by Gudrun Bowers | 10, Jan 2025
Meet debut novelist LISA CARTER as she introduces her heartfelt novel SIX POPPIES, an achingly poignant portrait of love, regret, and healing.
Afghanistan, 2007. Carl meets Sarah, a nurse, at Camp Bastion and they feel an instant connection. But she’s the girlfriend of his fellow soldier, Danny, so he pledges to keep his distance.
Finally back in England, Carl vows to never forget those who didn’t make it home, honouring each of them with a tattoo of a poppy. While, many miles away, Sarah tries to forget the man she swore to leave behind. But when Carl and Sarah are thrown back together, it’s clear that both of them are broken.
But do the scars of what they went through run too deep, or is there a chance they can find happiness again, together…?
A heartbreaking and authentic military romance, perfect for fans of Nicholas Sparks, Kristin Hannah and Jojo Moyes.
ABOUT LISA CARTER
Lisa Carter is a journalist who has worked at The Sun, The Mirror and the Daily Mail, where she edited the Femail pages for over ten years. She lives in London with her husband and three sons. Lisa has a Steyning connection, her brother lives here, so we expect a friendly welcome for her!
ABOUT THE EVENT
We are trying out a new, comfortable (one might even say, SUMPTUOUS!) venue, the upstairs showroom at Awen Furniture in Steyning, which will be transformed for the evening into a literary salon! Your £5 ticket includes a complimentary drink upon entry, and ticket-holders can purchase their signed copies of SIX POPPIES on the night for £6.99 (£3 off RRP) Big thanks to Justin and Sarah at Awen for their friendly offer!
DOORS OPEN 7pm EVENT BEGINS 7.30pm BOOK ONLINE VIA LINK BELOW OR IN PERSON AT THE SHOP (avoids online booking fee)
by Gudrun Bowers | 23, Dec 2024
We are delighted to present an evening with Caroline Lucas celebrating the paperback release of her wonderful book Another England.
Caroline will be in discussion with an interviewer (TBC) about her book Another England and there will also be an opportunity for the audience to ask questions.
ABOUT ANOTHER ENGLAND
In Another England, Caroline asks why the Right have hijacked the notion of ‘Englishness’ and whether it can be reclaimed. Today, those who speak of ‘Englishness’ seem to be cheerleaders for Brexit, exceptionalism and imperial nostalgia, but there is another England, hiding in plain sight, which is dramatically more inclusive, radical and forward looking … the England of William Blake, the Chartists, the Suffragists, and the Kinder Scout trespassers.
ABOUT CAROLINE LUCAS
Caroline Lucas was, until recently, the MP for Brighton Pavilion, and the UK’s first Green Party MP. Elected to parliament in 2010, she also served as leader of the Green Party of England and Wales from 2008 to 2012 and as co-leader from 2016 to 2018. She was previously a Member of the European Parliament for ten years. She holds a PhD in English literature. It was her passion for the English countryside that first inspired Caroline to think more deeply about the importance of place in our national life, and her love of literature that led her to respond to the rise of the populist Right by examining the more positive, inclusive stories of England and the English explored in this book.
ABOUT THE EVENT
Venue: Steyning Methodist Church
Doors open 7pm
Talk start 7.30pm
Teas and coffees served (with donation to Methodist Church Volunteers)
Book+Ticket holders will receive their paperback copy of Another England on the night.
‘Ticket only’ ticket holders can purchase a book on the night for £10.
by Gudrun Bowers | 11, Nov 2024
WOW! THE STEYNING BOOKSHOP IS 40 YEARS OLD! Sara and Rob opened the shop doors for the very first time on Saturday 8th December 1984! The shop has weathered many storms, from the scrapping of the Net Book Agreement, to the rise of Kindles, online competition, and the pandemic, but has flourished nevertheless! We wouldn’t be here at all if it wasn’t for our WONDERFUL, loyal customers, so we invite you to come and celebrate with us on our birthday weekend!
We are celebrating on FRIDAY 6th DECEMBER by staying open late, from 6pm-9pm there’ll be mulled and bubbly drinks, nibbles, 15% off all night, and the chance to jingle, mingle and tingle (with emotion!) and share your memories of the shop with Sara, Rob and Gudrun.
Then on SUNDAY 8th DECEMBER, the shop’s ACTUAL birthday, we will be open from midday until 6pm for the annual street festival that is Christmas in Steyning (previously Steyning Late Night Shopping) – the high street becomes a festive wonderland of artisan stalls, food trucks and musical entertainment! We have the fab illustrators Sophy Henn, Steven Lenton, Nick Sharratt and Adam Stower doing a Draw-Off oin the kitchen at 1pm (buy a ticket separately for this as space is limited) and also signing books from 2pm -3pm, plus festive mulled drinks and nibbles from 4pm onwards. And BIRTHDAY CAKE!
We hope to raise a glass with you!
by Gudrun Bowers | 11, Nov 2024
Join Gudrun & Alice for a relaxing afternoon of crafting, and learn how to upcycle old books into various charming handmade decorations.
