Join us for an evening with best-selling thriller writer Peter James, as he celebrates the release of his latest thriller, Picture You Dead – the 19th book in his well-loved DS Roy Grace series – now a hit ITV series starring John Simms as Grace. Picture You Dead finds Roy Grace plunging into the rarified world of fine art, pitting his wits against a deadly collector who’ll stop at nothing to get his hands on the rare landscape painting that Harry and Freya Kipling discovered hidden beneath a drab portrait they purchased at a car boot sale. Beneath the gentlemanly veneer, this is a world of greed, deception and violence… We are so excited to welcome Peter James back to Steyning, and can’t wait to hear all his intriguing research and inspiration from the cloak-and-dagger world of international art dealing! Event tickets are £20 per person which includes a hardback copy of Picture You Dead, or £27 for a couple, to include one copy of the book. Enjoy a complimentary glass of wine / soft drink upon arrival, and of course, the chance to get your copy personally signed & dedicated by Peter after his talk! Peter’s backlist titles will also be on sale and available for signing at the event, payment by cash / card will be accepted.Peter will not have time to sign books purchased elsewhere or brought from home.
A mesmerising, hard-hitting and heart-wrenching historical novel, based on a real shipwreck in 1629, which interweaves the parallel stories of two unforgettable child narrators, 350 years apart. The Night Ship of the title is the Dutch merchant vessel Batavia, which set sail to the Spice Islands (present-day Indonesia) in 1628. Aboard are over 300 souls: sailors, soldiers, merchants, wives & children, including our narrator, 9-year-old Mayken, travelling with her beloved nurse-maid Imke to join her father on his Batavian estate, following the death of her mother in Holland. Feisty Mayken soon wins the hearts of all on board, both above and below deck. As the months of gruelling sailing tick by, conditions deteriorate in the sweltering heat, and Imke becomes gravely ill. Mayken becomes convinced that a monster, the Bullebak, has bitten Imke, and is still lurking aboard, and her investigations below deck also reveal simmering tensions and mutinous intentions amongst the crew. When the Batavia runs aground and is wrecked on a coral reef, Mayken is amongst the survivors who eke out a living on a tiny island, but the horror is just beginning… 350 years later, in 1989, this same island has become the home of a small community of Australian crayfisherman, living roughly in beachfront shacks. 9-year-old Gil has just arrived on the island, sent to stay with his reclusive grandfather Joss, after the death of his mother. Gil becomes fascinated by local folklore about the little ghost-girl May, and ancient Aboriginal legends about the monster Bunyip, and here lie the stitches that weave the two stories delicately together. Gil’s unconventional ways and dark past do not endear him to the islanders, who already have a bitter feud against his surly grandfather, and tensions begin to escalate, until the island erupts in violence, echoing the horrors of its history. The Night Ship is a jaw-dropping story about the beauty and horror of human nature, rendered in exquisite prose, and Gil and Mayken will stay with you forever!
Come and meet Julia Donaldson at a special book-signing to celebrate the release of her 2 brilliant new books, The Baddies and Rock a Bye Rumpus, with special guest THE GRUFFALO!
Saturday 17th September, timed slots from 2pm. How it Works:
Your ticket to the signing admits 1 FAMILY GROUP of up to 5 people, and includes EITHER: 1 copy of The Baddies (£12.99 ticket), 1 copy of Rock a Bye Rumpus (£14.99 ticket) or BOTH books (£27.98 ticket).
You will receive your book/s when you arrive at your allotted time, and will have the opportunity to buy additional books before you go to meet Julia. Julia will sign all books purchased at the Steyning Bookshop.
Each family will have a couple of minutes with Julia. Photographs are permitted.
There will be free refreshments and activities for children while you wait.
You do NOT need to book more than one ticket if you want multiple copies.
You will be able to purchase additional copies of both new books AND all Julia’s other books from the Steyning Bookshop on the day of the signing, or if you prefer to pre-order additional books please phone the shop on 01903 812062 or shop via our website here selecting LOCAL PICKUP as your delivery option, and adding in the ORDER NOTES that you’ll be collecting it at the signing.
We are sorry, but we cannot allow customers to bring books from home for signing by Julia.
The signing may take place in the bookshop garden if the weather is fine.
THE SIGNING IS NOW SOLD OUT. PLEASE CALL US ON 01903 812062 IF YOU WISH TO CHANGE YOUR BOOKING OR ASK ABOUT A PLACE ON THE WAITING LIST FOR TICKET RETURNS.
We are delighted to welcome best-selling author Jess Kidd back to Steyning to talk about her astonishing new novel The Night Ship. Jess has many fans amongst our staff and book group members for her previous books Things in Jars, The Hoarder, and Himself, which all share a certain gothic sensibility, quirky humour, and supremely inventive writing. The Night Ship, published on 11th August, is inspired by the infamous shipwreck of the Dutch merchant vessel The Batavia, in 1629, and interweaves the stories of two compelling child narrators, 350 years apart, who both find themselves stranded on the remote atoll where the Batavia met her end. The book is an incredible feat of imagination: bold, visceral, haunting, and unforgettable – we can’t wait to hear more! EVENT FORMAT: Author talk ‘in conversation’ followed by audience Q&A and book signing. A complimentary glass of wine / soft drink will be served upon arrival. This is to be an ‘open book group’ style evening – we encourage audience members to purchase our ‘book with ticket’ option and pop in to the shop to claim your book and read it prior to the event, where you’ll be joining our 3 book groups, who will have read the book. But we will try to guarantee no spoilers on the night for those who prefer to wait!
