Village Books

Village Books presents award-winning author of This is Going to Hurt, Adam Kay, for a talk about his follow up book Undoctored. This is Going to Hurt was the publishing phenomenon of the century, read by many millions, and adapted into a major TV series. But it was only part of the story. Undoctored, Adam’s funniest and most moving book yet, covers what’s happened since hanging up his scrubs. Battered and bruised from his time on the NHS frontline, Kay looks back, moves forwards and opens up some old wounds. Adam Kay is an award-winning writer and comedian. His debut book, This is Going to Hurt, is a literary sensation: a Sunday Times number one bestseller for over a year, and winning a record-breaking four National Book Awards, it has sold over 2.5 million copies making it the bestselling UK narrative non-fiction book of the 21st century. Tickets £16.50 (plus Eventbrite booking fee) Book tickets HERE A Dulwich Festival event.

Alison Weir, No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author of the Six Tudor Queens series, returns with the second in a captivating new trio of novels spanning three generations of history’s most iconic family, the Tudors: Henry VIII: The Heart and the Crown A young boy grows up dreaming of knights and chivalry. Harry is the second son. He is never meant to rule. But the death of his brother changes everything, and great destiny awaits this young prince. One day he will be the most infamous king in English history… Alison Weir is the biggest-selling female historian (and the fifth best-selling historian) in the United Kingdom since records began in 1997. She has published thirty-two titles and sold more than 3 million books worldwide. Tickets £12.50 (plus Eventbrite booking fee) Book tickets HERE A Dulwich Festival event.

ukmini Iyer is the bestselling author of The Roasting Tin series. India Express is her most personal book to date. Inspired by a conversation with her parents, talking about the 24-hour train journeys they used to take when courting in India. India Express features easy weeknight one- tin and one-pan curries, as well as everyday Bengali and South Indian recipes from both sides of Rukmini’s family. Rukmini Iyer is a recipe writer, food stylist and former lawyer, who loves creating delicious and easy recipes with minimum fuss and maximum flavour. Her Roasting Tin books have sold over 1.5 million copies globally, and have been described by The Guardian as ‘some of the best cookbooks of the past decade.’ Tickets £12.50 (plus Eventbrite booking fee) Book tickets HERE A Dulwich Festival event.

We can’t wait to welcome ex-Alleyn’s student Caleb Azumah Nelson back to Dulwich to talk about his latest novel Small World. Caleb’s debut novel won the Costa First Novel Award and Debut of the Year at the British Book Awards. The one thing that can solve Stephen’s problems is dancing. Stephen has only ever known himself in song. But what becomes of him when the music fades? When his father begins to speak of shame and sacrifice, when his home is no longer his own? How will he find space for himself: a place where he can feel beautiful, a place he might feel free? Set over the course of three summers in Stephen’s life, from London to Ghana and back again, Small Worlds is an exhilarating and expansive novel about the worlds we build for ourselves, the worlds we live, dance and love within. Caleb will be in chatting to Marie-Claire Azumah whose debut novel One for Sorrow, Two for Joy was published in August 2022. Tickets £12.50 (Plus Eventbrite booking fee) Book tickets HERE A Dulwich Festival event.

Tristan Gooley: How to Read a Tree, Clues and Patterns from Roots to Leaves Presented by Village Books Did you know that you can find north by looking at the bark of a London Plane tree? Or that the veins on a leaf can help you find water? In How to Read a Tree, you’ll discover the signs trees are giving you about their past and the landscape that surrounds it. And you’ll learn rare skills that can be applied every time you pass a tree, whether you are in a town or a wilder spot. As the author of the international bestsellers The Walker’s Guide and How to Read Water, Tristan Gooley knows how to uncover the phenomena worth looking for. He has been instructing people in the art of reading trees for two decades. Unlike other books of this ilk, Tristan shifts the focus to what you can see. Once you have learned to see these things it is impossible to unsee them – you will never look at a tree the same way again! ‘An important book and a pleasure to read.’ – Raynor Winn, author of The Salt Path Tickets: Standard ticket: £12 Book & ticket: £27 (includes a copy of How to Read a Tree, book RRP £20) Book tickets HERE

Control: The Dark History and Troubling Present of Eugenics by Adam Rutherford How did an obscure academic idea pave the way to the Holocaust within just fifty years? Why does eugenics still loom large in the 21st century, despite its genocidal past? Did eugenics work? Could it work? Or was it always a pseudoscientific fantasy? Throughout history, people have sought to reduce suffering, eliminate disease and enhance desirable qualities in their children. In the Victorian era eugenics, a full-blooded attempt to impose control over unruly biology, began to grow among the powerful and quickly spread to dozens of countries around the world. But these ideas are not merely historical: today, with new gene editing techniques, conversations are happening about tinkering with the DNA of our unborn children to make them smarter, fitter, stronger. Deeply steeped in contemporary genetics, Control offers a vital account of one of the defining – and most destructive – ideas of the twentieth century. Dr Adam Rutherford is a science writer and broadcaster. He studied genetics at University College London, and during his PhD on the developing eye, he was part of a team that identified the first genetic cause of a form of childhood blindness. He has written and presented many award-winning series and programmes for the BBC, including the flagship weekly Radio 4 programme Inside Science and The Curious Cases of Rutherford & Fry with Dr Hannah Fry. Tickets £12 Book tickets HERE Monday 24th April 2023 7.30pm