Over the years, many customers have admired the paper tree garlands that hang over our tables in December, and the various paper creations that we craft for our shop windows, so now’s your chance to make some yourself! There will be a chance to try your hand at one, two or even three different upcycled decorations, depending on how speedy you are with the scissors! All materials will be supplied and there will be festive snacks and beverages.
This crafting afternoon is for adults and older teens (13+) only, as the projects are fairly fiddly.
Only 10 spaces, so we can all fit around the table!
Event Details
Doors Open at 2:15PM
From 2:30PM to 4:00PM
Tickets £7 per person, can be purchased online via link below or in person frpm the shop.
by Gudrun Bowers | 9, Nov 2024
Join our relaxed and informal evening workshop and learn to make a simple linocut Christmas card!
The workshop will be led by bookshop part-timers Alice and Sarah, who in their ‘real jobs’ run Patternmakers, a fabric block-printing company -so they know their cutting tools!
This workshop is for adults or older teens (sharp tools!) and is suitable for beginners. All materials are provided and there will be drinks and Christmassy nibbles too!
7pm-9pm on WEDNESDAY 11th DECEMBER
Online tix here or pop into the shop!
by Gudrun Bowers | 8, Nov 2024
To celebrate the 40th BIRTHDAY of the Steyning Bookshop (with added festive bells on!) please join us for a FESTIVE BIRTHDAY DRAWING DING-DONG!
This will be a zany, fun, arty event for kids, starring our all-star team of fantastic illustrators: Sophy Henn, Steven Lenton, Nick Sharratt and Adam Stower!
It’s going to be a blend of Draw-Along and Draw-Off, with plenty of interactive audience participation! Each illustrator will lead a quick ‘draw-along’ for one of their own book characters, followed by a riotous competitive DRAW-OFF as they battle their wits and pencils to win the DING-DONG crown!
This is an event for kids aged 5+, we ask that you book your child’s ticket in advance, it’s £5 per child ticket, but we won’t charge for accompanying adults. However, as space is tight we request that each child have no more than 1 accompanying adult! Your child’s £5 ticket is fully redeemable against a purchase of a book by any of the star illustrators!
The fun kicks off at 1pm and finishes at 2pm with book-signing afterwards.
This event will take place in the bookshop rear kitchen/diner – it will be a bit of a squash and a squeeze!
All drawing equipment will be provided.
Tix in the shop or online here
by Gudrun Bowers | 17, Oct 2024
DRESS UP in your SPOOKIEST OUTFITS and come along to the bookshop to meet fab illustrator STEVEN LENTON for a WITCHY HALLOWEEN EVENT with stories, a spooky draw-along and crafts based on his cute new book The Green-Fingered Witch!
With PRIZES for best fancy dress, free refreshments and book-signing!
AGE GUIDE: 4-8 years old (need to be able to use scissors and join the draw-along!)
TICKET PRICE: £5 but if you buy one of Steven’s books or any Halloween-themed book you’ll get £5 off the book!
Accompanying adults do not need to purchase a ticket but due to space restrictions, no more than 1 adult per child, please!
Doors Open at 10:45AM
Starts at 11:00AM
ABOUT STEVEN LENTON
Brighton-based illustrator Steven Lenton has illustrated HEAPS of brilliant picture books including The How To Grow A Mermaid / Dragon /Unicorn books (with Rachel Morrisoe), The Shifty McGifty series (with Tracey Corderoy) and Octopus Shocktopus (with Peter Bentley). He has also written AND illustrated his own chapter book series, Teeny and Genie, and draws the pictures in the Dino Dad chapter books (with Andy Day), as well as illustrating David Baddiel and Frank Cottrell-Boyce’s chapter books. Steven has his own Draw-Along-a-Steven You Tube channel and his own children’s books podcast.
ABOUT THE GREEN-FINGERED WITCH
When Cress starts Witch School, she soon finds out she’s not like the other pupils. Her clothes are wrong, and she can’t fly a broom or make potions. In fact, the only witchy thing about Cress is her green fingers. But, when there are no pumpkins for the school Halloween party, it’s Cress’s turn to show off her own magic and be top of the class! A fun rhyming story about finding your strengths, showing that there’s a little bit of magic in everyone!
by Gudrun Bowers | 27, Sep 2024
Sadly, not OUR event, but we are excited to be involved as the official booksellers, so we encourage you to buy a TICKET + BOOK option for the ONLY South East event that Hardest Geezer is doing to celebrate his new book ‘Mind Over Miles’.
The Hardest Geezer aka Russ Cook is a regular guy from WORTHING who set out to be the first person to run the length of Africa. He went VIRAL on socials and millions of people (including me!) tuned in to view the moving scenes of him finishing his epic run with hundreds of supporters running alongside.
10,000 miles. 16 countries. 352 days. From his starting point in Cape Agulhas, South Africa, up to the finishing line in Tunisia on the 7th of April 2024, Russ experienced everything the great continent had to offer. From sandstorms in the Sahara Desert to rainforests in the Republic of Congo, Russ ran the equivalent of 386 consecutive marathons, covering 10,000 miles. His epic journey took 354 days, traveling through 16 countries and saw him raise over £1 million for charity!
Russ will be sharing his remarkable story LIVE at JOY CONCERT’S EVENT at Worthing Assembly Hall on Friday 1st November at 7.30pm.
