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SUMMARY:Little Bookworms October
DESCRIPTION:Have you got a little bookworm in your life? Then look no further than House of Books & Friends. We are excited to invite you to Little Bookworms\, our monthly book club for 8-12 years. The book club runs the first Sunday of every month\, 11am-12pm. \nFor October\, we will be reading The Boy with the Big Decisions by Helen Rutter. You have until the day of the book club to finish the title – this is available to buy as part of your ticket\, or you can purchase a ticket only. \nAs well as discussing the book\, there will be book-related activities each month for our Little Bookworms to get stuck into\, fun quizzes and games\, and squash and biscuits for all. Our Little Bookworms will also get their own book lovers passport to add to each month they attend as they jet set around the world through reading. \nAll sessions will be ticketed: £7.99 for the book and ticket\, and £2 for just the ticket. All little ones must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets can be purchased on our website and in store. A limited number of complementary tickets will also be reserved for those who might need them so please do let us know. \nIf you have any questions about the book club or tickets\, you can always take a look at our website\, email us\, or ask a friendly bookseller in store. \nAbout the book \nFred can’t make a decision about anything – his parents always tell him what to do\, from what to eat every day to which secondary school to choose. That’s how Fred has found himself a pupil at the high-pressure\, strict Gains School\, when he’d much rather be going to Browtree\, with its brilliant art department and kind teachers. \nAs Fred waits for the bus to his new school\, he sees the bus for Browtree pull up – and a wild\, thrilling\, thought strikes him. \nShould he jump on this bus and pretend he’s a new student at Browtree? \nWill he be brave enough to follow a different path for once? \nYou\, the reader\, will stand in Fred’s shoes and make decisions alongside him throughout this story. \nYou’ll help him stand-up for what he believes in\, learn what he truly loves to do\, make good friends and face choices about whether to swerve or walk into drama. \nYOU are in charge of The Boy With Big Decisions!
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/little-bookworms-october
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:The Book Club
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ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251008T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251008T190000
DTSTAMP:20250910T150458Z
CREATED:20250902T145323Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250910T150458Z
UID:10014-1759946400-1759950000@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:In Conversation: Anna Zoe Quirke 'Sad Girl Hours'
DESCRIPTION:House of Books & Friends is thrilled to welcome Anna Zoe Quirke to discuss their new YA title Sad Girl Hours. Anna will be in conversation with Josh Silver\, author of TraumaLand\, on Wednesday 8th October from 6pm – 7pm. As well as a discussion on their new book\, there will also be a Q&A\, plus the chance to get your books signed by Anna. \nTickets\nClick here to buy a book and ticket – £8.99\nClick here to buy a ticket only – £5 \nAs always\, we have a limited amount of complimentary tickets for this event for anyone who needs it. Please contact us directly at bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live or call 07597365380. \nAbout the book \nSaffron struggles with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and is dreading autumn and winter. She took time off in her first year at university and can’t afford to do the same this year if she’s going to achieve her dream of being an astrophysicist. She’s managed to keep it a secret from her friends – fearing that they won’t want to spend time with her if they see her at her lowest – but it’s getting harder. Especially when she meets Nell. \nNell – wannabe poet\, autistic and proud\, and lover of autumn and winter – is determined to show Saffron everything these seasons have to offer. The two grow close\, and when Saffron confides in Nell\, romance blooms. But with Saffron struggling to keep a lid on her mental health and Nell figuring out her own sexual identity\, things soon spiral out of control. \nA dual-perspective sapphic rom-com perfect for fans of Casey McQuiston and Alice Oseman. \nAbout Zoe \nAnna Zoe Quirke is a queer and autistic author\, librarian\, and freelance writer from the North of England. They’ve written books\, scripts\, poetry (and much more). Their novel ‘Something to be Proud of’ won the Northern Writers’ Award for Debut YA Fiction in 2022\, was shortlisted for the PFD Queer Fiction Prize\, was published with Little Tiger in June 2024\, and was nominated for a Carnegie Award in 2025.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/in-conversation-anna-zoe-quirke-sad-girl-hours
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Author Event
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ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251015T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251015T193000
DTSTAMP:20250915T134641Z
CREATED:20250915T134641Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250915T134641Z
UID:10157-1760551200-1760556600@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:Feminist Book Club with Kate Feld - October
DESCRIPTION:House of Books & Friends are delighted to announce that we are hosting the Feminist Book Club with facilitator Kate Feld. Taking place monthly\, this will be a space for people of all genders to discuss feminist books. In October\, we will be reading Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector\, a genre-blurring and formally audacious novel translated by Benjamin Moser. \nTickets \nBook and ticket \nTicket only \nAs always\, there are a limited amount of complimentary tickets available for those who need them. Please contact us directly at bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live or call 07597 365380. \nAbout the book \nLispector’s final novel is among her best — a haunting exploration of innocence\, femininity\, illness\, and identity-slippage. The Hour of the Star follows Macabéa\, a typist living in the slums of Rio whose grasp on reality is confused and oblique. Yet\, as our narrator Rodrigo S.M. comes to realize\, Macabéa’s tenuous existence also affords her an inner freedom. Publisher’s Weekly has called Lispector a ‘literary magician’\, and this novel certainly contains enough wonder\, will\, and beauty to merit that description.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/feminist-book-club-with-kate-feld-october
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
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ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251016T173000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251016T190000
DTSTAMP:20250906T095705Z
CREATED:20250903T113509Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250906T095705Z
UID:10026-1760635800-1760641200@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:TASTING EVENT: Bold Bean Co 'Full of Beans'
DESCRIPTION:House of Books & Friends is overjoyed to welcome Bold Bean Co to discuss their new cook book\, Full of Beans. Lead by Hannah Wilding\, not only will we hear about some of the 70 new recipes\, the evening will include a cook-a-long of a recipe that features in this gorgeous cook book. Attendees will also receive free drinks on the night provided by Botivo\, and a goodie bag full of Bold Bean Co treats! \nTickets\nClick here to buy a book and ticket – £22\nClick here to buy a ticket only – £5 \nAs always\, we have a limited amount of complimentary tickets for this event for anyone who needs it. Please contact us directly at bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live or call 07597365380. \nAbout the book \nGet ready to become bean obsessed!\n\nBack by popular demand\, here are 70 brand new\, individually photographed recipes from the trailblazing Bold Beans company. Following their Sunday Times Bestseller Bold Beans: Recipes to get your Pulse Racing\, a legion of ‘bean champs’ has sprung up via social media and supermarket shoppers\, independent food store aficionados and word-of-mouth enthusiasts to call for more fantastic bean recipes. \nOrganised by types of beans and featuring the brand’s newly launched black beans\, borlotti beans\, queen carlin peas and queen red beans\, new recipes include ‘beanottos’ and tray bakes for creating sensational\, super-healthy and totally unprocessed meals that are both planet-friendly and ultra delicious. \nAbout Bold Bean Co \nBold Bean Co. is on a mission to make the world obsessed with beans. They aim to showcase the best legumes can offer by offering slow-cooked heirloom beans produced for full flavour. The brand was born in 2021 and continues to champion and spotlight the creative ways beans can be used at the centre of a plate.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/tasting-event-bold-bean-co-full-of-beans
