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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260910T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260910T210000
DTSTAMP:20260731T152026Z
CREATED:20260730T211942Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260731T152026Z
UID:10000062-1789068600-1789074000@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Jack Jewers
DESCRIPTION:We are excited to welcome Jack Jewers to the Book Tree to discuss his new book Seething Lane which returns to the world of his critically acclaimed historical thriller\, The Lost Diary of Samuel Pepys. \nPepys’ diaries have enthralled generations of readers with their exciting and frequently hilarious confessions about day-to-day life during the Restoration.  \nPepys witnessed some of the most dramatic events in English history\, from the return of Charles II to the horrors of the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London\, but put his pen down for the last time in the early summer of 1669… or did he?! \nJack’s debut novel The Lost Diary of Samuel Pepys was described as “impressive… a lively historical thriller” by The Times. The book went on to be chosen as a Sunday Times historical fiction book of the year\, and a book of the month by the Financial Times and The Independent\, who’s said that “debuts don’t come better than this”. \nHis follow up Seething Lane is a compelling and inventive theatrical drama\, bringing Pepys back to life through rich historical detail\, thrilling adventure\, and a twisting murder mystery set in the world of London theatre. \nWe will chat with Jack about the book\, his writing\, research and inspiration. There will be a chance for the audience to ask questions and Jack will sign copies at the end of the evening. \nThe bookshop door will be open from 7pm and complementary drinks will be available until the event starts at 7.30pm. \nThe event is free to attend\, but booking is essential. Please contact the shop or use the form below to reserve your seats. \nWe hope to see you there! \n  \nAbout the Book\nA thrilling and atmospheric historical adventure which brilliantly reimagines infamous diarist Samuel Pepys and conjures up the world of London theatre in 1670. Hugely entertaining — Anna Mazzola \nI loved this: a taut murder mystery set in the richly atmospheric time of Restoration London\, a period Jewers brings vividly back to life. It is a joy – compelling\, exciting\, moving and like all the best murder-mysteries\, with enough twists and turns to keep the reader guessing to the very end — James Holland \nJanuary 1670. London is enduring its worst winter in decades\, and Nell Gwyn is about to make her scandalous return to the stage. \nCalled upon to investigate the brutal murder of a libertine aristocrat\, Pepys discovers that the dead man is connected to a mysterious visitor in the most shocking way possible. The investigation leads Pepys from the glamorous world of royal mistresses to the new theatre on Drury Lane. \nFilled with real historical characters including the actress Nell Gwen\, the playwright Aphra Behn and many of King Charles II’s mistresses\, in Seething Lane Jack Jewers brings Britain’s most infamous diary back to life for a modern audience. \nReimagining one of Britain’s greatest historical figures through a 21st century lens\, Seething Lane is a gripping new mystery from the author of the critically acclaimed historical thriller The Lost Diary of Samuel Pepys. \nHard to imagine Samuel Pepys being any more interesting than he already was\, but Jack Jewers has done it for him\, imaginatively\, brilliantly and convincingly — Rev. Richard Coles \nAn action-packed\, thoroughly entertaining read\, full of adventure and amazing historical detail — My Weekly on The Lost Diary of Samuel Pepys \n  \nAbout the Author\nJack Jewers is a filmmaker and writer. His 2022 debut\, The Lost Diary of Samuel Pepys\, was named one of the Sunday Times’ historical fiction books of the year\, and a book of the month by The Independent and Financial Times. He regularly appears at literary festivals including Chalk\, Cheltenham and Hay\, and his career has been spent telling stories across multiple media formats and his work includes film\, TV\, and digital media. \nHis films have been shown at international film festivals\, including Cannes\, New York\, Marseille\, Dublin\, and London’s FrightFest\, garnering multiple accolades\, including an award from the Royal Television Society and a nomination from BAFTA Wales for Best Short Film. Jack’s passion for history has led him to many unexpected places\, from uncovering hidden love stories in 3000-year-old poetry\, to sending a portrait of Shakespeare into space. \nSeething Lane is Jack’s second novel.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/jack-jewers/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Crime Fiction,Fiction,Historical Fiction,In Conversation With,Meet the Author,Mystery
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260827T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260827T210000
DTSTAMP:20260731T152121Z
CREATED:20260511T224041Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260731T152121Z
UID:10000049-1787859000-1787864400@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Naomi Kelsey