We are handling the book sales so we’d LOVE to see some of you there!
Head over to JOYCONCERTS.COM for tix or follow the link below:
https://joyconcerts.seetickets.com/event/in-conversation-with-hardest-geezer/assembly-hall/3179138
by Gudrun Bowers | 26, Aug 2024
Something a bit different this time… Due to various circumstances we are not able to have an in-person book-signing at the bookshop for JONTY GENTOO’s launch – instead, we have a very special ‘Reading & Drawing’ book launch with both JULIA DONALDSON AND AXEL SCHEFFLER, which will take place at Tottington Manor Hotel & Restaurant. Attendees WILL receive a book pre-signed by Julia AND Axel but we are sorry, there will not be the chance to get books name-dedicated, or to meet the authors in person.after the event.
Join Julia Donaldson and illustrator Axel Scheffler for a special Reading & Drawing book launch event for their stunning new picture book JONTY GENTOO: THE ADVENTURES OF A PENGUIN. Listen to Julia read the wonderful story and watch Axel draw the cute creature characters. Find out some fascinating penguin facts too!
Suitable for families with children of 4 years and over, no unaccompanied children.
EVENT INFORMATION
Saturday 14th September 11.00 – 11.30am at Tottington Manor
This is an exclusive seated event for a maximum of 90 attendees, lasting around 30 minutes.
The lead £12.99 ticket-holder will receive a goody bag including a copy of JONTY GENTOO pre-signed by both Julia and Axel.
Additional seats (without books) are £5 per seat – maximum of 2 per booking.
Additional pre-signed copies of JONTY GENTOO can be purchased as ‘Sundry Options’ and collected with your main book on the day.
We are sorry but this event does NOT include an in-person book signing.
Book online here:
Or get your tix in person at the bookshop / by phone on 01903 812062
ABOUT JONTY GENTOO
Jonty the little gentoo penguin longs to find his true home at the South Pole. One night, he sneaks out of the zoo and sets off on an amazing adventure, all the way to Antarctica (with an accidental detour to the North Pole!) Children will be cheering Jonty on as he finally finds his way, in this captivating story of bravery, friendship, and finding your place in the world.
A heartwarming story with lyrical rhyming text and stunning illustrations of the natural world, with lots of details to spot, including seals, polar bears . . . and lots and lots of penguins!
Hardback picture book with foiled dust jacket. RRP: £12.99
by Gudrun Bowers | 23, Jul 2024
Join writer Annabel Abbs for a journey into the night as she discusses her fascinating new book, Sleepless.
In the winter of 2020, Annabel Abbs experienced a series of bereavements. As she grieved, she kept busy by day, but at night sleep eluded her. And yet her sleeplessness led to a profound and unexpected discovery: her Night Self. As the night transformed into a place of creativity and liberation, Annabel found she wasn’t alone. From the radical fifteenth-century philosopher Laura Cereta and subversive artist Louise Bourgeois to Virginia Woolf and the activist Peace Pilgrim, women have long found sanctuary, inspiration and courage in darkness. Drawing on the latest science, which shows we are more imaginative, open-minded, and reflective at night, Annabel set out to discover the potential of her Night Self. Sleepless follows her journey, from midnight hikes to starlit swims, from Singapore, the brightest city on Earth, to the darkest corner of the Arctic Circle, and finally to that most elusive of places – sleep.
A moving, revelatory voyage into the dark, Sleepless invites us to feel less anxious about our sleep, and to embrace the possibilities of the night.
We look forward to hearing Annabel’s stories from her wide-ranging adventures while researching the book!
ABOUT ANNABEL ABBS
Annabel Abbs is an award-winning writer of fiction and non-fiction. As Annabel Abbs, she is the author of The Language of Food, a historical novel about Eliza Acton, and Windswept: Why Women Walk, voted a top ten 2021 travel book. As Annabel Streets she wrote 52 Ways to Walk: The Surprising Science of Walking for Wellness and Joy, One Week at a Time and cowrote The Age-Well Project: Easy Ways to a Longer, Healthier, Happier Life. She has written for a wide range of titles, including the Guardian, Daily Mail, Telegraph, Tatler and the Paris Review, and is a Fellow of the Brown Foundation. She lives in London and Sussex with her husband and four children.
ABOUT THE EVENT
Venue: The Methodist Church, Steyning. Doors open 7pm, Talk start 7.30pm. FORMAT: Author talk followed by Q and A. Teas and coffees will be served. Tickets £12 including a paperback copy of SLEEPLESS.
Tickets online via Ticketsource button below or direct from the bookshop.
by Gudrun Bowers | 23, Jul 2024
We are joining forces with Chanctonbury Wines for a ‘Homage to Fromage’ with cheesemonger, author and ‘the UK’s leading expert on cheese’ NED PALMER. This will be a cheese and wine evening with a difference: Ned will discuss his new book A Cheesemonger’s Tour de France, accompanied by a cheese-tasting and fresh French wines to match.
There are just 22 tickets available for this boutique event which will take place at Chanctonbury Wines, and your £35 ticket includes a glass of wine, the cheese tasting, AND a signed hardback copy of Ned’s new book, as well as the fascinating talk and chance to ask your cheese-related questions! Further wine by the glass or bottle can be purchased from the bar on the night.