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Author Event
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ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251023T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251023T193000
DTSTAMP:20250918T113203Z
CREATED:20250917T125732Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250918T113203Z
UID:10184-1761242400-1761247800@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:AUTHOR EVENT: Act Normal with Pete Kalu
DESCRIPTION:House of Books & Friends is ecstatic to welcome Pete Kalu on 23rd October to discuss his memoir\, Act Normal. The event will begin at 6pm\, and will consist of a discussion between Pete and chair Esther Lisk-Carew\, a Q&A\, and a chance to get your copy signed. \nTickets\nClick here to buy a book and ticket – £14.99\nClick here to buy a ticket only – £5 \nAs always\, we have a limited amount of complimentary tickets for this event for anyone who needs it. Please contact us directly at bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live or call 07597365380. \nAbout the book \nThrough fragmented memories\, vivid imagery\, and introspective musings\, Kalu explores a range of themes\, from the joys and anxieties of childhood to the complexities of adult relationships\, career struggles\, and the enduring search for meaning. Act Normal invites readers to delve into the author’s inner world\, confronting universal themes of love\, loss\, identity\, and the search for connection. \nThrough his unique and insightful perspective\, Kalu challenges conventional narratives and encourages readers to question their own assumptions about life\, love\, and the world around them. \nAbout Pete Kalu \nPete Kalu is a 2024 winner of the Society of Authors Travelling Scholarship Award. He has previously won the BBC/Contact Dangerous Comedy Award and The Voice / Marcus Garvey Essay Award. He received his PhD in Creative Writing from Lancaster University in 2019. His essays can be found scattered in publications including Encounters with James Baldwin (Supernova Books 2024) and academic journals. His most recent short stories have been published by Peepal Tree. He is a Writers Mosaic alumnus and was writer in residence at University of West Indies\, Trinidad Campus. He is a Reading Fellow of Royal Literary Fund. \nAbout Esther Lisk-Carew \nBy day Esther Lisk-Carew works with Arts and Humanities Research Academics at Manchester Metropolitan University and by night works with cultural creatives as a events host\, network lead for Black and Global Majority professionals\, as a freelancer and as a careers mentor. She is also a board member for the Portico Library.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/author-event-act-normal-with-pete-kalu
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Author Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/act-normal-3.png
ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251027T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251027T190000
DTSTAMP:20250930T140637Z
CREATED:20250927T174613Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250930T140637Z
UID:10248-1761588000-1761591600@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:AUTHOR EVENT: Park Seolyeon with Anton Hur 'Capitalists Must Starve'
DESCRIPTION:House of Books & Friends is excited to welcome Park Seolyeon to the store on 27th October at 6pm to discuss her new book\, Capitalists Must Starve. Seolyeon will be joined by her translator Anton Hur\, translator of Seolyeon’s previous translated title\, A Magical Girl Retires. The event will consist of a discussion between Seolyeon and Anton (with an interrpretor attending)\, a Q&A\, and a chance to get your copy signed. \nTickets \nClick here to buy a book and ticket – £14.99\nClick here to buy a ticket only – £5 \nAs always\, we have a limited amount of complimentary tickets for this event for anyone who needs it. Please contact us directly at bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live or call 07597365380. \nAbout the book \nWinner of Hankyoreh Literature Award  \nSet against the backdrop of Japanese-occupied Korea\, Capitalists Must Starve follows a sharp-tongued\, big-hearted heroine who dares to love\, rebel\, and carve out space for working-class women in a world determined to silence them. Echoing the unflinching narratives of Alias Grace and the sweeping historical vision of Pachinko\, this feminist historical novel balances raw grit with unexpected tenderness and a defiant streak of dark humour. \nA stirring portrait of resistance from below: fierce\, funny\, and full of fight. \nAbout Park Seolyeon \nBorn in 1989 in Cherwon\, Park Seolyeon made her debut winning the Silcheon Munhak New Writers Prize in 2015 for her short story “Mickey Mouse Club.” Her books include the novels The Job of Marta\, The Shirley Club\, A Magical Girl Retires\, Project V and Capitalists Must Starve\, which won the 2018 Hankyoreh Literature Prize\, as well as the story collections My Hormones Made Me Do It\, Your Mom’s the Better Player\, and Me\, Me\, Madeline. Her stories have been translated into Japanese\, French\, German\, and English. She lives in Seoul\, South Korea. \nAbout Anton Hur \nAnton Hur was born in Stockholm. He is the author of Toward Eternity and has been nominated for the International Booker Prize\, the National Book Award\, the National Book Critics Circle Award\, and the Dublin Literary Award for his various translations including Love in the Big City by Sang Young Park and A Magical Girl Retires by Park Seolyeon. He lives in Seoul.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/author-event-park-seolyeon-with-anton-hur-capitalists-must-starve
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Author Event
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ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251027T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251027T200000
DTSTAMP:20250925T101955Z
CREATED:20250925T084843Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250925T101955Z
UID:10257-1761591600-1761595200@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:The Book Club - ONLINE
DESCRIPTION:This session of The Book Club will take place on Monday 27th October 7-8pm via Zoom. This month\, we are reading Our Sister Killjoy by Ama Ata Aidoo. £9.99 is the price of the book and a ticket to the session. The book can be delivered directly to you (please add your shipping address and tick the box for shipping) or you can collect it in store free of charge. You can buy a book and ticket here. \nIf you already own a copy of the book\, you can purchase a ticket alone for £3. You can purchase a ticket only here. \nFor those unable to afford a book or ticket at present\, we have a limited amount of complementary books/tickets. Please contact the bookshop via bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live or call 07597365380. \nOne of our booksellers will lead the book club\, and the group will be split up into smaller groups in breakout rooms to discuss the questions. A Zoom link will be emailed to ticketholders prior to the event starting. \nWe always ask that you be respectful and kind whilst discussing the book and others’ opinions of it. \nAbout the book \nSissie is leaving Ghana for the first time. Arriving in Europe on a scholarship to experience the glories of a Western education\, she plunges into this new continent’s heart of whiteness\, observing the strange customs of the natives. \nDrinking cocktails at the German Embassy\, she cringes at her countrymen.\nIn a Bavarian castle\, she is seduced by the lonely mother of Little Adolf.\nIn freezing London\, she witnesses ‘been-tos’ sharing myths of an overseas idyll.\nIn between continents\, she writes a letter on the plane to her exiled former lover.\nBut it is not sent. She will tell these tales back at home. \nAma Ata Aidoo’s landmark debut Our Sister Killjoy exploded into the world in 1977. With its blistering feminist satire of the West African diaspora\, colonial legacies and toxic racism\, expressed in a radical literary form – prose poetry\, letter\, manifesto – its provocative impact remains unmatched half a century on.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/the-book-club-online-2
