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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251106T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251106T210000
DTSTAMP:20260416T215143
CREATED:20250921T175450Z
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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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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251031T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251031T220000
DTSTAMP:20260416T215143
CREATED:20250915T215807Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250915T220516Z
UID:10000014-1761939000-1761948000@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Katie Grace Harris
DESCRIPTION:We are thrilled to welcome fantastic singer\, songwriter and story weaver Katie Grace Harris to the Book Tree for an autumnal Folk at the Book Tree gig! \nKatie’s first “instrument” is her distinctive pure voice – she uses it to draw her audiences into the story she is telling with ‘spine-tingling’ results. Her engaging live performances usually feature her playing a range of instruments including Piano\, Piano Accordion and Shruti and she can often be seen toting a home-made chess board stomp box and a pair of sturdy boots for a full one-woman-band experience. \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. \n  \nAbout the Musician\nBeautifully written…tightly observed songs and stories about real people — Fatea Magazine \nIntegrity pours out of her performance and her as a person — Reg Meuross \nKatie’s Debut album The Toledo Sessions was released in late summer 2022. It includes two songs developed in collaboration with Reg Meuross and features musical contributions from Phil Beer\, Odette Mitchell and Lukas Drinkwater. \nKatie traces her folk roots to singing along as a girl with her Dad as they drove around in the rusty family Triumph Toledo. “We would sing songs from Joni Mitchell\, The Spinners\, Ralph McTell and James Taylor.” These early experiences clearly influenced her own musical sound. Her repertoire ranges from gentle new arrangements of traditional songs alongside raw and exposed original compositions. Her well-crafted live sets combine historic legends and stories with a smattering of social justice to temper the mix. \nThe last three years have proved a turning point in Katie’s career. As live gigs moved online\, Katie took the opportunity to bring her music to audiences around the UK and has built on this as live performances have re-emerged supporting artists such as Katherine Priddy\, Hannah James and Toby Kuhn and Jim Causley as well as headlining at various Folk Clubs and festivals. Her talent for writing original material attracted the attention Reg Meuross\, festival favourite and one of the UK’s Folk singer/songwriter lynchpins. This resulted in a collaborative song-writing and recording project which features as part of Katie’s debut album The Toledo Sessions. \nKatie Grace Harris brings passion to her music and is more than a talented performer. When not-gigging she uses music to empower and develop young people. “I’m currently working for Oxfordshire County Music Service with a remit for developing their Folk music provision as well as developing their brand new ‘Music for Wellbeing’ offer which supports vulnerable children using music.” \nCurrently based on a rural farm in Oxfordshire\, Katie can mostly be spotted playing solo or with various musicians around the folk clubs of the UK. \nA rising star on the contemporary folk scene — Mike Davies\, Folking.com \nIt’s easy to see why Katie has been turning heads — Downend Folk Club \n  \nFind Out More\nFollow Katie on Facebook or Instagram \nRead more about Katie on her website \nListen to Katie’s music on YouTube or Bandcamp
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/katie-grace-harris/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Folk at the Book Tree,Live Music
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251024T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251024T210000
DTSTAMP:20260416T215143
CREATED:20250915T210657Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250915T210955Z
UID:10000015-1761334200-1761339600@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Dark Skies with Dani Robertson
DESCRIPTION:Join us to celebrate the dark skies and all the wonderful night-time creatures this October! We’re extremely excited to welcome Dani Robertson\, Dark Skies expert and nature writing author\, to Pickering Book Tree. Focussing on just how important darkness is to ecosystems\, Dani will introduce us to a treasure trove of creatures who make their homes and thrive in darkness. We will also hear just how important the dark is for our health and why we should all be concerned about our own increasingly light polluted environments.  \nNot only will you get to learn more about the amazing creatures that illuminate our night-time world in all sorts of ways\, you will also get the chance to meet Dani and have your copy of her beautiful compendium of nocturnal creatures signed and dedicated. \n  \nAbout the Book\nCreatures of Darkness takes readers on an extraordinary global journey\, revealing the hidden world of 100 nocturnal species that thrive when the lights go out. From the deepest\, densest rainforests and jungles to the wide-open savannahs and deserts\, and even rural countryside\, this stunningly illustrated book showcases the incredible adaptability of these incredible animals. Plunge into the darkest depths of the ocean and discover how life flourishes in the very darkness humans often overlook. \nCreatures of Darkness is packed with fascinating facts and stunning visuals\, bringing to light the mysterious behaviours\, unique adaptations\, and survival strategies of nocturnal animals. Whether it’s the silent flight of an owl\, the bioluminescent glow of deep-sea creatures\, or the secretive prowling of big cats\, each page is dedicated to the awe-inspiring reality of life after dusk. This book will not only change the way you perceive the natural world but also ignite a sense of wonder and curiosity about the incredible creatures that thrive in the shadows. \n  \nAbout the Author\nDani Robertson\, a Dark Sky Officer for Snowdonia National Park\, is originally from Greater Manchester but moved to the Welsh countryside at an early age. She is prolific in conservation work\, championing the darkness for all\, and is a regular speaker at public outreach events. Her advocacy for night skies was recognised by the International Dark Sky Association in 2022\, when she received the Dark Sky Defender Award. Her first book\, All Through the Night\, explored why darkness is so important – to plants\, to animals\, and to ourselves – and why we must protect it all costs. Creatures of Darkness is her second book.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/dani-robertson/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Meet the Author,Nature Writing,Non Fiction
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250916T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250916T210000
DTSTAMP:20260416T215143
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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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250825T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250825T210000
DTSTAMP:20260416T215143
CREATED:20250630T114752Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250831T193328Z
UID:10000013-1756150200-1756155600@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Elizabeth O’Connor
DESCRIPTION:We’re delighted that Elizabeth O’Connor will be able to visit us during her short tour\, after appearing at Edinburgh Book Festival. \nWhale Fall swept us away when we read it last year in hardback\, and we’re excited to discuss it with Elizabeth at this event! Set against the backdrop of a world on the edge of great tumult\, this haunting story follows Manod\, a young woman who dreams of leaving her remote island home off the coast of Wales. This is a quietly powerful novel\, with every page steeped in the wild landscape\, rural community and depth of meaning — we were transported into Manod’s world and felt her longing amidst a time of rapid change and an island that remained distinctly removed from the mainland. \nWhale Fall was selected as an Observer Best Debut of the Year in 2024\, who said: O’Connor’s beautifully evocative debut explores the liminal spaces between aspiration and disappointment\, adolescence and adulthood\, land and sea . . . a highly impressive coming-of-age tale. It was also chosen as a BBC Between the Covers Book Club Pick and was shortlisted for the 2025 Betty Trask Award. \nThe event will be held in the Book Tree’s atmospheric upstairs event space. We’ll be in conversation with Elizabeth about her work\, then open the floor to audience questions towards the end of the evening and there will also be an opportunity for book signings. \nComplementary wine and cordial will be available after the door opens at 7pm and during the interval. The event will start at 7.30 pm. \n  \nAbout the Book\nI didn’t want it to end — Maggie O’Farrell \nPowerful . . . written with a calm\, luminous precision — Colm Tóibín \nA beautifully nuanced\, beguiling first novel\, which leaves room for hope. O’Connor has a promising career ahead — The Times \nElizabeth O’Connor’s beautiful\, devastating debut Whale Fall tells a story of longing and betrayal set against the backdrop of a world on the edge of great tumult.\nIt is 1938 and on an island off the coast of Wales\, Manod is trying to imagine her future. Her choices are stark: she must either stay and look after her father’s house\, in the wild landscape that drove her mother to madness\, or marry and leave. And so\, when two English anthropologists arrive on the island\, Manod senses the possibility of a thrilling new life. But\, as she becomes entangled in their work\, and their strange relationship\, the outside world she had yearned for appears a much darker place than she could ever have imagined. \nThe quiet cadences of Whale Fall contain a deep melody of loss held and let go. It is a gentle\, tough story about profound change — Anne Enright \nEvocative and haunting . . . written with a care and restraint that is rare in a debut novel. It teems with visceral imagery — Jude Cook\, The Guardian \nAn excellent debut . . . Brief but complete\, the book is an example of precisely observed writing that makes a character’s specific existence glimmer with verisimilitude — Maggie Shipstead\, New York Times \n  \nAbout the Author\n\nElizabeth O’Connor lives in Birmingham. Her short stories have appeared in The White Review and Granta\, and she was the winner of The White Review Short Story Prize in 2020. She has a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Birmingham\, on the modernist writer H.D. and her writing of coastal landscapes. Whale Fall is her first novel.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/elizabeth-oconnor/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Fiction,Historical Fiction,In Conversation With,Literary Fiction,Meet the Author
