Village Books

It’s the summer of 1939 and London is on the brink of a catastrophic war. Iris Hawkins, an ambitious young woman in the stuffy world of City finance, has a chance encounter with Geoff, a technical whizz at the BBC’s nascent television unit. What was supposed to be one night of abandon draws her instead into an adventure of otherworldly pursuit – into a reality where time bends, spirits can be summoned, and history hangs by a thread. Soon there are Nazi planes overhead. But Iris has more to contend with than the terrors of the Blitz. Over the rooftops of burning London, in the twisted passages between past and present, a fascist fanatic is travelling with a gun in her hand. And only Iris can stop her from altering the course of history forever… Francis Spufford is the author of three novels and five highly-praised works of non-fiction which are most frequently described by reviewers as either ‘bizarre’ or ‘brilliant’, and usually as both. His debut work of fiction was the historical novel Golden Hill, which won the Costa First Novel Award, the RSL Ondaatje Prize, the Desmond Elliott Prize, and was shortlisted for four others. His second novel, Light Perpetual, was awarded the Encore Award and longlisted for the Booker Prize. His third novel, the alternative history Cahokia Jazz, was recognised by the Science Fiction community when it was awarded the Sidewise Award in 2023. He teaches writing at Goldsmiths College, University of London, and lives in Essex. Francis will be discussing Nonesuch with journalist Alex Peake-Tomkinson. Tickets: Book & ticket: £30 (includes a copy of Nonesuch, book RRP £20) Standard ticket: £12 Concession ticket (under 18): £10 Book tickets HERE A Village Books event in association with James Allen’s Girls’ School.

From the bestselling author of Miss Dior and Coco Chanel, a compelling history of the Crown told through the lens of royal fashion, sharing the secrets that lie beneath its sumptuous surface. From the birth of the house of Windsor in 1917, its leading women – Queen Mary, the Queen Mother, the Duchess of Windsor and Queen Elizabeth II – faced the perils of abdication and assassination, revolution and the rise of fascism, the threat of invasion and all-out war. Their sartorial decisions, alongside those of their royal husbands, projected power and perpetuity, diplomacy and defiance. In Fashioning the Crown Justine Picardie draws on original research in the Royal Archives and her own experiences at Balmoral, Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace to reveal the undercover lives of the creators behind the facade – and traces the ways in which visual iconography safeguarded the monarchy, even when their reign seemed to be hanging by a thread. Published ahead of the centenary of the birth of Queen Elizabeth II, and featuring more than 100 beautiful images, this book reveals the reinvention of British monarchy, as it fought to survive a tumultuous era of two world wars. Justine Picardie is the author of seven books, including the international bestsellers Miss Dior: A Story of Courage and Couture and Coco Chanel: The Legend and the Life. Previously the editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar, she was an investigative journalist for the Sunday Times, columnist for the Telegraph, editor of the Observer Magazine and features director of Vogue. Tickets: Standard ticket: £12 Book & ticket: £35 (includes a copy of Fashioning the Crown, book RRP £25) Concession ticket (under 18s): £10 Book tickets HERE A Village Books event in association with James Allen's Girls' School.

Join us for an evening with Nussaibah Younis and Bryony Gordon to discuss Nussaibah’s Women’s Prize Shortlisted book, Fundamentally. Nadia is an academic who’s been dumped by her girlfriend and disowned by her puritanical mother. Instead of going to therapy, she decides to accept a UN job rehabilitating ISIS women in Iraq. Sara is a sweary East Londoner who joined ISIS at just fifteen. Nadia feels inexplicably drawn to her and, as it turns out, they have a lot in common. That is, until a secret confession from Sara threatens everything Nadia has been working for. A bitingly original, wildly funny and wickedly sharp debut, Fundamentally upends a defining controversy of our age with heart, complexity and humour. Dr Nussaibah Younis is a peacebuilding practitioner and a globally recognised expert on contemporary Iraq. For several years, she advised the Iraqi government on proposed programs to de-radicalise women affiliated with ISIS. She studied at Oxford, Durham and Harvard Universities, and has a PhD in International Affairs. Dr Younis was a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council in Washington DC, where she directed the Task Force on the Future of Iraq. She was born in the UK to an Iraqi father and a Pakistani mother, and currently lives in London. Bryony Gordon is an award-winning journalist, author and mental health campaigner. She is the writer of six Sunday Times Bestselling books, including Mad Girl, Mad Woman, and You Got This. In her podcast, Life of Bryony, she openly explores life’s messier moments with refreshing honesty. In 2020 she won the Journalist’s Charity Special Award for her writing about mental illness and she was a judge for the 2025 Women’s Prize for Fiction. Tickets: Standard ticket: £12 Book & ticket: £20 (Includes a copy of Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis, book RRP £9.99) Concession ticket (under 18): £10 Book tickets HERE A Village Books event in association with Alleyn's Schools Enterprises.

