerhaps because she spent so much of her professional life observing tiny interactions between tiny creatures\, her fictional work explores the minutiae of human conduct: what makes us tick.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/gay-marris/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Cosy Crime,Fiction,In Conversation With,Meet the Author,Mystery
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251229T170000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251229T180000
DTSTAMP:20251212T143706Z
CREATED:20251212T061404Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251212T143706Z
UID:10000024-1767027600-1767031200@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Toby Virgo & Carter the Cabman
DESCRIPTION:‘Tis the Dark Time of the Year…\nbut don’t worry\, Jeremiah Carter is here 🎩 \nWe’re delighted to welcome Toby Virgo and Carter the Cabman back for a special seasonal event in the Book Tree. \nHear extracts from the new Carter the Cabman story\, The Dead Who Bury Us\, and enjoy a warming mulled wine while you soak up the atmosphere. Toby will also share tales and anecdotes from Victorian London’s strange obsession with Death\, gleaned from his extensive research of the period. \nThe Dead Who Bury Us is the third in the series of beautifully produced pamphlets set in the world and life of Carter the Cabman. Like the full length novel they accompany\, each short story is complete with stunning illustrations together with immersive narration rich with historical detail evoking the streets of Victorian London and the realities of life for people of the time. \n  \nAbout the Book\nRead about the story below\, and watch the trailer on YouTube (here’s the link) for a taste of what to expect… \nThe Dead Who Bury Us is set on All Hallows’ Eve\, 1888 and follows hansom cab driver Jeremiah Carter as he works the rain-lashed streets of Victorian London on the night when the veil between the living and the dead is said to be at its thinnest. \nVisiting a small churchyard in the dead of night\, Carter quickly discovers he is not alone. But in a world when men and women will stoop to almost any depths to survive another day in the Abyss\, justice can be served in the strangest of ways. \n  \nEvent Details\nThis event will start at 5pm\, and the shop door will be open from 4.30 (we’ll close as usual at 4pm to set up). \nTickets are free and guarantee entry to the event. There’ll be complementary mulled wine on arrival. \nWe look forward to seeing you there!
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/toby-virgo/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Fiction,Historical Fiction,Meet the Author
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251205T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251205T210000
DTSTAMP:20251104T144820Z
CREATED:20251104T144820Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251104T144820Z
UID:10000019-1764963000-1764968400@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Amanda Huggins
DESCRIPTION:Join us for an evening of storytelling and romance as we chat to award-winning author\, Amanda Huggins about her new novella\, The Blue of You. \nThe perfect read in the run-up to Christmas\, The Blue of You captures the experiences of small town youth and the conflicted feelings that wait for those who choose to return. Set against the backdrop of our very recognisable north-east coastline\, Amanda’s novella is a bitter-sweet and relatable story of one woman’s grief\, her loves and the place she calls home. \n  \nAbout the Book\nEvery Christmas Eve\, Janey Shaw is reminded of the tragic death of her schoolfriend\, Alice\, and the untidy ending of her relationship with Rory Brook\, her first love. When Janey leaves London to return to her hometown on the North East Coast of England\, the ghosts of her unresolved past lie in wait. \nThere\, Janey meets a coble fisherman\, Tom Inglewood\, and admires his ambitions to preserve the traditional way of life in their community and to stop second home owners from painting over the town’s heritage. Can she start to build a new life and finally paint over her own past? Or will she have to confront her ghosts as Christmas draws closer? \n  \nAbout the Author\nAmanda Huggins is the author of the award-winning novellas All Our Squandered Beauty and Crossing the Lines\, as well as seven collections of short stories and poetry. Her latest novella\, The Blue of You\, was released by Northodox Press in October.  Amongst others\, her work has also been published by Harper’s Bazaar\, Mslexia\, The Telegraph and the Guardian. Three of her short stories have been broadcast on BBC radio. \nShe has won numerous awards\, including three Saboteur Awards for fiction and poetry\, the Colm Toibin International Short Story Award\, the H E Bates Short Story Prize and the BGTW New Travel Writer of the Year. \nAmanda grew up on the North Yorkshire coast and has strong family connections to the North York Moors area. She now lives near Leeds where she works as a freelance editor.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/amanda-huggins/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Fiction,In Conversation With,Literary Fiction,Meet the Author
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251110T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251110T220000
DTSTAMP:20250921T223207Z
CREATED:20250921T212741Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250921T223207Z
UID:10000017-1762803000-1762812000@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Booker Prize Party
DESCRIPTION:Join us for our second Booker Prize Party! The longlist has been out for a few weeks now and there has already been plenty of chatter in Pickering Book Tree about this year’s choices. It’s a fascinating list of stories that represent the vast array of fates and fortunes that fall upon us humans. From a reinvented great American roadtrip through to a dark English satire that takes no prisoners and onto a richly narrated coming-of-age story set in Malaysia\, the 2025 ‘Booker Dozen’ is reader’s playground! \nThe shortlist will be announced on Tuesday September 23rd\, after which we’ll feature one shortlisted book each week until the prize announcement on Monday 10th November. We’d love to know what you think about the books too\, so feel free to add your comments on our Facebook and Instagram posts! You can also chat with us in the shop about the excellent books on the longlist. \nThis year’s Booker Prize Party will be held on the evening of the winner announcement in our beautiful\, beamed event space. There will be plenty of time to browse the shelves while socialising with likeminded readers and the Book Tree team. What better way to spend an evening than with good friends\, good books and a glass of wine? \nFor those up for staying a little later\, we’ll livestream the winner announcement from the Booker Prize ceremony in London. We expect that this will air at around 10pm (to be confirmed).
