The week ahead in literary London
Wednesday: Ruth Padel is reading her work and talking over themes in the new issue of Off the Page! poetry review at the British Library (7pm, £6 / £4).
The London Literature Festival is still going strong - Joseph O'Connor discusses his new book Ghost Life, Aminatta Forna talks about life in Sierra Leone as related in her novel The Memory of Love, the Poetry Library is transformed into the Literature Lounge again for an evening of poetry and music, or you could enjoy short stories, a pub quiz and tweetup at The Complete Works.
Still on the Southbank, but in the purple Udderbelly cow, Luke Wright hosts Pop Up Poetry featuring slam champion Byron Vincent and the lovely Chris Addison doing his first ever poetry gig (9pm, £15 / £13).
Thursday: Iain Sinclair introduces West Coast beat poet and playwright Michael McClure at the London Review Bookshop (7pm, £6). He'll be reading from his new volume, Mysterios, and you can see the first London screening of the documentary Abstract Alchemist of Flesh.
Head to Oxfam's Victoria bookshop to hear four local poets showcase new work (6.30pm).
Cathi Unsworth talks about how London and music have influenced her novels at Westminster Reference Library (we're not going to make any comment about how rock 'n' roll a venue this may be; 6.30pm).
Andrea Levy reads from her new book The Long Song at the London Literature Festival, while Jeanette Winterson gives this year's Southbank Centre Lecture.
Friday: Alan Wolfson and Robert Yates perform at the Tea Box in Richmond, alongside open mic-ists (7.30pm).
John Hegley, Anjan Saha and writers from Tibet head to the Poetry Cafe to muse on freedom, devotion and justice (7pm).
At the London Literature Festival you have John Cooper Clarke, Brazilian writers Ana Maria Goncalves, Patricia Melo and Maria Valéria Rezende discussing their work and country from a woman's perspective, poets, writers and musicians marking the 50th anniversary of Congolese independence, while the Book Club reads Less Than Zero.
Saturday: Part of Oxfam's Bookfest, children's author Cressida Cowell (6pm), BBC Environment and Science Correspondent David Shukman (7.15pm) and poet and novelist Ben Okri (8.30pm) are appearing at the French Institute (all tickets £5).
John Hegley might as well sleep over at the Poetry Cafe because he returns for Elevenses, with poetry, music and wordplay (11am, £5 / £3).
Back at the Southbank Centre Hilary Spurling and Barbara Trapido read from and discuss their work, Susan Abulhawa comes in partnership with the Palestine Festival of Literature to talk about her novel Mornings in Jenin, João Paulo Cuenca and Tatiana Salem Levy ponder the prospects for younger writers in Brazil and the Book Club considers The Apple in the Dark.
Sunday: Jackie Kay talks about her life and work at the London Literature Festival at the Southbank Centre, Norman Lebrecht discusses Mahler and the Book Club does brunch in preparation for the World Cup final and Futebol: The Brazilian Way of Life (shame Brazil are out really).
Monday: Tony Parsons is at Foyles to chat about his book Men from the Boys, for the Time Out Book Club (6.30pm, £7).
Author and former army bomb disposal expert Chris Hunter talks about the 'real' Hurt Locker at the Earl's Court Festival (8pm, £7 / £5).
Poets Rachel Pantechnicon and Katherine Gallagher are in Deptford, with poetry from the floor and music from Dave Studdert (7.30pm, £3).
If you caught the Southbank Centre's Book Club reading Tahmima Anam's A Golden Age (and even if you didn't), you might want to see the adaptation and author Q&A during the London Literature Festival. Also appearing for your pleasure are Benjamin Moser, talking about Brazilian writer Clarice Lispector, and novelist Wena Poon.
Tuesday: Richard Russo and Elizabeth McCracken talk about whether America is over at Foyles (6.30pm, free but email to reserve a place).
Sina Queyras, Michael J Weller and Michael Zand read at the lovely Leather Exchange pub in London Bridge for the last Xing the Line before summer (7.30pm, £5 / £3).
Ruth O'Callaghan introduces poets Elaine Feinstein, Mimi Khalvati and Fiona Sampson at the Lumen Poetry Series. Poets from the floor are also welcome (6.30pm, £5 / £4). Please note that there will also be "WINE"!
Bret Easton Ellis is the star attraction - indeed, only attraction - of today's London Literature Festival, so you should probably snap your tickets up in advance (7.30pm, £10).