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:The Book Club
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/october-book-club.png
ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251029T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251029T190000
DTSTAMP:20250925T101950Z
CREATED:20250925T080817Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250925T101950Z
UID:10260-1761760800-1761764400@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:The Book Club - EVENING
DESCRIPTION:This session of The Book Club will take place on Wednesday 29th October 6-7pm. This month\, we are reading Our Sister Killjoy by Ama Ata Aidoo. £9.99 is the price of the book and a ticket to the session. The book can be delivered directly to you (please add your shipping address and tick the box for shipping) or you can collect it in store free of charge. You can buy a book and ticket here. \nIf you already own a copy of the book\, you can purchase a ticket alone for £3. You can purchase a ticket only here. \nFor those unable to afford a book or ticket at present\, we have a limited amount of complementary books/tickets. Please contact the bookshop via bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live or call 07597365380. \nWe always ask that you be respectful and kind whilst discussing the book and others’ opinions of it. \nAbout the book \nSissie is leaving Ghana for the first time. Arriving in Europe on a scholarship to experience the glories of a Western education\, she plunges into this new continent’s heart of whiteness\, observing the strange customs of the natives. \nDrinking cocktails at the German Embassy\, she cringes at her countrymen.\nIn a Bavarian castle\, she is seduced by the lonely mother of Little Adolf.\nIn freezing London\, she witnesses ‘been-tos’ sharing myths of an overseas idyll.\nIn between continents\, she writes a letter on the plane to her exiled former lover.\nBut it is not sent. She will tell these tales back at home. \nAma Ata Aidoo’s landmark debut Our Sister Killjoy exploded into the world in 1977. With its blistering feminist satire of the West African diaspora\, colonial legacies and toxic racism\, expressed in a radical literary form – prose poetry\, letter\, manifesto – its provocative impact remains unmatched half
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/the-book-club-evening
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:The Book Club
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/october-book-club.png
ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251030T140000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251030T150000
DTSTAMP:20250925T102227Z
CREATED:20250925T081533Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250925T102227Z
UID:10262-1761832800-1761836400@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:The Book Club - AFTERNOON
DESCRIPTION:This session of The Book Club will take place on Thursday 30th October 2-3pm. This month\, we are reading Our Sister Killjoy by Ama Ata Aidoo. £9.99 is the price of the book and a ticket to the session. The book can be delivered directly to you (please add your shipping address and tick the box for shipping) or you can collect it in store free of charge. You can buy a book and ticket here. \nIf you already own a copy of the book\, you can purchase a ticket alone for £3. You can purchase a ticket only here. \nFor those unable to afford a book or ticket at present\, we have a limited amount of complementary books/tickets. Please contact the bookshop via bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live or call 07597365380. \nWe always ask that you be respectful and kind whilst discussing the book and others’ opinions of it. \nAbout the book \nSissie is leaving Ghana for the first time. Arriving in Europe on a scholarship to experience the glories of a Western education\, she plunges into this new continent’s heart of whiteness\, observing the strange customs of the natives. \nDrinking cocktails at the German Embassy\, she cringes at her countrymen.\nIn a Bavarian castle\, she is seduced by the lonely mother of Little Adolf.\nIn freezing London\, she witnesses ‘been-tos’ sharing myths of an overseas idyll.\nIn between continents\, she writes a letter on the plane to her exiled former lover.\nBut it is not sent. She will tell these tales back at home. \nAma Ata Aidoo’s landmark debut Our Sister Killjoy exploded into the world in 1977. With its blistering feminist satire of the West African diaspora\, colonial legacies and toxic racism\, expressed in a radical literary form – prose poetry\, letter\, manifesto – its provocative impact remains unmatched half
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/the-book-club
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:The Book Club
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/october-book-club.png
ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251031T103000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251031T113000
DTSTAMP:20251008T121601Z
CREATED:20251008T110958Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251008T121601Z
UID:10400-1761906600-1761910200@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:Halloween Drawing Workshop with Illustrator Catherine Booth
DESCRIPTION:House of Spooks & Fiends invites all our little ghosts and ghouls to let their creepy creativity crawl! \nWe’re over the full moon to welcome back Catherine Booth — a published children’s illustrator and storyteller — for Halloween themed Drawing Workshop designed especially for young imaginations. Little bookworms will sketch\, scribble\, and dream up their own eerie artworks\, perfect to get in the spooky spirit of Halloween! \nFancy dress encouraged\, a special children’s Haunted Hot Chocolate will be available on the day\, and as always\, plenty of story books available to keep folks feeling frightful. So if you are looking for the perfect way to keep your little goblin entertained this half term – sign up below! \n Friday\, 31st October\n 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM\n House of Books and Friends \nTickets are £3 – make sure you grab yours HERE before they all vanish…
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/spooky-kids-drawing-workshop-with-illustrator-catherine-booth
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Children's Events
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ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251105T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251105T190000
DTSTAMP:20250917T134421Z
CREATED:20250910T130438Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20250917T134421Z
UID:10123-1762365600-1762369200@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:AUTHOR PANEL: The Northern Weird Project
