Our Newsletter

Hello, 
this is a copy of our newsletter. I thought you'd be interested in seeing what we do. We like to keep busy.
If you'd like to be put on the mailing list get in touch. (enquiries@biggreenbookshop.com)
We send it out every week (we try to anyway). There are pictures and stuff on the newsletter we send out too.
Anyway, here it is,


Here’s this week’s newsletter. There is plenty going on and we’ve added a little taster of the events we have planned for May at the bottom.
We’ve recently got in a whole new range of Children’s Non Fiction and also we’ve been expanding our general fiction range. These are areas that you told us that you wanted to see more of.
We’re also in the process of doubling the size of our London section and also we’ll be introducing a Local Authors section in the next week or so.
The Portable Bookshop in Crouch End is beginning to take shape now and we have 3 definite venues for our pop-up bookshop.
I will be meeting with the store manager of a Very Large Shop in Crouchy tomorrow, and hopefully once this has been sorted out we can really start to push what we’re doing.
We’ve had some new Big Green Bookshop bookmarks designed for us and they are being printed as we speak. I’m really looking forward to showing you them as they are fantastic.
Anyway, there’s a lot for you to get through, so I won’t delay you any longer...


Thursday April 14th at 7.00pm-8.30pm
An Evening with the Highgate Poets
Highgate Poets was founded in 1977 by Fleur Bowera. It's a workshop group, holding monthly meetings, where poems are presented for constructive criticism. Every two years The Highgate Poets produce a collection of the finest poetry from their members. To celebrate the publication of Kites 2010, members of the society will be reading from this collection. The book will be available for purchase on the night at £6.50.
This is a free event and refreshments will be served.

Friday April 15th (and every Friday) at 11.00am
Songs and Stories at the Bookshop
Come along for a little bit of a break as we tell stories and sings songs for your little ones. Ideal for the under 5's, we'll be reading and singing some of your favourite songs as well as introducing you to some fabulous new stuff too.
There's always the lure of a cup of tea and some flapjack too, and what's more, it's FREE.
So come and join us.


Friday April 15th 8.15pm-10.30pm
Ha Ha Hardbacks (still a working title)
After the huge success of last month's inaugural comedy night, The Big Green Bookshop is delighted that this is now going to be a monthly event. We’ve been advertising for comics to come and perform at our delightful little venue and we’ve been inundated with replies from some very funny people who’d love to come and entertain you.
We’re still finalising the line up, but I can confirm that the headliner will be the brilliant award winning Sarah Murray and there’ll be four or five other brilliant comedians, as well as some improv and probably lots of other stuff too. As soon as we get the line up we'll let you know
Entrance is just £3 and we suggest that you bring refreshments as ours will run out very quickly.
This is something that we hope will become a regular thing in Wood Green, so please come along and support our new venture.


Sunday April 17th 1.00pm-5.00pm
Boardgames at the Bookshop
It's NOT the last Sunday of the month, but because the following weekend it's Easter Sunday, we're moving forward board games day at the Big Green Bookshop. You'll have the chance to relive some of your childhood classics like Monopoly but also try some of the new generation of games like Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, Carcassonne and Labyrinth. These are fun, pacy, challenging games that don't drag on endlessly until you've lost the will to live.
Come along to the bookshop anytime throughout the afternoon, choose a game and spend a pleasant afternoon in the lovely surroundings of the bookshop trying to build your railway network, build your medieval empire or create a new civilisation.
We'll provide coffee and tea, but bring along snacks to keep your mind focussed on destroying your opponents. Come along with friends or by yourself, we'll sure that there'll be a game you can join in with. If you want to bring along your own game then that's fine (especially if it's Escape From Colditz, I haven't played that for years) or if you want us to get a particular boardgame then just let us know and we'll do our best to get it (not Twister!).
This is a FREE club and we hope you tell all your friends about it.

Wednesday April 20th 7.00pm-8.30pm
An Evening with Orange Prize Longlisted author Tessa Hadley
Tessa Hadley, novelist and senior lecturer in creative writing at BathSpaUniversity, has been longlisted for the 2011 Orange Prize for Fiction for her latest novel The London Train which waspublished by JonathanCape in January.
The London Train is Tessa Hadley's fourth novel, and she has already received significant critical acclaim for her writing: Accidents in the Home (longlisted for the Guardian First Book award); Everything Will Be All Right (shortlisted for the Encore Award); and The Master Bedroom (longlisted for the Orange prize and the Welsh Book of the Year award).
She has had many stories published in the New Yorker and other magazines, and has had two plays broadcast on Radio 4.
The Orange Prize is the UK's only annual book award for fiction written by a woman. The winner will be announced at an awards ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall on 8 June 2011
We are delighted that she's agreed to come to the shop on Wednesday April 20th at 7.00pm to read from and to talk about her books and her writing. It's fantastic that we're able to add Tessa to the long list of wonderful authors that have visited the Big Green Bookshop.
Tickets for this event are just £3, redeemable on any of Tessa's books on the night. Tickets can be purchased here or through the bookshop
Wine and nibbles will be available.
This is an incredible opportunity to listen a highly distinguished and exhilarating author.

