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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Pickering Book Tree
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251106T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251106T210000
DTSTAMP:20260416T215436
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
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251110T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251110T220000
DTSTAMP:20260416T215436
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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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251114T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251114T220000
DTSTAMP:20260416T215436
CREATED:20250922T222321Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250922T222321Z
UID:10000018-1763148600-1763157600@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Steve Pledger
DESCRIPTION:We’re excited to welcome Steve Pledger to Pickering Book Tree on 14th November! \nDescribed as a ‘Master of his craft’ by Folking.com\, and his recordings as ‘object lessons in the art of contemporary songwriting’ by fRoots Magazine\, he is both a classic troubadour and an outstanding original. \nSteve’s blend of blistering social commentary\, stark honesty\, and fearless tenderness have marked him out as someone unafraid to create his own place in the singer/songwriter landscape. \nHis insightful music\, always relevant\, strikes a particular nerve in these troubled times. \nDrinks will be available to purchase at an informal bar before the show and during the interval. The concert will be in our atmospheric upstairs event space\, surrounded by the building’s old oak beams. \nDoors will open from 7pm\, and the performance will start at 7.30pm. \nTickets can be booked below\, by contacting Pickering Book Tree\, or at the shop counter. We hope to see you there! \n  \nAbout the Musician\nOne of the finest protest singer/songwriters of his generation — Folk & Tumble \nSteve has released a string of successful albums throughout his career to date\, attracting critical acclaim and awards. \nHis 4th studio album\, What Tomorrow Knows (2022) has been enthusiastically received by many and described as “a future classic” by Roots & Fusion. \nThis follows on from 14 Good Intentions (2012)\, Striking Matches in the Wind\, (2015)\, Somewhere Between (2016)\, and his live mini-album Alone in the Dark (2019). \nSomewhere Between was nominated for several awards and went on to win Album of the Year (male artist) from FolkWords as well as the coveted Album of the Year from FATEA Magazine. \nOther nominations and plaudits followed\, and in 2020 a download release of the piano-backed/spoken word version of his song The Baptist’s Father secured him Track of the Year from FATEA. \nSteve’s recently published book\, Stolen Bouquets: Selected Lyrics\, contains over 30 of his songs\, including several unreleased ones\, and specially written notes for each piece. \n[Seeing him perform live is] a privilege to witness — FATEA Magazine \n  \nFind Out More\nFollow Steve on Facebook\, Instagram or TikTok \nRead more about Steve on his website and join his mailing list via this page to receive email updates \nFind Steve’s music on Bandcamp
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/steve-pledger/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Folk at the Book Tree,Live Music
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251121T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251121T210000
DTSTAMP:20260416T215436
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
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251122T140000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251122T163000
DTSTAMP:20260416T215436
CREATED:20251119T112253Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251119T211813Z
UID:10000023-1763820000-1763829000@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Winter Storytime with Olivia Mulligan
DESCRIPTION:We are very excited to welcome talented poet and children’s author Olivia Mulligan back to the Book Tree to read from her new children’s picture book\, Reggie On A Sledgie. \nThe lovable and adventurous little rescue kitten\, Reggie\, is back to go on a whole new wintry adventure! \nLiv will deliver the story in her warm and friendly style\, perfect for little ones of all ages to come and listen. The book is best suited for ages 3-6\, however all are welcome. \nThe sessions will run in our comfortable downstairs children’s section starting half hourly from 2pm until the last reading at 4pm. \nThere’s no need to book (walk-ins welcome on the day) however spaces are limited per session\, so we recommend arriving ahead of the start time to find a comfy seat before the story begins. You can also book below if you want to reserve a space at one of the sessions — this will guarantee a seat and also help us to manage numbers on the day. \nPop into the bookshop during the Pickering Christmas lights switch on activities\, grab a beanbag or floor cushion (adult sized chairs available too)\, and go on a wintry adventure with Reggie the rescue kitten! \n  \nAbout Liv\nOlivia Mulligan\, or Liv as she is known\, was born and bred in North Yorkshire. After spending several years in London\, completing a degree in Drama and Creative Writing\, and a short spell working in the city\, she could no longer resist the call of the Yorkshire Dales. \nLiv is a keen cross country runner\, a coffee barista\, and now – poet. Her spoken word poem\, The Lockdown Chat was aired at the 2020 BBC Upload Festival in the Writers’ Tent. In March 2021 Liv was invited to be Poet Laureate for a weekly slot on BBC Radio York. \n  \nAbout Reggie\nReggie is a playful little rescue kitten based on Liv’s very own rescue cat. He likes adventure and exploring (or\, at least he thinks he does!) but he always knows that his new owner\, Pip\, will be there at the end of a long day for lots of cuddles.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/winter-storytime/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Children’s Fiction,Children’s Storytime,Meet the Author,Picture Book
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Olivia-Mulligan-Winter-Storytime.webp
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