DESCRIPTION:House of Books & Friends will be hosting three of the authors behind The Northern Weird Project on 5th November at 6pm. Gemma Fairclough\, Katherine Clements\, and Jodie Robins will be discussing The Retreat\, The Turbine\, and The Off-Season respectively. The event will be chaired by Robert Welbourn\, author of Belonging. The evening will consist of a discussion between our panel\, a Q&A\, and an opportunity for attendees to get their books signed. \nTickets \nAs there are multiple authors in discussion\, you can purchase a ticket-only option\, or you can purchase a copy of the book from us to act as a ticket; see options below: \n£5 Ticket only and the option to buy ONE of the titles available here \n£35 for all 3 books to act as your ticket here \nAbout The Northern Weird Project \nThroughout 2025\, Wild Hunt Books will publish six fantastic pocket-sized novellas from authors based in the North of England and who are also engaging with the North as setting\, subject and character. \nThe novellas incorporate eerie and uncanny incidents including a strange occurrence on a train\, a young boy’s disappearance in a village\, a grieving couple renovating a haunted house\, a group of mysterious strangers by the beach\, a sinister wellness retreat and the unearthed danger beneath an ancient peat bog. \nEditor Ariell Cacciola said of the project\, ‘Im so excited about this project. The novellas will transport readers into the strange and dangerous corners of the North\, and it will be impossible not to read each book in one sitting.’ \nAbout The Retreat \nRichard’s sister Julie returns home from a mysterious wellness facility in remote Cumbria in 1994. He’s convinced that this place was a cult and was the cause of his sister’s eventual suicide. Finally\, after years as an unaccomplished academic\, he decides to investigate the disturbing accusations against the Hartman Retreat Centre. Then he meets Lucy\, a young woman whose story is eerily similar to his sister’s decades before. Richard is determined to unearth what’s really been happening at the Hartman Retreat Centre but more importantly\, who is Charles Hartman\, the celebrated healer who casts a powerful hold over all who come to the retreat. \nTold through letters\, interviews and found texts\, lovers of Fairlcough’s Bear Season will be swept up in a sinister world of wellness gurus and mystery. \nAbout The Turbine \nIn the near future\, England is experiencing the hottest summer in living memory. An unnamed environmental scientist\, is tasked with evaluating the impact of a controversial new wind farm on the West Yorkshire moors. Camped out alone by the base of Turbine 34 – the most remote of the new turbines\, built on an ancient peat bog – she spends her days gathering samples. But when she discovers signs of the devastation caused by the construction\, she begins to see things – things that shouldn’t be there. \nShe has dedicated her life to protecting the moor\, but will it protect her? \nInspired by a real-life proposed wind farm in the North of England\, Turbine 34 is for readers of Dark Matter and Wuthering Heights with a dash of folk horror. \nAbout The Off-Season \nIt’s the off-season in the seaside resort town of Blackpool\, where Tommy never imagined he would return. His relationship has broken down\, so he returns home to keep an eye on his widowed father. While counting down the hours before attending the funeral of a well-loved friend\, a mysterious group turns up on the seafront. One by one\, the locals are entranced by their presence until Tommy and his father can no longer resist the allure. \nTommy soon discovers a secret desire his father has been harbouring for his entire life.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/author-panel-the-northern-weird-project
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Author Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Northern-Weird-Project-1.png
ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251119T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251119T193000
DTSTAMP:20251013T100621Z
CREATED:20251013T095830Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251013T100621Z
UID:10476-1763575200-1763580600@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:The Feminist Book Club with Kate Feld - November
DESCRIPTION:House of Books & Friends are delighted to announce that we are hosting the Feminist Book Club with facilitator Kate Feld. Taking place monthly\, this will be a space for people of all genders to discuss feminist books. In October\, we will be reading Lili is Crying by Hélène Bessette\, the first translation of Bessette’s work into English\, by Windham-Campbell Prize-winning author and translator Kate Briggs. \nTickets \nBook and ticket £12.99 \nTicket only £3 \nAs always\, there are a limited amount of complimentary tickets available for those who need them. Please contact us directly at bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live or call 07597 365380. \nAbout the book \nLili is Crying\, Hélène Bessette’s debut novel\, explores the fraughtness and depth of the troubling relationship between Lili and her mother Charlotte. With a near-mythic quality\, Bessette’s stripped-back prose evokes at once the pain of thwarted love – of desire run cold – and the promise of renewal. Lauded by critics on its initial publication in 1953 for its boundary-pushing style\, unusual economy of expression\, strange humour and sheer vivacity\, Lili is Crying announces Bessette’s singular take on the ‘poetic novel’.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/the-feminist-book-club-with-kate-feld-november
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:The Book Club
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/WITH-KATE-FELD.png
ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251122T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251122T150000
DTSTAMP:20251119T140921Z
CREATED:20251119T113530Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251119T140921Z
UID:16681-1763809200-1763823600@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:Manchester Winter Book Fair
DESCRIPTION:Join us at the House of Books & Friends for the Manchester Winter Book Fair! This exciting event will take place on Saturday 22nd November between 11am and 3pm. \nAt the fair\, you’ll have the opportunity to explore a wide selection of books and gifts from local publishers. Whether you’re a book lover or looking for the perfect holiday gift\, this is the perfect event to find something special. \nDon’t miss out on this wonderful opportunity to support local publishers and discover new literary treasures. Mark your calendars and join us for the Manchester Winter Book Fair! \nRegister your attendance through Northodox Eventbrite here. \nThis is an externally managed event; please contact Northodox Press if you would like to discuss details/attendance.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/manchester-winter-book-fair-2
CATEGORIES:Author Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/connection-counts-jessica-2.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251124T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251124T200000
DTSTAMP:20251030T112415Z
CREATED:20251030T112415Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251030T112415Z
UID:10413-1764010800-1764014400@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:The Book Club – ONLINE
DESCRIPTION:This session of The Book Club will take place on Monday 24th November 7-8pm via Zoom. This month\, we are reading The Witches of El Paso by Luis Jaramillo. £9.99 is the price of the book and a ticket to the session. The book can be delivered directly to you (please add your shipping address and tick the box for shipping) or you can collect it in store free of charge. You can buy a book and ticket here. \nIf you already own a copy of the book\, you can purchase a ticket alone for £3. You can purchase a ticket only here. \nFor those unable to afford a book or ticket at present\, we have a limited amount of complementary books/tickets. Please contact the bookshop via bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live or call 07597365380. \nOne of our booksellers will lead the book club\, and the group will be split up into smaller groups in breakout rooms to discuss the questions. A Zoom link will be emailed to ticketholders prior to the event starting. \nWe always ask that you be respectful and kind whilst discussing the book and others’ opinions of it. \nAbout the book \n1943\, El Paso\, Texas: teenager Nena spends her days caring for the small children of her older sisters and longing for a life of adventure. The premonitions and fainting spells she has endured since childhood are getting worse\, and Nena worries she’ll end up like the scary old curandera down the street. Nena prays for help\, and when the mysterious Sister Benedicta arrives late one night\, Nena follows her across the borders of space and time. In colonial Mexico\, Nena grows into her power\, finding love and learning that magic always comes with a price. \nIn the present day\, Nena’s grandniece\, Marta\, balances a struggling legal aid practice with motherhood and the care of the now ninety-three-year-old Nena. When Marta agrees to help search for a daughter Nena left in the past\, the two forge a fierce connection. Marta’s own supernatural powers emerge\, awakening her to new possibilities that threaten the life she has constructed.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/the-book-club-online-3
