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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250706T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250706T120000
DTSTAMP:20250601T152342Z
CREATED:20250505T113757Z
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SUMMARY:Little Bookworms July
DESCRIPTION:Have you got a little bookworm in your life? Then look no further than House of Books & Friends. We are excited to invite you to Little Bookworms\, our monthly book club for 8-12 years. The book club runs the first Sunday of every month\, 11am-12pm. \nFor July\, we will be reading The Swifts by Beth Lincoln. You have until the day of the book club to finish the title – this is available to buy as part of your ticket\, or you can purchase a ticket only. \nAs well as discussing the book\, there will be book-related activities each month for our Little Bookworms to get stuck into\, fun quizzes and games\, and squash and biscuits for all. Our Little Bookworms will also get their own book lovers passport to add to each month they attend as they jet set around the world through reading. \nAll sessions will be ticketed: £7.99 for the book and ticket\, and £2 for just the ticket. All little ones must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets can be purchased on our website and in store. A limited number of complementary tickets will also be reserved for those who might need them so please do let us know. \nIf you have any questions about the book club or tickets\, you can always take a look at our website\, email us\, or ask a friendly bookseller in store. \nAbout the book: \nDiscover the hilarious New York Times bestselling mystery adventure perfect for fans of Robin Stevens and Lemony Snicket. \nOn the day they are born\, each Swift is brought before the Family Dictionary. They are given a name and a definition\, and it is assumed they will grow up to match. Unfortunately\, Shenanigan Swift has other ideas. \nSo what if her relatives all think she’s destined to turn out as a troublemaker\, just because of her name? Shenanigan knows she can be whatever she wants – pirate\, explorer or even detective. \nWhich is lucky\, really\, because when one of the Family tries to murder Arch-Aunt Schadenfreude\, someone has to work out whodunit. \nWith the help of her sisters and cousin\, Shenanigan grudgingly takes on the case\, but more murders\, a hidden treasure and an awful lot of suspects make thing seriously complicated. \nCan Shenanigan catch the killer before the whole household is picked off? And in a Family where definitions are so important\, can she learn to define herself?
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.com/event/little-bookworms-july
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Children's Events
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ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250711T000000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250711T000000
DTSTAMP:20250711T110325Z
CREATED:20250711T110325Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250711T110325Z
UID:8900-1752192000-1752192000@houseofbooksandfriends.com
SUMMARY:The Book Club: Monday 23rd June *ONLINE*
DESCRIPTION:This session of The Book Club will take place on Monday 23rd June 7-8pm via Zoom. This month\, we are reading Amphibian by Tyler Wetherall\,  a tender\, haunting coming-of-age debut about desire\, precocity and the intensity of early friendships. £9.99 is the price of the book and a ticket to the session. The book can be delivered directly to you (please add your shipping address and tick the box for shipping) or you can collect it in store free of charge. You can buy a book and ticket here. \nIf you already own a copy of the book\, you can purchase a ticket only for £3. You can purchase a ticket only here. \nFor those unable to afford a book or ticket at present\, we have a limited amount of complementary books/tickets. Please contact the bookshop via bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.com or call 07597365380. \nOne of our booksellers will lead the book club\, and the group will be split up into smaller groups in breakout rooms to discuss the questions. A Zoom link will be emailed to ticketholders prior to the event starting. \nWe always ask that you be respectful and kind whilst discussing the book and others’ opinions of it. \nAbout the Book: \nHas a queasily compelling power’ The Times\n\n‘Haunting and visceral as a fairytale’ Lilly Dancyger \n‘Brims with sex and violence and threat\, and moves to a crescendo of strange and magical beauty’ Rebecca Stott\n\nSissy is used to being on the outside. The new girl in her West Country school\, she recently arrived with her troubled mother\, prone to letting Sissy fend for herself.