The legend of the werewolf is reimagined in this thrilling, spine-tingling adventure by superstar author and illustrator Rob Biddulph. Jax, Jovi, Esau and Fourth live for full-moon adventures – sneaking out after curfew, dodging the Nighthawks and roaming the empty streets of Moonhaven. But when a rare werewolf attack rocks the town, the friends become prime suspects. With the Nighthawks closing in on anyone who was out after dark, they’re forced to run – setting off a chain of rumours, secrets and betrayals. As suspicion spreads, friendships are tested and the truth may be more dangerous than any of them imagined… Perfect for children of 8-12, this hardback is packed with more than 100 spectacular black-and-white illustrations by Rob. Rob Biddulph is a bestselling and multi award-winning author/illustrator. He was also the official World Book Day Illustrator for 2019, 2020 and 2021. Peanut Jones and the Illustrated City was his fiction debut followed by Peanut Jones and the Twelve Portals. In March 2020 he started #DrawWithRob. On 21 May 2020 he broke the Guinness World Record for the largest ever online art class when 45,611 people tuned in to his live #DrawWithRob YouTube class.

Join us for an evening with bestselling author ex-CIA analyst David McCloskey to celebrate the publication of his new book The Persian. David will be interviewed by author and journalist Tim Shipman. David McCloskey returns to his inside knowledge of the Middle East in his fourth novel: a gripping thriller exploring what happens when a loner spy is forced to reckon with the consequences of his deception. From Tehran to Tel Aviv, Istanbul and Stockholm, The Persian traces the rise and downfall of Kamran Esfahani, an Iranian Jew caught in the high stakes struggle between the spy agencies of Israel and Iran, and the secret he’s trying to take to his grave. Kamran Esfahani, a Persian Jewish dentist from Stockholm, dreams of starting afresh in California. To finance his new life, he agrees to spy for Mossad in Iran, working with a clandestine unit tasked with sowing chaos and sabotage inside the country. He soon finds himself entangled in a deadly game of spy vs. spy. When he’s captured by Iranian security forces, Kamran is compelled to confess his experiences as a spy, in a testimonial dealing not only with the security of nations, but also with revenge, deceit, and the power of love and forgiveness in a world of lies. David will be interviewed by bestselling author and award-winning journalist Tim Shipman - perhaps best known as Political Editor at The Spectator and author of four books on Brexit, he's also a leading spy fiction expert and on the board of Spybrary.com, for which he also writes. David McCloskey is a former CIA analyst. While at the CIA, he wrote regularly for the President’s Daily Brief during President Obama’s tenure, delivered classified testimony to Congressional oversight committees, and more. He worked in CIA field stations across the Middle East. He is the co-host with Gordon Corera of the successful The Rest is Classified podcast. His first novel, Damascus Station, set in Syria, was the bestselling debut spy novel of its year and shortlisted for a British Book Award. His second, Moscow X was a Waterstones Thriller of the Month and a Sunday Times Thriller of the Year. And his third, The Seventh Floor, was a Sunday Times Bestseller. The Persian is his fourth novel. A Village Books event in association with Alleyn's Schools Enterprises. Tickets: Standard ticket: £12 Book & ticket: £30 (includes a copy ofThe Persian, book RRP £20) Concession ticket (under 18): £10 Book tickets HERE