CATEGORIES:The Book Club
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Our-November-title-is.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251126T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251126T190000
DTSTAMP:20251030T112501Z
CREATED:20251030T112450Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251030T112501Z
UID:10416-1764180000-1764183600@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:The Book Club – EVENING
DESCRIPTION:This session of The Book Club will take place on Wednesday 26th November 6-7pm instore. This month\, we are reading The Witches of El Paso by Luis Jaramillo. £9.99 is the price of the book and a ticket to the session. The book can be delivered directly to you (please add your shipping address and tick the box for shipping) or you can collect it in store free of charge. You can buy a book and ticket here. \nIf you already own a copy of the book\, you can purchase a ticket alone for £3. You can purchase a ticket only here. \nFor those unable to afford a book or ticket at present\, we have a limited amount of complementary books/tickets. Please contact the bookshop via bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live or call 07597365380. \nOne of our booksellers will lead the book club\, and the group will be split up into smaller groups in breakout rooms to discuss the questions. A Zoom link will be emailed to ticketholders prior to the event starting. \nWe always ask that you be respectful and kind whilst discussing the book and others’ opinions of it. \nAbout the book \n1943\, El Paso\, Texas: teenager Nena spends her days caring for the small children of her older sisters and longing for a life of adventure. The premonitions and fainting spells she has endured since childhood are getting worse\, and Nena worries she’ll end up like the scary old curandera down the street. Nena prays for help\, and when the mysterious Sister Benedicta arrives late one night\, Nena follows her across the borders of space and time. In colonial Mexico\, Nena grows into her power\, finding love and learning that magic always comes with a price. \nIn the present day\, Nena’s grandniece\, Marta\, balances a struggling legal aid practice with motherhood and the care of the now ninety-three-year-old Nena. When Marta agrees to help search for a daughter Nena left in the past\, the two forge a fierce connection. Marta’s own supernatural powers emerge\, awakening her to new possibilities that threaten the life she has constructed.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/the-book-club-evening-2
CATEGORIES:The Book Club
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Our-November-title-is.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251127T140000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251127T150000
DTSTAMP:20251030T112551Z
CREATED:20251030T112525Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251030T112551Z
UID:10419-1764252000-1764255600@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:The Book Club – AFTERNOON
DESCRIPTION:This session of The Book Club will take place on Thursday 27th November 2-3pm in store. This month\, we are reading The Witches of El Paso by Luis Jaramillo. £9.99 is the price of the book and a ticket to the session. The book can be delivered directly to you (please add your shipping address and tick the box for shipping) or you can collect it in store free of charge. You can buy a book and ticket here. \nIf you already own a copy of the book\, you can purchase a ticket alone for £3. You can purchase a ticket only here. \nFor those unable to afford a book or ticket at present\, we have a limited amount of complementary books/tickets. Please contact the bookshop via bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live or call 07597365380. \nOne of our booksellers will lead the book club\, and the group will be split up into smaller groups in breakout rooms to discuss the questions. A Zoom link will be emailed to ticketholders prior to the event starting. \nWe always ask that you be respectful and kind whilst discussing the book and others’ opinions of it. \nAbout the book \n1943\, El Paso\, Texas: teenager Nena spends her days caring for the small children of her older sisters and longing for a life of adventure. The premonitions and fainting spells she has endured since childhood are getting worse\, and Nena worries she’ll end up like the scary old curandera down the street. Nena prays for help\, and when the mysterious Sister Benedicta arrives late one night\, Nena follows her across the borders of space and time. In colonial Mexico\, Nena grows into her power\, finding love and learning that magic always comes with a price. \nIn the present day\, Nena’s grandniece\, Marta\, balances a struggling legal aid practice with motherhood and the care of the now ninety-three-year-old Nena. When Marta agrees to help search for a daughter Nena left in the past\, the two forge a fierce connection. Marta’s own supernatural powers emerge\, awakening her to new possibilities that threaten the life she has constructed.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/the-book-club-afternoon
CATEGORIES:The Book Club
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Our-November-title-is.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251207T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251207T123000
DTSTAMP:20251110T154922Z
CREATED:20251110T144746Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251110T154922Z
UID:10668-1765105200-1765110600@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:Little Bookworms End of Year Party 2025
DESCRIPTION:To celebrate a year of reading\, we are throwing a party! From 11am – 12.30pm on 7th December\, the Little Bookworms will get to come into House of Books & Friends and bond over books! First\, we will spend 30 minutes discussing November’s title\, Spirit Warriors by Ashley Thorpe. Then\, the party begins! \nLet’s wrap up the year with a bang at our December End-of-Year Party\, where we’ll celebrate all the wonderful books\, discussions\, and memories we’ve created as a club. Join us for a fun-filled celebration of 11 months of reading\, learning\, and friendship! \nWhen: 7th December | 11am – 12.30pm\nWhere: House of Books and Friends \nWe can’t wait to see everyone there to celebrate all the memories we’ve made and stories we’ve read together. \nAs there is no book to read for our December session\, all tickets will be just £2 (grab them here)! All little ones must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets can be purchased on our website and in store. A limited number of complementary tickets will also be reserved for those who might need them so please do let us know. \nIf you have any questions about the book club or tickets\, you can always take a look at our website\, email us\, or ask a friendly bookseller in store.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/little-bookworms-christmas-party
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Children's Events,The Book Club
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/LIL-BW-DEC.png
ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251211T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251211T200000
DTSTAMP:20251119T113255Z
CREATED:20251102T153525Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251119T113255Z
UID:10673-1765476000-1765483200@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:The Book Club Winter Social 2025
DESCRIPTION:Taking place on the 11th December from 18:00pm – 20:00pm\, we’re hosting a Winter Social\, guaranteed to be a fun-filled evening and the perfect opportunity to meet fellow book lovers! Whether you’re a seasoned reader or just getting started\, this is the perfect event to meet like-minded people\, spark lively conversation and enjoy some festive fun. Expect plenty of camaraderie\, engaging chats\, and a bit of friendly competition. \nDon’t miss out on this great opportunity to connect\, share your love of books\, and make new friends. Plus\, its a completely free event!