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/booker-party-2025/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Bookish Socialising,Fiction,Literary Fiction,Prize Shortlist Celebration
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251106T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251106T210000
DTSTAMP:20250921T175450Z
CREATED:20250921T175450Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250921T175450Z
UID:10000016-1762457400-1762462800@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Isabelle Broom in conversation with Kate Gray
DESCRIPTION:We are thrilled to welcome Isabelle Broom to Pickering Book Tree to celebrate the publication of her latest novel The French Guesthouse\, on the day of its release! \nIsabelle’s story is a joy to read with an unforgettable cast of characters\, all of whom contrive to bring their fears and strengths together after years of uncertainty and distrust to create a new\, positive future. \nAcclaimed author Kate Gray will be in conversation with Isabelle to discuss the book and her writing\, and Isabelle will read an extract from the story to complement the discussion. There will also be time for audience questions and a chance to have copies of both author’s books signed. \nIsabelle and Kate will bring a hint of warmer\, sun-drenched climes to brighten an autumnal Yorkshire evening. If you love heartwarming\, intelligently written romance stories then this event is for you. \nThis event is free to attend\, but booking is essential. The shop door will be open from 7pm\, and complementary drinks will be available before the event starts. We hope to see you there! \n  \nAbout the Book\nSometimes the only way to move forward and rebuild your life is to turn and face the dreaded past you have long tried to hide from. When Fliss loses everything – her beloved hotel ravaged by fire and fiancé exposed as a cheat – she receives further devastating news: her estranged mother has died. A problematic relationship indeed\, they had not spoken in over a decade\, Fliss preferring to stay away for the sake of her own sanity. \nSummoned to a dilapidated guesthouse in France for the reading of the will\, Fliss is stunned to discover she has been left all her mother’s possessions. The inheritance\, however\, comes at a price – both literal and emotional. Sharing the house is Etienne\, her mother’s grief-stricken\, wine-soaked partner\, and his enigmatic nephew\, Benoit. \nAs Fliss begins restoring the guesthouse\, she unearths long-buried secrets about her mother\, their past and the true cost of her long absence. But in order to move forward\, cure her guilt and claim the love and happiness she’s never thought she deserves\, Fliss must first tussle with the hardest question of all: is she capable of forgiveness? \n  \nAbout the Authors\nIsabelle Broom was born in Cambridge nine days before the 1980s began and studied Media Arts and Journalism at university in London before a 15-year stint at Heat magazine\, where she became the Book Reviews Editor. She’s now a freelance reviewer and editor alongside working as an author. The French Guesthouse is her twelfth novel. \nKate Gray is the author of eight novels published internationally. The Honeymoon was her debut psychological thriller\, which was followed by The Summer Party. She also writes uplifting fiction using the pseudonym Katy Colins. Before becoming a full-time author\, Kate worked in public relations and was a freelance journalist.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/the-french-guesthouse/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Fiction,Guest Interviewer,In Conversation With,Meet the Author,Romance
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Isabelle-Broom-and-Kate-Gray-in-conversation.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250825T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250825T210000
DTSTAMP:20250831T193328Z
CREATED:20250630T114752Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250831T193328Z
UID:10000013-1756150200-1756155600@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Elizabeth O’Connor
DESCRIPTION:We’re delighted that Elizabeth O’Connor will be able to visit us during her short tour\, after appearing at Edinburgh Book Festival. \nWhale Fall swept us away when we read it last year in hardback\, and we’re excited to discuss it with Elizabeth at this event! Set against the backdrop of a world on the edge of great tumult\, this haunting story follows Manod\, a young woman who dreams of leaving her remote island home off the coast of Wales. This is a quietly powerful novel\, with every page steeped in the wild landscape\, rural community and depth of meaning — we were transported into Manod’s world and felt her longing amidst a time of rapid change and an island that remained distinctly removed from the mainland. \nWhale Fall was selected as an Observer Best Debut of the Year in 2024\, who said: O’Connor’s beautifully evocative debut explores the liminal spaces between aspiration and disappointment\, adolescence and adulthood\, land and sea . . . a highly impressive coming-of-age tale. It was also chosen as a BBC Between the