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250801T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250801T220000
DTSTAMP:20260416T215143
CREATED:20250520T183206Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250831T193336Z
UID:10000009-1754076600-1754085600@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Edwina Hayes
DESCRIPTION:We are delighted to welcome the brilliant Edwina Hayes back to the Book Tree for what we know will be a lovely evening of gorgeous music! \nEdwina’s beautiful songs and natural stage presence have earned her a reputation as a Sweet-voiced songwriter who has a fine line in gentle\, country-tinged material (Time Out Magazine). She has opened shows for Jools Holland and Van Morrison\, toured with artists such as KT Tunstall and Gretchen Peters\, and played her own sets on stages everywhere from Glastonbury Festival to The Royal Albert Hall. \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. \n  \nAbout the Musician\nThe sweetest voice in England. A wonderful young woman\, so gifted and full of song — Nanci Griffith \nOne of the finest female singer/songwriters this country has produced in years. Edwina brings together English folk\, Americana and the rich Northern singer/songwriter tradition to create a sound that’s truly her own. \nHighly accomplished\, she’s toured with such notable performers as Jools Holland\, Van Morrison\, Nanci Griffith and Loudon Wainwright III to name just a few. \nEdwina numbers Michael Parkinson and Mike Harding among her fans and the title track of her album Pour Me A Drink was covered by Nanci Griffith. \nHer cover of the Randy Newman song Feels Like Home was featured in the Cameron Diaz film My Sister’s Keeper and has since had over twenty million plays on Spotify and over fifty million plays on YouTube. \nEdwina’s 4th album Ruby Rose was released in 2022. \nHaunting\, honeyed\, solo songwriter — The Guardian \n  \nFind Out More\nVisit Edwina’s website \nListen to Edwina’s music on Spotify \nFollow Edwina on Facebook or Instagram \n 
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/edwina-hayes/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Folk at the Book Tree,Live Music
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ORGANIZER;CN="Pickering Book Tree":MAILTO:shop@pickeringbooktree.co.uk
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250710T153000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250710T170000
DTSTAMP:20260416T215143
CREATED:20250604T201125Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250913T162221Z
UID:10000011-1752161400-1752166800@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Dawn Treacher
DESCRIPTION:Join us for a cosy afternoon tea\, where we’ll meet North Yorkshire author Dawn Treacher to hear about her new novel\, The Ninth Life of Norris. Blending cosy crime with fantastical elements and a cat inspired story of redemption\, this the perfect book to read with a cup of tea or with your book club friends! We’re delighted to bring Dawn and her book to you with a very special afternoon tea event at The Black Swan\, Pickering. \n  \nAbout the Book\nNorris has been here before. He knows he’s lived eight other lives and what’s more\, he can remember them all. He’s not proud of them\, especially not the one when he left his pal\, Jimmy Morgan\, at the mercy of German soldiers in the second world war. \nThe discovery that he’s been reincarnated as a cat isn’t going to help his resolution to make amends to his old friend when he finds himself\, by a strange quirk of fate\, adopted from an animal rescue centre by Jimmy Morgan’s grand-daughter. \nOnce settled into Jimmy’s home\, Norris realises that all is not well in the old man’s life and he’s got himself involved in criminal activity at the behest of his late wife’s family who are blackmailing Jimmy because they know he’s in debt. \nWhen Norris discovers all this\, he knows the only way he can apologise to Jimmy for letting him down in the past\, is to try to help him in the present. But how exactly can he do this when he’s a cat and when Jimmy’s small time criminal activities place his grand-daughter\, Stella\, in danger? \n  \nAbout the Author\nDawn Treacher is a North Yorkshire author and illustrator who writes both adult and children’s fiction. She has a particular love of writing mysteries\, a theme which runs across all her books. \nDawn writes cosy crime novels for her adult readers. Her series of the green Fingered Sleuth Mysteries include The Seeds Of Murder and A Deadly Plot\, inspired by her love of gardening. Her new novel\, The Ninth Life of Norris\, is cosy crime with a magical realism twist\, inspired by her love of cats. \n  \nFind Out More\nVisit Dawn’s website \nFollow Dawn on Instagram
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/dawn-treacher/
