Book, poetry and spoken word events in London this week
Wednesday: Times journalist Ben McIntyre is at the Bloomsbury Institute talking about D-Day spies (6.30pm, £30 / £10 without book).
Pete the Temp hosts Jawdance from Apples and Snakes at Rich Mix, with Isley Lynn, Keith Drake, Paula Varjack and Wizard of Skill (7.30pm, free).
Thursday: Norton Juster celebrates the 50th anniversary of The Phantom Tollbooth's UK publication with Foyles (6.30pm, free).
Dorian Lynskey discusses the history of protest songs at the Big Green Bookshop (7pm, free).
Tony White launches his new novella Dicky Star and the Garden Rule, at the Free Word Centre (6.30pm).
Anna Le and Byron Vincent join Dan Cockrill, Martin Galton, Rob Auton and Peter Hayhoe for fun and japes at Bang Said the Gun (8pm, £5).
Tom Holland talks about the rise of the Arab Empire at Daunt Books in Marylebone (7pm, £8).
Poets Joe Dresner, Ruth O'Callaghan and Chris Beckett launch the new issue of Ambit magazine at the Owl Bookshop in Kentish Town (7pm, free).
Friday: Graphic novelist Darryl Cunningham talks about his latest publication investigating science myths and controversies at North Finchley Library (6.30pm, free, call 020 8359 3845 to reserve a place).
Hylda Sims presents Fourth Friday poetry from Valerie Laws and Norbert Hirschhorn plus music from Rattle on the Stovepipe at the Poetry Cafe (8pm, £6 / £5).
Saturday: Take your children to the Deptford Lounge and discover the world of Dickens with Sandra Agard (11.30am, free). There's more Dickens at King's College with a full day's Dickensfest (from 10am, free). There's even more to do as Cityread London draws to a close.
Nicholas Sparks discusses his novel The Lucky One, recently made into a film, at Foyles (3.30pm, £3).
Sunday: Bands and Books returns to Dalston, the books coming from Molly Naylor and Abigail Tartellin (7.30pm, £3 / £5).
Lip Thumb & Toe end their storytelling season at Brockley's Jam Circus with guest appearances from Miranda Roszkowski and Lewis Barefoot (7pm, £5).
Monday: Dfiza Benson and Dominic Berry are the featured performers at erotic literary soirée Velvet Tongue, plus appearances by Becky Fury, Katie Sarra, Annie Player and more (7pm, £3).
DA Prince, Matt Bryden, Paul Stephenson and Josh Ekroy launch issue 13 of Fourteen Magazine at the Poetry Cafe (7.30pm, £1 / £4 including copy of mag).
Tuesday: This is going to be a top night: YARN presents The Special Relationship storytelling night, with Tom Basden, Sam Taradash, Jarred McGinnis, Rich Fulcher, Nikesh Shukla and Craig Taylor at Shoreditch's Book Club (7.30pm, £5).
If you want to see Ben McIntyre cheaper than the event on Wednesday, head to Daunt Books in Marylebone where it's £8 including a glass of wine and a discount on the book (7pm).
Brian Cummings gives a talk on Shakespeare and the Reformation at the British Academy (6pm).
Book ahead: It's not just Dickens's 200th birthday this year, it's also Edward Lear's. One celebration that's bound to be popular features Michael Rosen and Roger McGough at the British Library on 13 May (2.30pm, £7.50 / £5).
Follow @LondonistLit for our pick of that day’s literary events
