Book Grocer: 15-21 February

Rachel Holdsworth
By Rachel Holdsworth Last edited 145 months ago
Book Grocer: 15-21 February

Book, poetry and spoken word events in London this week

Wednesday: See Shearsman poets Tim Allen and Jeremy Reed at Swedenborg Hall (7.30pm, free).

Becky Cremin and Alan Halsey read from their new collections at Xing the Line, at the Apple Tree (7.30pm, £5 / £3).

Open Ealing launches its first Poetry night with readings and an open mic session from (from 8pm, free).

Thursday: Joanne Harris is the big name judge at Literary Death Match (8.15pm, £5 / £8) tonight, alongside Rhodri Marsden and Suzi Ruffell. Competing for their approval are Steve Furst, Katy Darby, Sarah Tucker and Lloyd Shepherd.

Two excellent guests at Windsor's Firestation Book Swap: author DJ Connell and illustrator Steven Appleby join hosts Marie Phillips and Scott Pack (7.45pm, £5 / free with homemade cake).

Martin Figura and Adam Kammerling are the guest stand up poets at Bang Said the Gun (8pm, £5).

Historian Kate Williams talks about her first novel with Suzi Feay at Foyles (6.30pm, free but email to reserve a place).

Dr Timothy Grady launches his new book about German Jewish soldiers in WWI at the Wiener Library (6.30pm, free but email or call to reserve a place).

Southwark and Forest Gate Stanza groups come together at the Poetry Cafe for a performance (7.30pm, free).

Friday: Dodo Modern Poets host a book launch at the Poetry Cafe with Emile Sercombe, Lisa Hitchin and PR Murry (8pm, free).

Saturday: Charlie Dark, Joe Coelho, Debbie Guneratne and host Ty put on an interactive poetry show for kids, with Apples and Snakes, at the Half Moon Theatre (11am / 2pm, £6).

Find out who stole Bear's hat and join in the hat making fun at Foyles Westfield White City's storytelling session (11am, free).

Jewish Book Week starts today though, er, at the time of writing their website was down. Never mind, it's all happening at Kings Place so you can browse events there. We'll preview properly later this week.

Sucking on Words promise a night of sonic poetry from Rob Lavers, Simon Morris, Nick Thurston and Dutch avant-garde composer Jaap Blonk, at the Whitechapel Gallery (7.30pm, £7 / £5).

Sunday: Today's when Jewish Book Week really gets going. We'd pick Anne Sebba on Wallis Simpson (11am, £6.50), and discussions about Fagin (3.30pm, £9.50) and poet Yahuda Halevi (5pm, £9.50) as our highlights.

Monday: Lavinia Greenlaw, David Harsent, Emma Jones and Ahren Warner talk about being a poet at the Royal Society of Literature (limited tickets available on the door from 6pm, £8 / £5).

Coffee House Poetry considers what we should have said, in the company of Ellen Cranitch, Robert Minhinnick, Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch, Stuart Silver, music and open mic (8pm, £7 / £6).

Our pick of today's Jewish Book Week events is a discussion of Bob Dylan's poetry, in association with Poet in the City (7pm).

Mr Gee hosts Chill Pill at the Soho Theatre, with spoken word and stories from Raymond Antrobus, Deanna Rodger, Simon Mole and Kim-Leng Hills (8pm, £5).

Tuesday: Senior editor at Atlantic Books, Sarah Norman, is the guest at Writers' Club Live (7pm, £15/ £20).

There's an evening with poet Elisa Biagini at Waterstone's Piccadilly, organised by Poet in the City (6.30pm, £9.50).

Back at Jewish Book Week, we like the sound of Michele Hanson talking to Stephanie Calman (1pm, £6.50) and Pam Fox and Michael Grade talking about the Liberal Jewish Synagogue (7pm, £9.50).

Michael Slater looks at how London's police were portrayed in Dickens's work, at the Bishopsgate Institute (7.30pm, £8 / £6).

Test our your own poems at Poetry Unplugged, the Poetry Cafe's open mic night hosted by Niall O'Sullivan (7.30pm, £5 / £4).

Head to Clerkenwell Tales to hear local historian Tudor Allen chat about Little Italy (6.30pm, free).

The Crick Crack Club storytellers hold two events today: first, for families, Sally Pomme Clayton takes us on a journey through Grimm's fairy tales at the Unicorn Theatre all this week (11am / 1.30pm, £7) and second, for 14+, Ben Haggerty and musician Sherry Robinson go on a journey with Beauty and the Beast at Soho Theatre (8pm, £8).

Alan Jenkins, Fiona Sampson and Ahren Warner are at the Lumen Poetry Series, hosted by Ruth O'Callaghan (6.30pm, £5 / £4).

The Blue Bus pulls up at The Lamb again, with poets Bridget Penney and Ulli Freer on board (7.30pm, £5 / £3).

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

Last Updated 15 February 2012