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/the-book-club-winter-social-2025
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:The Book Club
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Winter-Social-2.png
ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260104T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260104T120000
DTSTAMP:20251215T113818Z
CREATED:20251128T130707Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251215T113818Z
UID:16773-1767524400-1767528000@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:Little Bookworms January 2026
DESCRIPTION:Have you got a little bookworm in your life? Then look no further than House of Books & Friends. We are excited to invite you to Little Bookworms\, our monthly book club for 8-12 years. The book club runs the first Sunday of every month\, 11am-12pm. \nFor January\, we will be reading Champions of the Galaxy by Tola Okogwu (author of the Oneyeka series). You have until the day of the book club to finish the title – this is available to buy as part of your ticket\, or you can purchase a ticket only. \nAs well as discussing the book\, there will be book-related activities each month for our Little Bookworms to get stuck into\, fun quizzes and games\, and squash and biscuits for all. Our Little Bookworms will also get their own book lovers passport to add to each month they attend as they jet set around the world through reading. \nAll sessions will be ticketed: £7.99 for the book and ticket\, and £2 for just the ticket. All little ones must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets can be purchased on our website and in store. A limited number of complementary tickets will also be reserved for those who might need them so please do let us know. \nIf you have any questions about the book club or tickets\, you can always take a look at our website\, email us\, or ask a friendly bookseller in store. \nAbout the book \nWhen a powerful group of aliens threaten Earth\, a mysterious species called the Onni offers humanity hope. But there’s a catch. Ninety-one children from across the planet must first prove their worth by competing in a series of trials set on a distant planet. \nFor twelve-year-old Kola\, who has long dreamed of going into space\, it’s the chance of a lifetime. But once aboard the Onni mothership\, Kola finds himself thrown into a misfit team of Champions. \nAs secrets unravel and tensions rise\, Kola and his team must decide who to trust and what it really means to be a Champion. Because in the end\, it’s not about being the smartest or the strongest. It’s about standing together.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/little-bookworms-january-2026
CATEGORIES:Children's Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260121T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260121T190000
DTSTAMP:20251220T111645Z
CREATED:20251209T131827Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251220T111645Z
UID:16837-1769018400-1769022000@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:The Feminist Book Club with Kate Feld – January
DESCRIPTION:House of Books & Friends are delighted to announce that we are hosting the Feminist Book Club with facilitator Kate Feld. Taking place monthly\, this will be a space for people of all genders to discuss feminist books. In January\, we will be reading Patch Work by Claire Wilcox\, winner of the 2021 Pen Ackerley Prize. \nTickets \nBook and ticket £10.99 \nTicket only £3 \nAs always\, there are a limited amount of complimentary tickets available for those who need them. Please contact us directly at bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live or call 07597 365380. \nAbout the book \nClaire Wilcox has been a curator of fashion at the Victoria and Albert Museum for most of her working life. In Patch Work\, she turns her curator’s eye to the fabric of life itself\, tugging at the threads of memory: a cardigan worn by a child\, a tin button box\, the draping of a curtain\, a pair of cycling shorts\, a roll of lace\, a pin hidden in a seam. \nThrough these intimate and compelling close-ups\, we see how the stories and the secrets of clothes measure out the passage of time\, our gains and losses\, and the way we use them to unravel and write our histories.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/the-feminist-book-club-with-kate-feld-january-2
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:The Book Club
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/1.png
ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260126T190000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260126T200000
DTSTAMP:20251231T113458Z
CREATED:20251206T162627Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251231T113458Z
UID:16761-1769454000-1769457600@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:The Book Club - Online
DESCRIPTION:This session of The Book Club will take place on Monday 26th January 7-8 pm via Zoom. This month\, we are reading Next Time Will Be Our Turn by Jesse Q. Sutanto . £9.99 is the price of the book and a ticket to the session. The book can be delivered directly to you (please add your shipping address and tick the box for shipping) or you can collect it in store free of charge. You can buy a book and ticket here. \nIf you already own a copy of the book\, you can purchase a ticket alone for £3. You can purchase a ticket only here. \nFor those unable to afford a book or ticket at present\, we have a limited amount of complementary books/tickets. Please contact the bookshop via bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live or call 07597365380. \nOne of our booksellers will lead the book club\, and the group will be split up into smaller groups in breakout rooms to discuss the questions. A Zoom link will be emailed to ticketholders prior to the event starting. \nWe always ask that you be respectful and kind whilst discussing the book and others’ opinions of it. \nAbout the book \nA grandmother tells her granddaughter about her twisty\, often surprising\, journey to who she is now in this sweeping love story. \nIzzy Chen is dreading her family’s annual Chinese New Year celebration\, where they all come together at a Michelin-starred restaurant to flaunt their status and successes in hopes to one up each other. So when her seventy-three-year-old glamorous and formidable grandmother walks in with a stunning woman on her arm and kisses her in front of everyone\, it shakes Izzy to her core. She’d always considered herself the black sheep of the family for harboring similar feelings to the ones her Nainai just displayed. \nSeeing herself in her teenage granddaughter’s struggles with identity and acceptance\, Magnolia Chen tells Izzy her own story\, of how as a teen she was sent by her Indo-Chinese parents from Jakarta to Los Angeles for her education and fell in love with someone completely forbidden to her by both culture and gender norms—Ellery\, an American college student who became Magnolia’s best friend and the love of her life. Stretching across decades and continents\, Magnolia’s star-crossed love story reveals how life can take unexpected turns but ultimately lead you to exactly who you’re meant to be.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/the-book-club-online-4
LOCATION:Online
CATEGORIES:The Book Club
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/THE-BOOK-CLUB-Instagram-Post-45-1.png
ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260128T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260128T190000
DTSTAMP:20251212T120054Z
CREATED:20251206T162819Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251212T120054Z
UID:16766-1769623200-1769626800@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:The Book Club - Evening
DESCRIPTION:This session of The Book Club will take place on Wednesday 28th January 6 -7 pm in-store. This month\, we are reading Next Time Will Be Our Turn by Jesse Q. Sutanto . £9.99 is the price of the book and a ticket to the session. The book can be delivered directly to you (please add your shipping address and tick the box for shipping) or you can collect it in store free of charge. You can buy a book and ticket here. \nIf you already own a copy of the book\, you can purchase a ticket alone for £3. You can purchase a ticket only here. \nFor those unable to afford a book or ticket at present\, we have a limited amount of complementary books/tickets. Please contact the bookshop via bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live or call 07597365380. \nOne of our booksellers will lead the book club\, and the group will be split up into smaller groups to discuss the questions. \nWe always ask that you be respectful and kind whilst discussing the book and others’ opinions of it. \nAbout the book \nA grandmother tells her granddaughter about her twisty\, often surprising\, journey to who she is now in this sweeping love story. \nIzzy Chen is dreading her family’s annual Chinese New Year celebration\, where they all come together at a Michelin-starred restaurant to flaunt their status and successes in hopes to one up each other. So when her seventy-three-year-old glamorous and formidable grandmother walks in with a stunning woman on her arm and kisses her in front of everyone\, it shakes Izzy to her core. She’d always considered herself the black sheep of the family for harboring similar feelings to the ones her Nainai just displayed. \nSeeing herself in her teenage granddaughter’s struggles with identity and acceptance\, Magnolia Chen tells Izzy her own story\, of how as a teen she was sent by her Indo-Chinese parents from Jakarta to Los Angeles for her education and fell in love with someone completely forbidden to her by both culture and gender norms—Ellery\, an American college student who became Magnolia’s best friend and the love of her life. Stretching across decades and continents\, Magnolia’s star-crossed love story reveals how life can take unexpected turns but ultimately lead you to exactly who you’re meant to be.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/the-book-club-evening-3
