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The Mercy Step launch: Marcia Hutchinson in conversation with Peter Kalu
House of Books & Friends are excited to be hosting Marcia Hutchinson in conversation with Peter Kalu on Saturday 19th July 2-4pm
Marcia will be discussing her new book “The Mercy Step”. There will also be a chance for a Q&A, and an opportunity to get your books signed. We will also be selling copies on the night.
Tickets
You can purchase a ticket-only option, or you can purchase a copy of each book from us to act as a ticket; see options below:
£16.99 Book and ticket available here (cost wise, the book is your ticket!)
About the book
December 1962 in Bradford, and the precocious Mercy makes her reluctant entrance into the world, torn from the warm embrace of her mother’s womb and thrust into a life that feels far too big for her small body. Mercy craves her mother’s attention, which she must share with the Church and her many siblings, while dodging the fists and temper of her abusive father. Quick-witted and wise beyond her years, Mercy feels like an outsider in her family, with everyone else seemingly happy to ignore the precarious house of cards they live in. But Mercy is nothing if not resilient, finding hope and escapism in books and learning, as well as her faithful toy, Dolly. She is determined to overcome her upbringing and save her family – no matter what it takes.
About the author
Marcia Hutchinson was born to Windrush generation Jamaican parents in the UK in 1962. She was the first pupil from her comprehensive school to go to Oxford, where she gained an MA in Law. She worked as a lawyer before founding the educational publishing company Primary Colours, which she ran until 2014. She was awarded an MBE in 2011 for services to Cultural Diversity.
She will be in conversation with Peter Kalu. He is a poet, fiction writer and playwright. He cut his teeth as a member of Manchester’s Moss Side Write black writers workshop and has had nine novels, two film scripts and three theatre plays produced to date. He gained his PhD in Creative Writing, Lancaster University, UK, in 2019.