DESCRIPTION:We are excited to welcome Naomi Kelsey back to the Book Tree to discuss her atmospheric and intriguing historical fiction novel\, Pale Mistress. \nThose of you who joined us when Naomi visited with her previous novels\, or have read The Burnings and The Darkening Globe\, will know what a brilliant storyteller she is. Her books are infused with historical detail and pack a page-turning punch. Part Shakespearean retelling\, part psychological thriller\, Pale Mistress is no exception! \nAtmospheric\, immersive and engrossing\, Pale Mistress tells the story from the point of view of Bianca\, a character both dismissed and villainised in Othello\, overshadowed by the virtuous Desdemona\, the courageous Emilia\, the tragic Othello and the cunning Iago. \nThis reimagining is set before\, during and after the events of the play have unfolded\, exploring the human cost of love\, envy and ambition. The story of Iago\, one of literature’s most notorious villains\, is woven into Bianca’s as she fights to prove her innocence and save her own life. \nWe will chat with Naomi about the book\, her writing\, research and inspiration. There will be a chance for the audience to ask questions and Naomi will sign copies of the book at the end of the evening. \nThe bookshop door will be open from 7pm and complementary drinks will be available until the event starts at 7.30pm. \nThe event is free to attend\, but booking is essential. Please contact the shop or use the form below to reserve your seats. \nWe hope to see you there! \n  \nAbout the Book\nA bold and beautiful triumph. In prose as rich as Cyprus wine and as sharp as a Venetian blade\, Naomi Kelsey gives voice to the silenced and reshapes tragedy through a woman’s eyes. Lyrical\, haunting\, and breathtakingly tense\, this is historical fiction at its most electrifying — Seth Insua\, author of Human\, Animal \n“Let heaven and men and devils\, let them all\, all\, cry shame against me\, yet I’ll speak…” \nCyprus\, 16th century. Murder\, lies and vengeance has left lovers dead\, promises broken and no one to trust. Only one woman survives\, Bianca. \nThe slain? History knows their names: Emilia\, Desdemona\, Othello. \nBut why do we not know Bianca? Who was the pale mistress? Liar or lied to? Instigator or victim? In telling one woman’s story\, Naomi Kelsey dazzlingly recasts a Shakespearean tragedy as a psychological thriller of jealousy and gaslighting\, ambition and envy\, and the making and breaking of one of Shakespeare’s most notorious villains\, Iago. \nNaomi Kelsey cements her position as one of the foremost writers of historical fiction today… I could not put it down until every secret was exposed — Laura Shepperson\, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Heroines\, on The Darkening Globe \n  \nAbout the Author\nNaomi Kelsey is the winner of two Northern Writer’s Awards and the HWA Dorothy Dunnett Competition. Her fiction has been published in Mslexia magazine and shortlisted for several further awards including the Bridport Prize and the Bristol Prize. \nHer debut novel\, The Burnings\, was published to critical acclaim in 2023 and The Darkening Globe\, an Elizabethan gothic tale\, has captivated readers and booksellers alike.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/pale-mistress/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Book Club Fiction,Fiction,Historical Fiction,In Conversation With,Meet the Author,Psychological Thriller
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260721T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260721T210000
DTSTAMP:20260428T145817Z
CREATED:20260428T144129Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260428T145817Z
UID:10000043-1784662200-1784667600@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Sally Coulthard
DESCRIPTION:We are excited to welcome Sally Coulthard back to Pickering Book Tree to discuss her fascinating new book\, A Brief History of the Coast in 100 Objects\, which offers a wealth of insight into the often surprising objects connected to the coast and the people who live and work there. \nSally has authored more than thirty non-fiction books spanning a wonderful range of interests including nature writing\, social history\, folklore\, and anthropology — always brilliantly researched\, engaging\, and informed by an immersion in the subjects she writes about through her own rural life in her Yorkshire smallholding. \nWe’ll chat with Sally about the book\, her writing\, research and inspiration. There’ll also be a chance to ask your questions and Sally will sign copies of the book at the end of the evening. \nThe shop door will be open from 7pm with complementary drinks available on arrival until the event starts at 7.30pm. \nThe event is free to attend\, but booking is essential. Please contact the shop or use the form below to reserve your seats. \nWe look forward to seeing you there! \n  \nAbout the Book\nA genuine delight\, this richly woven tale of our maritime nation is as crafted as the objects it highlights. I’ve loved every page\, and learnt and laughed along the way — Jules Hudson \nAn immersive history of our coasts and the people who have shaped them \nThe coast means something different to everyone. \nIt’s a place of pleasure and reckless pursuits\, of fishing\, fearless endeavours and a crashing\, rugged beauty. The coast is\, and always has been\, our first line of defence and our springboard to other cultures. \nThrough the lens of 100 carefully selected objects\, this treasure chest of a book delves into the myriad ways our coastlines have shaped\, and been shaped by\, our history\, culture\, and identity. From Roman lighthouses to rosary beads\, knitted jumpers to Viking slave shackles\, each object serves as a portal to a unique story. \nSally Coulthard’s engaging narrative goes far beyond the traditional seaside holiday to illuminate the coast’s role as a first line of defence\, a site of trade\, and a catalyst for cultural exchange. Readers will discover how the coast has influenced our beliefs\, economy\, and even our domestic lives. And\, looking out to sea\, this book will show how Britain’s story is anchored to those of our European neighbours and of faraway lands. \nFrom one of Britain’s finest historians of material culture\, this book vividly captures the enduring magic and significance of our shores. Whether it’s smugglers’ underpants or sailor’s hoaxes\, whale vomit or pickled puffin – it all washes up on the British coast… \nA rich\, perfect jigsaw of 100 genuinely fascinating pieces\, building a deep and wide picture of Britain’s history through its salty edges. Prehistoric harpoons\, slave shackles and a Pepysian fake nose all contribute to this superbly researched\, lively tale of our islands. Enriching\, engaging and a pleasure to read — Jo Bell \n  \nAbout the Author\nBestselling author and columnist Sally Coulthard has spent the last two decades writing about her favourite things – nature\, history\, and craft. Many of her books delve into the traditions of rural life – from artisans to agriculture – the people\, plants\, and creatures who make the countryside tick. \nSally’s work often weaves together different disciplines\, pulling threads from social history\, anthropology\, archaeology\, design\, and nature writing to bring her diverse subjects to life.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/sally-coulthard/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:In Conversation With,Meet the Author,Non Fiction,Social History