Covers Book Club Pick and was shortlisted for the 2025 Betty Trask Award. \nThe event will be held in the Book Tree’s atmospheric upstairs event space. We’ll be in conversation with Elizabeth about her work\, then open the floor to audience questions towards the end of the evening and there will also be an opportunity for book signings. \nComplementary wine and cordial will be available after the door opens at 7pm and during the interval. The event will start at 7.30 pm. \n  \nAbout the Book\nI didn’t want it to end — Maggie O’Farrell \nPowerful . . . written with a calm\, luminous precision — Colm Tóibín \nA beautifully nuanced\, beguiling first novel\, which leaves room for hope. O’Connor has a promising career ahead — The Times \nElizabeth O’Connor’s beautiful\, devastating debut Whale Fall tells a story of longing and betrayal set against the backdrop of a world on the edge of great tumult.\nIt is 1938 and on an island off the coast of Wales\, Manod is trying to imagine her future. Her choices are stark: she must either stay and look after her father’s house\, in the wild landscape that drove her mother to madness\, or marry and leave. And so\, when two English anthropologists arrive on the island\, Manod senses the possibility of a thrilling new life. But\, as she becomes entangled in their work\, and their strange relationship\, the outside world she had yearned for appears a much darker place than she could ever have imagined. \nThe quiet cadences of Whale Fall contain a deep melody of loss held and let go. It is a gentle\, tough story about profound change — Anne Enright \nEvocative and haunting . . . written with a care and restraint that is rare in a debut novel. It teems with visceral imagery — Jude Cook\, The Guardian \nAn excellent debut . . . Brief but complete\, the book is an example of precisely observed writing that makes a character’s specific existence glimmer with verisimilitude — Maggie Shipstead\, New York Times \n  \nAbout the Author\n\nElizabeth O’Connor lives in Birmingham. Her short stories have appeared in The White Review and Granta\, and she was the winner of The White Review Short Story Prize in 2020. She has a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Birmingham\, on the modernist writer H.D. and her writing of coastal landscapes. Whale Fall is her first novel.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/elizabeth-oconnor/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Fiction,Historical Fiction,In Conversation With,Literary Fiction,Meet the Author
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250710T153000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250710T170000
DTSTAMP:20250913T162221Z
CREATED:20250604T201125Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250913T162221Z
UID:10000011-1752161400-1752166800@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Dawn Treacher
DESCRIPTION:Join us for a cosy afternoon tea\, where we’ll meet North Yorkshire author Dawn Treacher to hear about her new novel\, The Ninth Life of Norris. Blending cosy crime with fantastical elements and a cat inspired story of redemption\, this the perfect book to read with a cup of tea or with your book club friends! We’re delighted to bring Dawn and her book to you with a very special afternoon tea event at The Black Swan\, Pickering. \n  \nAbout the Book\nNorris has been here before. He knows he’s lived eight other lives and what’s more\, he can remember them all. He’s not proud of them\, especially not the one when he left his pal\, Jimmy Morgan\, at the mercy of German soldiers in the second world war. \nThe discovery that he’s been reincarnated as a cat isn’t going to help his resolution to make amends to his old friend when he finds himself\, by a strange quirk of fate\, adopted from an animal rescue centre by Jimmy Morgan’s grand-daughter. \nOnce settled into Jimmy’s home\, Norris realises that all is not well in the old man’s life and he’s got himself involved in criminal activity at the behest of his late wife’s family who are blackmailing Jimmy because they know he’s in debt. \nWhen Norris discovers all this\, he knows the only way he can apologise to Jimmy for letting him down in the past\, is to try to help him in the present. But how exactly can he do this when he’s a cat and when Jimmy’s small time criminal activities place his grand-daughter\, Stella\, in danger? \n  \nAbout the Author\nDawn Treacher is a North Yorkshire author and illustrator who writes both adult and children’s fiction. She has a particular love of writing mysteries\, a theme which runs across all her books. \nDawn writes cosy crime novels for her adult readers. Her series of the green Fingered Sleuth Mysteries include The Seeds Of Murder and A Deadly Plot\, inspired by her love of gardening. Her new novel\, The Ninth Life of Norris\, is cosy crime with a magical realism twist\, inspired by her love of cats. \n  \nFind Out More\nVisit Dawn’s website \nFollow Dawn on Instagram
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/dawn-treacher/
LOCATION:The Black Swan\, 18 Birdgate\, Pickering\, YO18 7AL
CATEGORIES:Afternoon Tea,Cosy Crime,Fiction,Food and Drink,Meet the Author