LOCATION:The Black Swan\, 18 Birdgate\, Pickering\, YO18 7AL
CATEGORIES:Afternoon Tea,Cosy Crime,Fiction,Food and Drink,Meet the Author
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ORGANIZER;CN="Pickering Book Tree":MAILTO:shop@pickeringbooktree.co.uk
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250704T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250704T220000
DTSTAMP:20260416T215143
CREATED:20250517T181507Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260309T112621Z
UID:10000008-1751657400-1751666400@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Yvonne Lyon & Boo Hewerdine
DESCRIPTION:We’re thrilled to welcome acclaimed solo artists Yvonne Lyon and Boo Hewerdine to the Book Tree to share their co-created album\, Things Found in Books. Haunting\, nostalgic and sensitive\, each song transports you into lives imagined from an object carried through time between the pages of a book. We’re the first stop on Yvonne and Boo’s tour\, so let’s give them a warm Pickering welcome! \nThe gig will be in our atmospheric upstairs event space\, surrounded by the building’s old oak beams. Drinks will be available to purchase at an informal bar before the show and during the interval. \nDoors will open from 7pm\, and the performance will start at 7.30pm. \n  \nAbout the Album: Things Found in Books\nYvonne Lyon and Boo Hewerdine’s new album Things Found in Books is an album of songs written in response to a notice board in Culzean Castle’s second-hand bookshop littered with things that have dropped out of books. \nLetters\, notes\, photographs\, old receipts\, postcards\, fragments of people’s lives which has been lovingly collected and kept on a board on the wall amongst the bookshelves. \nBoo and Yvonne have formed an inimitable songwriting partnership weaving these ephemeral stories with their own\, creating an album full of nostalgia and beauty\, hope and longing. \nFor a hint of what to expect you can hear Yvonne and Boo talk about the album on their YouTube video. \n  \nAbout the Musicians\nBoo Hewerdine\nOne of the country’s most consistently admired songwriters — Folk Radio UK \nBoo Hewerdine is an acclaimed award-winning English singer-songwriter now living and working in Glasgow. Well known as one of the greatest songwriter performers in the business\, he has worked with several other well-known names including Eddi Reader\, who enjoyed international success with the hit single Patience of Angels (written by Boo) in 1995. \nSimple\, poetic reflections on life and love — The Guardian \nRead more about Boo on his website \nFollow Boo on Facebook or Instagram \nListen to Boo’s music on YouTube or Bandcamp \n  \nYvonne Lyon\nAn awesome level of talent that I cannot compare — Maverick Magazine \nYvonne Lyon is among the UK’s brightest and best singer songwriters. Her most recent album Growing Wild is her tenth solo studio album release. Yvonne consistently combines poignant lyrics with strong\, creative melodies demonstrating a voice that can be both fragile and intense. She has guested on to live sessions with Bob Harris on BBC Radio 2 and recently completed a master’s degree in Songwriting and Performance from the University of West Scotland. \nI love her\, absolutely love her… great song beautifully performed — Michael Ball\, BBC Radio 2 \nRead more about Yvonne on her website \nFollow Yvonne on Facebook or Instagram \nListen to Yvonne’s music on YouTube or Bandcamp
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/things-found-in-books-2/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Folk at the Book Tree,Live Music
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250626T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250626T210000
DTSTAMP:20260416T215143
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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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250612T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250612T210000
DTSTAMP:20260416T215143
CREATED:20250517T154532Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250913T162231Z
UID:10000007-1749756600-1749762000@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Jonathan Hall
DESCRIPTION:Join us in conversation with cosy mystery author and playwright\, Jonathan Hall. \nThe fourth book in his popular Thirsk based crime series was published earlier this year\, and is described by SJ Bennett (author of The Windsor Knot) as “Warm characters and wonderful writing… It’s steeped in Yorkshire like a mug of hot\, strong tea… I loved it.” \nJonathan’s award winning plays have been performed at the Edinburgh Fringe\, the Bush Theatre\, and as a long-running series on BBC Radio 4.