Book Grocer: 23-29 November

Rachel Holdsworth
By Rachel Holdsworth Last edited 148 months ago
Book Grocer: 23-29 November

Book, poetry and spoken word events in London this week

Wednesday: There is an agonising choice at the Peckham Literary Festival. Do you see Jon McGregor - author of If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things, Even the Dogs and This Isn't the Sort of Thing That Happens to Someone Like You - at Review Bookshop (7pm, free), or do you head to Persepolis to see Steve Stack - otherwise known as Friday Project publisher Scott Pack - talk about his book 21st Century Dodos (7.30pm, free)?

Affable Barnsley poet Ian McMillan appears at the Richmond Literature Festival (7.30pm, £10 / £8.50).

Nikesh Shukla and Kieran Yates launch their ebook about the riots, Generation Vexed, at the Queen of Hoxton (8pm).

Poets, including Kirsty Irving, Tom Chivers, Tamarin Norwood, Sam Riviere and Andy Spragg, read work about prison, at the Horse Hospital (7pm, free).

Thursday: Vikram Seth makes a special appearance at the Richmond Literature Festival to talk about his new work, The Rivered Earth (7.30pm, contact festival for prices).

One Day author David Nicholls is the undoubted star attraction at Book Slam tonight (7.30pm, £10 on the door), but Luke Wright, Sophie Woolley and HowAboutBeth are not to be sniffed at. They're also launching an anthology of poetry and prose from Book Slam alumni, One For the Trouble, with contributions from Irvine Welsh, Hari Kunzru, Simon Armitage, Bernadine Evaristo and Kate Tempest.

There's comedy and poetry at Rich Mix with Tongue Fu: Aoife Mannix, Liv Torc, Zia Ahmed, Sh'maya and Dan Antopolski are here for your entertainment (8pm, £7 / £5).

Victoria Mosley reads from her debut novel Moonfisher at the Peckham Literary Festival (7pm, free).

Polarbear is doing a run at the Roundhouse - a multimedia theatre experience, apparently, examining two versions of the same person (until 3rd December, 8pm, £12.50 / £10).

Rubix Collective join the regular Bang Said the Gun crew for stand up poetry at the Roebuck (8pm, £5).

Hatchards hold their legendary Christmas customer evening tonight: there'll be wine, mince pies and authors including Edmund de Waal, Jeanette Winterson, Philip Kerr, Max Hastings and Celia Imrie (from 6.30pm).

Stephanie Gerra, Stephanie Goldberg, Irving Jones and Steve Keyworth read short stories and novel excerpts as Future Perfect presents CRACKED at the Poetry Cafe (8pm, £6 / £4).

Five Dials launch their latest issue at Rough Trade East with readings from Oli Todd and Emily Berry (7pm, free).

Friday: Two events at Richmond: Melissa Benn talks about the UK's education system (7.30pm, £10 / £8.50) and Olivia Laing and Luke Jennings discuss rivers (8pm, £10 / £8.50).

Clare Conville, Liz Hoggard and Sarah-Jane Lovett have written a book about Dangerous Women: find out more at the Peckham Literary Festival (7pm, free).

White Rabbit hold their latest storytelling night at Toynbee Studios, all about Tricks (7.30pm, £8).

Saturday: Edward Hogan is at Review Bookshop in Peckham to talk about his second novel The Hunger Trace (7pm, free), while the Domestic Sluttery team knocks back a gin or two at Persepolis (7.30pm, free).

At the Richmond Literature Festival, take your kids to see Gruffalo and Zog illustrator Axel Scheffler (10.30am, £8), or for something more grown up try an afternoon of food writers (from 3pm) or Marina Warner talking about magic (8pm, £12 / £10.50).

Grim Chimp, MCD, Bridget Minamore and Run Dem Crew Youngers, Sean Mahoney, Deanna Rodger and Yaaba Funk are the performers responding to the riots, at the Albany in Deptford (4pm, free).

The Shuffle launches its 2010/11 anthology at the Poetry Cafe (7.30pm, £4).

Stephen Watts, Cristina Viti, Ales Machack, Jane Kirwan and Jane Duran perform their poetry in St Mary's Crypt (7pm, £4).

Catch poetry/music collaboration The Ginger Light at the Horse Hospital (7.30pm, £5).

Sunday: John Hegley is joined by El Crisis and The Bonfire Band in Richmond (7pm, £10 / £8.50) and Janet Cronin is around to talk to youngsters about her World of Happy (10.30am, £6).

Anthony Horowitz and editor of the Sherlock Homes Journal, Roger Johnson, chat about Conan Doyle and his famous creation at the British Library (2.30pm, £7.50 / £5).

Highgate Poets Sarah Doyle, Diana Bishop, Ruth Ingram and Dennis Evans don't have to travel far to take part at Torriano Poets (7.30pm, £5 / £3).

Monday: Three London books get an airing at Kings Place (7pm, £9.50): Matteo Pericoli's London Unfurled (see what we thought), Jonathan Kemp's London Triptych and Jon Fink's A Storm in the Blood.

Coffee House Poetry host the fifth annual Troubador International Poetry Prize: 23 entrants read, plus judges Susan Wicks and David Harsent (8pm, £7 / £6).

John Hegley is joined by Diego Brown and the Good Fairy, Stetson Stan and Jane Ireland for Beyond Our Kennel at the Betsey Trotwood (9pm, £8 / £5).

Members of London's poetry groups duke it out at the Poetry Cafe: keep it clean, Greenwich and Forest Poets (7.30pm, free).

Tuesday: Charles Nicholl gets his literary detective hat on and tries to find Christopher Marloew's boyhood, among other things, at the London Review Bookshop (7pm, £7).

Niall O'Sullivan hosts the Poetry Cafe's open mic night (7.30pm, £4 / £3).

Follow @LondonistLit for our pick of that day’s literary events

Last Updated 23 November 2011