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ORGANIZER;CN="Pickering Book Tree":MAILTO:shop@pickeringbooktree.co.uk
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250626T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250626T210000
DTSTAMP:20250831T193413Z
CREATED:20250522T190054Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250831T193413Z
UID:10000010-1750966200-1750971600@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Kerry Andrew
DESCRIPTION:Join us in conversation with Kerry Andrew about their evocative\, mysterious and beautiful third novel\, We Are Together Because. \nDescribed by Robert Macfarlane as “a writer and musician of frankly alarming talent”\, Kerry’s work is often experimental and steeped in folkloric influence\, exploring themes of community\, landscape and myth. \nTheir work as an author\, composer and musician is highly acclaimed and award winning. Sarah Waters\, author of The Paying Guests\, praised We Are Together Because saying “Andrew makes fine writing look effortless. This rich\, mysterious novel glows with intelligence\, poetry and heart. I loved it”.\nWe’re excited to welcome the incredibly talented Kerry Andrew to the Book Tree to discuss their latest book\, which was recently released in paperback\, and their wider work as an author and musician. We Are Together Because was a Marie Claire Best Book of 2024\, who said of the novel Andrew spins an elegantly unsettling web from the start. With echoes of Leave the World Behind…Andrew’s tale takes on a vivid\, haunting life of its own. \nThe evening will be held in the Book Tree’s atmospheric upstairs performance space. Complementary wine and cordial will be available before the event and during the interval. \nThe bookshop door will be open from 7pm and the event will start at 7.30pm. There will be opportunity for audience questions and for Kerry to sign books towards the end of the evening. \n  \nAbout the Book\nAn unsettling\, moving and haunting novel which deftly questions what happens when layers of the self\, and society and certainty begin to melt away — Andrew McMillan\, author of Pity \nLuke\, Connor\, Thea and Violet spend their first holiday together alone in their father’s house in the south of France. The boys don’t really know him\, and they don’t really know their half-sisters\, either. Luke\, the most easy going of the four\, is keen to bring a new shape to their overlapping\, unconventional family; Connor and Thea\, born just six months apart but a world of difference between them\, are struggling to hide their attraction to each other; Violet\, the youngest\, is trying to figure some things out about herself\, and trying desperately to forget others. \nSex in all its multiple forms is on the minds of the siblings during the hot\, lethargic summer days spent next to the pool\, but the land around them is starting to respond to something inexplicable and eerie. Animals begin to act strangely. There is a buzzing sound that only Connor can hear\, and when Violet one night sees a plane light abruptly disappear in the sky\, it signals the beginning of something that threatens so much more than their turbulent holiday. \nWith considerable power and unfolding revelation\, We Are Together Because starts as a sensual summer drama and very quickly becomes about our own survival\, asking us what is truly important in life\, and how far we’ve strayed from our place in a more fluid\, vibrant\, natural world. \nAndrew is one of our most exceptional polymaths… We Are Together Because is a sensitive and nuanced portrayal of contemporary family dynamics…that transforms into a deeply moving and thoroughly original evocation of the end times — The New European \n  \nAbout the Author\nKerry Andrew is a UK-based writer\, composer and performer\, and the author of three literary novels\, Swansong\, SKIN and We Are Together Because. They won the Edinburgh Short Story Award in 2024 and have been twice shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award. \nWith a PhD in composition from the University of York and four British Composer Awards\, Kerry specialises in experimental vocal and choral music\, music-theatre and community music\, creates alt-folk as You Are Wolf and co-founded the award-winning Juice Vocal Ensemble. \n  \nFind Out More\nRead Kerry’s full bio online here and explore some of their work via this page \nFollow Kerry on Instagram or Facebook \nFind You Are Wolf on Bandcamp and on Facebook
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/kerry-andrew/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Fiction,In Conversation With,Live Music,Meet the Author
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Kerry-Andrew.webp
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250612T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250612T210000
DTSTAMP:20250913T162231Z
CREATED:20250517T154532Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250913T162231Z
UID:10000007-1749756600-1749762000@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Jonathan Hall