ABOUT NED PALMER
Ned Palmer is a British cheesemonger and author, and a former jazz pianist. He worked as an affineur for Neal’s Yard Dairy before publishing A Cheesemonger’s History of the British Isles, in 2019, folowed by A Cheesemonger’s Compendium of British and Irish Cheese. Ned lives in London with his wife, the novelist Imogen Robertson, many, many books about cheese, and a piano. He set up the Cheese Tasting Company in 2014, to spread the cheese gospel.
ABOUT A CHEESEMONGER’S TOUR DE FRANCE
The truly fascinating story of some of our favourite French fromages: Ned Palmer wends his way around the country’s regions, meeting the remarkable cheesemongers who carry the torch for France’s oldest and most treasured traditions and exploring the science and history behind cheeses such as Brie, Comte, Epoisses, Munster and Roquefort. As he explains the mysteries of terroir and why each of those different fromages taste as they do, he shows that a French cheeseboard offers genuine insights into la Belle République.
Starts at 7:30PM.
by Gudrun Bowers | 19, Jul 2024
Join Dr Linia Patel for an informative talk on nutrition for perimenopause, menopause and beyond, as she celebrates the release of her book Food For Menopause, published by Murdoch Books in September.
Linia’s book is packed with advice and recipes to help manage and alleviate common menopausal symptoms including hot flushes, brain fog, mood swings, weight gain and low libido. Linia will evaluate the reserach and medical evidence behind beneficial nutrients and give us healthy recipe tips and inspiration.
Linia Patel will be in conversation with Tammy Gee, a Sussex-based nutritionist specialising in perimenopause and menopause, whose mission is to increase conversation and education around nutrition support for hormone health.
ABOUT DR LINIA PATEL
Linia is a leading Dietician and Performance Nutritionist, who has degrees in Biochemistry and Physiology; Nutrition and Dietetics; and Sports Nutrition. She also gained a PhD in Public Health and Epidemiology. She is affiliated to the Health Professional Council, British Dietetic Association (BDA), Sports Dietitians UK and the Nutrition Society. Her numerous TV appearances as a presenter and nutrition expert include: BBC2 Food’s Truth or Scare, BBC1’s Tomorrow’s Food and Rip Off Britain, ITV’s Save Money, Lose Weight and Channel 5’s Get a Holiday Body and Diet Secrets.
ABOUT TAMMY GEE
Tammy Gee is a BANT registered Nutritional Therapist (DipION, mBANT, CNHC) specialising in perimenopause and menopause, on a mission to increase conversation and education around nutrition support for hormone health. Tammy works with clients to optimise diet and lifestyle during the perimenopause and menopause transition to support a healthy life beyond just their hormones. She also works with corporate clients to devise policies and strategies relating to menopause and menstrual health in the workplace.
ABOUT THE EVENT
The venue is the historic Tudor Brotherhood Hall, part of the old Steyning Grammar School campus in Church Street, Steyning. There will be a signboard outside the venue. We apologise but Brotherhood Hall is accessed via a flight of stairs so is not wheelchair accessible.
FORMAT: Dr Linia Patel and Tammy Gee will be ‘in conversation’ for around 45 mins followed by audience Q and A and a chance to get your books signed.
‘Book with Ticket’ tix are £20 to include a copy of Linia’s ‘Food for Menopause’ book (book RRP £20 so you are getting the event for freeeeee!)
‘Ticket Only’ Tix are £8 and you can purchase the book on the night for an additional £15 (making your total spend £23)
DOORS OPEN 7pm, Talk Starts 7.30pm.
Tickets online via Ticketsource below or direct from the bookshop.
by Gudrun Bowers | 15, Jul 2024
We are delighted to announce that popular thriller writer Peter James is returning to Steyning to tell us all about One of Us is Dead, the 20th book in his best-selling Roy Grace series.
The Roy Grace series of gritty police thrillers set in Brighton is a a global phenomenon, with 23 million books sold to date, and has also been adapted into an award-winning ITV series starring John Simm, now on its third series.
Peter James is always an immensely entertaining speaker and will be in conversation with an interviewer, TBC.
The venue is the beautiful historic church of St Andrew & St Cuthman, in Steyning.
EVENT FORMAT
Author talk / Interview followed by audience Q and A.
Book signing/ meet & greet
TICKETS: Single ticket with book £22 / Couples ticket: admits 2 people with 1 book £32
Tickets available via button below or at the Steyning Bookshop or by phone on 012903 812062
by Gudrun Bowers | 15, Jul 2024
Join fantastic children’s author / illustrator ADAM STOWER for an hour of fun, games and DRAWING as he celebrates the release of his latest book MURRAY AND BUN: MURRAY THE KNIGHT... a madcap illustrated chapter book bursting with comic-style illustrations and funny jokes!
Travel through the magical cat flap and prepare for an adventure, packed to the brim with fun, creativity and lots and LOTS of drawing. Hear all about Murray & Bun, and have your pencils at the ready to draw-along with Adam too!