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260622T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260622T203000
DTSTAMP:20260523T123815Z
CREATED:20260423T172207Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260523T123815Z
UID:10000046-1782154800-1782160200@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Midsummer Festival: Aidan Meighan
DESCRIPTION:The Folklore of Trees\nPickering Book Tree | Doors from 6.30pm | Tickets FREE\n \nThe Folklore of Trees explores the fascinating stories and intriguing superstitions behind nature’s guardians. Insightfully written and beautifully illustrated by Aidan Meighan\, it’s the perfect reading companion for every lover of the natural — and mythological — world. \nThis book reminds us of the enduring power of stories to connect us to our history\, to nature and hopefully to an ever-greener future. We need to love life\, we need to love trees — Chris Packham\, wildlife TV presenter & campaigner \nUncover the myths\, legends and secrets of the world’s most iconic trees. \nDid you know that laurel is said to protect against snakebites and shield against witchcraft? Or that yews are often planted near graveyards to keep the devil out? Across cultures and centuries\, trees have stood as guardians of life\, inspiring stories that connect us to nature\, spirituality and tradition. \nThe Folklore of Trees brings these tales together in a stunning hardback featuring a foreword by acclaimed naturalist\, Chris Packham. Inside\, you’ll explore 36 legendary species from around the globe\, each paired with an intricate illustration and rich cultural context. \nYou’ll discover: \n\nThe Major Oak\, said to shelter Robin Hood\, and the baobabs of Madagascar\, revered for their longevity.\nSacred trees of Celtic\, Norse\, Greek\, Roman\, Hindu\, Buddhist and Indigenous traditions.\nFascinating myths behind olive branches of peace\, dragon blood trees that bleed red sap and Japanese cherry blossoms symbolising life’s impermanence.\nSeasonal customs\, protective charms and superstitions.\nA compact\, beautifully designed format\, perfect for gifting or personal reflection.\n\nWhether you’re a nature lover\, folklore enthusiast or simply curious about the stories rooted in our landscapes and forests\, this book is your invitation to wander the cultural canopy. \n  \nAbout the Author\nAidan Meighan is an author\, illustrator and arboreal devotee living in Somerset\, with a passion for nature and storytelling. For fifteen years\, Aidan has been passionately drawing trees\, maps and beautiful places from around the world\, working with travel and lifestyle books and magazines\, brands and destinations\, in his distinctive style. \nAidan is an enthusiast for the written word and print\, being instrumental in the production of the Glastonbury Free Press newspaper since its inception in 2013. He is also a keen gardener and back-yard conservationist. \nThe Folklore of Trees is a joyful coming together of Aidan’s passions and interests. \nYou can find Aidan on his website\, www.aidanmeighan.com\, and on Instagram\, @aidan_meighan. \n  \nTickets\nFREE from the shop counter or online at ticketsource.com\n  \nDirect link to booking page here\n \nDoors will be open from 6.30pm for a 7pm start. The event will be held in our atmospheric upstairs event space.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/aidan-meighan/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Folklore & Mythology,In Conversation With,Meet the Author,Meet the Illustrator,Nature Writing,Non Fiction,Pickering Midsummer Festival,Social History
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260622T130000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260622T140000
DTSTAMP:20260512T202655Z
CREATED:20260512T202655Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T202655Z
UID:10000051-1782133200-1782136800@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Midsummer Festival: Amy Jeffs
DESCRIPTION:Saints\nSt.Peter and St. Paul’s Church | Doors from 12.30pm | Tickets £5\nJoin us for an event steeped in mythological history with author\, medieval culture historian and artist\, Amy Jeffs. Hear about the history and legends of Saints featured in Amy’s book of the same name\, in the setting of St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church where we’ll be surrounded by the famous and rarely preserved medieval wall paintings depicting these stories. \nAmy will be in conversation with Alex from Pickering Book Tree\, whose background is also in medieval history. It’s set to be a fascinating discussion about Amy’s retellings of the legends and the histories behind them in her book Saints\, which is thoroughly researched\, thoughtfully compiled and beautifully illustrated with her own black paper cut-outs. On Amy’s website\, she says of her work: “All my books are based on primary research. I care about faithfully and rigorously drawing readers into the sources I work with: historical manuscripts\, literature\, music and art. All my books are invitations to discussion\, close-looking and wonder\, rooted in real places and lives. My illustrations are made at home\, with wood\, Lino\, ink and paper.” \nThe Tablet\, who chose Saints as their Book of the Year\, described it as “a book of remarkable beauty\, mystery and originality“ and that “the legends are beautifully told and illustrated . . . The writer’s approach is both imaginative and