DESCRIPTION:Join us in conversation with cosy mystery author and playwright\, Jonathan Hall. \nThe fourth book in his popular Thirsk based crime series was published earlier this year\, and is described by SJ Bennett (author of The Windsor Knot) as “Warm characters and wonderful writing… It’s steeped in Yorkshire like a mug of hot\, strong tea… I loved it.” \nJonathan’s award winning plays have been performed at the Edinburgh Fringe\, the Bush Theatre\, and as a long-running series on BBC Radio 4.\nWe’re delighted to welcome Jonathan Hall to Pickering Book Tree for an evening chatting about his Thirsk Garden Centre Mysteries series. With echoes of Richard Osman and Agatha Christie’s Marple\, these novels are a must read for fans of the humorous characters and page-turning plots of the cosy crime genre. \nThe event will be held in the Book Tree’s atmospheric upstairs event space. We’ll be in conversation with Jonathan about his work\, then open the floor to audience questions towards the end of the evening. Jonathan will sign copies of his books\, which will be on a series bundle offer in the shop before the event and on the night. \nComplementary wine and cordial will be available after the door opens at 7pm and during the interval. The event will start at 7.30 pm. \n  \nAbout the Books\nThe ingredients for the perfect modern cosy crime: intrigue\, characters you care about and a good dollop of humour — Ian Moore\, author of Death and Croissants \nThe Thirsk Garden Centre Mysteries is a series of cosy crime novels full of charm and intrigue. Each book focuses on a different case solved by the charming retired teacher trio of Liz\, Thelma and Pat. There are four books in the series\, all of which are published by Harper Collins: \nA Spoonful of Murder (2022) \nA Pen Dipped in Poison (2023) \nA Clock Stopped Dead (2024) \nA Brush with Death (2025) \nAs delightful as it is deadly\, A Pen Dipped in Poison is a feel-good\, fun and fabulous cosy mystery that had me utterly gripped from page one. J.M. Hall proves once again he’s one of our very best cosy mystery writers. I absolutely loved it — Jonathan Whitelaw\, author of The Bingo Hall Detectives \nCover blurb for first in the series\, A Spoonful of Murder:\nIntroducing the three unlikeliest sleuths you’ll ever meet… Every Thursday\, three retired schoolteachers have their ‘coffee o’clock’ sessions at the Thirsk Garden Centre café. But one fateful week\, as they are catching up with a slice of cake\, they bump into their ex-colleague\, Topsy. By the next Thursday\, Topsy’s dead. \nThe last thing Liz\, Thelma and Pat imagined was that they would become involved in a murder. But they know there’s more to Topsy’s death than meets the eye – and it’s down to them to prove it… \nSit down with a cup of tea and this perfectly witty\, page-turning cosy crime novel. Fans of Agatha Christie\, Death in Paradise and Midsomer Murders will be hooked from the very first page. \nJ.M. Hall has mastered the warmth of a perfect modern cosy crime with all the twists and turns that go with it — Hannah Hendy\, author of The Dinner Lady Detectives \n  \nAbout the Author\n\nJonathan Hall has recently given up a ‘day job’ in education to focus solely on writing. He is a successful playwright\, with his work staged at the Bush Theatre and Edinburgh Fringe\, where he won two prestigious Fringe First awards. His award winning radio play Trust\, starring Julie Hesmondhalgh\, airs on Radio 4 and is now into its sixth series. \nJonathan’s first novel\, A Spoonful of Murder\, introduced the world to the unlikely crime-solving trio of retired teachers\, Pat\, Liz and Thelma. The fourth novel in the series\, A Brush with Death\, was published in March this year. Currently he is working on a gothic thriller/whodunit set in Cornwall.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/jonathan-hall/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Cosy Crime,Fiction,In Conversation With,Meet the Author
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Jonathan-Hall.webp
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250529T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250529T210000
DTSTAMP:20250831T193423Z
CREATED:20250502T155723Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250831T193423Z
UID:10000006-1748547000-1748552400@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Naomi Kelsey
DESCRIPTION:Join us in conversation with Naomi Kelsey about her gripping new historical fiction novel\, The Darkening Globe\, a page-turning psychological mystery set in Elizabethan England.\nWe’re excited to welcome Naomi Kelsey back to the Book Tree to discuss her atmospheric and pacy historical fiction novel\, The Darkening Globe! \nThose who joined us the last time Naomi visited the Book Tree in 2023\, or read The Burnings\, will know what a great storyteller she is. Her books are infused with historical detail and pack a page-tuning punch. Part Gothic mystery\, part ghostly thriller\, The Darkening Globe is no exception. \nThe shop door will be open from 7pm and the event will start at 7.30pm in our atmospheric upstairs event space. We’ll chat with Naomi about the book (spoiler free!)