Helen Goh has been a recipe developer with Ottolenghi for more than a decade and is co-author with Yotam Ottolenghi of the best-selling books Sweet and Comfort. Join us for an evening of conversation with Helen and Yotam to celebrate the publication of Helen’s first solo book, Baking & the Meaning of Life. When we bake, it’s never just about the richness of the butterscotch or the crisp flakiness of the pastry. Whether you’re a beginner or a veteran, when you roll up your sleeves and get out the mixing bowl, you do it for reasons far beyond the mere production of a piece of food. Few know this better than Helen Goh, a baking columnist and co-author of bestsellers Sweet and Comfort, and – uniquely – a practising psychologist. In this, her first solo cookbook, Helen draws on her own life to bring together 100 favourite recipes that show how baking is the ultimate vehicle to convey joy and connection. There’s the buttery chocolate babka Helen and her son love to make together, a fragrant pandan chiffon cake that instantly transports her back to the familiar warmth of her Malaysian childhood, the cheesy cornbread muffins that are her go-tos for picnics, and her sweetly spiced orange madeleines that are deliciously simple and ideal to share. Helen Goh was born in Malaysia and moved to Australia with her family at age 11. A trained psychologist, she combines psychology practice with a cooking career, becoming head pastry chef at a landmark Melbourne restaurant before moving to London and joining Ottolenghi. Yotam Ottolenghi is an award-winning restaurateur and author. Tickets: Standard ticket: £12 Book & ticket: £36 (includes a copy of Baking & the Meaning of Life, book RRP £26) Concession ticket (under 18): £10 Book tickets HERE

Join Village Books and James Allen’s Girls’ School for a Christmas evening with cookery writer Skye McAlpine. The Christmas Companion is the indispensable guide to a cosy, relaxed and memorable Christmas. With sections covering Magic Making, Feasting and Making Merry the book is filled with delicious recipes, inspirational ideas and helpful advice for making the very most of the festive season. There are sections on how to plan a magical Christmas which includes craft ideas such as wreaths, homemade decorations, advent calendars and crackers, all with different levels of involvement depending on your time and crafting abilities. At the heart of the book are recipes for the whole winter season – from holiday parties, to bake sales, to Christmas lunch – whether you’re feeding two or twenty. Recipes include cocktails such as Amarena Amaretto Sour and Chestnut Martini, main dishes from Pomegranate-Glazed Turkey to Camembert and Cranberry Pithivier and a range of cakes and puddings like Gingerbread, Cranberry and Zabaione Trifle and Christmas Brownies. From planning to parties, The Christmas Companion brings the magic, warmth and sparkle of the Christmas season thanks to Skye’s aspirational meets effortless style. It will encourage you to do Christmas your way – picking and choosing the ideas, recipes and traditions that appeal to you. Skye McAlpine is a cookery writer who believes that food tastes best when shared with others. She is author of three other cookbooks, A Table in Venice, A Table for Friends and A Table Full of Love. She writes a monthly recipe column for The Sunday Times, as well as the popular Substack newsletter, ‘The Dolce Vita Diaries’; and contributes to publications from around the world. Tickets: Standard ticket: £12 Book & ticket: £37 (includes a copy of The Christmas Companion, book RRP £28) Concession ticket (under 18): £10 Book tickets HERE

Village Books in Dulwich Village is turning 100! Come and celebrate our birthday on Saturday 6th September from 9am to 5.30pm. There will be 15% off books and sationery all day. Plus the first 100 book buyers will get a free £5 book token. We have 100 helium balloons to give away plus face-painting and balloon modelling for children in the afternoon. From 3pm-5pm we have jazz with the Becky Munday Trio, celebratory fizz, and birthday cake.

When the Inter-Continental Kabul opened in 1969, Afghanistan’s first luxury hotel symbolised a dream of a modernising country connected to the world. More than fifty years on, the Inter-Continental is still standing. It has endured Soviet occupation, multiple coups, a grievous civil war, a US invasion and the rise, fall and rise of the Taliban. History lives within its scarred windows and walls. Lyse Doucet, the BBC’s Chief International Correspondent, has been checking into the Inter-Continental since 1988. And here, she uses its story to craft a richly immersive history of modern Afghanistan. It is the story of Hazrat, the septuagenarian housekeeper who still holds fast to his Inter-Continental training from the hotel’s 1970s glory days – an era of haute cuisine and high fashion, when Afghanistan was a kingdom and Kabul was the ‘Paris of Asia’. It is the story of Abida, who became the first female chef to cook in the Inter-Con’s famous kitchen after the fall of the Taliban in 2001. And it is the lives of Malalai and Sadeq, the twenty-something staff who seized every opportunity offered by two decades of fragile democracy – only to witness the Taliban roaring back in 2021. The result is a remarkably vivid history of how Afghans have survived a half century of destruction and disruption. It is the story of a hotel but also the story of a people. Tickets: Standard ticket: £12 Book & ticket: £32 (includes a copy of The Finest Hotel in Kabul, book RRP £22) Concession ticket (under 18s): £10 Book tickets HERE