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:The Book Club
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/THE-BOOK-CLUB-Instagram-Post-45-1.png
ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260129T140000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260129T150000
DTSTAMP:20251212T120121Z
CREATED:20251206T162729Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251212T120121Z
UID:16769-1769695200-1769698800@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:The Book Club - Afternoon
DESCRIPTION:This session of The Book Club will take place on Thursday 29th January 2-3 pm in-store. This month\, we are reading Next Time Will Be Our Turn by Jesse Q. Sutanto . £9.99 is the price of the book and a ticket to the session. The book can be delivered directly to you (please add your shipping address and tick the box for shipping) or you can collect it in store free of charge. You can buy a book and ticket here. \nIf you already own a copy of the book\, you can purchase a ticket alone for £3. You can purchase a ticket only here. \nFor those unable to afford a book or ticket at present\, we have a limited amount of complementary books/tickets. Please contact the bookshop via bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live or call 07597365380. \nOne of our booksellers will lead the book club\, and the group will be split up into smaller groups to discuss the questions. \nWe always ask that you be respectful and kind whilst discussing the book and others’ opinions of it. \nAbout the book \nA grandmother tells her granddaughter about her twisty\, often surprising\, journey to who she is now in this sweeping love story. \nIzzy Chen is dreading her family’s annual Chinese New Year celebration\, where they all come together at a Michelin-starred restaurant to flaunt their status and successes in hopes to one up each other. So when her seventy-three-year-old glamorous and formidable grandmother walks in with a stunning woman on her arm and kisses her in front of everyone\, it shakes Izzy to her core. She’d always considered herself the black sheep of the family for harboring similar feelings to the ones her Nainai just displayed. \nSeeing herself in her teenage granddaughter’s struggles with identity and acceptance\, Magnolia Chen tells Izzy her own story\, of how as a teen she was sent by her Indo-Chinese parents from Jakarta to Los Angeles for her education and fell in love with someone completely forbidden to her by both culture and gender norms—Ellery\, an American college student who became Magnolia’s best friend and the love of her life. Stretching across decades and continents\, Magnolia’s star-crossed love story reveals how life can take unexpected turns but ultimately lead you to exactly who you’re meant to be.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/the-book-club-afternoon-2
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:The Book Club
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/THE-BOOK-CLUB-Instagram-Post-45-1.png
ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260129T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260129T190000
DTSTAMP:20260118T084309Z
CREATED:20251203T112952Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260118T084309Z
UID:16808-1769709600-1769713200@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:AUTHOR EVENT: 'Wayward Women' with Rhonda Carrier and Tracey Davies
DESCRIPTION:House of Books & Friends is thrilled to welcome Rhonda Carrier and Tracey Davies on Thursday 29th January at 6pm to discuss their new book\, ‘Wayward Women: Sex\, Friendship and the Midlife Reset‘. The evening will involve a discussion\, a Q&A\, and a chance to get your book signed by Rhonda and Tracey. \nTickets \nClick here to buy a book and ticket – £14.99\nClick here to buy a ticket only – £5 \nAs always\, we have a limited amount of complimentary tickets for this event for anyone who needs it. Please contact us directly at bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live or call 07597365380. \nAbout the book \nWayward Women is a unique\, searingly honest\, devastatingly raw two-person memoir about the friendship\, travels and sex lives of two fiftysomething women finding their way again after divorce. \nIt’s an entertaining\, emotional and geographical journey that bounces around the world from Florida to India\, Lapland to Hong Kong\, as the authors -both leading travel writers – relay their experiences as midlife women – love\, loss\, parenthood\, divorce\, menopause – along with the tales of the inspirational women they meet along the way\, and the growth of their friendship. \nAbout the authors \nRhonda Carrier \nRhonda Carrier is a travel and lifestyle journalist\, award-winning fiction writer\, literary translator and sometime poet. Having written for almost every national newspaper\, magazine and guidebook publisher over the last 30 years\, including the Guardian\, Red magazine. Condé Nast Traveller and Lonely Planet\, she’s roamed the globe taking in destinations as disparate as the icebergs of Antarctica and the Australian rainforest\, the fjords of Greenland and the Malaysian jungle. She has a special interest in women’s travel and women’s empowerment through travel. \nTracey Davis \nTracey is a veteran travel writer whose byline regularly appears in Metro\, the Daily and Sunday Telegraph\, The Times/Sunday Times\, the Guardian\, iPaper\, Country Living\, Red Online\, Good Housekeeping\, Platinum\, Breathe\, Teen Breathe\, and Travel Weekly. She was co-host of the Carry On travel podcast and is a regular panellist on radio and travel shows. She is also a stand-up comedian.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/author-event-wayward-women-with-rhonda-carrier-and-tracey-davies
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Author Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/WAYWARD-WOMEN.png
ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260201T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260201T120000
DTSTAMP:20260102T112645Z
CREATED:20260102T112645Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260102T112645Z
UID:17058-1769943600-1769947200@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:Little Bookworms February 2026
DESCRIPTION:Have you got a little bookworm in your life? Then look no further than House of Books & Friends. We are excited to invite you to Little Bookworms\, our monthly book club for 8-12 years. The book club runs the first Sunday of every month\, 11am-12pm. \nFor January\, we will be reading A Box Full of Murders by Janie Hallett. You have until the day of the book club to finish the title – this is available to buy as part of your ticket\, or you can purchase a ticket only. \nAs well as discussing the book\, there will be book-related activities each month for our Little Bookworms to get stuck into\, fun quizzes and games\, and squash and biscuits for all. Our Little Bookworms will also get their own book lovers passport to add to each month they attend as they jet set around the world through reading. \nAll sessions will be ticketed: £7.99 for the book and ticket\, and £2 for just the ticket. All little ones must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets can be purchased on our website and in store. A limited number of complementary tickets will also be reserved for those who might need them so please do let us know. \nIf you have any questions about the book club or tickets\, you can always take a look at our website\, email us\, or ask a friendly bookseller in store. \nAbout the book \nWhen Ava and Luke discover a mysterious box of papers in their attic they are instantly curious about secrets it might hold. As they read through letters\, diary entries\, newspaper cuttings and listen to secret recordings\, they realize that a decades-old\, still unsolved\, murder mystery is unfolding right in front of them . . . \nAva and Luke decide to try and crack the case themselves. But as they work through the clues\, it soon becomes clear that the mystery isn’t something left in the past: the killer is still be out there – and might be closer than they think… \nYOU know the facts. YOU have all the clues. Can YOU solve the mystery before they do?
