Meet The Author : Stephanie Williams on ‘Running The Show’
May 30th, 2011
Thursday 2nd June 7pm at Lord Leycester’s Hospital Stephanie Williams will be talking about her new book ‘Running The Show : Governors of the British Empire 1857 – 1912′
What was it like to be a governor of a British colony? To be suddenly despatched across the world to a place of which you knew nothing? Who would do the job? How were they chosen? What were they actually doing, so far away from home?
Running the Show is a book about ordinary men, trying to do a job of work. Made up of episodes from the lives of governors serving around the world, it presents a kaleidoscope of people, places and events – and stories of how, for better or worse, attempts were made to order them. Drawing on private letters, diaries and Colonial Office dispatches, their stories will entertain, enlighten and surprise. At a time when the world has shrunk , when globalization has become the catchline of our times, and when in Britain people are beginning to look at the empire again, no longer so much in guilt as curiosity, Running the Show will throw new light on how the countries that once made up the British Empire came to be the way they are today.
Stephanie Williams talk will be fascinating and entertaining. Tickets £3.50 (£2 concessions) will be available from Warwick Books and Kenilworth Books.
Warwick Books ‘Meet The Author’ : Tim Pears on ‘Disputed Land’
May 25th, 2011
On Wednesday 25th May, as part of Warwick Books ‘Meet The Author’ series, Tim Pears gave a talk about his novel ‘Disputed Land’ at Warwick Library.
Leonard and Rosemary Cannon summon their middle-aged offspring, along with partners and children, to the family home in the Welsh Marches for the Christmas holiday. As the gathered family settle in to their first Christmas together for some years, the grown siblings – Rodney, Johnny and Gwen – are surprised when they are invited to each put stickers on the furniture and items they wish to inherit from their parents. “Disputed Land” is narrated by Leonard and Rosemary’s thirteen-year-old grandson, Theo, who observes how from these innocent beginnings age-old fissures open up in the relationships of those around him.Looking back at this Christmas gathering from his own middle-age – a narrator at once nostalgic and naive – Theo Cannon remembers his imperious grandmother Rosemary, alpha-male uncle Johnny, abominable twin cousins Xan and Baz; he recalls his love for his grandfather Leonard and the burgeoning feelings for his cousin Holly. And he asks himself the question: if a single family cannot solve the problem of what it bequeaths to future generations, then what chance does a whole society have of leaving the world intact?
Tim gave us a couple of readings from his latest novel, and much background on how he got to where he is (well-established upper middle-rank author but picked out only recently as someone who deserves to be on the top rungs), his research for his books and how he actually constructs them. Absolutely fascinating stuff, and the audience was totally absorbed as the fund of questions showed. Lovely man, thought-provoking books….
Niki Segnit on “Flavour Thesaurus”
May 14th, 2011
On Saturday 14th May at 2.45 pm, Niki Segnit will be talking about her book “Flavour Thesaurus” in the Marquee, Kenilworth.
“Flavour Thesaurus” has had brilliant reviews from critics and restaurateurs alike. Niki will take us on a magical tour matching almost every flavour you can think of with every other- something that has never been done in quite this way. It will be a tour de force!
Praise for “Flavour Thesaurus”
Aram Bakshian, The Wall Street Journal, 18 December 2010 To savor “The Flavor Thesaurus” fully it helps to think of its author, Niki Segnit, as a culinary marriage broker. An imaginative but practical matchmaker, she has a gift for pairing sometimes lackluster ingredients in a way that brings out the best in them and makes them more appealing as a couple than they ever were as loners…Even experienced home cooks will find much that is new and challenging here…[Niki Segnit] shares an eloquent vocabulary with us in this delicious book.
Nigel Slater, Observer New Review Best Books of the Year, 14 November 2010 The books I value most are those I return to again and again. Such has been the case with The Flavour Thesaurus by Niki Segnit (Bloomsbury). It has intrigued, inspired, amused and occasionally infuriated me all year, and will for years to come.
GOOP, Gwyneth Paltrow’s weekly newsletter For new cooks and old hands in the kitchen, this book is a must-have and a must-read. Not only are the flavor combinations and recipes offered useful, but Niki Segnit’s descriptions of each and every one are delightful to read. It’s a combination between a bedtime read and a kitchen companion. The American version will be available from Bloomsbury USA in November.
Tickets are £5 and this includes the talk and demo by Kerstin Rodgers….wonderful value!