ABOUT THE MURRAY AND BUN BOOKS
Meet MURRAY AND BUN! Murray is a cat. Murray loves snoozing, fluffy blankets, and peace and quiet. Bun is a bun. Bun loves… EVERYTHING! And together they are unstoppable…Perfect for newly independent readers and fans of Bunny vs Monkey, Dog Man, Adventure Mice and Claude.
Adam Stower is an award-winning author/ illustrator who has published LOTS of briliant picture books and who is also the illustrator of books by David Walliams including Spaceboy, Robodog and The World’s Worst Pets.
Child Ticket £7 each includes a book.
Accompanying adults do not need to purchase a ticket.
AGE GUIDE: Adam’s books will be enjoyed by children aged 5-9 years.
START TIME 2.30pm END TIME 3.30pm approx
Tix via link below or direct from the bookshop in person or by phone 01903 812062
by Gudrun Bowers | 2, Jul 2024
CHANGE OF DATE! This event has been postponed due to illness, and the new date is TUESDAY 27th AUGUST at 2.30pm!
Join amazing author & illustrator CLARA VULLIAMY for a DOG-TASTIC event to celebrate her adorable Dog Squad books! There will be stories, a doggy draw-along and fun crafting for ages 5-9.
ABOUT THE DOG SQUAD BOOKS
A delightful new series of chapter books with GORGEOUS illustrations. Meet ‘The Newshounds’: Eva, Simone, and Ash – best friends, budding journalists, and dog-lovers. Their adventures begin when Eva finds a stray whippet puppy and the Newshounds spring into action to try to track down the owner.. Lots more doggy adventures follow, from busting a whippet racing racket to putting on a dog show to help their local animal rescue centre… WOOFTASTIC fun for animal lovers aged 5+.
ABOUT CLARA VULLIAMY
Clara Vulliamy was born in London and studied at Chelsea School of Art, The Ruskin and the Royal Academy. She is the daughter of the celebrated author-illustrator Shirley Hughes and began illustrating picture books when she had her own children. She has since written and illustrated many stories, sometimes collaborating with her mother. She lives in Twickenham, with her husband and their daughters, Leah and Martha. Some of her other brilliant books include the Dotty Detective series, the Marshmallow Pie Cat Superstar series, and the Mango and Bangbang series. Her illustrations have the same warmth and charm as those of her illustrious mother!
EVENT FORMAT: Start time 2.30pm. Stories, a draw-along and a dog related craft activity, with free refreshments for kids, followed by author book-signing. Duration: approx 1 hour.
TICKETS: £5 per child, fully redeemable against a purchase of one of Clara’s lovely books! Accompanying parents do not need to purchase a ticket. Tickets via Ticketsource link below or direct from the bookshop.
AGE GUIDE: Clara’s books are suitable for reading aloud to children from 5 years or for 6+ independent readers.
by Gudrun Bowers | 13, Jun 2024
We are excited to welcome CATHERINE GRAY, author of the best-selling book The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober as she introduces her debut novel, Versions of a Girl, a breath-taking, addictive story about the paths taken - and not taken – in life.
This will be a small, boutique style event at the bookshop, with seats for only 30, and will include a welcome drink.
ABOUT CATHERINE GRAY
Catherine Gray is a Sunday Times bestselling author of five books, including The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober. She’s sold over half a million books, her work has been published in Stylist, Marie Claire, The Lancet Psychiatry and the Guardian, and her books have been translated into nine languages. In 2018, Catherine founded charitable campaign Sober Spring, a Three-Month Sabbatical from Alcohol, and she now runs it with Alcohol Change UK, for whom she is an ambassador. She lives in Sussex and when not writing she enjoys falling off a paddleboard, giving her plants names like ‘Cassandra’ and ‘Miguel’, and spamming Instagram with pictures of dogs!
ABOUT VERSIONS OF A GIRL
A truly compulsive read which I tore through in 2 days!
Do we become who we are because of our parents, or in spite of them? Fern’s mother is a social climber and a former ballet dancer who lives a plush life in a London townhouse. Fern’s father only climbs if there’s a bottle at the top, has an IQ of 133 and lives hand-to-mouth in Californian motels. Aged fourteen, Fern has spent equal time with each of her parents. That is, until an unexpected visitor triggers a life-changing dilemma: whether she should get on a plane to London to be with her mother, or stay in California with her father. Here, Fern’s narrative splices in two. Two possible lives, one person. Each Fern will grow in wildly different, but eerily similar directions. Both must determine who they want to be – and how they deal with a thorny problem which threatens to undo them all: a murder. Fern is a marvellous creation, flawed, spontaneous and relatable, and you’ll be rooting for both versions of her every step of the way!
Online Tickets here, Tickets also available from the shop and by phone on 01903 812062
by Gudrun Bowers | 7, May 2024
Join cookery writer, chef and founder of Higgidy Pies CAMILLA STEPHENS as she celebrates the release of Clever with Veg, her latest cookbook, at this summer evening soiree in the atmospheric rural setting of Charlton Court Barn.
The evening will comprise: mingling with wine & delicious nibbles (food kindly provided by Higgidy Pies) followed by a talk / Q and A with Camilla Stephens. Tickets also include a copy of Clever with Veg cookbook.