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/little-bookworms-february-2026
CATEGORIES:Children's Events
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/LIL-BW-FEB-26-.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260206T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260206T120000
DTSTAMP:20260112T154652Z
CREATED:20260109T121323Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260112T154652Z
UID:17167-1770375600-1770379200@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:Coffee & Connections - Weekly Community Meetup
DESCRIPTION:Coffee & Connections \nAt House of Books & Friends\, our mission is to combat loneliness and social isolation. In a time when we are more digitally connected than ever\, it can be hard to find real and meaningful connections. That’s why we are launching Coffee & Connections this Time to Talk Day. We want to create opportunities for people to meet over coffee and good conversation\, providing the chance for people to forge new friendships and community. \nHow does it work? \nAt the beginning of each session\, there will be a 5-minute group activity to get the conversation flowing led by a member of our team. Everybody is then invited to write down their favourite topic of conversation and drop it in our Chatty Hat! Our team member will randomly pull out 3 topics\, which we will discuss for 10 minutes each. Remember\, there is no need to be an expert! All discussions are designed to be relaxed\, respectful and enjoyable! We’ll organise everything you need to have a great time. You just show up\, be yourself & make new connections! \nCoffee & Connections is only open to people over 18. Meet ups will take place in public\, and we ask all participants to be mindful of their own safety when attending – for example\, thinking carefully before sharing personal information such as your home address with other participants. We ask all people to be respectful of other participants taking part in the session. \nWhat dates and times are the sessions taking place? \nSessions are 60 minutes\, and run weekly on Fridays from 11 – 12pm \nTickets \nWe require a £4 deposit that will be fully refunded to once you attend Coffee and Connections. There is a free hot drink available for people taking part in the event. You can purchase a tickets on our website by following the link below or in person at the bookshop. \nFriday 6 February Ticket \nFriday 13 February Ticket \nFriday 20 February Ticket \nFriday 27 February Ticket \nAs always\, we have a limited amount of complimentary tickets for this event for anyone who needs it. Please contact us directly at bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live or call 07597365380.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/coffee-connections-weekly-community-meetup
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Coffee & Connections
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/1.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260206T130000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260206T140000
DTSTAMP:20260107T140758Z
CREATED:20260103T162646Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260107T140758Z
UID:17078-1770382800-1770386400@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:Lunchtime Lecture: Useful Art with John Byrne
DESCRIPTION:House of Books and Friends is bringing back their ‘Lunchtime Lecture’ series\, and are excited to welcome Professor John Byrne to discuss his book ‘Useful Art: How Activist Artists Can Change the World.’ The talk will begin at 1pm and last for 1 hour. \nTickets \nTicket only \nBook and ticket \nAbout the book \nDoes art have to be beautiful? What if it can be useful instead? In this cutting-edge book\, John Byrne shows how the concept of ‘Useful Art’ is helping artists and communities fight back against the neoliberal takeover of our spaces\, services and lives. \nExploring an international selection of projects\, exhibitions and activism\, this important new work champions the shift from aesthetics to use value\, challenging traditional ways of seeing the world symbolically through art. Reaching beyond the financial logic of the art world\, Byrne shows how Useful Art can offer an artistic toolkit for implementing radical change. \nJohn Byrne is Professor of Useful Art at Liverpool School of Art and Creative Industries. For over a decade he has been at the forefront of research into art and use value\, working with world-renowned artists and curators to explore how art can resist\, engage with or offer alternatives to the current conditions of global neoliberalism.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/lunch-time-lecture-useful-art-with-john-byrne
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Author Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/lunch-time.png
ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260213T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260213T120000
DTSTAMP:20260112T154646Z
CREATED:20260112T104743Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260112T154646Z
UID:17235-1770980400-1770984000@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:Coffee & Connections - Weekly Community Meetup
DESCRIPTION:Coffee & Connections \nAt House of Books & Friends\, our mission is to combat loneliness and social isolation. In a time when we are more digitally connected than ever\, it can be hard to find real and meaningful connections. We want to create opportunities for people to meet over coffee and good conversation\, providing the chance for people to forge new friendships and community. \nHow does it work? \nAt the beginning of each session\, there will be a 5-minute group activity to get the conversation flowing led by a member of our team. Everybody is then invited to write down their favourite topic of conversation and drop it in our Chatty Hat! Our team member will randomly pull out 3 topics\, which we will discuss for 10 minutes each. Remember\, there is no need to be an expert! All discussions are designed to be relaxed\, respectful and enjoyable! We’ll organise everything you need to have a great time. You just show up\, be yourself & make new connections! \nCoffee & Connections is only open to people over 18. Meet ups will take place in public\, and we ask all participants to be mindful of their own safety when attending – for example\, thinking carefully before sharing personal information such as your home address with other participants. We ask all people to be respectful of other participants taking part in the session. \nWhat dates and times are the sessions taking place? \nSessions are 60 minutes\, and run weekly on Fridays from 11 – 12pm \nTickets \nWe require a £4 deposit that will be fully refunded to once you attend Coffee and Connections. There is a free hot drink available for people taking part in the event. You can purchase a ticket online here or in person at the bookshop. \nFriday 13 February Ticket \nFriday 20 February Ticket \nFriday 27 February Ticket \nAs always\, we have a limited amount of complimentary tickets for this event for anyone who needs it. Please contact us directly at bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live or call 07597365380.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/coffee-connections-weekly-community-meetup-2
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Coffee & Connections
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/1.png
ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260213T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260213T200000
DTSTAMP:20260109T125535Z
CREATED:20260107T141832Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260109T125535Z
UID:17150-1771005600-1771012800@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:Book Swap with Fly on the Wall Press
DESCRIPTION:This ‘Palentines Day’\, why not spend it with your friends\, or make new connections! \nHouse of Books and Friends welcomes Fly on the Wall Press on Friday 13th of February (6-8pm) for an uplifting evening of connections\, friends and books! \nBring along a book you’d love to find an appreciative home for – perhaps one you’d like to tell people about. Or bring more than one to give away if you have too many! \nTickets include two books – one you can select from Fly on the Wall Press on the night\, and one you gain after having swapped a book with a fellow attendee. There are also tickets available to receive a tote bag on the night. \nTickets can be found here.   \nWe can’t wait to welcome everyone in our beautiful bookshop venue. Turn up any time from 6pm.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/book-swap-with-fly-on-the-wall-press
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Author Event
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/HOUSE-OF-BOOKS-FRIENDS-4.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260216T103000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260216T113000
DTSTAMP:20260206T132117Z
CREATED:20260206T115345Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260206T132117Z
UID:17752-1771237800-1771241400@houseofbooksandfriends.live
SUMMARY:'Reading Teachers' Reading Group with Sarah Bagshaw-McCormick
DESCRIPTION:It’s the National Year of Reading\, and House of Books and Friends are collaborating with literacy specialist Sarah Bagshaw-McCormick to bring you a reading group with a difference. \nHear a little about how you can encourage your students reading\, meet your new favourite book and get great\, diverse and up to date recommendations for students of every age. \nOn February 16th February we’ll be starting with recommendations around a theme of Mystery. We will have a selection of titles to discuss\, covering picture book to young adult\, for all stages of the curriculum. The even will begin at 10.30am\, and last one hour. \nRegistration is free; please fill in your details here.
URL:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/event/reading-teachers-reading-group-with-sarah-bagshaw-mccormick
LOCATION:House of Books & Friends\, 81 King Street\, Manchester\, M2 4AH\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:The Book Club
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://houseofbooksandfriends.live/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/1.png
ORGANIZER;CN="House of Books & Friends":MAILTO:bookworms@houseofbooksandfriends.live
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR