Jul 19, 2024

The latest edition of The Thursday Book Club was broadcast on 18th July 2024 at 2pm on Phonic FM. Joining host Jonathan Posner were Su Bristow and Jason Mann. Click the names to find out more about them, and use the audio bar below to listen to the full show.

 

We reviewed two books: Saltblood by Francesca de Torres and our book by a local author was Exe on the Beach by Suzy Bussell.

NEWS

In the News section, we announced books by local authors and local news:

  1. Devon author Liz Shakespeare will be attending a number of events this summer to meet her readers and sign copies of her books. Liz has written seven books set in Devon, bringing to life the stories she finds in old newspapers, on gravestones and in parish records. Her most recent book, The Ordeal of Miss Lucy Jones, tells the true story of a 19th century Torrington scandal. Liz will be signing copies of all her books at the charity craft fair at Clovelly Parish Hall on this Saturday, July 20, then at the Clovelly Maritime Festival on Sunday, July 21, the Launceston Show on July 25 and in the Magpie Marquee at the Mid-Devon Show on July 27. In August she will be at a number of events: check the listen-again feature for the full list. In September she will be at the Appledore Book Festival on September 19th.
    You can find Liz’s full schedule here.
    And if you can’t make it to any of these, you can always get hold of her books or find out more about Liz at www.lizshakespeare.co.uk.

  2. Alice Allan’s new book, The Whispering Trees is now out. Exclusive to UK bookshops it has an advance review from none other than Robert Macfarlane who describes it as ‘a terrific book’. It is in stock in half a dozen bookshops already and can be ordered in any others. It is deliberately not being offered on Amazon as a way of helping to support local businesses.
  3. Jonathan recently met up with Rosemary Griggs at the Tuckers Hall in Exeter, as part of the Henry VIII tour in June. Rosemary has two books set in Tudor England, in her Daughters of Devon Series; A Woman of Noble Wit and The Dartington Bride. Both books are available on Amazon.
  4. I was there – I think is by Biku Ghosh. It’s a collection of short stories of lives with dementia, other disabilities and inequalities from around the world. This book has been out for a couple of years, but Biku has asked us to mention it, as all proceeds go to Alzheimer’s Society. “Memory is the diary we all carry with us,” Oscar Wilde wrote. But unlike photography and a written diary, memory does not ‘capture’ the past and sometimes disappears for unknown reasons. “As you get older, three things happen. The first is your memory goes, and I can’t remember the other two,” said Norman Wisdom. Look for I was there – I think on Amazon.
  5. Word Kitchen is a group who organise open mic readings in poetry and prose. They are pausing their face-to-face events over the summer, and are back in the Phoenix Exeter on the 10th September, then on the 21st September they are in the Brook Kitchen Budleigh Salterton as part of the Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival (see also below). Do come along and listen to great local authors reading from their works. More info is at https://www.wordkitchen.org.uk.
  6. Karen Barrett is releasing her children’s rhyming board book for 0-5 years olds on the 13th August. It’s dedicated to David Attenborough and it’s about an adventurous panda bear who travels around the world learning about animals. This is book one in the series, called The Adventurous Panda visits Asia. There’s also a seek and find element throughout, and a lift the flap feature.
  7. Local festivals coming up:
    The Budleigh Salterton Literary Festival runs from Sept 18 to 22. Tickets go on sale to the general public next week (July 22).
    https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/budleigh-salterton-literary-festival

    The Appledore Book Festival (tickets already available) – runs from Sept 13 to 22.
    https://appledorebookfestival.littleboxoffice.com