About Camilla Stephens
Higgidy’s founder and chief pie maker, Camilla Stephens, began making pies in 2003, having trained as a cook at Leiths School of Food and Wine. She worked as head of food development for Starbucks UK before leaving to follow her dreams and start her own business – Higgidy. Since then, Higgidy has become one of the UK’s fastest-growing food companies making glorious everyday food to help people live well. From wholesome pies and quiches to sausage rolls and mini muffins, its products are now stocked in the UK’s major supermarkets. Camilla is married to Higgidy’s co-founder James, and they have two children. Clever with Veg is Camilla’s third book, and once again her mission is to move more veggies from the edge to the centre of the plate and to empower home cooks to have the confidence to experiment.
About Clever with Veg
Camilla’s latest cookbook is packed with eminently cookable recipes; from gloriously easy roasting-tin suppers, faff-free one-pan wonders, to speedy salads and family favourites ready in under one hour. The book also offers crafty shop-bought shortcuts, ingenious ways to pack more veg into your cooking, and strategies for cutting down on food waste. Whether you are vegetarian or just want fresh ideas for your meat-free days, you’ll find veggie inspiration within!
TICKETS
Single Ticket: £25 per person including food & drink, and a hardback copy of Clever with Veg.
Couple Ticket: £35 admits 2 people but only includes 1 copy of Clever with Veg, to share!
There is parking at Charlton Court, however it is just a pleasant 10 minutes stroll up Mouse Lane, so we do recommend the strolling option!
Event Details
Doors Open at 6.50pm Event Starts 7pm
by Gudrun Bowers | 30, Apr 2024
Guardian journalist and nature writer PATRICK BARKHAM will discuss his book The Swimmer, about the life of Roger Deakin.
Roger Deakin wrote the nature writing classics, Waterlog and Wildwood. But he was also a maverick ad-man, a seller of stripped-pine furniture, an inspirational teacher, filmmaker, music promoter and eco-warrior. Today, he lives on as the patron saint of wild swimming.
Patrick brings this great romantic alive in an illustrated talk, and tell stories of Roger and his generation – perhaps the luckiest and most distinctive that ever lived.
About Patrick Barkham
Patrick Barkham is OUR FAVOURITE nature writer and has been to Steyning on a number of occasions – his talks are always highly informative and he is a lovely chap! Patrick is Natural History Writer for The Guardian and the award-winning author of many brilliant non-fiction books including The Butterfly Isles, Badgerlands, Coastlines, Islander and Wild Child. He lives in Norfolk with his family.
The event will be held at Steyning Methodist Church, teas & coffees will be on offer from the church volunteers (small cash donation appreciated). Doors open 7pm, talk starts at 7.30pm.
Tickets from the shop, by phone on 01903 812062 or click below to book online (small booking fee applies)
by Gudrun Bowers | 18, Apr 2024
Join JULIA DONALDSON for a very special book-signing to celebrate the release of her brand new book The Tooth Fairy & The Crocodile, her latest book with superstar illustrator LYDIA MONKS. The Tooth Fairy and the Crocodile tells the tale of Ruth Mary the tooth fairy, who gets more than she bargained for when she collects the teeth of some jungle animals, including a less-than-friendly crocodile!
ABOUT THE BOOK SIGNING
PLEASE BOOK IN ADVANCE – 1 ticket per family group
Your £12.99 ticket includes 1 hardback copy of The Tooth Fairy & The Crocodile, and allows entry of one family group (of up to 5 people) to the book-signing. You’ll be able to purchase more copies of the new book and all Julia’s previous books on the day, from the Steyning Bookshop. Julia will sign AND name-dedicate ALL books either pre-ordered or purchased at The Steyning Bookshop that day! We regret that we will not accept books from home or books purchased elsewhere for signing.
The book-signing begins at 2pm and is split into 40-minute time-slots to reduce queue times, with 25 family groups in each time slot, starting from 2pm. As each time slot fills up, we will start ticket sales for the next time slot. Feel free to call us for more info!
The signing will take place mainly outdoors, under cover in the beautiful back garden of the Steyning Bookshop, Julia’s local bookshop.
There will be activities, music & refreshments for children while you wait to meet Julia.
Book online via our TICKETSOURCE page via the button below, or by phone on 01903 812062.
by Gudrun Bowers | 13, Apr 2024
Join us as we celebrate Independent Bookshop Week and our 40th year in business with a fabulous crime-writers event!
A star-studded evening with best-selling cosy crime writer REVEREND RICHARD COLES and master thriller-writer ELLY GRIFFITHS in conversation, chaired by fellow crime-writer WILLAM SHAW.
The Reverend Richard Coles will be celebrating the release of Murder at the Monastery, the 3rd book in his best-selling Canon Clement Mystery series, published on 6th June. Murder at the Monastery sees Canon Daniel Clement taking respite at the monastery where he was a novice, only for a suspicious death to occur… As dark secrets unfold, can Daniel solve the mystery at the monastery without the help of Detective Sergeant Neil Vanloo?