\, her writing\, research and inspiration. There’ll also be a chance to ask your questions and Naomi will sign copies of the book at the end of the evening. \nTickets are free\, but please book places by filling out the form at the end of this page\, or by contacting us in the shop. We hope to see you there! \n  \nAbout the Book\nAn Elizabethan psychological thriller – who could ask for more? Confident\, vividly imagined\, infused with historical detail and riven by dramatic tension\, Naomi Kelsey’s The Darkening Globe will make your head spin – and keep you turning the pages late into the night — Annie Garthwaite\, author of Cecily \nEach time the globe turns\, murder strikes… \n1597\, London. When Beatrice’s husband returns from exploring the New World\, he comes home with unexpected company: a mysterious woman\, and an enormous painted globe. \nAs Hugh refuses to explain who their female guest is\, Beatrice’s foreboding grows. The unwieldy globe now strikes her as sinister – a reminder of the world of secrets pervading her household. \nThen one night\, the great\, hulking globe begins to turn of its own accord. Terrifying new illustrations appear on its face – and when untimely deaths ensue\, Beatrice is convinced that the drawings are connected. \nDesperate to prove that she is not paranoid\, Beatrice risks everything to uncover the truth. What sinister force is behind these killings? What really happened on Hugh’s excursion to the Americas? Who is the strange woman who won’t leave her house? And on this otherworldly map of murders\, who will be painted as the final victim? \nDeliciously gothic and twisty\, Naomi Kelsey has crafted a deeply haunted mystery novel that I found impossible to put down. The Darkening Globe is filled with chilling and beguiling prose\, and right at the centre\, an atmospheric and stirring mystery keeps the ghostly pages turning — Lucy Rose\, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Lamb \n  \nAbout the Author\nNaomi Kelsey is the winner of two Northern Writers’ Awards and of the HWA Dorothy Dunnett Competition in 2021. Her fiction has been published in Mslexia magazine and shortlisted for several further awards including the Bridport Prize and the Bristol Prize. \nHer first novel The Burnings\, which tells a gripping story set amidst the North Berwick witch trials\, was first published in June 2023. \nNaomi’s second novel\, set in Elizabethan England\, was published in April 2025 by HarperNorth.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/naomi-kelsey/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Fiction,Historical Fiction,In Conversation With,Meet the Author
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/at-Pickering-Book-Tree.png
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250513T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250513T220000
DTSTAMP:20250831T193428Z
CREATED:20250226T181808Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250831T193428Z
UID:10000004-1747162800-1747173600@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Climate Fiction Prize Evening
DESCRIPTION:Join us for a relaxed evening to discuss\, share and celebrate the inaugural Climate Fiction Prize. Expect bookish chat and bookshop browsing\, with offers on the longlisted books. Share your favourites from this year’s longlist and the wider climate fiction genre\, and maybe pick up a read recommended to you on the night!\n  \nThe inaugural Climate Fiction Prize is taking place this year\, and we’re celebrating the first longlist by highlighting the books and hosting an evening event in the Book Tree! \nThis informal event will be on the day before the winner is announced by the Climate Fiction Prize at a ceremony on Wednesday 14th May. Sign up below to chat about the longlisted and shortlisted books over a drink or two in the cosy atmosphere of the bookshop. \nThe Climate Fiction Prize\nThe nine longlisted novels span a fantastic range of new writing in the climate fiction space\, across a variety of styles and genres\, from both debut and established authors. It’s an incredible list\, and we can’t wait to discuss the books with everyone who explores and reads them! \nYou can read more about the Climate Fiction Prize on their website\, and about each of the five shortlisted books on their page about this year’s prize. The full longlist of nine books and their authors are featured on their website here. \nAll nine longlisted books are 10% off in the shop from now until the winner is announced\, or 20% off if purchasing two or more. We also hope to organise a book swap system for those attending the event if there’s enough interest for this to work. \nThe Bookshop Event\nNo matter if you’ve read all nine longlisted titles\, started one of the shortlisted books\, or haven’t picked up any of them yet\, this event welcomes everyone to come along\, share your thoughts and discover more amazing climate fiction reads. \nThe event is free to attend but please RSVP below or contact us in the shop to book a place. \nBring your favourite drink on the night — we’ll provide the glasses and washing up! There’ll also be cordial and water available for anyone who wants this. \nWe’re excited for what is sure to be a lovely evening\, and look forward to seeing you there!
