We are thrilled to welcome Caleb Klaces to Blackwell’s to hear him discuss his second novel, Mr Outside, a striking mixed-media story which explores the tales we tell about our lives and the fragile line between reality and delusion.

Doors: 6.45pm, starts: 7pm

Please note that the café closes at 6.30pm, so please feel free to come along earlier if you’d like to grab a coffee and browse ahead of the event start!

Tickets are £4. Admission is free when purchasing a copy of the book.

About the book:

During a time of restricted movement, the narrator of Mr Outside visits his reclusive father Thomas who is packing up to move into a care home. As father and son grapple with the task, long-buried conflicts resurface. Thomas, a poet and former radical priest, slips between affection and fear, while the narrator struggles to find the words he’s been holding back. Yet amidst confusion and grief, moments of humour and connection emerge, as both men discover new ways to listen.

“I was utterly absorbed by this riveting, wonderful book, and thought about little else during the days I read it. The prose is unsparing – clear yet enigmatic, clipped yet voluminous. Every page carries a startling moment or detail. By the end of it, you’re left with a sense of the turbulence and bewildering beauty of a whole life. Mr Outside is a major achievement.” – Martin MacInnes, author of Ascension

About the author:

Caleb Klaces is the author of the novel Fatherhood, which won a Northern Writers Award and was longlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize, and the poetry collections Away From Me and Bottled Air, which won an Eric Gregory Award and the Melita Hume Prize. He grew up in Birmingham.