\nBut from the day Sissy fights a boy in front of Tegan\, she’s no longer alone. Bonded by violence\, they grow so close they feel like one being: wrapped around each other in bed at sleepovers\, sending photographs to men they meet online\, and scaring each other with reports of the girls being snatched at night in their town. \nOver the course of the school year\, they find themselves on the threshold of girlhood\, with threats gathering thick and fast around them. And as their make-believe worlds bleed into their daily lives\, Sissy feels herself transforming into something strange and terrifying. \nAmphibian is a tender\, haunting coming-of-age debut about desire\, precocity and the intensity of early friendships that have the power to upend our lives. \nAbout the Author: \nTyler Wetherall is a journalist and author. Her debut novel\, Amphibian\, was released in 2024. Her first book\, No Way Home: A Memoir of Life on the Run\, came out in 2018 from St. Martin’s Press\, following her childhood spent on the run with her fugitive father. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times\, British Vogue\, The Guardian\, National Geographic\, LitHub\, Vice\, and Condé Nast Traveler\, amongst others. Tyler has made appearances on podcasts and radio including BBC Outlook\, Good Life Project\, and Radiotopia’s Criminal. She is also the creator of Reading the City\, a weekly newsletter of bookish events taking place around New York City. Her writing is represented by Emma Parry at Janklow & Nesbit Associates. She is currently the senior editor at James Beard award-winning drinks magazine SevenFifty Daily and lives in Brooklyn with her husband.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.com/event/the-book-club-monday-23rd-june-online-2
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250716T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250716T193000
DTSTAMP:20250701T133600Z
CREATED:20250618T135408Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250701T133600Z
UID:9041-1752688800-1752694200@houseofbooksandfriends.com
SUMMARY:The Feminist Book Club with Kate Feld
DESCRIPTION:House of Books & Friends are delighted to announce that we are hosting the Feminist Book Club with facilitator Kate Feld. Taking place monthly\, this will be a space for people of all genders to discuss feminist books. In July\, we will be discussing Indelicacy by Amina Cain. \nTickets for this event are now sold out. Feminist book club returns on the third Wednesday of each month (August 20th) \n  \nAbout the book: \nIn an undefined era and place\, a cleaning woman at a museum of art aspires to do more than simply dust the paintings around her.  She dreams of having the liberty to explore them in writing\, and so must find the way to win herself the security and time to use her mind. She escapes her lot by marrying a rich man\, but having gained a husband\, a house\, high society and a maid\, she finds that her new life of privilege is no less constrained. Not only has she taken up different forms of time-consuming labour — social and erotic — but she is now\, however passively\, forcing other women to clean up after her. Perhaps another and more drastic solution is necessary?
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.com/event/july-feminist-book-club-with-facilitator-kate-feld
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Untitled-design-80.png
ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250719T140000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250719T160000
DTSTAMP:20250522T123941Z
CREATED:20250522T094721Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250522T123941Z
UID:8823-1752933600-1752940800@houseofbooksandfriends.com
SUMMARY:The Mercy Step launch: Marcia Hutchinson in conversation with Peter Kalu
DESCRIPTION:House of Books & Friends are excited to be hosting Marcia Hutchinson in conversation with Peter Kalu on Saturday 19th July 2-4pm \nMarcia 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. \nTickets \nYou 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: \n£5 Ticket only available here \n£16.99 Book and ticket available here (cost wise\, the book is your ticket!) \nAbout the book \nDecember 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. \nAbout the author \nMarcia 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.\n \nShe 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.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.com/event/mercy-step
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Author Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/1-1.png
ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250725T090000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250725T143000
DTSTAMP:20250711T110257Z
CREATED:20250711T110257Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250711T110257Z
UID:9275-1753434000-1753453800@houseofbooksandfriends.com
SUMMARY:Character Storytime with the Gruffalo!