\nWe’re delighted to welcome Jonathan Hall to Pickering Book Tree for an evening chatting about his Thirsk Garden Centre Mysteries series. With echoes of Richard Osman and Agatha Christie’s Marple\, these novels are a must read for fans of the humorous characters and page-turning plots of the cosy crime genre. \nThe event will be held in the Book Tree’s atmospheric upstairs event space. We’ll be in conversation with Jonathan about his work\, then open the floor to audience questions towards the end of the evening. Jonathan will sign copies of his books\, which will be on a series bundle offer in the shop before the event and on the night. \nComplementary wine and cordial will be available after the door opens at 7pm and during the interval. The event will start at 7.30 pm. \n  \nAbout the Books\nThe ingredients for the perfect modern cosy crime: intrigue\, characters you care about and a good dollop of humour — Ian Moore\, author of Death and Croissants \nThe Thirsk Garden Centre Mysteries is a series of cosy crime novels full of charm and intrigue. Each book focuses on a different case solved by the charming retired teacher trio of Liz\, Thelma and Pat. There are four books in the series\, all of which are published by Harper Collins: \nA Spoonful of Murder (2022) \nA Pen Dipped in Poison (2023) \nA Clock Stopped Dead (2024) \nA Brush with Death (2025) \nAs delightful as it is deadly\, A Pen Dipped in Poison is a feel-good\, fun and fabulous cosy mystery that had me utterly gripped from page one. J.M. Hall proves once again he’s one of our very best cosy mystery writers. I absolutely loved it — Jonathan Whitelaw\, author of The Bingo Hall Detectives \nCover blurb for first in the series\, A Spoonful of Murder:\nIntroducing the three unlikeliest sleuths you’ll ever meet… Every Thursday\, three retired schoolteachers have their ‘coffee o’clock’ sessions at the Thirsk Garden Centre café. But one fateful week\, as they are catching up with a slice of cake\, they bump into their ex-colleague\, Topsy. By the next Thursday\, Topsy’s dead. \nThe last thing Liz\, Thelma and Pat imagined was that they would become involved in a murder. But they know there’s more to Topsy’s death than meets the eye – and it’s down to them to prove it… \nSit down with a cup of tea and this perfectly witty\, page-turning cosy crime novel. Fans of Agatha Christie\, Death in Paradise and Midsomer Murders will be hooked from the very first page. \nJ.M. Hall has mastered the warmth of a perfect modern cosy crime with all the twists and turns that go with it — Hannah Hendy\, author of The Dinner Lady Detectives \n  \nAbout the Author\n\nJonathan Hall has recently given up a ‘day job’ in education to focus solely on writing. He is a successful playwright\, with his work staged at the Bush Theatre and Edinburgh Fringe\, where he won two prestigious Fringe First awards. His award winning radio play Trust\, starring Julie Hesmondhalgh\, airs on Radio 4 and is now into its sixth series. \nJonathan’s first novel\, A Spoonful of Murder\, introduced the world to the unlikely crime-solving trio of retired teachers\, Pat\, Liz and Thelma. The fourth novel in the series\, A Brush with Death\, was published in March this year. Currently he is working on a gothic thriller/whodunit set in Cornwall.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/jonathan-hall/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Cosy Crime,Fiction,In Conversation With,Meet the Author
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Jonathan-Hall.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250529T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250529T210000
DTSTAMP:20260416T215143
CREATED:20250502T155723Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250831T193423Z
UID:10000006-1748547000-1748552400@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Naomi Kelsey
DESCRIPTION:Join us in conversation with Naomi Kelsey about her gripping new historical fiction novel\, The Darkening Globe\, a page-turning psychological mystery set in Elizabethan England.\nWe’re excited to welcome Naomi Kelsey back to the Book Tree to discuss her atmospheric and pacy historical fiction novel\, The Darkening Globe! \nThose who joined us the last time Naomi visited the Book Tree in 2023\, or read The Burnings\, will know what a great storyteller she is. Her books are infused with historical detail and pack a page-tuning punch. Part Gothic mystery\, part ghostly thriller\, The Darkening Globe is no exception. \nThe shop door will be open from 7pm and the event will start at 7.30pm in our atmospheric upstairs event space. We’ll chat with Naomi about the book (spoiler free!)\, her writing\, research and inspiration. There’ll also be a chance to ask your questions and Naomi will sign copies of the book at the end of the evening. \nTickets are free\, but please book places by filling out the form at the end of this page\, or by contacting us in the shop. We hope to see you there! \n  \nAbout the Book\nAn Elizabethan psychological thriller – who could ask for more? Confident\, vividly imagined\, infused with historical detail and riven by dramatic tension\, Naomi Kelsey’s The Darkening Globe will make your head spin – and keep you turning the pages late into the night — Annie Garthwaite\, author of Cecily \nEach time the globe turns\, murder strikes… \n1597\, London. When Beatrice’s husband returns from exploring the New World\, he comes home with unexpected company: a mysterious woman\, and an enormous painted globe. \nAs Hugh refuses to explain who their female guest is\, Beatrice’s foreboding grows. The unwieldy globe now strikes her as sinister – a reminder of the world of secrets pervading her household. \nThen one night\, the great\, hulking globe begins to turn of its own accord. Terrifying new illustrations appear on its face – and when untimely deaths ensue\, Beatrice is convinced that the drawings are connected. \nDesperate to prove