scholarly”. \n  \nAbout the Book\nA rewarding and beguiling collection of legends that are little known\, a wide-ranging introduction to medieval saints’ lives — The Literary Review \nFrom the Sunday Times bestselling author of Storyland and Wild\, comes a sweeping new legendary of miracles\, magic\, human frailty and heroic strength. Illustrated with over thirty original paper cutouts by the author. \nSaints’ legends suffused medieval European culture. Their heroes’ suffering and wonder-working shaped landscapes\, rituals and folk beliefs. Their tales spoke of men raised by wolves\, women communing with flocks of birds and severed heads calling from between bristling paws. \nIn Saints\, Amy Jeffs retells legends born of the medieval cult of saints. She draws on ‘official’ lives\, vernacular romances\, artworks and obscene poetry\, all spanning from the fourth to the sixteenth centuries. The legends’ heroes originate from as far east as Turkey and North Africa and as far west as Britain and Ireland. Saints includes such enduring super saints as Brigid\, George\, Patrick and Michael\, as well as some whose legends are less well known (Scoithín\, Euphrosyne and Ia) or else couched in prejudice (William of Norwich). \nThe commentaries following the stories offer a history of each saint and\, together\, trace the rise and fall of the medieval cult of saints from the first martyrs to the Protestant Reformation. And all this maps onto the passing year: from St Mungo in January to St Thomas Becket in December. \nJeffs guides her readers from images high on the walls of medieval churches\, through surviving treasures of the elite and into the shifting silt of the Thames\, where lie the lowly image-bearing badges once treasured by pilgrims. She opens manuscripts that hold wondrous stories of the lives and deaths of wayfaring monks\, oak-felling missionaries and mighty martyrs. With tales of demons and dragons\, with the stubborn skull of a giant\, with stories of sleepers in a concealed Greek cave\, Saints will enchant and transport readers to other worlds. \nWonderful . . . Each lifestory is a gem . . . It’s beautifully written\, evocative\, informative\, compulsive reading — Scottish Field Magazine \n  \nAbout the Author\nAmy Jeffs writes and illustrates her critically acclaimed books from her home in Somerset. Her work engages with Britain’s medieval and early modern storytelling cultures. She has a PhD in Art History from Corpus Christi College\, Cambridge. \nHer work combines a love of nature and natural history with her academic training as a medievalist and art historian. She takes part in podcasts\, Youtube shows and television documentaries and travels widely to speak about medieval and early modern cultures and how they can open our eyes to Britain’s heritage and oldest recorded stories. \nJeffs’ first book\, Storyland: A New Mythology of Britain\, was a Sunday Times bestseller\, shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year and named a Times Historical Fiction Book of the Year. Her second book\, Wild: Tales from Early Medieval Britain\, explores an old idea of the wilderness through medieval stories of outcasts\, monsters and the natural world. The audiobook\, illustrated with song\, was named audiobook of the week by the Times and the Guardian. \nSaints: Legends of Heroes\, Humans and Magic is her third book\, and this was followed by Old Songs: Stories of Love and Death from Traditional Ballads in 2025. \n  \nTickets\n£5 from the shop counter (currently cash only) or online at ticketsource.com\n  \nDirect link to booking page here\nThe event will be held in the beautiful setting of St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church in Pickering\, which is a perfect venue for this event with its incredible Medieval wall paintings. \n£2 from each ticket will be donated towards the Church to help with maintenance and the ongoing restoration project. \nDoors will be open from 12.30pm for a 1pm start.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/amy-jeffs/
LOCATION:St. Peter and St. Paul’s Church\, Hallgarth\, Pickering\, YO18 7BE\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Folklore & Mythology,In Conversation With,Meet the Author,Meet the Illustrator,Non Fiction,Pickering Midsummer Festival,Social History,Storytelling
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260618T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260618T210000
DTSTAMP:20260523T123918Z
CREATED:20260422T151700Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260523T123918Z
UID:10000044-1781811000-1781816400@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Midsummer Festival: Wyl Menmuir
DESCRIPTION:The Spirit of Stone\nPickering Book Tree | Doors from 7pm | Tickets FREE\n \nFull of wonder\, hope and fascinating tales of stones and their people — Fiona Robertson\, author of Stone Lands \nFrom the lonely heights of mountains to the womblike depths of caves\, stone has always drawn us in. In The Spirit of Stone\, Wyl Menmuir explores the many ways in which rock and earth form part of our identities\, histories and futures. \nAcross Britain and Ireland – from Mull to the Isles of Scilly – rock is everywhere beneath our feet\, shaping not only our landscapes but also our imaginations and the ways we live together. \nMoving across these lands\, Wyl Menmuir’s essays combine travelogue\, social history and memoir\, bringing together interviews\, folklore and personal encounters with the landscapes themselves. \nFrom sacred monuments to modern sculpture\, this book reveals how stone grounds us\, challenges us and inspires us\, such as: \n\nMountains and caves as places of pilgrimage\, danger\, refuge and wonder.\nAncient pathways and stone circles that leave traces of our ancestors written into the land.\nMarks and monuments\, from Neolithic carvings to contemporary sculpture\, art that endures across centuries.\nEveryday stone\, for example the quarries\, buildings and raw materials that underpin our daily lives.