Elly Griffiths will be celebrating the release of The Man in Black & Other Stories, a collection of short stories featuring all her best-loved characters including Dr Ruth Galloway, Harry Nelson, Max Mephisto, Detective Harbinder Kaur alongside ghost stories and cosy mysteries; tales of psychological suspense and poignant vignettes of love and loss.
The discussion will be ably chaired by fellow thriller writer William Shaw, whose latest book The Wild Swimmers will be on sale on the night.
All tickets include a copy of either Murder at the Monastery or The Man in Black (please choose which book when booking tickets). Further books and all authors’ previous titles will be available to purchase & to be signed by the authors on the night.
Tickets can be purchased in person from the bookshop, by telephone on 01903 812062, or online here and via the button below (a small booking fee applies to online bookings)
ABOUT REVEREND RICHARD COLES
Richard Coles is a writer, broadcaster and an Anglican priest. He co-presented Saturday Live on BBC Radio 4 for eleven years and appears, from time to time, on QI, Have I Got News For You, and Would I Lie To You? He has won Christmas Masterchef, Celebrity Mastermind twice, and captained Leeds to victory in Christmas University Challenge in 2019. A contestant on Strictly Come Dancing in 2017, he scored a lamentably low mark for a Paso Doble. He writes regularly for the Sunday Times, and is the author of half a dozen books, including a bestselling autobiography, Fathomless Riches, and the bereavement bestseller The Madness of Grief, after the death of his partner, Rev David Coles. Murder Before Evensong and A Death in the Parish, the first two books in the Canon Clement Mystery series, were both instant number 1 Sunday Times bestsellers.
ABOUT ELLY GRIFFITHS
Elly Griffiths is the bestselling author of the Dr Ruth Galloway Mysteries and the Brighton Mysteries. She has won the CWA Dagger in the Library, has been shortlisted five times for the Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year, and longlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger for The Lantern Men. Her new series featuring Detective Harbinder Kaur began with The Stranger Diaries, which was a Richard and Judy book club pick and won the Edgar Award for Best Novel in the USA. It was followed by The Postscript Murders, shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger and Bleeding Heart Yard. Elly has two grown-up children and lives near Brighton with her archaeologist husband.
ABOUT OUR CHAIR WILLIAM SHAW
William Shaw has been shortlisted for the CWA Historical Dagger, longlisted for the Theakstons Crime Novel of the Year and nominated for a Barry Award. A regular at festivals, he organises panel talks and CWA events across the south east. His books include the acclaimed Breen & Tozer crime series set in sixties London, the newest series featuring DS Alexandra Cupidi, and the standalone bestseller The Birdwatcher. He worked as a journalist for over twenty years and lived in Brighton until a recent move to Ireland!
by Gudrun Bowers | 4, Apr 2024
THURSDAY 2nd MAY at 7.30pm
Join award-winning journalist Rafael Behr as he discusses his book ‘Politics, A Survivor’s Guide: How to Stay Engaged without Getting Enraged‘.
We live in an age of fury and confusion. A new crisis erupts before the last one has finished: financial crises, Brexit, pandemic, war in Ukraine, inflation, strikes. Prime Ministers come and go but politics becomes ever more divided and toxic. It is tempting to switch off the news, tune out and hope things will get back to normal. Except, this is the new normal, and our democracy can only work if enough people stay engaged without getting enraged.
But how? To answer that question, award-winning journalist Rafael Behr takes the reader on a personal journey from despair at the state of politics to hope that there is a better way of doing things, with insights drawn from three decades as a political commentator and foreign correspondent.
Rafael will be in conversation with our very own local political poet, Simon Zec.
ABOUT RAFAEL BEHR
Rafael Behr is a political columnist for the Guardian. He is a former Political Editor for the New Statesman, Chief Leader Writer and Online Editor for The Observer, a business news reporter for BBC online and a foreign correspondent for the Financial Times, based in the Baltic region and Russia. Rafael is a regular contributor to Prospect Magazine, a guest on BBC and Sky News and a speaker at UK think tanks. His book, Politics, A Survivor’s Guide, is published by Atlantic. He hosts the Politics on the Couch podcast.Before becoming a journalist, Rafael was a political risk analyst covering countries of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. He studied modern languages at Merton College, Oxford and took a Master’s degree in Russian Studies at the School for Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London. He lives in Brighton with his family.
TICKETS
£10 Ticket Price includes a drink upon entry.
£15 Ticket Price includes a copy of Politics, A Survivor’s Guide and a drink upon entry.
Tickets avaiable from the bookshop or online via link below (booking fee applied to online bookings)
by Gudrun Bowers | 28, Feb 2024
This is going to be a really special evening!
We are delighted to welcome writer, literary critic and cultural historian ALEXANDRA HARRIS to Steyning to discuss her new book The Rising Down.
Alexandra grew up in Sussex and was educated at schools in Storrington and Horsham, so the Arun valley, the Wealden mud and the chalky sweep of the South Downs are in her blood, and The Rising Down sees her returning to West Sussex to consider the layers of buried lives beneath this familiar landscape…Who has stood here, she asks; what did they see?