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/climate-fiction-prize-evening/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Bookish Socialising,Climate Fiction,Fiction,Prize Shortlist Celebration
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250408T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250408T210000
DTSTAMP:20250831T193438Z
CREATED:20250225T192535Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250831T193438Z
UID:10000003-1744140600-1744146000@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Stephen May
DESCRIPTION:Join us in conversation with Stephen May about his fantastic new historical novel\, which explores the unsolved mystery of socialist politician Victor Grayson’s disappearance in 1920. Intriguing\, original and convincing\, Green Ink is a Book to Look Out for in 2025 (The Times).\nWe’re very much looking forward to welcoming Stephen May to talk about his vivid historical novel\, Green Ink. The story explores what could have happened to British socialist politician Victor Grayson\, who vanished in 1920 after threatening to expose a government scandal. \nVictor’s disappearance remains an unsolved mystery to this day\, and this fascinating imagining brings the historical details to life. This is a highly anticipated book which has been highlighted by The Times in their Books to Look Out for in 2025 list. \nBook Blurb\nStephen May has a nose for fascinating historical events — The Times \nThe spry\, sardonic voice of the new historical fiction — Hilary Mantel \nDavid Lloyd George is at Chequers for the weekend with his mistress Frances Stevenson\, fretting about the fact that his involvement in selling public honours is about to be revealed by one Victor Grayson. \nVictor is a bisexual hedonist and former firebrand Socialist MP turned secret service informant. Intent on rebuilding his profile as the leader of the revolutionary Left\, he doesn’t know exactly how much of a hornet’s nest he’s stirred up. Doesn’t know that this is\, in fact\, his last day. \nNo one really knows what happened to Victor Grayson – he vanished one night in late September 1920\, having threatened to reveal all he knew about the prime minister’s involvement in selling honours. Was he murdered by the British government? By enemies in the Socialist movement (who he had betrayed in the war)? Did he fall in the Thames drunk? Did he vanish to save his own life\, and become an antiques dealer in Kent? \nWhatever the truth\, Green Ink imagines what might have been with brio\, humour and humanity; and is a reminder that the past was once as alive as we are today. \nVivid and wholly credible recreation of post-Great War London — Robert Edric \nIntrigue\, betrayal\, redemption — Rachel Seiffert \nAbout the Author\nStephen May is the author of six novels including Life! Death! Prizes! which was shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award and The Guardian Not The Booker Prize. He has been shortlisted for the Wales Book of the Year and is a winner of the Media Wales Reader’s Choice Award. He has also written plays\, as well as for television and film. \nHis seventh novel\, Green Ink\, is published in March 2025. He is also an experienced Creative Writing teacher and the author of Write A Novel and Get It Published.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/stephen-may/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Fiction,Historical Fiction,In Conversation With,Meet the Author
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Stephen-May.webp
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250314T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250314T220000
DTSTAMP:20250831T193444Z
CREATED:20250114T194245Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250831T193444Z
UID:10000002-1741980600-1741989600@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Storytelling on Page and in Song