\n\nThe Spirit of Stone follows on from The Draw of the Sea and The Heart of the Woods\, completing a trilogy of explorations into our relationship with place. Where the first two books took readers to the water’s edge and into the forest\, this book journeys into the landscapes of rock\, stone and earth\, reflecting on how they continue to define us. \nResonant with the work of Robert Macfarlane\, Kathleen Jamie and Peter Ross\, yet strikingly original in its breadth and vision\, The Spirit of Stone is a profound meditation on belonging\, endurance and our shared human story written in stone. \nA warm and generous guide to the bedrock of our land\, and the characters who champion it — Ruth Allen\, author of Weathering and Grounded  \n  \nAbout the Author \nWyl Menmuir is an author and creative writing lecturer based in Cornwall. His 2016 debut novel\, The Many\, was nominated for the Man Booker Prize and was an Observer Best Fiction of the year pick. His short fiction has appeared in Best British Short Stories and he has been published by Nightjar Press\, Kneehigh Theatre and the National Trust. \nWyl’s non-fiction books have been awarded the Roger Deakin Award from the Society of Authors\, the Award for Excellence from the OWPG\, a Holyer an Gof Award\, and the 2026 Blue Metropolis Planet Literature Prize\, awarded for a body of work that demonstrates the beauty and fragility of the living world and promotes greater ecological awareness. \nA former journalist\, Wyl has written for Radio 4\, The Guardian and The Observer. He lectures in creative writing at Falmouth University. \n  \nTickets\nFREE from the shop counter or online at ticketsource.com\n  \nDirect link to booking page here\n \nDoors will be open from 7pm for a 7.30pm start. The event will be held in our atmospheric upstairs event space.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/wyl-menmuir/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:In Conversation With,Meet the Author,Memoir,Nature Writing,Non Fiction,Pickering Midsummer Festival,Social History
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Wyl-Menmuir-webp.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260529T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260529T210000
DTSTAMP:20260428T151631Z
CREATED:20260408T224454Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260428T151631Z
UID:10000039-1780083000-1780088400@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Katie Carr
DESCRIPTION:We very much look forward to welcoming Katie Carr to mark the much anticipated publication of her memoir Thundery at Times. \nKatie’s first book Moderate Becoming Good Later follows her brother Toby as he faces a life‑limiting illness through sea kayaking and the solace of the natural world\, written from his recordings and notes. \nThundery at Times is her own memoir of finishing his Shipping Forecast journey while navigating loss\, a difficult family past\, and midlife in Barcelona. \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:\nThundery at Times announces Katie Carr as a terrific writer on her own terms. Having continued her brother’s journey and book in the beautiful Moderate Becoming Good Later\, here she sets out on the next epic series of voyages\, revealing herself to be not only resilient\, determined and courageous\, but possessing a rare ability to distil those qualities into exquisite prose. Thundery at Times is a profound depiction of the long tail of grief\, but most of all it is a voyage into the best of humanity and how it can be found in the remotest of locations. Like the Shipping Forecast itself\, Thundery at Times is quirky and eccentric but underpinned by extraordinary heart and substance. A remarkable book. More\, please — Charlie Connelly\, author of Attention All Shipping \nKatie had never been in a sea kayak\, but when her brother Toby died in the middle of his challenge to paddle in every area of the Shipping Forecast\, she decided to honour his memory by completing his adventure. On a journey that takes her from the monotonies of motherhood in urban Barcelona to the far reaches of the Shipping Forecast through the wilds of the British Isles\, Katie is forced to face her past and question her present\, exploring the loss of her family members as well as her own identity. After two years of inelegant paddling and potentially worse parenting\, can she complete the challenge? \nThundery at Times is not a story of battling high seas or completing daring tasks\, but one of making your own rules and living life to the full. It is about finding joy and hope in nature\, motherhood and middle age\, in nurturing your own adventures and embracing connection and peace. It is a story of female resilience in the face of adversity; of staring down grief and asking\, what’s possible from here? \nThundery at Times captures something essential about grief – that it asks us to keep going even when we don’t know how. Carr’s honest\, heartfelt writing about finishing her brother’s challenge is a story of small braveries and the quiet strength found in honouring those we love — Freya Bromley\, author of The Tidal Year \n  \nAbout the Author\nKatie Carr is a British author\, coach and trainer based in Barcelona. Her work sits where sea and city\, loss and possibility meet: she writes narrative non‑fiction and helps people find steadier ways of leading and living; her narrative non‑fiction is rooted in sea\, weather and family\, and includes Moderate Becoming Good Later and Thundery at Times.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/katie-carr/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:In Conversation With,Meet the Author,Memoir,Non Fiction,Travel Writing
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Katie-Carr-webp.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
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
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Ellie-Levenson-new-date-webp.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260505T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260505T210000
DTSTAMP:20260502T193530Z
CREATED:20260408T213220Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260502T193530Z