that she is not paranoid\, Beatrice risks everything to uncover the truth. What sinister force is behind these killings? What really happened on Hugh’s excursion to the Americas? Who is the strange woman who won’t leave her house? And on this otherworldly map of murders\, who will be painted as the final victim? \nDeliciously gothic and twisty\, Naomi Kelsey has crafted a deeply haunted mystery novel that I found impossible to put down. The Darkening Globe is filled with chilling and beguiling prose\, and right at the centre\, an atmospheric and stirring mystery keeps the ghostly pages turning — Lucy Rose\, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Lamb \n  \nAbout the Author\nNaomi Kelsey is the winner of two Northern Writers’ Awards and of the HWA Dorothy Dunnett Competition in 2021. Her fiction has been published in Mslexia magazine and shortlisted for several further awards including the Bridport Prize and the Bristol Prize. \nHer first novel The Burnings\, which tells a gripping story set amidst the North Berwick witch trials\, was first published in June 2023. \nNaomi’s second novel\, set in Elizabethan England\, was published in April 2025 by HarperNorth.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/naomi-kelsey/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Fiction,Historical Fiction,In Conversation With,Meet the Author
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/at-Pickering-Book-Tree.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250513T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250513T220000
DTSTAMP:20260416T215143
CREATED:20250226T181808Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250831T193428Z
UID:10000004-1747162800-1747173600@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Climate Fiction Prize Evening
DESCRIPTION:Join us for a relaxed evening to discuss\, share and celebrate the inaugural Climate Fiction Prize. Expect bookish chat and bookshop browsing\, with offers on the longlisted books. Share your favourites from this year’s longlist and the wider climate fiction genre\, and maybe pick up a read recommended to you on the night!\n  \nThe inaugural Climate Fiction Prize is taking place this year\, and we’re celebrating the first longlist by highlighting the books and hosting an evening event in the Book Tree! \nThis informal event will be on the day before the winner is announced by the Climate Fiction Prize at a ceremony on Wednesday 14th May. Sign up below to chat about the longlisted and shortlisted books over a drink or two in the cosy atmosphere of the bookshop. \nThe Climate Fiction Prize\nThe nine longlisted novels span a fantastic range of new writing in the climate fiction space\, across a variety of styles and genres\, from both debut and established authors. It’s an incredible list\, and we can’t wait to discuss the books with everyone who explores and reads them! \nYou can read more about the Climate Fiction Prize on their website\, and about each of the five shortlisted books on their page about this year’s prize. The full longlist of nine books and their authors are featured on their website here. \nAll nine longlisted books are 10% off in the shop from now until the winner is announced\, or 20% off if purchasing two or more. We also hope to organise a book swap system for those attending the event if there’s enough interest for this to work. \nThe Bookshop Event\nNo matter if you’ve read all nine longlisted titles\, started one of the shortlisted books\, or haven’t picked up any of them yet\, this event welcomes everyone to come along\, share your thoughts and discover more amazing climate fiction reads. \nThe event is free to attend but please RSVP below or contact us in the shop to book a place. \nBring your favourite drink on the night — we’ll provide the glasses and washing up! There’ll also be cordial and water available for anyone who wants this. \nWe’re excited for what is sure to be a lovely evening\, and look forward to seeing you there!
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/climate-fiction-prize-evening/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Bookish Socialising,Climate Fiction,Fiction,Prize Shortlist Celebration
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Climate-Fiction-Prize-evening.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250509T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250509T220000
DTSTAMP:20260416T215143
CREATED:20250227T182402Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250831T193433Z
UID:10000005-1746819000-1746828000@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Paula Ryan
