Fancy broadening your mind over a drink on a Friday night? Grab a beer, wine or soft drink from The Grapevine and join us in store for a fascinating, fun and informative evening as we welcome four fantastic authors to Romiley for an evening showcasing the very best in new non-fiction.

Learn about the life of an eccentric booker-prize winning author; the history of the UK as told through it’s population; how women can reclaim their cities; and the story of our planet from its earliest origins to present day.

James Bailey, Brian Groom, Morag Rose and Jamie Woodward will each be giving an approx 15 minute talk about their latest books (details below) which will be available to buy on the night and get signed by the authors.

Tickets are £12 and include one beer or glass of wine or two soft drinks from Grapevine Bar (which can be brought into the shop). Tokens will be provided at Serenity Booksellers upon entry.

Doors at 6.00 for 6.30 start. Event will last approx 75 mins with a 15 minute intermission.

About the Books:

Like a Cat Loves a Bird: The Nine Lives of Muriel Spark – James Bailey

‘She was, if you believe what you read in the papers: a genius, a survivor, a bad mother, a fickle friend, a closeted lesbian, a tyrant, a loner, an eccentric, a recluse, a gossip, and an arch-manipulator. She would politely encourage you not to believe what you read in the papers.’

Muriel Spark was one of literature’s great shapeshifters. That mercurial quality is found in her strange, brilliant, cruel novels – with their plots featuring pensioners receiving telephone calls from Death, the devil going clubbing in Peckham and a fascist schoolmistress leading her coterie of girls astray – but it is also true of her as a person.

As sly, nimble and elegant as Spark’s own work, Like a Cat Loves a Bird is a thrilling new perspective on a remarkable life and career that spanned much of the twentieth century. From her childhood in Edinburgh to her final years in Tuscany – via South Africa, London, New York and Rome – it traces a light-footed journey around the world and through her strange and magnificent bibliography. It tells an irresistible story of transformation, wit and fierce determination and makes a passionate case for this vital modern artist.

These Isles: A People’s History of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales – Brian Groom

An inventive new look at the entwined histories of Britain and Ireland’s nations – and the people who have called them home.

Acclaimed author and journalist Brian Groom reveals the colourful and often-contested history of the Celts, Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings, Normans and others who have occupied these islands, along with their culture, languages and passions.

Packed with surprise and insight, These Isles explores the role of religion, the British Empire, international diasporas and internal migration, gender relations and war in a nuanced and entertaining narrative.

With forays into popular culture, sport, music, language, literature and art, These Isles stretches from 800,000-year-old footprints on a Norfolk beach to the changing fortunes of the early twenty-first century. It offers a uniquely rich and kaleidoscopic vision of the shared stories of people across Britain and Ireland – past and present.

The Feminist Art of Walking – Morag Rose

The allure of the city is powerful, but not universally accessible. For many women, it can be exclusionary, exploitative and dangerous. In The Feminist Art of Walking, Morag Rose shows how women can and do claim their place in the public space.

Setting off to explore cities and towns across Britain, she traces local histories and personal stories and attunes herself to the wider resonances of women’s rights amidst alienating capitalist cityscapes. Craving connection and comradeship, she discovers a unique and inclusive approach to walking, celebrating diverse women who transform walking into an art form and act of resistance.

By experiencing the pleasures and pains of pedestrian exploration, she shows us how to reconnect with and become enchanted by our streets.

A Little History of the Earth – Jamie Woodward

A lively account of the history of our planet, from its earliest origins to the present day, told through the major geological changes and scientific breakthroughs

Where has our planet come from, and what lies beneath its surface? How have we come to understand its past and present environments, and what does its future look like? Thanks to scientists who study its rocks, fossils, and landscapes, we know that Earth history spans over four and a half billion years. But there is still much more to discover.

This Little History recounts our planet’s fascinating past and the science which has shaped how we think about it. Taking us from the formation of the Solar System, the evolution of our atmosphere and oceans, and the first signs of life, through to dinosaurs, mammals, and the eventual arrival of humans, Woodward shows us the full span of Earth history, from deep time to the Anthropocene. Along the way, we learn about the major breakthroughs of the pioneering scientists who have unearthed our planet’s secrets.

From fossils of ancient creatures to the very air we breathe, this is the essential guide to our world.