UID:10000038-1778009400-1778014800@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Jules Brown
DESCRIPTION:We’re very much looking forward to chatting with Jules Brown about his travel adventures\, from how he plans his journeys to translating them into his always entertaining real-life stories. \nThe evening will focus on Jules’ newest book Far Out\, which takes readers with him on his challenge to reach each of the four furthest points in Europe by train\, exploring some fascinating off the beaten track places along the way. \nJules’ books are all written in his lively and humorous style\, and are brilliantly engaging with quick and often funny observations which make these reads perfect for fans of Bill Bryson\, anyone in need of some armchair travelling\, or perhaps even to inspire your own European adventure! \nJules started his travel author journey writing for Rough Guides\, now focussing on his own blog posts and travel books. He’s published two series: Tales from a Travel Writer’s Life (Don’t Eat the Puffin\, Never Pack an Ice-Axe and Watch Out for Pirates) and On the Rails (Not Cool: Europe by Train in a Heatwave and Far Out: By Train to the Edges of Europe). \nJules has so many great stories to tell gathered from his many trips across Europe and beyond\, so we know that we’re in for a fantastic evening hearing some of them! \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\nJules’ travel writing is funny\, inspiring\, quirky and always engaging. His blog is great but reading the cream of his travels in book form is even more fun — Mark Ellingham\, founder of Rough Guides & publisher of Driving over Lemons \nTravel writer Jules Brown is back with another wayward rail adventure. \nWhen Jules sets out to go as far as he can in Europe by train\, everything seems to be on track. Travel to the most extreme stations in the north\, south\, east\, and west. How hard can it be for a seasoned rail traveller and ex guidebook writer? \nFunny you should ask. \nIt’s a long way\, for a start – from Scandinavia and Finland to the shores of the Mediterranean and Atlantic. Even the final destinations are in dispute. In fact\, no one sensible would try it. \nEnter Jules. Whether it’s travelling through the Swedish wilderness on the Inlandsbanan\, into the Pyrenees on the Train Jaune\, or across Spain on the Torre Oro\, he’s aiming for some classic rail experiences. And while capital cities and famous sights come and go\, there are also plenty of offbeat and intriguing stops along the way. \n*This book also includes five special route maps. \nJules has a rare observational talent. These short travel tales are really very good – passionate\, engaging and entertaining — Phil Ascough\, journalist\, author\, media/PR consultant \n  \nAbout the Author\nTravel writer Jules Brown wrote his first books for Rough Guides\, and more recently has produced a series of highly entertaining travel memoirs and adventures based on his travelling life. \nIn his latest book\, Far Out\, he takes to Europe’s trains to journey to the most extreme stations in the north\, south\, east and west of the continent. Part travelogue\, part memoir\, and definitely not a guidebook\, Far Out is a snort-in-your-coffee train adventure by the author of Not Cool: Europe by Train in a Heatwave.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/jules-brown/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:In Conversation With,Meet the Author,Memoir,Non Fiction,Travel Writing
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Jules-Brown-webp.webp
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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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
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Gay-Marris-webp.webp
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:20251121T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251121T210000
DTSTAMP:20251018T165752Z
CREATED:20251018T161853Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251018T165752Z
UID:10000021-1763753400-1763758800@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Russell Scott
DESCRIPTION:We very much look forward to welcoming Russell Scott to the Book Tree to discuss his explosive book VIP Lane\, which tells the real story of the epidemic of cronyism and corruption during Covid. \nVIP Lane is the result of years of investigation to unpick the web of vested interests and political favouritism that defined the UK government’s pandemic response. Throughout the book\, Russell reveals an eye watering tale of costly mistakes and self interest which led to billions of pounds wasted on inflated prices and sometimes unusable PPE\, while generating vast profits for the beneficiaries. \nThe 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 at 7.30pm. \n  \nAbout the Book\nThis is the story of cronyism that reached the heart of government — how Conservative Party donors and politicians gamed the system during the pandemic to the tune of billions of pounds. And how the revelations surrounding the government’s misconduct fuelled the unprecedented political turmoil that engulfed the previous administration. \nFormer lead investigator at The Good Law Project\, journalist Russell Scott details his years-long battle to expose the government’s unlawful VIP Lane. From private hospitals and MPs’ second jobs to party donors and Peers landing multimillion-pound contracts\, and the billions wasted in the PPE procurement programme\, Scott unpicks the web of vested interests and political favouritism that defined the pandemic response. Drawing on new insider sources\, painstaking contract analysis\, and previously unpublished Freedom of Information requests\, this is an investigation that exposes the stark realities of power\, privilege\, and impunity in Westminster. \nScott’s findings lay bare the depth of cronyism that permeated government decision-making\, revealing an eye-watering tale of costly mistakes and self-interest at a moment of national crisis. This account sheds light on the critical themes of trust\, government transparency\, leadership\, populism\, and democracy — forces that continue to shape Britain’s political landscape today. \n  \nAbout the Author\nRussell Scott is an award-winning journalist and former lead investigator at The Good Law Project. His work on public procurement\, government accountability and corruption has shaped public discourse and driven legal action across the UK. VIP Lane is his debut book and the culmination of years of investigative reporting into the UK government’s pandemic response. He is a sought-after speaker\, contributor\, and media commentator on issues of transparency\, democracy\, and public ethics.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/russell-scott/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:In Conversation With,Meet the Author,Non Fiction,Politics
