Author appearances, poetry and spoken word events in London this week
Thursday 5 December
Atilla the Stockbroker, Phil Herbert and Cheryl McLennan are at Kentish Town Library for A Bookish Evening, raising money for C4WS Homeless Project. £5.95, 7.30pm
Celebrate Maureen Duffy at 80 with a full day of events at King's College, featuring Anne Sebba, Maggie Gee, Alan Brownjohn, Ruth Fainlight and more. Free, prebook, 9.30am start
Daniel Rosenthal talks with Adrian Scarborough about the National Theatre and his new book on its 50 years, at Foyles. Free, prebook, 6.30pm
It's the Bang Said the Gun Christmas Special, with Molly Naylor and all kinds of festive treats at the Roebuck. £7 / £5, 8pm
Faber hosts a Christmas party at its Bloomsbury office, with readings from Wendy Cope, Daljit Nagra and Clare Pollard. Plus mince pies and music. £8, 6.30pm
Take the kids to meet Lauren Child at Daunt Books Fulham Road. Free, 5pm
Dannie Abse reads from his latest collection, Speak, Old Parrot, at Waterstones Hampstead. £6 / £4, 7pm
Carlos Acosta and his editor Bill Swainson discuss the dancer's novel Pig's Foot, at the Bloomsbury Institute. £30 including book, 6.30pm
Justin Cartwright reads from Lion Heart at Waterstones Islington. £5 / £3, 6.30pm
Lionel Shriver reads at the Wapping Project. Go now before it's taken over. £6, 7pm
Join in an open mic at the Poetry Cafe - sign up by 2.30pm. Free, 3pm
Stinky Bear Press brings poets including Sophie Mayer, James Wilkes, Camilla Nelson, Björn Brekkusnigill and more to Stoke Newington for Venus as a Bear, a night of Björk-ish poetry (geddit?!). Free, 7.30pm
Waterstones Piccadilly's annual Christmas author extravaganza is tonight, with Michael Rosen, The Gentle Author, Hadley Freeman, Simon Garfield, Mark Kermode and just tons more. From 6.30pm
Friday 6 December
This should be brilliant: Tongue Fu meets Anti Slam at Rich Mix, featuring Adam Kammerling, Kat Francois, Ross Sutherland, Dan Simpson, Chris Redmond, Nathan Penlington and more. £8 / £6, 8pm
Robert Hampson, Jean Portante and Zoe Skoulding read their poetry at Xing the Line in Clerkenwell. £10, 7.30pm
Ruth O'Callaghan presents Patricia Averbach, Jane Blank, Gillian Henchley and Ann Pilling at Lumen Poetry in Camden. No price given, but previous events were £5 / £4, 7pm
Isabel Greenberg talks about her new graphic novel, The Encyclopedia of Early Earth, at Waterstones Covent Garden. Free, prebook, 6.30pm
Saturday 7 December
See Anthony Horowitz at St James Theatre talking about his Alex Rider novels. Book through Waterstones, £10 including goody bag, 11am
John Hegley hosts Elevenses at the Poetry Cafe with guests. £6 / £5, 11am
SW Zines hosts a Christmas social at Housmans. Free, bring a bottle, 7pm
Join writers, editors and publishers as they debate who are the gatekeepers of fiction publishing, in a Spread the Word event at the Free Word Centre. £20 / £10, 6pm
Go to Waterstones Chiswick from 4.30pm to meet local authors, with choirs and nibbles.
Sunday 8 December
Raymond Antrobus, Jacob Sam-La Rose, Burton Bradstock, Sh'maya and Roger Robinson join Jumoke Fashola, David Grant and Garth Crooks (yes, that Garth Crooks) for Jazz Verse Jukebox at Ronnie Scott's. £8, 7.30pm
Eyewear poets Barbara Marsh, Caleb Klaces, Kate Noakes and Sheila Hillier are introduced by Todd Swift at Torriano Poets in Kentish Town. £5 / £3, 7.30pm
Monday 9 December
An exhibition featuring dedications found in second hand books starts today at Foyles and runs to 30 December. Free
Philip Hoare is the big draw at this month's Polari at the Southbank Centre, but don't knock Barbara Brownskirt and music from Marcus Reeves. £5, 7.45pm
AC Grayling talks about friendship at the London Jewish Cultural Centre. £10 / £12, 8pm
Tall Lighthouse publishing hosts an open mic night at the Poetry Cafe. Free, 7.30pm
Tuesday 10 December
Actors tell new stories of snow and stars at Liars League, but don't expect it to be all twinkly: there are tales of anti-Fascist gardeners and Santa on a massive coke bender. Head to the Phoenix for free mince pies. £5, 7pm
Niall O'Sullivan hosts the Poetry Cafe's weekly open mic night, Poetry Unplugged. £5 / £4, 7.30pm
Wednesday 11 December
Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman sign copies of The 100 Most Pointless Arguments in the World at Waterstones Leadenhall Market. From 1pm, arrive early.
Agnes Meadow hosts the Poetry Cafe's night for women writers of all genres, Loose Muse. £5 / £3, 8pm
Stephen Grosz is among the guests at Waterstones Hampstead's authors evening from 6pm
Follow @LondonistLit for our pick of that day’s literary events.