Struggling to build healthy family eating habits? Join Dr Clare Bailey Mosley and child psychiatrist Professor Stephen Scott as they share simple, proven ways to transform family mealtimes. Discover quick, healthy recipes, clear boundaries and how shared meals can strengthen bonds with your children, improve behaviour, and bring real connection to even the busiest of households. Because it’s not just what we eat, but how we eat that matters. Dr Clare Bailey Mosley, her husband Dr Michael Mosley and their four children always shared family meals around their kitchen table. However hectic life became, sitting down to eat together was a priority which, Clare believes, helped to hold their busy family together. “Eating Together is the book I was writing before the sudden loss of my husband, Michael. Completing it became a source of strength and purpose in the months that followed. I hope it helps families to eat well but, more than that, I hope it encourages families to come together and appreciate one another.” Clare wrote Eating Together with the help of Stephen Scott, Professor of Child Health and Behaviours at Kings College London and a leading expert in parenting. The book is grounded in science, offering parents practical advice on building better family habits. Stephen is a local author and we’re delighted to be supporting the publication of his new book. “A great book with an incredibly important message. Essential for every family balancing time, money and health.” Chris Van Tulleken Tickets: Standard ticket: £12 Book & ticket: £30 (includes a signed copy of Eating Well, book RRP £20) Concession ticket: £10 Book tickets HERE

Somewhere, a Boy and a Bear. The extraordinary story of A A Milne, Christopher Robin and Winnie-the-Pooh. 2026 marks the centenary of the publication of Winnie-the-Pooh, one of the best-selling children’s books of all time. Best-selling biographer Gyles Brandreth knew the real Christopher Robin, and Somewhere, a Boy and a Bear is an intimate and revealing biography of A A Milne. When Winnie-the-Pooh first appeared in print on Christmas Eve 1925, his creator had no idea that this bear, and the fellow inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood, would go on to capture the imaginations of people of all ages all over the world for the next hundred years. In his new biography Somewhere, a Bear and a Boy, Gyles Brandreth tells the remarkable story of A A Milne, and of the ‘bear of very little brain’ who went on to become a global phenomenon. This is the story of a man, a boy and a bear – but it is also a gripping family drama, and a fascinating exploration of the complicated nature of growing up, and the impossible longing for a return to the enchanted places of childhood. Gyles Brandreth is a writer, broadcaster, podcaster, trustee of The Queen’s Reading Room charity, former MP and Chancellor of the University of Chester, as well as a regular on shows like Just a Minute, QI, Celebrity Gogglebox and This Morning. His many books include nine detective novels (The Victorian Murder Mysteries) and his best-selling autobiography Odd Boy Out. Since 2022 he has been appearing on stage with Dame Judi Dench in a show celebrating her life and on tour throughout the country with his own one man show. An award-winning podcaster, he hosts the multi-million download Top Ten podcast Rosebud exploring the first memories of remarkable people. Tickets: Standard ticket: £12 Book & ticket: £35 (includes a copy of Somewhere, A Boy And A Bear by Gyles Brandreth, book RRP £25) Concession ticket (under 18): £10 Book tickets HERE

Join Village Books and Alleyn’s Schools Enterprises with Sabrina Ghayour. Persiana Easy is a brand-new collection of inspiring recipes from the bestselling Middle Eastern chef – each carefully designed to be as easy as possible. Every recipe in Persiana Easy balances irresistible Middle Eastern flavours with accessible cooking. From midweek meals and traybakes to pastries and sweet treats, this collection features easy recipes to delight your family and friends, time and again. ‘For me, ease can be delivered in a number of ways and as always, I’ve wanted to deliver big flavour with minimal effort in a variety of different recipes ranging from the simple, more everyday recipes to recipes for times when something a little more special is called for, giving something for absolutely everyone for every mood and occasion.’ Sabrina Ghayour Sabrina Ghayour is a self-taught home cook turned chef, cookery teacher and food writer. She made her name hosting the hugely popular ‘Sabrina’s Kitchen’ supper club in London, specialising in Persian and Middle Eastern flavours, and went on to be named the Observer’s Rising Star in Food. Her cookery books include Persiana which became a global bestseller, Feasts, Bazaar, Simply and Persiana Everyday. Tickets: Standard ticket: £12 Ticket & book: £37 (includes a copy of Persiana Easy, book RRP £28) Concession ticket (under 18s): £10 Books tickets HERE

In February 2025, Michael Palin travelled to Venezuela to get a sense of what life is like in one of South America’s most culturally rich, vibrant but also troubled nations. In the journal he kept during his trip he gives a vivid account of the towns and cities he visited, the landscapes he travelled through, and the people he met. Venezuela is illustrated throughout with colour photographs taken on the trip, and permeated with his warmth and humour, this is a vivid and varied portrait of a complex country. Michael Palin has written and starred in numerous TV programmes and films, from Monty Python and Ripping Yarns to The Missionary and The Death of Stalin. He has also made several much-acclaimed travel documentaries, his journeys taking him to the North and South Poles, the Sahara Desert, the Himalayas, Eastern Europe and Brazil. His books include accounts of his journeys, novels (Hemingway’s Chair and The Truth) and several volumes of diaries. Please note: this event will be an hour-long talk by Michael Palin. We regret that there will be no time for questions. All books purchased will be signed by Michael Palin. Tickets: Ticket & book: £32 (includes a signed copy of Venezuela by Michael Palin, book RRP £20) Two tickets & one book: £44 (includes a signed copy of Veneuzuela by Michael Palin, book RRP £20) Book tickets HERE

A thrilling true story of courage, resistance and ultimately betrayal in the Third Reich captured by internationally bestselling author and prize-winning journalist Jonathan Freedland. The Traitors Circle tells the true, but scarcely known, story of a group of secret rebels against Hitler. Drawn from Berlin high society, they include army officers, government officials, two countesses, an ambassador’s widow and a former model – meeting in the shadows, whether hiding and rescuing Jews or plotting for a Germany freed from Nazi rule. One day in September 1943 they gather for a tea party – unaware that one among them is about to betray them all to the Gestapo. But who is the betrayer of a circle themselves branded ‘traitors’ by the cruellest regime in history? In another page-turning work of nonfiction that reads like a thriller, Jonathan Freedland, acclaimed author of The Escape Artist, sheds light on one of the most dramatic episodes of the second world war, telling a story of courage, resistance and ultimate betrayal that has deep moral resonance for our own time, and asks what kind of person it takes to risk everything and stand up to tyranny. Jonathan Freedland is the author of the Sunday Times bestseller The Escape Artist which was shortlisted for the Baillie Gifford, Rathbones Folio and Waterstones Book of the Year prizes. A Guardian columnist, Freedland has won awards for Columnist of the Year and Commentator of the Year and is a past winner of an Orwell Prize for Journalism. He is the presenter of BBC Radio 4’s contemporary history series, The Long View, and the author of twelve other books, three of them non-fiction, including his first, the award-winning Bring Home the Revolution. Tickets: Standard ticket: £12 Book & ticket: £30 (includes a signed copy of The Traitors Circle by Jonathan Freeland, book RRP £22) Concession ticket: £10 Book tickets HERE

Feminist History for Every Day of the Year by internationally bestselling author and feminist champion Kate Mosse tells the story of women’s and girls’ history, sweeping across the world and through the ages. From Mary Anning to Simone Biles, Billie Eilish to Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Malala Yousafzai to Mary Wollstonecraft, Shirley Chisholm to Jayaben Desai, Lily Parr to Sophie Scholl, discover the stories of 366 incredible women throughout history. Within these pages you’ll find well known figures and unsung heroes, key cultural moments and forgotten stories, spanning across the world and through time, from ancient times to the modern day. Kate Mosse is an award-winning novelist, playwright, essayist and non-fiction writer. The author of eleven novels and short-story collections, her books have been translated into thirty-eight languages and published in more than forty countries. The Founder Director of the Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction, she is also the founder of the global #WomanInHistory campaign. Tickets: Standard ticket: £12 Ticket & book: £30 (includes a signed copy of Feminist History for Every Day of the Year, book RRP £20) Concession ticket (under 18s): £10 Book tickets HERE