Village Books

Hidden away behind high stone walls in the centre of London is Lambeth Palace Garden, a 10-acre site that has been continuously cultivated for more than a thousand years. Join Head Gardener Nick Stewart Smith as he unlocks the gates and invites us to wander through a secret garden where nature is at the heart of everything and where a thoughtful approach to gardening creates a haven for all sorts of native wildlife, allowing nature to flourish in the midst of one of the world’s busiest cities. The Thousand Year Old Garden is a comforting meditation through the seasons on the act of renewal, hope, gardening, and our place in nature. “A fascinating and intimate portrait of a garden over time … Reading is like being given a rusty key to a beautiful secret garden.” – Ben Dark, Author of The Grove. Nick Stewart Smith has been a gardener all of his working life. He has a degree from Warwick University and has previously trained and worked in Barcelona at the historic Ciutadella Park, and as National Trust Head Gardener at Overbecks, a stunning subtropical garden on the Devon coast. Returning home to London, at the beginning of 2016 he was asked to take charge of the old garden at Lambeth Palace, where he remained until summer 2022. Tickets: Standard ticket £12 Book tickets HERE

After his debut with Murder Before Evensong, Canon Clement returns in A Death in the Parish, the new novel from no. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author and all-around national treasure the Reverend Richard Coles. It’s been a few months since murder tore apart the community of Champton apart. As Canon Daniel Clement tries to steady his flock, the parish is joined with Upper and Lower Badsaddle, bringing a new tide of unwanted change. But church politics soon become the least of Daniel’s problems. His mother – headstrong, fearless Audrey – is obviously up to something, something she is determined to keep from him. And she is not the only one. And then all hell breaks loose when murder returns to Champton in the form of a shocking ritualistic killing… Richard Coles is a writer, broadcaster and an Anglican priest. He co-presents Saturday Live on BBC Radio 4 and appears, from time to time, on QI, Have I Got News For You, and Would I Lie To You? He writes regularly for the Sunday Times, and is the author of half a dozen books, including a bestselling autobiography, Fathomless Riches, and the bereavement bestseller The Madness of Grief, after the death of his partner, David Coles. Murder Before Evensong, the first book in the Canon Clement Mystery series, was an instant number 1 Sunday Times bestseller. Tickets: Ticket & book: £30 (Includes one copy of A Death in The Parish, book RRP £18.99) Two tickets & one book: £45 (Includes one copy of A Death in The Parish, book RRP £18.99) Book tickets HERE

Anne Boleyn is a subject of enduring fascination. By far the most famous of Henry VIII’s six wives, she has inspired books, documentaries and films, and is the subject of intense debate even today, almost 500 years after her violent death. Dramatic though this story is, of even greater interest – and significance – is the relationship between Anne and her daughter, the future Elizabeth I. Elizabeth was less than three years old when her mother was executed. It is often assumed that her mother exerted little influence over her. But this is both inaccurate and misleading. There is compelling evidence that her mother exerted a profound influence on her character, beliefs and reign. Piecing together evidence from original documents and artefacts, this book tells the story of Anne Boleyn’s relationship with, and influence over her daughter Elizabeth. In so doing, it sheds new light on two of the most famous and influential women in history. Tracy Borman is joint Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces and Chief Executive of the Heritage Education Trust. She studied and taught history at the University of Hull and was awarded a PhD in 1997. Tracy is the author of a number of highly acclaimed books including Crown & Sceptre, The Private Lives of the Tudors: Uncovering the Secrets of Britain’s Greatest Dynasty, Thomas Cromwell: The Untold Story of Henry VIII’s Most Faithful Servant, and more. Tickets: Standard ticket: £12 Book & ticket: £32 (Includes a copy of Anne Boleyn & Elizabeth I, book RRP £25) Book tickets HERE

Join Robin Stevens, author of the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize winning and bestselling Murder Most Unladylike series to find out about her brand-new series The Ministry of Unladylike Activity. Robin will share her tips and tricks on how to write the perfect murder mystery and the inspiration behind her new team of detectives.. You will also get the chance to put your own sleuthing skills to the test and ask your burning questions, like any good detective. Age guide: 8+ Tickets £10 / £8 Concessions (plus Eventbrite booking fee) Book tickets HERE A Dulwich Festival event.

Village Books presents multi-award-winning author and Lockdown legend Rob Biddulph for a fun, drawing-filled session. Rob will talk about his latest book Peanut Jones and the Twelve Portals, in which famous works of art are disappearing from all over the world. One moment they are there, the next, they have crumbled to dust. Peanut Jones and her friends are on the case. Rob Biddulph is a bestselling and multi award-winning author and illustrator. He is the author of many highly acclaimed, award-winning picture books, including Blown Away, GRRRRR!, and Odd Dog Out. In March 2020 during Lockdown, he started #DrawWithRob, a series of twice-weekly draw-along videos designed to help parents whose children were forced to stay home from school. Age guide: 5+ Tickets £10 / £8 concession (plus Eventbrite booking fee) Book tickets HERE A Dulwich Festival event.

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