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Russell-Scott.webp
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:20250916T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250916T210000
DTSTAMP:20250831T193140Z
CREATED:20250827T181753Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250831T193140Z
UID:10000012-1758051000-1758056400@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Grace Olson
DESCRIPTION:We’re delighted to welcome Grace Olson for a return visit to the Book Tree! This is another chance to meet Grace for those who missed out the first time\, but equally an opportunity to hear new real-life stories if you braved the December weather for her previous evening event in 2022. Since then she’s had four beautifully illustrated children’s books and a follow-up book for adults published\, achieved multi-book bestselling success\, appeared on The Yorkshire Vet several times\, and has been interviewed across many magazines and radio shows\, both locally and nationally. \nAt the event\, we’ll be in conversation with Grace about her work helping people as a therapist\, the calming power of nature\, the unique personalities of her therapy animals and\, of course\, her books for children and adults. Towards the end of the evening we’ll open the floor to audience questions. Grace will then sign copies of her books which can also be a great time to chat and ask any follow-up questions you have. Grace talks with relatable honesty and warm humour which shines through in her books. This is sure to be an uplifting discussion and wonderful evening in the shop! \n“As I am a therapist\, I wanted my books to feel like a friend and show how it is possible to find inner-strength and self-healing even when we feel totally crap about ourselves. We all struggle with doubts and negative thoughts but ordinary people can live extraordinary lives and we can find mental and physical health benefits if we open up to the wonderful atmosphere of nature and the great outdoors.” You can read more about Grace and her stories on her website here. \nThe event will be held in the Book Tree’s atmospheric upstairs event space\, and will start at 7.30pm — please arrive before this time so that you can find a seat before we start. Complementary wine and cordial will be available from doors opening at 7pm. \n  \nAbout the Books\nGrace Olson has won us over with her hilarious and heartfelt books … seek out her work – it will\, we guarantee\, put a smile on your face — Mark Kebble\, Absolutely Yorkshire \nGrace is the author of two books for adults\, which are both heartwarming Yorkshire stories to make you feel happy. \nHer four books for children\, each inspired by a different sheep from her flock\, are beautifully illustrated fables to empower young minds. \nAbout Grace’s first book for adults\,The Yard: \nFrom lockdown blog to a number one best-seller. The Yard is the phenomenally successful debut novel from Grace Olson \nDepleted from her battle with post-natal depression\, Grace longs for a life that is more than just work\, child-care and endless laundry. A chance meeting with an aristocratic showjumper reignites her childhood dream of owning a pony. As fate leads her to a ramshackle livery yard\, full of eccentric characters\, she finds a young horse in need of training. With her complete lack of experience\, life becomes a rollercoaster of challenging yet exhilarating adventures. Assistance appears in the form of a military-style riding instructor\, a retired Gypsy Cob breeder and a wonderful\, wise woman living on a remote mountain farm. By learning to listen to the silent language of the horse\, Grace finds the healing for which she’s been yearning. \nInspirational\, uplifting and deeply moving. This bestselling debut book has helped so many people find their way to happiness. Join Grace on her journey from despair to joy thanks to the healing power of horses\, farm animals and many eccentric characters. Laugh-out-loud moments abound in this charismatic memoir that readers can’t put down. \n  \nAbout the Author\nGrace Olson is an author\, therapist and animal lover based in Leeds\, West Yorkshire. She is the writer of best-selling\, tragicomic memoirs The Yard and The Farm – books which bring joy and transformation for the reader. She has also penned a series of beautifully illustrated\, sheep-themed children’s books to empower young minds – Merlin Finds His Magic\, Galahad Finds His Voice\, Berel Finds His Wings and Rhubarb Finds His Family. Grace and her flock of therapy sheep are regularly featured on Channel 5’s popular series The Yorkshire Vet. \n“Helping others is the theme of my life. I have been a therapist for 30 years\, helping people with a wide range of problems… My aim is to one day earn enough money from my books to use as an income so that I can provide my therapy work at no charge for people with terminal illness. My horses and my sheep are all part of my therapy team and the big goal is to own my own land where I can set up a ‘therapy farm’ helping people to find inner peace and happiness during the worst time of their lives.” \nYou can read more about Grace and her writing on her website\, or follow her on Facebook or Instagram
