Events

Hope: A Tragedy - Shalom Auslander at Jewish Book Week, 2012

2012-02-26T16:55:10Z

Hope: A Tragedy

Darkly hilarious, dangerously subversive and extraordinarily bold, Shalom Auslander delivers a hilarious and disquieting examination of the burdens and abuse of history. The hero of Hope: A Tragedy had hoped to escape the past, history, wars and genocide in a rural US town but nothing happens as expected. Find out more from one of the most original, wittiest and darkest voices on the Jewish American scene. Join the cult!

Shalom Auslander comes from an ultra-Orthodox background in Monsey, New York. Nominated for the Koret Award for writers under thirty-five, he has published articles in Esquire, the New York Times Magazine, Tablet and the New Yorker and has had stories aired on NPR's This American Life. He is the author of the short-story collection Beware of God and the memoir Foreskin's Lament. He lives in New York.

Bidisha is a regular guest on BBC programmes such as Front Row, The Review Show and Saturday Review and has presented The Word and Night Waves. She is also a regular contributor to The Guardian and The Observer. She published her first novel in her first year of university. Her third book is a travel memoir: Venetian Masters.

Hope: A Tragedy is published by Picador.

12.30pm, Sunday 26th February
Kings Place, 90 York Way, N1 9AG

Six Word Memoirs at Jewish Book Week

2012-02-25T16:51:13Z

Hemingway's legendary challenge to write a novel in six words--"For sale: baby shoes, never worn"-- has unintentionally created one of the hottest modern literary trends. In 2006, SMITH Magazine gave the six-word story a personal twist, calling it the Six-Word Memoir. Now more than half a million Six-Word Memoirs on SMITHmag.net and a bestselling book series later, SMITH Magazine comes to celebrate the release of its Oy! Only Six? Why Not More? -- Six Words on the Jewish Life.

During a Six-Word Memoir story show, writers and performers including Lail Arad, Shalom Auslander, Joan Bakewell and David Mills will start with a Six-Word Memoir, and then reveal the back story in six minutes. At the show's end everyone is invited to share a Six-Word Memoir during a participatory Six-Word Slam.

Host: Larry Smith

9.00pm, Saturday 25th February
Kings Place, 90 York Way, N1 9AG

For full details of Jewish Book Week: jewishbookweek.com

Literary Supper with Simon Callow

2012-02-23T23:37:50Z

Charles Dickens and the Great Theatre of the World in association with Museum of London

As London celebrates the Dickens bicentenary, beloved actor, director and writer Simon Callow will discuss his biography of the literary legend in our first supper of 2012. Callow will look at Dickens' life through the lens of the theatre, reflecting on the importance of the stage for such a master storyteller. He will be in discussion with the Museum of London's curator Alex Werner.

Tickets: £40, including a three-course meal and a welcome drink. To reserve for this event please call: 0207 870 9900 or email stpg@searcys.co.uk

6.30 - 10pm, 23rd February, St Pancras Grand Restaurant, St Pancras International

Etgar Keret at Jewish Book Week, 2012

2012-02-23T16:45:02Z

The critically acclaimed master short-story teller Etgar Keret gives us a taste of his magic with his new collection of stories. More absurd, humorous, surreal and compassionate than ever, they reflect Israel's uncanny reality. Yet, at the same time, Keret's characters are defined by a familiar and fierce humanity which is truly universal. Etgar talks to Tim Samuels with readings by David Morrissey.

Etgar Keret is a leading voice in Israeli literature and cinema. He is the author of five bestselling collections, which have been translated into twenty-nine languages, writes for prominent international journals and newspapers and has also written a number of award-winning screenplays. Jellyfish, his directorial debut with his wife Shira Geffen, won the Camera d'Or prize for best first feature at Cannes in 2007.

Suddenly, A Knock on the Door is published by Chatto & Windus. And, one of the stories from this collection will be published here on Untitled Books, in February.

Details.

For the full programme at Jewish Book Week: jewishbookweek.com

7.00 pm, Thursday 23rd February
Kings Place, 90 York Way, N1 9AG

Jewish Book Week 2012, 18 - 26 February

2012-02-18T16:39:47Z

Ron Arad, Shalom Auslander, Zygmunt Bauman, Jeremy Ben Ami, Alain de Botton, Umberto Eco, Jonathan Safran Foer, Linda Grant, Etgar Keret, Claude Lanzmann, Deborah Lipstadt, Simon Schama, David Schneider....