DESCRIPTION:Get Ready for a Magical Gruffalo Adventure! \nThe Gruffalo’s coming — don’t you know?\nJoin our story time\, come say hello!\nWith tricky mice and forests deep\,\nA magical adventure you’ll want to keep! \nWill the Gruffalo be there? Oh yes\, he will!\nCome find out if you’ve got the thrill! \nThis isn’t just any story time — the Gruffalo himself will be there\, ready to join the fun and bring the story to life right before your eyes! \n🗓 Friday 25th July\n📍 House of Books and Friends \n🎟️ Best part? It’s totally FREE! But hurry — spots are going quickly! Grab your place now at one of the following sessions: \n\nSession one: 9:15am – 10:00am\nSession two: 10:45am – 11:30am\nSession three: 1:30pm – 2:15pm
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.com/event/character-storytime-with-the-gruffalo
CATEGORIES:Children's Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Children-Summer-Programme-3.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250728T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250728T200000
DTSTAMP:20250626T173105Z
CREATED:20250624T114759Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250626T173105Z
UID:9102-1753729200-1753732800@houseofbooksandfriends.com
SUMMARY:The Book Club: Monday 28th July *ONLINE*
DESCRIPTION:This session of The Book Club will take place on Monday 28th July 7-8pm via Zoom. This month\, we are reading Your Neighbour’s Table by Gu Byeong-mo\,  a thought-provoking story of community and the cultural expectations of motherhood. £10.99 is the price of the book and a ticket to the session. The book can be delivered directly to you (please add your shipping address and tick the box for shipping) or you can collect it in store free of charge. You can buy a book and ticket here. \nIf you already own a copy of the book\, you can purchase a ticket alone for £3. You can purchase a ticket only here. \nFor those unable to afford a book or ticket at present\, we have a limited amount of complementary books/tickets. Please contact the bookshop via bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.com or call 07597365380. \nOne of our booksellers will lead the book club\, and the group will be split up into smaller groups in breakout rooms to discuss the questions. A Zoom link will be emailed to ticketholders prior to the event starting. \nWe always ask that you be respectful and kind whilst discussing the book and others’ opinions of it. \nAbout the book: \nWhen Yojin moves with her husband and daughter into the Dream Future Pilot Communal Apartments\, she’s ready for a fresh start. Located on the outskirts of Seoul\, the experimental community is a government initiative designed to boost the national birth rate. Like her neighbours\, Yojin has agreed to have at least two more children over the next ten years. \nYet\, from the day she arrives\, Yojin feels uneasy about the community spirit thrust upon her. Her concerns grow as communal child care begins and the other parents show their true colours. Your Neighbour’s Tabletraces the lives of four women in the apartments\, all with different aspirations and beliefs. \nWill they find a way to live peacefully? Or are society’s expectations stacked against them from the start? \nA trenchant social novel from an award-winning author\, Your Neighbour’s Table incisively illuminates the unspoken imbalance of women’s parenting labour and the challenges of working towards a better life. \nAbout the Author: \nGu Byeong-mo was born in 1976 in Seoul. She studied Korean language and literature at Kyung Hee University\, and worked as an editor. She made her literary debut with the novel Wizard Bakery (2009)\, which won the Changbi Prize. It became bestseller in Korea and was translated into many different languages. Her short story collection Hoping That It Wasn’t Only Me (2015) received Writer of the Year Award and Hwang Sun-won Literary Award for New Writers.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.com/event/the-book-club-monday-28th-july-online
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Our-July-title-is.-1.png
ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250729T103000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250729T113000
DTSTAMP:20250711T112249Z
CREATED:20250711T110430Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250711T112249Z
UID:9258-1753785000-1753788600@houseofbooksandfriends.com
SUMMARY:Children's Bookish Crafts!
DESCRIPTION:Calling All Creative Kids! \nHouse of Books and Friends is thrilled to invite your little bookworms to Bookish Crafts — a fun-filled morning of imagination and creativity! \n🗓 Tuesday 29th July🕚 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM📍 House of Books and Friends \nChildren will get crafty making their very own felt bookmark to take home — perfect for marking their next adventure in reading! And guess what? A delicious packed lunch is included! \n🎟️ This magical event is completely FREE\, but spaces are limited — be sure to book now to avoid disappointment!