As Alexandra excavates archival records and everyday objects, hundreds of unexpected stories and hypnotic voices emerge from the area’s past, from the painter John Constable and the modernist writer Ford Madox Ford, to the lost local women who left little trace. She uncovers the unexpected stories behind hidden places: an ancient church sheltering a medieval anchorite who chose to be buried alive, the country estate parading a menagerie of exotic animals, the cottage where William Blake received the poetic spirit of Milton, and a safe house harbouring secret agents from wartime French resistance networks.
Alexandra will be ‘in conversation’ with an interviewer (TBC) and will also answer audience questions and sign books at the end of the evening.
ABOUT ALEXANDRA HARRIS
Alexandra Harris is a British writer and academic. She was born in Sussex and spent her childhood in the Arun Valley area. She is the author of Romantic Moderns, on modernism in inter-war Britain, and Weatherland on weather in English art and literature. She has also written a short biography of Virginia Woolf. Her radio work includes a series following Virginia Woolf’s walks, a ten-part ‘British History in Weather’, as well as programmes on candlelight, fireworks, coldness, and an excursion to ask shepherds about pastoral literature. She is a Professor of English at the University of Birmingham.
Tickets £8 ticket only or £20 including a signed copy of The Rising Down (RRP £25!!)
Book online via the button below, alternatively pop into the bookshop or call us on 01903 812062.
by Gudrun Bowers | 15, Jan 2024
Join writer, broadcaster, musician and all round bard & chronicler IAN MARCHANT, as he discusses his book ONE FINE DAY: A JOURNEY THROUGH ENGLISH TIME, upon its paperback release.
One Fine Day is Marchant’s story of digging around in his family history and discovering the detailed diaries, written from 1714 to 1728, of his Great (x7) Grandfather Thomas Marchant, a Yeoman famer and Jacobite sympathiser.
Thomas wrote about life on his family farm in Sussex, about fishponds, dung, horses, mud, and about the making and drinking of beer. Marchant was able to map, day-by-day, the life of Thomas in 1720 to his own, in 2020 – a letter from a world on the brink of industrialisation, to one now exhausted by it.
By exploring the Marchant family’s journey – and how their England (rainy, muddy, politically turbulent and illness ridden) became the England of today, Marchant discovers just how much we have to learn from our ancestors. By turns funny, lyrical, moving and illuminating, this is a conversation with the dead to find out what is still alive.
‘Bloody marvellous.’
Nicholas Lezard, New Statesman
ABOUT IAN MARCHANT
Ian Marchant is originally from Newhaven in East Sussex, and now lives with his family in neither England, nor Wales, but Radnorshire. He is the author of A Hero for High Times : A Younger Reader’s Guide to the Beats, Hippies, Freaks, Punks, Ravers, New-Age Travellers and Dog-on-a-Rope Brew Crew Crusties of the British Isles, 1956–1994, which was long-listed for the Gordon Burns Prize in 2018, the railway travelogue Parallel Lines, musings on nightime in Something of the Night and The Longest Crawl, a hilarious account of a month long pub crawl. He has played in numerous bands, written for The Guardian, The Observer, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent on Sunday, The Times, The Sunday Times and Metro, and presented documentaries about talking trees, scary buses, ghost trains, the self-service nation and the history of barbed wire on Radio 4.
ABOUT THE EVENT
Doors open 7pm, Talk starts 7.30pm. Ian will be in conversation with SIMON ZEC, the Bard of Steyning. Plus Q & A at the end. No bar but teas and coffees will be served.
Ticket only price £7. Book with ticket £14 – includes a copy of One Fine Day in paperback. Additional books and hopefully a few of Ian’s previous books will be on sale on the night.
by Gudrun Bowers | 15, Jan 2024
Join children’s author HANNAH PECKHAM for an hour of stories and crafts to celebrate the release of her new book The Get Well Spell and to help children’s charity The Rockinghorse Charity.
ABOUT THE EVENT
Hannah Peckham will read her stories and lead a simple craft activity suitable for ages 3-7 – please bring a glass or plastic jar for each child if possible.
Ticket price of £4 is fully redeemable to get £4 off your purchase of The Get Well Spell.
Hannah Peckham and AWARD publications have teamed up with Rockinghorse Charity for a special ‘buy one, gift one’ offer – for every purchase of The Get Well Spell at The Steyning Bookshop, the publishers will gift a copy to a child in need with The Rockinghorse Charity. Doors open 10.45am event starts 11am.
ABOUT THE GET WELL SPELL
When Morris wakes one misty morning under the shadow of Dragon’s Ridge, the kind-hearted unicorn doesn’t feel well at all. As he sets out on a quest to find a fabled ‘Get Well Spell’, he discovers the need to fill his own cup back up, so that he can continue to share love and kindness and look after others. With delightful illustrations by Hannah Tkachenko, a Ukrainian / German artist.
ABOUT HANNAH PECKHAM
Hannah Peckham is a children’s author and young person’s counsellor, and is the author of Bronty’s Battle Cry, Climb, and Conker the Chameleon. She is passionate about encouraging children’s emotional literacy. Since her son Bodhi’s diagnosis of leukaemia, Hannah has raised thousands of pounds for leukaemia research and was appointed as an Ambassador for Leukaemia UK in November 2023.
ONLY 20 TICKETS AVAILABLE (due to space constraints) so we recommend you book in advance for this event
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