DESCRIPTION:Join us for a unique collaborative event exploring Louise Beech’s novels and Carrie Martin’s music\, with songs inspired by the books! Expect extracts and discussion of page-turning stories with characters who stay with you\, combined with Carrie’s stunning mix of folk\, blues and prog rock influenced music.\n\n \nWe’re thrilled to welcome author Louise Beech (also known as Louise Swanson) and singer-songwriter Carrie Martin to the Book Tree for a unique collaborative event!  \n\n \nThere will be two sets\, each alternating between Louise sharing extracts and talking about seven of her highly acclaimed books\, and Carrie performing her gorgeous original music inspired by each story. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions to both Louise and Carrie about their work. \n\n \nDrinks will be available to purchase at an informal bar before the show and during the interval. The evening will be held in our atmospheric upstairs performance space\, surrounded by the building’s old oak beams. \n\n \nDoors will open from 7pm\, and the event will start at 7.30pm. \n\n \nThis is sure to be a wonderful way to engage with stories told on page and in song. Join us for an immersive experience\, reflecting on the themes and characters as we hear them brought to life through words and music! \n\n \nAbout the Author\nBeautifully written\, intelligent and moving\, this book will stay with you long after you reach the end — Ruth Dugdall\, on How To Be Brave \n\n \nLouise Beech is an exceptional literary talent\, whose debut novel How To Be Brave was a Guardian Readers’ Choice for 2015. The follow-up\, The Mountain in My Shoe was shortlisted for Not the Booker Prize. \n\n \nHer following books Maria in the Moon and The Lion Tamer Who Lost were widely reviewed\, critically acclaimed and number-one bestsellers. Maria in the Moon was described as quirky\, darkly comic and heartfelt by the Sunday Mirror\, while The Lion Tamer Who Lost was shortlisted for the RNA Most Popular Romantic Novel Award and longlisted for the Polari Prize. \n\n \nCall Me Star Girl longlisted for the Guardian’s Not The Booker Prize and was Best Magazine’s Best Book of the Year 2019; and I Am Dust was a Crime Magazine Monthly Pick. This Is How We Are Human was published in June 2021 and Nothing Else in June 2022. \n\n \nLouise’s short fiction has won the Glass Woman Prize\, the Eric Hoffer Award for Prose\, and the Aesthetica Creative Works competition\, as well as shortlisting for the Bridport Prize twice. \n\n \nShe also writes under the name Louise Swanson\, and her first book in that guise\, End of Story\, was published in March 2023 by Hodder & Stoughton and her second\, Lights Out\, followed in September 2024. \n\n \nFind out more: \n\nRead more about Louise on her website \n\nFollow Louise on Instagram \n\n\nTense and intriguing\, creeping paranoia oozes from every page… Louise Swanson is a talent that shines in the dark — Janice Hallett\, on Lights Out \n\n \nAbout the Singer-Songwriter\nMartin is equally skilled on guitar\, on vocals and as writer. The voice is distinctive — the crystalline purity and range of a Kate Bush\, the depth and delicacy of a Sandy Denny. And the songs to which she applies them stand up with any of her peers. The chord sequence of the title track evokes Joni Micthell’s Hejira album. — Trevor Raggatt\, RnR Magazine. \n\n \nCarrie is an acoustic guitarist and singer-songwriter\, whose music spans an eclectic mix of folk\, blues and prog rock influences. She is an incredible songwriter\, vocalist and guitarist. \n \nMentored by instrumental guitarist Gordon Giltrap MBE she has attracted endorsements from Vintage Guitars\, G7th Capos\, Martin Strings\, and is currently an artist for Faith Guitars. \n \nCarrie’s last three albums Seductive Sky\, Entity and Evergreen have included guests Elliott Randall\, Gordon Giltrap\, Oliver Wakeman\, Daniel Cassidy (brother of late Eva Cassidy) ex Bad Company guitarist Dave Colwell\, John Verity (Argent) and Roger Fisher (ex Heart guitarist).\n \nShe has performed in Canada on tour and has represented Vintage Guitars three times at the Namm Show In California. She also guests at various guitar shows around the UK to demo her use of open tunings. \n \nFind out more: \n\nFollow Carrie on Facebook or Instagram \n\nRead more about Carrie on her website \n\nListen to Carrie’s music on Spotify or YouTube \n\n \nIt’s pretty obvious from the moment you hear Carrie Martin sing that she is an outstanding vocalist with passion in each breath. Don’t be too sidetracked by that voice and stage persona and well-crafted songs\, because you might just miss the fact that she is a fine guitar player as well! — Gordon Giltrap\, MBE
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/louise-beech-and-carrie-martin/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Fiction,Folk at the Book Tree,Live Music,Meet the Author
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Storytelling-on-Page-and-in-Song.webp
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END:VCALENDAR