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/grace-olson/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Books in Yorkshire,In Conversation With,Meet the Author,Memoir,Non Fiction
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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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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
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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
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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
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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
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250220T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250220T210000
DTSTAMP:20250913T162248Z
CREATED:20250107T165459Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250913T162248Z
UID:10000001-1740079800-1740085200@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Adelle Stripe
DESCRIPTION:Join us in conversation with Adelle Stripe about her wonderfully evocative and stubbornly funny memoir\, Base Notes: The Scents of a Life.Told through the prism of vintage perfumes\, Base Notes is an unflinching tale of working class womanhood and smalltown life.\n\n \nWe are very excited to welcome Adelle Stripe to Pickering Book Tree this February to chat about her ingenious memoir\, Base Notes. Plotting key episodes in her life against the iconic perfumes we have all known over the years\, Adelle’s book is a relatable coming-of-age story\, an ode to unconventional families and a marvellous description of life lived on the cusp of town and countryside. At times elegiac yet also stubbornly funny\, Base Notes is a fabulous read that will reawaken your own memories and have you reaching for that perfume bottle you kept hold of for all those years.\n \nWear your favourite scent\, bring your own olfactory reminiscences and come along to hear Adelle chat about the writing of this wonderfully evocative book. \n \nBook Blurb\n\n‘Already your future has been planned out. There is not much choice about what to become in the small town where you live . . .’ \n\n\nA bedroom dreamer with a headful of Warhol\, Adelle Stripe’s formative years were ones of daytime drinking and religious fervour\, frustrated mothers and reckless daughters\, desire\, ambition and the pursuit of creativity. Told through a prism of vintage perfumes\, and played out in vivid detail with startling clarity and colour\, Base Notes chronicles an unbridled Northern England of the late 20th century already fading from view.\n \nWith a keen eye for the absurd\, an ear cocked to eavesdropped conversations and a nose that finds perfume wherever it goes\, this tragi-comic tale of working-class womanhood is no clichéd story of redemption or escape\, but instead a bleakly funny yet unflinching memoir of dead-end jobs\, lost weekends\, brief encounters and those wild\, forgotten characters who slip through the cracks. \n \nInfused with acerbic observations and unexpected poignancy\, Base Notes sees Adelle Stripe boldly laying her lived experience on the page\, creating literature from a life less ordinary. \n\n \nAn addictive – frequently devastating – memoir of escape\, immolation and reinvention\, never better than when observing the various traps of working-class womanhood or being labelled ‘a strong northern voice’… told with her now trademark restraint\, humour and empathy. A brilliant and singular book. — Fergal Kinney \n\n \nAbout the Author\n\nAdelle Stripe was born in York\, UK\, in 1976 and lives in Calderdale\, West Yorkshire. \n\n \nHer writing is rooted in the nonfiction novel form and explores working-class culture\, untold histories of Northern England\, popular music\, and smalltown life. \n\n \nAdelle’s debut novel\, Black Teeth and a Brilliant Smile\, was based on the life and work of Bradford playwright Andrea Dunbar. Described by David Peace as ‘one of the great debut novels of the century\,’ Black Teeth was shortlisted for the Gordon Burn Prize and Portico Prize for Literature. It was an Observer book of the year. A new edition is forthcoming on Virago Press. \n\n \nHer second book\, Ten Thousand Apologies: Fat White Family and the Miracle of Failure\, was shortlisted for the Penderyn Music Book Prize. Co-written with lead singer Lias Saoudi\, the biography charts the rise\, fall and eventual salvage of one of the UK’s most controversial bands. It was a Rough Trade book of the year and a Sunday Times bestseller. \n\n \nThree of her poetry chapbooks were published by Blackheath Books from 2007-2012. The Humber Star\, a poem based on the experiences of her seafaring ancestors in 19th century Hessle Road\, was performed live at John Grant’s North Atlantic Flux for Hull City of Culture. In 2023\, she recorded a New Postscripts audio essay based on J.B. Priestley’s classic wartime broadcasts as part of the BBC’s centenary celebrations. \n\n \nAs a journalist\, Adelle has contributed to The Quietus\, Yorkshire Post\, Times Literary Supplement\, Record Collector\, and New Statesman. She has received writing commissions from the British Film Institute\, Manchester Literature Festival\, Leeds West Indian Carnival and many more. \n\n \nAdelle holds a BA\, MA and PhD by Research in Modern British History and Creative Writing. As a lecturer\, she has tutored at York St. John\, Manchester Metropolitan University and Leeds Trinity. She is a Burgess Fellow at the University of Manchester and an editorial board member at British Pop Archive Books. \n\n \nBase Notes: The Scents of a Life\, her forthcoming memoir\, is due for publication by White Rabbit / Orion in February 2025. \n\n \nYou can read more about Adelle’s work on her website\, or follow her on Instagram.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/adelle-stripe/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:In Conversation With,Meet the Author,Memoir,Non Fiction
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END:VCALENDAR