At-a-glance listing.

Full details: www.jewishbookweek.com

Granta 118: Exit Strategies - The London Launch

2012-02-09T15:04:13Z

Join Granta contributors and editors to celebrate the launch of Granta 118: Exit Strategies, with drinks and a dramatic reading of Anne Tyler's 'The Beginner's Goodbye', an extract from her forthcoming novel, which spotlights Aaron, a man whose home is the site of a freak accident that has both severely damaged his house and claimed the life of his beloved wife.
Exit Strategies is the latest issue of Granta, the magazine of the best new writing from around the world. This issue explores personal and political exit strategies with new work from Aleksandar Hemon, Claire Messud, John Barth, Susan Minot and more.

6.30 - 8pm, 9th February 2012
The Gallery, Foyles, 113-119 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0EB

For details

AN OLIVER TWIST FOR OUR TIMES

2012-02-07T14:47:22Z

Are you a budding photographer or perhaps you received a shiny new camera for Christmas and can't wait to get outside and take some photographs? Vintage Classics recently launched a competition in association with the Guardian to find a new cover for Oliver Twist to herald the beginning of Dickens' bicentennial year and is asking photographers to imagine and capture how Oliver Twist's world would look now.

The winning photograph will be featured on the cover of a new edition of the novel published in April 2012. The deadline has just been extended to 7th February so if you are a budding photographers or know anyone who is do visit the Guardian for more information.

Dickens Book Club - Bleak House

2012-02-06T23:33:53Z

Foyles has joined forces with the Museum of London to mark the opening of their Dickens and London exhibition. On the eve of the 200th anniversary of Dickens' birth, join Dickens and London curator Alex Werner, to revisit Bleak House.

6.30 - 7.30pm, 6th February, Foyles, Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0EB

Samantha Harvey & Tessa Hadley in Conversation

2012-01-30T14:59:38Z

This special event brings together two of Britain's most acclaimed writers as they their latest books are released. Samantha Harvey, whose debut The Wilderness was shortlisted for the Orange Prize, publishes her second novel, All Is Song, which sees a son begin to share his late father's concerns about his brother. The short stories of Tessa Hadley have been printed in Granta, the New Yorker, and here in Untitled Books amongst others, and her latest collection, Married Love, is full of domestic dramas, generational sagas and tumultuous affairs. Join them in conversation with literary journalist and blogger Suzi Feay for an enlightening evening of discussion.

6.30 - 7.30pm, 30th January 2012
The Gallery, Foyles, 113-119 Charing Cross Road, London WC2H 0EB

Mark Haddon and Michael Rosen at Canada Water Library

2012-01-23T14:53:42Z

Stop What You're Doing and Read This! - Authors Mark Haddon and Michael Rosen discuss why reading is good for you.

In a world of fast-moving technology and increasing demands on your time, why should you stop what you're doing and read a book?

Michael Rosen and Mark Haddon discuss the importance of reading and how great books can transform the way you see the world. Michael and Mark will be joined by Miranda McKearney and Debbie Hicks from The Reading Agency.

Take a look at the blog.

In association with Vintage Books and The Reading Agency's Mood-boosting Books campaign.

This is a free event but booking is essential. To book your place please contact southwark.libraries@southwark.gov.uk or 020 7525 1570.

7 - 8.30 pm, 23 January 2012
Canada Water library, 21 Surrey Quays Road, SE16 7AR

First Fictions - A Festival for Readers & Writers

2012-01-20T09:18:21Z

First Fictions launches at the University of Sussex with a weekend of author events and panel discussions around new literary possibilities.

Among those helping to celebrate first works will be Ian Rankin - with an exclusive reading from his unpublished first novel - Elleke Boehmer, Steve Bell, distinguished critic and literary editor, Suzi Feay, and winner of the Authors' Club Best First Novel Award, Jonathan Kemp.

First Fictions will explore new departures in different literary genres, with a particular focus on science fiction, crime writing, the graphic novel and life writing. It also brings writers of fiction in contact with visual artists and cartoonists, such as the graphic novelist Bryan Talbot and the cartoonist Steve Bell, to produce an environment in which a new thinking of future fiction becomes possible.

The festival offers an opportunity to engage with the development of creative and critical ideas in a unique multi-disciplinary environment as well as the chance to meet and talk with a range of writers, academics and publishers.

10am-10pm each day, Friday 20th January, 2012 to Sunday 22nd January, 2012

Fulton Building, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton (map)