Even if you've never been to Wood Green you might have heard of the Big Green Bookshop. When a certain bookselling chain packed up and left the High Road, Simon and Tim refused to leave N22 without a book shop. Now they're running the first ever Wood Green Literary Festival.
The festival theme is a Celebration of London and you'd better clear your diary over the weekend of 11-13 October as there are stacks of London-themed events to fit in and some tough choices to be made between them. Here's just a taster of the most Londony things in the programme:
Smoke: A London Peculiar, a tasty festival warm up session with Jude Rogers and Matt Haynes, on Wednesday 9 October at the Big Green Bookshop, 7pm. Tickets £3.
London History: Stranger than Fiction with Travis Elbrough and Max Décharné, Friday 11 October at the Big Green Bookshop. Tickets £3
Georgian London with Lucy Inglis on Saturday 12 October at 1.30pm, Wood Green Library. Tickets £3.
"This Other London: Adventures in the Overlooked City" with John Rogers on Saturday 12 October at 3.30pm, Wood Green Library. Tickets £3.
The Gentle Author's London Album - a live presentation of favourite pictures from Spitalfields Life - on Saturday 12 October at 5pm, Wood Green Library. Tickets £4.
Crap London: find out which parts of London made the Crap London grade on Saturday 12 October at 5pm, St Mark's Hall. Tickets £3.
Capital Filth, explores sex writing in the city with Suzanne Portnoy, Lucy Felthouse, Emily Breen, Robin Sweet and Hallie Rubenhold at the Karamel Club, 7pm. Tickets £5.
Literary Bike Ride: Londonist had a hand in setting this north London literary loop of a route which departs and finishes at the Great Northern Railway Tavern in Hornsey. Starts 9am, tickets £5.
London's History through Crime Fiction, panel includes Chris Fowler (of Bryant & May fame), DE Meredith and Lloyd Shepherd on Sunday 13 October at St Mark's Hall at 3pm. Tickets £3.
Esoteric London is a pocket sized publication of photos, notes, quotes and miscellanea by Roger Dean. Be at the book launch on Sunday 13 October at 7pm, the Big Green Bookshop. Free, but please reserve your place.
The Great London Quiz with Greg Stekelman AKA The Man Who Fell Asleep. Just how good is your London knowledge? Test your trivia banks at the Great Northern Railway Tavern, Hornsey at 8pm. Tickets £10 a team. Good luck!
In addition, there are loads of events for kids, including The London Factor short story writing competition, plus writing and publishing workshops, speed pitching to agents, the Big Green Bookswap, authors in conversation and interesting small publishers showcasing their books. It's going to be fantastic.
Wood Green Literary Festival takes place Friday 11 - Sunday 13 October. Tickets range from £3-£6, lots of free stuff too. Browse all events and buy tickets here.
We featured the Big Green Bookshop in our independent book shop series in 2009
