We are SO EXCITED to have bagged author, broadcaster and zoologist Lucy Cooke for what will be a FASCINATING evening as she discusses her brilliant book BITCH.
BITCH will change how you think about sex, sexual identity and sexuality in animals and also the very forces that shape evolution. What does it mean to be female? Mother, carer, the weaker sex? Think again. In the last few decades a revolution has been brewing in zoology and evolutionary biology… Lucy Cooke will introduce us to a riotous cast of animals, and the scientists studying them, that are redefining the female of the species…. From the female lemurs of Madagascar, our ancient primate cousins that dominate the males of their species physically and politically, to female albatross couples, hooking up together to raise their chicks in Hawaii. How about the meerkat mothers of the Kalahari Desert – the most murderous mammals on the planet? The bitches in BITCH overturn outdated binary expectations of bodies, brains, biology and behaviour. TICKET PRICE of £12 includes a paperback copy of Bitch, a glass of something upon entry, and all the revolutionary de-bunking of gender stereotypes you need!
ABOUT LUCY COOKE
Lucy studied zoology under Richard Dawkins at New College, Oxford where she specialised in evolution and animal behaviour. She left academia to become an award-winning writer, producer and presenter of documentaries for both TV and radio. Lucy is also the author of four books, which have been translated into over 20 languages, and a columnist for BBC Wildlife magazine. She is, at heart, a story-teller with a reputation for mixing rigorous cutting-edge science, in-depth investigation and a wry sense of humour to reveal surprising truths about the natural world.
Tickets available from the bookshop, by phone on 01903 812062 or online via Ticketsource, click below.
We are delighted to welcome veteran broadcaster Edward Stourton back to Steyning, for an enlightening evening in conversation with guest interviewer Richard Burge, discussing Ed’s new memoir Confessions.
Edward Stourton has worked in broadcasting for over forty years, and regularly presents BBC Radio Four programmes such as The World at One, The World This Weekend, Sunday and Analysis. He has been a foreign correspondent for Channel Four, ITN and the BBC, and for ten years he was one of the main presenters of the Today programme.
Confessions is a fascinating read, describing the “awokening”, as Stourton puts it, of someone born to privilege who has begun to question the assumptions of his class. Ed was born to wealthy, upper-class expat parents, in colonial Nigeria. He was sent back to Britain to be educated first at Ampleforth, and then at Cambridge University. As a young journalist he reported first from party conferences and picket lines and then from war zones, witnessing international headline-making events, from Haiti to Hong Kong, before returning home to present the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.
During this time, the Empire has given way to the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, men-only clubs have been replaced by Me Too, and instead of a choice selection of voices on a handful of radio and television channels, we have millions of voices on YouTube, Instagram, Tik Tok. The world has changed, and so has Ed.
We know that guest interviewer Richard Burge (ex Head of Wilton Park, now CE of London Chamber of Commerce) will do a marvellous job of drawing out the most thrilling anecdotes from Ed’s remarkable life.
Wine & soft drinks will be served. The historic Brotherhood Hall venue is accessed by a staircase, we regret there is no disabled access.
Join us for a convivial, cosy evening at the Bookshop, celebrating the launch of local historian Chris Hare’s new book Hilaire Belloc – The Politics of Living, on Thursday 8th December at 7.30pm. Wine & nibbles will be served, and Chris will give a talk about his insights into the life and work of the controversial figure.
Hilaire Belloc was a Franco-English writer and historian of the early twentieth century, who grew up in Slindon in West Sussex, and is buried in the Catholic church at West Grinstead. He is famous for his poetry and song celebrating the Sussex countryside, but was also an orator, sailor, satirist, writer of letters, soldier, and political activist. Chris Hare – a lifelong Belloc reader – takes a fresh look at Belloc’s career and his attitudes towards religion, politics, war, nature, and mortality, as well as examining claims made alleging Belloc to be anti-Semitic.
Chris Hare runs his own heritage consultancy, History People, and has written extensively on the history of Sussex, its folk music, and Worthing, his home town, in particular. Chris has an MA in Life History from the University of Sussex.
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.
Come and meet Julia Donaldson at the Steyning Bookshop on Saturday 5th March, from 2pm onwards, to celebrate the release of her 2 wonderful new books A Pocketful of Songs and Mole’s Spectacles. For COVID safety, this event will be organised in timed slots, each 40 minutes long, admitting 20 families per 40 minutes. Your ticket booking entitles entry to the signing for 1 family group of up to 5 people, and includes a copy of either Pocketful of Songs (£14.99 ticket) Mole’s Spectacles (£6.99 ticket) , or both books (£21.98 ticket)
Additional Julia D books for signing can be purchased at the bookshop on the day – we will have a huge selection of ALL Julia’s books on display for customers to browse, buy and get signed, but if there is a particular book that you really want, you can add it to your ticket order by phoning the shop on 01903 812062 or shopping 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.
There will be activities for children while they wait to meet Julia!
Pocketful of Songs is the latest collection of Julia’s songs, including family favourites from Stick Man and Superworm to Tiddler and The Highway Rat, collected in a beautiful hardback gift edition, richly illustrated by Axel Scheffler and accompanied by a CD featuring Julia Donaldson herself performing the songs, which will have the whole family singing and clapping along. The book also includes music scores for piano and guitar.
Mole’s Spectacles is the 7th book in Julia and Axel’s beloved Acorn Wood series, perfect for pre-schoolers, produced in sturdy board book format with fun flaps to lift on every page…. Mole has lost his spectacles. He searches all around his house, in the garden and even in Weasel’s sweetshop, but he can’t find them anywhere! Where could they be? Lift the flaps to help him find them!
11th December, 2024, Steyning Bookshop