London Book And Poetry Events: 24-30 July 2014

Laura Reynolds
By Laura Reynolds Last edited 116 months ago
London Book And Poetry Events: 24-30 July 2014

Take a Keats-themed tour around Hampstead, from Keats House. See Saturday.

Thursday 24 July

ANTHOLOGY LAUNCH: The Poetry Cafe hosts the launch of Poets in the Afternoon, a small anthology by 32 poets who have performed at The Poetry Cafe in the past. Free, just turn up, 4.30pm

TOTTENHAM OUTRAGE: Matt Baylis, author of The Tottenham Outrage, is at Big Green Bookshop in Wood Green to discuss the book, which is a sequel to Death at the Palace, his previous detective novel set in the Wood Green area. £3, prebook, 7pm

CHILDHOOD IN BURMA: Wendy Law Yone will be at Waterstone's Richmond speaking about Golden Parasol: A Daughter's Memoir of Burma, the story of her childhood in Burma and her father's political actions during such a tumultuous period of the country's history. £3, prebook, 7pm

BUSINESS BOOK: Local writer and deputy chair of Saatchi Richard Hytner talks about and signing copies of Consiglier, his business advice book, at West End Lane Books. Free, prebook, 7.30pm

SURF MAMA: Wilma Johnson talks about her life in France and surfing, at Clapham Books. Free, just turn up, 7.30pm

Friday 25 July

SUMMER PARTY: Fourth Friday Summer Party takes place at The Poetry Cafe, with poetry and music from Hylda Sims, Jon Sayers and the Crispy Hot Club as well as floor poets. £7/£5, just turn up, 8pm

Saturday 26 July

POETRY WALK: Keats House hosts one of the regular Keats in Hampstead walking tours today. Explore places related to Keats' life, accompanied by readings of his poetry. These walks always sell out quickly, so book well in advance. £8/£6, prebook, 11am

LONDON ADVENTURE: To celebrate the new edition of Arthur Machen’s The London Adventure, Robert Kingham leads a 'Grey Soul of London' walk, introducing the public to Arthur Machen’s Finsbury. We've been on this, and highly recommend it, even if you're new to Machen. £9/£7, prebook, 2pm

MARIANNE KAVANAGH: Local author Marianne Kavanagh is at Waterstone's Covent Garden to sign copies of her debut novel, For Once In My Life. 2pm

WORD FACTORY: The Word Factory's summer masterclass at Waterstone's Piccadilly features authors Evie Wyld, Cynan Jones and Naomi Wood. £8-£40, prebook, 6pm

Sunday 27 July

POETRY SALON: The London Review Bookshop near Holborn hosts its second Sunday Poetry Salon. Annie Freud, author of The Best Man That Ever Was and The Mirabelles, will be in conversation with Amy Key, who co-edits the journal Poems in Which. It's followed by a group discussion. £15, prebook, 2pm

POETRY AFTERNOON: Keats House in Hampstead has an afternoon of poetry and spoken word with performances by the Keats House Poets and poet Miriam Nash, plus an open mic. Free, just turn up, 2pm

VELVET TONGUE: Erotic literature evening Velvet Tongue returns to The Book Club in Shoreditch with readings and performances from Pat Cash, Jacob V Joyce and Susana Medina. £5/£3, just turn up, 7pm

TORRIANO POETS: This week’s poetry reading at Torriano Poets Meeting House in Kentish Town features Kathy Pimlott, Sophie Herxheimer and Matthew Caley, introduced by Pauline Sewards. £5/£4, just turn up, 7.30pm

Monday 28 July

FOLK CLUB: Torriano Metting House in Kentish Town hosts Unity Folk Club, where various singers and poets perform. Particular focus is on those who work against war, capitalism, exploitation, privatisation, imperialism and globalisation. £3, just turn up, 7.30pm

Tuesday 29 July

POETRY READING: Well-known Vincentian and Caribbean poet and short story writer Philip Nanton has recently published Island Voices: From St Christopher & The Barracudas. He is at New Beacon Books in Finsbury Park to give a reading from the book. 6.30pm

VIV GROSKOP: Journalist, mother and stand up comedian Viv Groskop is at West End Lane Books to talk about I Laughed, I Cried (or How One Woman Took On Stand Up and (Almost) Ruined Her Life. It's her last appearance before the Edinburgh Festival. Free, prebook, 7.30pm

POLARI: The LGBT Literary Salon returns to Southbank Centre, with Paul Bailey, Janet Ellis, Tiffany Murray, Vernal Scott and Wayne Herbert.£5, prebook, 7.45pm

Wednesday 30 July

LONDON IRISH: John Healy and Tony Murray are at Housmans bookstore in King's Cross to discuss Murray's new book London Irish Fictions. It's the the first book about the literature of the Irish in London, and one of the books he studied was John Healy’s autobiography The Grass Arena. 7pm

SOVIET COOKING: Waterstone's Piccadilly hosts award-winning food writer Anya von Bremzen, who discusses her book, Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking, in the Russian Bookshop of the store. It's part family memoir, part historical epic and part modern day kitchen adventure. Free, prebook, 7pm

WIDEBOY FASHION: Also at Waterstone's Piccadilly is historian Sean Longden, talking about how 'wide boys' dressed in the literature of the period and how their fashions were depicted on screen. Free, prebook, 7pm

ATROCIOUS POETRY: Anti-Slam Apocalypse sees poets performing their poetry terribly — intentionally. Poets fighting it out to be crowned the most cringe-inducingly terrible at the end of the night are Sophia Blackwell, Malcolm Head, Adam Kammerling and Stephen Frizzle. Takes place at Hackney Attic. £6/£5, prebook, 7.30pm

STANZA BONANZA: Reading and Portsmouth & Havant go head to head in tonight's Stanza Bonanza at The Poetry Cafe with members of both teams doing poetry readings and performances. Free, just turn up, 7.30pm

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

Last Updated 23 July 2014