DESCRIPTION:A Folk at the Book Tree event! Paula’s music is infused with Celtic lyricism and passion of her Irish Gaelic roots. Her performances\, laced with warmth\, wit\, uniqueness and musicality are “well worth seeking out” (Irish Music Magazine).\n  \nWe are thrilled to welcome the fantastic Paula Ryan to our 2025 series of Folk at the Book Tree events! \nPaula is an award-winning Singer/Songwriter & Gaelic “Funkstress” from Tipperary\, Ireland. She uses a range of instruments\, some standard (Guitar\, Bazouki) and some a bit more unusual (Bodhran\, Marimba)\, to accompany original songs which are really powerful….what song-writing is all about\, making you think (Fatea Magazine). \n  \nPaula’s storytelling intros and her sometimes serious\, sometimes amusing\, sometimes reflective\, sometimes lively\, but always sensitive to the song and the music\, presentation of her own original material alongside folk favourites represent performance\, originality\, creativity\, and entertainment at their best! \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. \nAbout the Musician\nA unique voice in the contemporary folk world — Classic Rock Society Magazine \nPaula’s original songs have been successful in a number of high profile songwriting contests (e.g. Great American Song Contest\, Shrewsbury Folk Festival Peace Song Contest\, Pan Celtic  National Song Contest\, Tipperary Song Of Peace Contest). \nShe has shared stages with leading figures in Irish acoustic music including Lankum\, Liam O’Maonlaí\, Paul Brady\, Mary Coughlan\, Andy Irvine\, Daoirí Farrell\, Eleanor McEvoy. \nShe performs at a variety of venues and festivals nationally and internationally including Source Arts Centre (Thurles)\, Excel Arts Centre (Tipperary)\, Circle Sessions (Dublin)\, Limerick Acoustic\, Roisin Dubh (Galway)\, Matt Molloys (Westport)\, Ionad Culturtha (Cork)\, Edinburgh Fringe Festival\, Perpignan Festival (France)\, Barbican (York)\, Shrewsbury Folk Festival\, Beal Bocht Cafe (New York)\, Brown’s Diner (Nashville)\, Nacht Der Stimmen (Germany) etc. \nHer latest studio album\, Turas Cumadoir (Songwriter’s Journey)\, has earned airplay on RTE Radio 1\, Tipp FM and other radio stations throughout Ireland as well as in France\, Germany and across the BBC\, and received highly favourable reviews from leading folk/acoustic publications such as fRoots\, Acoustic Magazine and FATEA. \nAlbums like this are a rarity and a breath of fresh air when they come along – this one is a gem which anyone will enjoy — Irish Music Magazine Annual 2022 on Paula’s 2022 studio album Turas Cumadoir (Songwriter’s Journey) \nFind Out More\nFollow Paula on Facebook\, Instagram or TikTok \nRead more about Paula on her website \nListen to Paula’s music on YouTube
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/paula-ryan/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Folk at the Book Tree,Live Music
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Paula-Ryan.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250408T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250408T210000
DTSTAMP:20260416T215143
CREATED:20250225T192535Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250831T193438Z
UID:10000003-1744140600-1744146000@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Stephen May
DESCRIPTION:Join us in conversation with Stephen May about his fantastic new historical novel\, which explores the unsolved mystery of socialist politician Victor Grayson’s disappearance in 1920. Intriguing\, original and convincing\, Green Ink is a Book to Look Out for in 2025 (The Times).\nWe’re very much looking forward to welcoming Stephen May to talk about his vivid historical novel\, Green Ink. The story explores what could have happened to British socialist politician Victor Grayson\, who vanished in 1920 after threatening to expose a government scandal. \nVictor’s disappearance remains an unsolved mystery to this day\, and this fascinating imagining brings the historical details to life. This is a highly anticipated book which has been highlighted by The Times in their Books to Look Out for in 2025 list. \nBook Blurb\nStephen May has a nose for fascinating historical events — The Times \nThe spry\, sardonic voice of the new historical fiction — Hilary Mantel \nDavid Lloyd George is at Chequers for the weekend with his mistress Frances Stevenson\, fretting about the fact that his involvement in selling public honours is about to be revealed by one Victor Grayson. \nVictor is a bisexual hedonist and former firebrand Socialist MP turned secret service informant. Intent on rebuilding his profile as the leader of the revolutionary Left\, he doesn’t know exactly how much of a hornet’s nest he’s stirred up. Doesn’t know that this is\, in fact\, his last day. \nNo one really knows what happened to Victor Grayson – he vanished one night in late September 1920\, having threatened to reveal all he knew about the prime minister’s involvement in selling honours. Was he murdered by the British government? By enemies in the Socialist movement (who he had betrayed in the war)? Did he fall in the Thames drunk? Did he vanish to save his own life\, and become an antiques dealer in Kent? \nWhatever the truth\, Green Ink imagines what might have been with brio\, humour and humanity; and is a reminder that the past was once as alive as we are today. \nVivid and wholly credible recreation of post-Great War London — Robert Edric \nIntrigue\, betrayal\, redemption — Rachel Seiffert \nAbout the Author\nStephen May is the author of six novels including Life! Death! Prizes! which was shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award and The Guardian Not The Booker Prize. He has been shortlisted for the Wales Book of the Year and is a winner of the Media Wales Reader’s Choice Award. He has also written plays\, as well as for television and film. \nHis seventh novel\, Green Ink\, is published in March 2025. He is also an experienced Creative Writing teacher and the author of Write A Novel and Get It Published.