Click HERE to book via Ticketsource (NOT Steyning Bookshop book group members)
About Jess Kidd
Jess Kidd was brought up in London as part of a large family from county Mayo and has a PhD in Creative Writing from St. Mary’s University. Her debut, Himself, was shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards in 2016. She won the Costa Short Story Award the same year. Her second novel, The Hoarder was shortlisted for the Kerry Group Irish Novel of the Year 2019. Both books were BBC Radio 2 Book Club Picks. Her next book, the Victorian detective tale Things in Jars, attracted widespread critical acclaim. Jess’s work has been described as ‘Gabriel García Márquez meets The Pogues.’ She is also currently developing her own original TV projects with leading UK and international TV producers.
The Book of Form and Emptiness is award winning Ruth Ozeki’s fourth novel, following the sucess of My Year of Meats, All Over Creation and A Tale for the Time Being. It was longlsited for the women’s prize for fiction 2022.
After the death of his musician father, thirteen-year-old Benny Oh begins hearing voices, each holding a range of emotions. He must seek refuge in a public library, meeting a wonderful cast of characters and his very own book. Narrations from a variety of characters give a fly on the wall style feeling, through Benny’s journey of listening to what truly matters in life.
Combining a vast and unforgettable blend of characters, with important and varied themes, The Book of Form stands out as an important and exciting read, which is deeply moving and greatly imaginative.
Yaa Gyasi’s debut novel, and the Sunday Times bestseller and a BBC Top 100 Novels that Shaped Our World
Homegoing follows two sisters, one is sold into salvery, while the other is a slave trader’s wife. The lives and experiences of these characters shape the generations that follow. The generational impact of two people’s lives echoes the important messages and themes of the novel. The settings ground the characters into their bleak or wonderful lives. The novel explores important ideas head on, and is an important read.
Homegoing is rich with symbolism and homes a vivid cast of characters. The novel is a page turning masterpiece, which is gripping from the opening page; a vital read for all.
A fascinating dive into the world we inhabit every day, Helen Gordons newest book, ‘Notes from Deep Time’, is an extensive look at the layers of the earth, giving unique ideas with a personal style of writing. Seeking a fresh perspective on her own life, Gordon set out to read that narrative. Her expedition takes her across the world, discovering something new at every corner; at every step, she finds that the ground beneath our feet isn’t always as it seems.
The book encompasses ideas as large as fossils hidden deep within London, to more overlooked geology such as chalk. Through it all, Gordon places a unique view into the world. Every chapter is unique, and an easily digestable read.
A greatly enjoyable and informative book. It is a love letter to travel and endulges in every corner of geology, creating a must read.
The captivating second novel from Elizabeth Macneal, author of the best-selling The Doll Factory, set in the colourful circus world of London’s 19th Century pleasure gardens.
Country girl Nell picks violets for a living, in a quiet coastal village. Set apart from her community by the birthmarks that speckle her skin, she finds solace in the sea. But when Jasper Jupiter’s Circus of Wonders arrives in the village, Nell is kidnapped – her father has sold her, promising Jasper Jupiter his very own ‘leopard girl’. It is an agonizing betrayal, but as her fame grows, and she finds friendship with the other performers,she begins to wonder if joining the show is the best thing that has ever happened to her. But what happens when her fame threatens to eclipse that of the showman who bought her? And as she falls in love with Jasper’s gentle brother Toby, can he detach himself from the terrible secret that binds him to his tyrannical brother?
A really enjoyable novel, which vividly evokes 19th Century London, and captivating look into circus life. The novel is at once a tender love story, an exploration of difference & disability, and a rip-roaring good read! For fans of Jessie Burton’s The Miniaturist & Stacy Halls’ The Familiars.
This latest novel by Damon Galgut, shortlisted for the Booker Prize, charts the decline of a white family during South Africa’s transition out of apartheid. The Swarts are gathering for Ma’s funeral. The younger generation, Anton and Amor, detest everything the family stand for — not least the failed promise to the Black woman who has worked for them her whole life. After years of service, Salome was promised her own house, her own land… yet somehow, as each decade passes, that promise remains unfulfilled.
Promise pushes the titular word to its limits, creating a powerful and moving story, which makes use of it’s third person narrative to switch between characters suddenly yet elegantly, emphasising the conflict between them and the resentment they hold.
Encompassing the years 1986 – 20128 in the lives of the Swart family, the omniscient narrator abruptly darts from one character’s consciousness to another shifting from the third to second to first person – creating a challenging but always absorbing read.
A warm-hearted, joyful story about the power of hope and imagination and believing in the impossible.
Marty doesn’t have new white trainers or a games console. He doesn’t have much of his own at all, unlike his mum, who has billions of things: newspapers, holey shoes, rusty lawnmowers, broken picture frames – she keeps EVERYTHING! Marty does his best to look after her and finds solace hanging about with his spritely grandfather, on his allotment. On Marty’s birthday, Grandad, with a glint in his eye, gifts Marty a very special seed. Grandad hasn’t been this excited since he invented the bum scratcher 2000 or thought he’d brewed wonder fuel from rhubarb leaves! The seed grows bigger and bigger, and launches Grandad, Marty and his best friend Gracie on an impossible, wondrous plan fuelled by love, hopes and dreams….
With a touch of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ magic, this sweet story will appeal to 8-11 year-old readers who like Jenny Pearson and Lisa Thompson. Fun fact – this is Caryl Lewis’ first English-language book – she is a multi-award-winning Welsh language novelist and scriptwriter who also wrote the brilliant BBC Wales detective series, Hinterland.