Thursday April 21st 7.00pm-9.00pm
The Big Green Bookshop Monthly Quiz
The Big Green Bookshop's now legendary quiz nights returns, due to popular demand. The theme of the quiz is mainly book related but we may introduce one or two rounds to test out your knowledge of other cultural joys (not the Simpsons again though).
Each team will have a MAXIMUM OF 4 people
It's £5 per team to enter. Payment in advance please.
The Quiz will start at 7.00pm prompt, so please try and get here on time.
You can buy a ticket online here which will guarantee you a table, or else you can pay over the phone or you can actually come into the bookshop. Yes the bookshop.
Refreshments will be available, but feel free to bring your own as they usually run out pretty quickly
Your questionmaster will be TheManWhoFellAsleep Greg Stekelman. He is very funny. This is his website. Look forward to seeing you there.
Please come along.


Friday April 22nd 11.00am
Children’s Stories and Songs
A welcome break from the chaotic High Road. Join us for stories and songs. Great fun for the under 5’s.
There's always the lure of a cup of tea and some flapjack too, and what's more, it's FREE

Wednesday April 27th 6.30pm- 8.30pm (and every fortnight)
A Writing Group for writers of Fiction of all genres
Do you write short stories or novels? Like SF/Fantasy/Horror? Are you interested in joining a writers group?
So many questions....
But if the answer to these is yes, or even maybe, then why not come along to this group, which meets every fortnight at the Big Green Bookshop.
Writing can be a solitary activity and sometimes getting the motivation to keep writing is hard. The idea of this group is to help keep that motivation and focus, and also with luck to encourage and nurture your creativity. We are focusing this group specifically on fiction, including all its genres (Science Fiction, Fantasy, Crime, Horror, Short Stories etc) and it doesn't matter whether you're a published author or have just decided to try and write your first story. Everyone will be treated as equals.
There are 2 Rules, which you need to adhere to.
Rule 1 - Leave your ego at the door. Nobody's work is above constructive criticism.
Rule 2 - Remember you're dealing with people's personal work, thoughts and words. Be constructive, not dismissive.
We know there are many of you out there who are really keen to write and this maybe something that'll help. You can come as little of as often as you like, but if you think it may help, then why not come along.
The cost is £3 each session, which will cover refreshments and the cost of the venue.

Sunday May 1st 1.00pm-4.00pm
Knitting Day at the Bookshop
Join us for our monthly knitting day at the shop. No experience necessary, as there are lots of lovely knitters who are happy to help you. It’s a lovely relaxing way to spend a Sunday, so come along
Tea coffee and biscuits will be available throughout the day.


Thursday May 5th - 7.00pm-8.30pm
Henry Hemming joins us to read from and discuss his new book 'Together, How Small Groups Achieve Big Things'
Together is about the extraordinary revival of small groups in Britain today.
What happens when a room full of people decide to work towards the same dream? Why is it that when we come together in small groups we are so much more than the sum of our parts?
From druids to bingo-clubbers, eco-warriors to flash-mobbers, historical re-enactors to bee-keepers, books groups and knitting circles, W.I.s, Young Farmers and the fan-owners of a football club, Together reveals the true story of modern Britain. The country we live in is in fact an extraordinary composition of small groups powered by shared interests and common ideals. Hemming reveals a different way of seeing society, one that recognizes the massive, untapped potential of these hundreds of thousands of small groups, how they work and what they enable us to do that we can’t do alone.
Witty and provocative, Together gives us an extraordinary cast of characters, a series of unlikely alliances and most importantly, a vision of what we can achieve Together.
Henry will be reading from and talking about the book, which i'm sure will strike a chord with a lot of you. Tickets for the evening are just £3 which will be redeemable against the cost of the book on the evening.
Tickets are available on our website here, or in the bookshop. Refreshments will be served and we look forward to seeing you there.


COMING SOON
A Special EASTER day of fun. (details to follow)
also...
May 4th – Elevenses Reading Group- This month we are reading Caribou Island by David Vann. We meet in the shop at 11.00am


May 8th-9th Bookshop on Tour- The Big Green Bookshop will be in the Mall Shopping Centre for a weekend. More details to follow


May 10th – Evening Reading Group- This month we will be discussing A Void by Georges Perec. We meet at 7.00pm n the bookshop


May 11th Writing Group – Fortnightly meeting (details above)


May 12th Launch party for the brilliant Perfect Architect by Jayne Joso. From 7.00pm


May 13th Ha Ha Hardbacks- Monthly Comedy Night. 8.00pm-10.00pm


May 15th Launch of issue #4 of the Zoom comic. 5.00pm


May 17th Daniel Harris reads from and talks about ‘On the Road’, his book charting his season following Manchester United anywhere but Old Trafford. 7.00pm


May 18th Courttia Newland and Alex Wheatle join us to read selections from their new books. 7.00pm

May 19th Launch party for Ellie Levenson as we celebrate the publication of her new book ‘50 Campaigns to Shout About’. 7.00pm

So, we’re quite busy then…
Hope you can make it to one or more of these.
See you soon,
Simon, Tim and Mark