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/stephen-may/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Fiction,Historical Fiction,In Conversation With,Meet the Author
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Stephen-May.webp
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250314T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250314T220000
DTSTAMP:20260416T215143
CREATED:20250114T194245Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250831T193444Z
UID:10000002-1741980600-1741989600@www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk
SUMMARY:Storytelling on Page and in Song
DESCRIPTION:Join us for a unique collaborative event exploring Louise Beech’s novels and Carrie Martin’s music\, with songs inspired by the books! Expect extracts and discussion of page-turning stories with characters who stay with you\, combined with Carrie’s stunning mix of folk\, blues and prog rock influenced music.\n\n \nWe’re thrilled to welcome author Louise Beech (also known as Louise Swanson) and singer-songwriter Carrie Martin to the Book Tree for a unique collaborative event!  \n\n \nThere will be two sets\, each alternating between Louise sharing extracts and talking about seven of her highly acclaimed books\, and Carrie performing her gorgeous original music inspired by each story. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions to both Louise and Carrie about their work. \n\n \nDrinks will be available to purchase at an informal bar before the show and during the interval. The evening will be held in our atmospheric upstairs performance space\, surrounded by the building’s old oak beams. \n\n \nDoors will open from 7pm\, and the event will start at 7.30pm. \n\n \nThis is sure to be a wonderful way to engage with stories told on page and in song. Join us for an immersive experience\, reflecting on the themes and characters as we hear them brought to life through words and music! \n\n \nAbout the Author\nBeautifully written\, intelligent and moving\, this book will stay with you long after you reach the end — Ruth Dugdall\, on How To Be Brave \n\n \nLouise Beech is an exceptional literary talent\, whose debut novel How To Be Brave was a Guardian Readers’ Choice for 2015. The follow-up\, The Mountain in My Shoe was shortlisted for Not the Booker Prize. \n\n \nHer following books Maria in the Moon and The Lion Tamer Who Lost were widely reviewed\, critically acclaimed and number-one bestsellers. Maria in the Moon was described as quirky\, darkly comic and heartfelt by the Sunday Mirror\, while The Lion Tamer Who Lost was shortlisted for the RNA Most Popular Romantic Novel Award and longlisted for the Polari Prize. \n\n \nCall Me Star Girl longlisted for the Guardian’s Not The Booker Prize and was Best Magazine’s Best Book of the Year 2019; and I Am Dust was a Crime Magazine Monthly Pick. This Is How We Are Human was published in June 2021 and Nothing Else in June 2022. \n\n \nLouise’s short fiction has won the Glass Woman Prize\, the Eric Hoffer Award for Prose\, and the Aesthetica Creative Works competition\, as well as shortlisting for the Bridport Prize twice. \n\n \nShe also writes under the name Louise Swanson\, and her first book in that guise\, End of Story\, was published in March 2023 by Hodder & Stoughton and her second\, Lights Out\, followed in September 2024. \n\n \nFind out more: \n\nRead more about Louise on her website \n\nFollow Louise on Instagram \n\n\nTense and intriguing\, creeping paranoia oozes from every page… Louise Swanson is a talent that shines in the dark — Janice Hallett\, on Lights Out \n\n \nAbout the Singer-Songwriter\nMartin is equally skilled on guitar\, on vocals and as writer. The voice is distinctive — the crystalline purity and range of a Kate Bush\, the depth and delicacy of a Sandy Denny. And the songs to which she applies them stand up with any of her peers. The chord sequence of the title track evokes Joni Micthell’s Hejira album. — Trevor Raggatt\, RnR Magazine. \n\n \nCarrie is an acoustic guitarist and singer-songwriter\, whose music spans an eclectic mix of folk\, blues and prog rock influences. She is an incredible songwriter\, vocalist and guitarist. \n \nMentored by instrumental guitarist Gordon Giltrap MBE she has attracted endorsements from Vintage Guitars\, G7th Capos\, Martin Strings\, and is currently an artist for Faith Guitars. \n \nCarrie’s last three albums Seductive Sky\, Entity and Evergreen have included guests Elliott Randall\, Gordon Giltrap\, Oliver Wakeman\, Daniel Cassidy (brother of late Eva Cassidy) ex Bad Company guitarist Dave Colwell\, John Verity (Argent) and Roger Fisher (ex Heart guitarist).\n \nShe has performed in Canada on tour and has represented Vintage Guitars three times at the Namm Show In California. She also guests at various guitar shows around the UK to demo her use of open tunings. \n \nFind out more: \n\nFollow Carrie on Facebook or Instagram \n\nRead more about Carrie on her website \n\nListen to Carrie’s music on Spotify or YouTube \n\n \nIt’s pretty obvious from the moment you hear Carrie Martin sing that she is an outstanding vocalist with passion in each breath. Don’t be too sidetracked by that voice and stage persona and well-crafted songs\, because you might just miss the fact that she is a fine guitar player as well! — Gordon Giltrap\, MBE
URL:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/event/louise-beech-and-carrie-martin/
LOCATION:Pickering Book Tree\, 43a Market Place\, Pickering\, YO18 7AE
CATEGORIES:Fiction,Folk at the Book Tree,Live Music,Meet the Author
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Storytelling-on-Page-and-in-Song.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250220T193000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250220T210000
DTSTAMP:20260416T215143
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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