By Fernanda de Madariaga and Sofia Martinez Alvarez
The summer is on the run! And along with it we bring you an exciting set of events to keep you busy just as much as joyful. The following issue will discuss book festivals, crime panel talks, summer reading challenges, insights into the publishing industry, and a book club to wrap it up.
Free Books Festival
Friday 19 July, 10:00 a.m., BSix College, Kenninghall Road E5 8BP
This free two-day event open to readers of all ages and backgrounds is aimed at distributing books by authors of colour to deprived communities across the UK and Ireland. The Free Books Festival, taking place from the 19–21 July this year, is proud to deliver a campaign featuring visual arts, gaming, fitness, food and reading, in an effort to transform access to literature. The festival celebrates storytelling in all its mediums, whether it comes in the form of music, film, manga or movement, in order to demonstrate that reading is a useful form of education for all, rather than a privilege for a select few. For the full schedule of events and more information about the festival, visit the campaign page, here.
Chris Whitaker in Conversation
Friday 19 July, 7:00 p.m., Waterstones Newcastle
Join Waterstones Newcastle in a talk with Chris Whitaker about his new and much anticipated novel All the Colors of the Dark. Chris is British author and a CWA John Creasey New Blood Dagger Award winner, known best for his debut novel Tall Oaks. Chris has an extended array of crime fiction and will be discussing his newest arrival this Friday evening along with anyone as excited as we are to join.
Set in 1975, All the Colors in the Dark tells the story of a missing girl who is saved by a local boy with an eye patch. Yet, by rescuing her, this boy leaves more to lose and soon the town will be shrouded in mystery. The book features a missing person, a love story and a thrilling twist. After his conversation, Chris will participate in a Q&A, and finally he will be signing copies of the book. For more information and tickets for the event, click here.
Summer Reading Challenge 2024
Saturday 20 July to Sunday 1st September, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Waterstones, Witney
Waterstones has successfully organized consecutive reading challenges for the past two years, and are bringing it around for a third time this summer of 2024. The Witney Summer Reading Challenge (aimed at thirteen-year olds or younger), consists of reading nine books based on specific prompts from 20 July to 1 September. From 20 July onwards, bookworms can ask any Waterstones bookseller for a Reading challenge list, on which readers will see a grid of nine prompts and an attached reading log, all of which readers will have to complete by September for a chance of winning a £20 Waterstones voucher. The winner will be picked out using the Mighty Random Generator, and will be contacted on 2 September with the good news! For more information and tickets for the event, click here.
An Introduction to Publishing with Sara-Jade Virtue
Thursday 25 July, 6:30 p.m., The Lantern by Tonik, 8 Mill Street SE1 2BA
Literature at The Lantern is hosting their latest interactive workshop as part of their literary event series, this time aimed toward publishing hopefuls in London! Join Brand Development Director for Fiction at Simon & Schuster, Sara-Jade Virtue, as she guides unpublished debut writers through the publishing process, from start to finish. This is a wonderful opportunity for writers looking for advice on pitching to agents, perfecting synopses, learning to differentiate various rounds of editing, as well as how cover design, publicity and sales come together! Tickets are available for £22 on Eventbrite and can be purchased using this link.
SYP South West July Book Club
Tuesday 30 July, 7:30 p.m., Online
Join the Society of Young Publishers South West via Zoom to discuss Asako Yuzuki’s bestselling sensation, Butter. A story wreathed with criticism of Japan’s impossible-to-meet beauty standards for women, Butter is inspired by the historical “Konkatsu Killer:” a woman who was convicted of poisoning three of her lovers through her cooking.
Asako Yuzuki was the recipient of the All Yomimono Award for New Writers in 2010 and received the Yamamoto Shūgorō Award in 2015, as well as being nominated for the Naoki Prize several times. The SYP South West Book Club aims to create a space for readers and publishing hopefuls alike to come together and discuss literature, regardless of whether you have finished Butter, or in fact gotten past the first page! To access the Zoom link for this virtual event, visit the SYP website, here.