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.com/event/childrens-bookish-crafts
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Children-Summer-Programme-7.png
ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250730T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250730T190000
DTSTAMP:20250626T114924Z
CREATED:20250624T115257Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250626T114924Z
UID:9104-1753898400-1753902000@houseofbooksandfriends.com
SUMMARY:The Book Club: Wednesday 30th July *EVENING*
DESCRIPTION:This session of The Book Club will take place on Wednesday 30th July\, 6pm-7pm\, in person. This month\, we are reading Your Neighbour’s Table by Gu Byeong-mo\,  a thought-provoking story of community and the cultural expectations of motherhood. £10.99 is the price of the book and a ticket to the session. The book can be delivered directly to you (please add your shipping address and tick the box for shipping) or you can collect it in store free of charge. You can buy a book and ticket here. \n\nIf you already own a copy of the book\, you can purchase a ticket alone for £3. You can purchase a ticket only here. \n\nFor those unable to afford a book or ticket at present\, we have a limited amount of complementary books/tickets. Please contact the bookshop via bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.com or call 07597365380. \n\nOne of our booksellers will lead the book club\, and the group will be split up into smaller groups in breakout rooms to discuss the questions. A Zoom link will be emailed to ticketholders prior to the event starting. \n\nWe always ask that you be respectful and kind whilst discussing the book and others’ opinions of it. \n\nAbout the book: \n\nWhen Yojin moves with her husband and daughter into the Dream Future Pilot Communal Apartments\, she’s ready for a fresh start. Located on the outskirts of Seoul\, the experimental community is a government initiative designed to boost the national birth rate. Like her neighbours\, Yojin has agreed to have at least two more children over the next ten years. \n\nYet\, from the day she arrives\, Yojin feels uneasy about the community spirit thrust upon her. Her concerns grow as communal child care begins and the other parents show their true colours. Your Neighbour’s Tabletraces the lives of four women in the apartments\, all with different aspirations and beliefs. \n\nWill they find a way to live peacefully? Or are society’s expectations stacked against them from the start? \n\nA trenchant social novel from an award-winning author\, Your Neighbour’s Table incisively illuminates the unspoken imbalance of women’s parenting labour and the challenges of working towards a better life. \n\nAbout the Author: \n\nGu Byeong-mo was born in 1976 in Seoul. She studied Korean language and literature at Kyung Hee University\, and worked as an editor. She made her literary debut with the novel Wizard Bakery (2009)\, which won the Changbi Prize. It became bestseller in Korea and was translated into many different languages. Her short story collection Hoping That It Wasn’t Only Me (2015) received Writer of the Year Award and Hwang Sun-won Literary Award for New Writers.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.com/event/the-book-club-wednesday-30th-july-evening
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:The Book Club
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Our-July-title-is.-1.png
ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.com
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250731T140000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250731T150000
DTSTAMP:20250708T140115Z
CREATED:20250624T115351Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250708T140115Z
UID:9106-1753970400-1753974000@houseofbooksandfriends.com
SUMMARY:The Book Club: Thursday 31st July *AFTERNOON*
DESCRIPTION:This session of The Book Club will take place on Thursday 31st July\, 2pm-3pm\, in person. This month\, we are reading Your Neighbour’s Table by Gu Byeong-mo\,  a thought-provoking story of community and the cultural expectations of motherhood. £10.99 is the price of the book and a ticket to the session. The book can be delivered directly to you (please add your shipping address and tick the box for shipping) or you can collect it in store free of charge. You can buy a book and ticket here. \nIf you already own a copy of the book\, you can purchase a ticket alone for £3. You can purchase a ticket only here. \nFor those unable to afford a book or ticket at present\, we have a limited amount of complementary books/tickets. Please contact the bookshop via bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.com or call 07597365380. \nOne of our booksellers will lead the book club\, and the group will be split up into smaller groups in breakout rooms to discuss the questions. A Zoom link will be emailed to ticketholders prior to the event starting. \nWe always ask that you be respectful and kind whilst discussing the book and others’ opinions of it. \nAbout the book: \nWhen Yojin moves with her husband and daughter into the Dream Future Pilot Communal Apartments\, she’s ready for a fresh start. Located on the outskirts of Seoul\, the experimental community is a government initiative designed to boost the national birth rate. Like her neighbours\, Yojin has agreed to have at least two more children over the next ten years. \nYet\, from the day she arrives\, Yojin feels uneasy about the community spirit thrust upon her. Her concerns grow as communal child care begins and the other parents show their true colours. Your Neighbour’s Tabletraces the lives of four women in the apartments\, all with different aspirations and beliefs. \nWill they find a way to live peacefully? Or are society’s expectations stacked against them from the start? \nA trenchant social novel from an award-winning author\, Your Neighbour’s Table incisively illuminates the unspoken imbalance of women’s parenting labour and the challenges of working towards a better life. \nAbout the Author: \nGu Byeong-mo was born in 1976 in Seoul. She studied Korean language and literature at Kyung Hee University\, and worked as an editor. She made her literary debut with the novel Wizard Bakery (2009)\, which won the Changbi Prize. It became bestseller in Korea and was translated into many different languages. Her short story collection Hoping That It Wasn’t Only Me (2015) received Writer of the Year Award and Hwang Sun-won Literary Award for New Writers.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.com/event/the-book-club-thursday-31st-july-afternoon
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Our-July-title-is.-1.png
ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.com
END:VEVENT
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