We’re excited to welcome authors S J Bradley and Rachel Bower to the shop to discuss their respective works; short story collection Maps of Imaginary Towns and novel It Comes From The River.

Doors: 6.30pm, starts: 6.45pm

Tickets are £4.00. Admission is free when purchasing a copy of the book, which is available at a special launch event price of £14.99 on the evening or as part of the advance ticket.

About the books:

From futuristic colonies to drab estates, the inventive stories in S J Bradley’s MAPS OF IMAGINARY TOWNS showcase a remarkable range. With lyrical prose and psychological depth, Bradley illuminates the quiet heroism pulsing through seemingly ordinary lives. Beleaguered, yet resourceful social workers battle towering workloads; a harassed elderly childminder collapses under the strain; a victim of domestic abuse strikes out for freedom and disgruntled workers in dead-end jobs dream of a brighter future.

Infused with the folklore of Northern England, It Comes from the River is an unforgettable, uncanny debut about violence, resilience and hope – and the power of women when they work together.

In IT COMES FROM THE RIVER, Alex is trying to hold her growing family together with a husband who is becoming more and more difficult to keep happy. Lauren hopes that the new man in her life might present a fresh start for her and her two boys. And Nancy’s son has moved her into a care home where she feels entirely out of place, longing for her lost dog while dreaming of her own escape.

But there is something else at play here. Something lurking in the water or at the end of an unlit street; a shadow in a bag of strangers’ clothing; a chorus of voices calling in the distance. As each woman’s world spirals from her grasp, they feel it getting closer, revealing the truth of what binds them together, and what must be done to set each of them free…

About the authors:

S J BRADLEY is a writer from Wakefield. Her short fiction has appeared in various journals and anthologies including Conradology and Resist! Stories of Uprising from Comma Press, New Willesden Short Stories 7, Queen Mobs, Litro magazine, and Untitled Books. Her first novel, Brick Mother, and her second novel, Guest, are both published by Dead Ink. She is the editor of the Saboteur Award-winning anthology Remembering Oluwale, which is available from Valley Press. Her work as an arts organiser involves the non-profit literary social Fictions of Every Kind (which ran for 10 years), The Northern Short Story Festival and the Walter Swan Short Story Prize. She is also a teacher of creative writing including short story writing courses for Comma Press and First Story in Leeds and Bradford.

RACHEL BOWER is an award-winning writer from Bradford. Her poetry, fiction and academic work has been widely published in journals and magazines, including Magma, The London Magazine, The Rialto, Stand and The White Review. As well as her debut novel, she is also the author of two poetry books, These Mothers of Gods (Fly on the Wall Press) and Moon Milk (Valley Press) and a non-fiction book on literary letters, Epistolarity and World Literature (Palgrave Macmillan). Rachel is also a beekeeper, cold water enthusiast and the founder of Wild Writes, which runs workshops encouraging people to connect with nature and creativity.

Tickets are £4.00. Admission is free when purchasing a copy of the book. If you cannot make the event but would like a dedicated copy of the book, please email events.manchester@blackwell.co.uk or call us on 0161 274 3331.

Our event format is usually a 45 minute discussion between the author and interviewer, followed by a chance for audience members to ask questions. There will be the opportunity to get your book signed/dedicated after the event. Events are a brilliant opportunity to discover new books, meet authors and like-minded readers and learn something new.

Support your local bookshop and help us keep the Manchester literary scene vibrant and exciting. You can follow us on Eventbrite and social media (@BlackwellsMCR) to keep up to date on upcoming events.