Time Out Love London Awards

I discovered earlier this week that we've been nominated for the annual Time Out Love London Awards. 

Last year’s Love London Awards saw 16,000 nominations and 75,000 votes cast for 5,000 venues across the city. We got some of those votes and as a result of those votes, now proudly display this in our window. 

We're quite keen to get another sticker, so if you can spare a minute or two and you'd like to 

VOTE FOR US PLEASE. 

Thank you. 

YouTube Channel Blag.

Last month, we announced that we were going to start a YouTube Channel.  

It's going to be a right old mix of stuff, including book reviews, opinions & rank stupidity, but hopefully it'll be something you'll enjoy. 

One of the things i'd like to do is have a monthly post where I open parcels of books that publishers send me to read. I won't know what they are, so it might be interesting to see what I get sent. I'll be getting my kids (6 & 8 years old) to review books for younger readers too.

 If I get enough, i'll pick 6 or so to read and review the following month from the packs that I open.  

So this is essentially me blagging free books isn't it?

Well, yes, but also, if you send me a book, I guarantee it'll get onto our YouTube Channel, so it might interest people who watch it (if anyone does, of course). 

I will be focusing on fiction mainly, and I do love indie publishers, but if you fancy sending me something and to ensure I don't open it straight away, please address it to. 

Simon (Booktube)

Big Green Bookshop

Unit 1, Brampton Road, 

Wood Green. 

London

N22 6BG

With a bit of luck we'll have our first post up next week, but this is going to be an ongoing thing, so feel free to send me anything you think I might like. 

We're Closing our Shop

Some of you may remember about 4 years ago, we opened a second shop in Brookmans Park (that's in Hertfordshire).

It was called Tuffet's Toys and Tales and it was a gorgeous kids book and toyshop. 

LOOK HOW PRETTY IT WAS. 

Well, despite our best efforts it simply didn't generate enough customers and we're sadly going to be closing it. 

Brookmans Park is a great village and we'd hoped to emulate the kind of thing we do here in Wood Green, but the amount of energy we needed to put into it, meant that we weren't able to put as much energy into The Big Green Bookshop. That, in turn meant that sales in The Big Green Bookshop started to get seriously affected. 

So, we are biting the bullet so that we can focus EVERYTHING on The Big Green Bookshop again. 

It's all very sad, as initially we were so excited about the new shop. 

It doesn't look quite so pretty now, does it?

Boo hoo

Ah well, onwards and upwards. 

 We've moved all the stock, and fixtures and fittings into one of those self storage buildings (thanks to @markymarket for helping us do this) and we plan to spend the next 2 weeks going through it all and keeping all the best stuff. 

This is a temporary fix, as these storage spaces aren't cheap and we're skint. 

So, of course we have the obligatory favour to ask.

Does anyone near Wood Green have any spare garage space that we could borrow for a month or two? It won't be for loads of stuff, just 4 or 5 bookcases and about 20 boxes of books I reckon. 

If you do, could you give us a bell 020 8881 6767 or email enquiries@biggreenbookshop.com.

Thanks, Simon & Tim

EVENT. Not the Booker Prize. LIVE!

Saturday October 15th - 6.00pm - 8.00pm

Not The Booker Night

£3. BUY TICKETS HERE.

In 2009, the first Not the Booker Prize was launched by Sam Jordison in the Guardian. After a number of “controversial” decisions at the Man Booker Prize (and other literary prizes) this was a somewhat tongue-in-cheek attempt to introduce a slightly more democratic way of choosing a prize winning book.

The entry criteria are very similar to the Booker Prize.

Readers are asked to nominate a book fitting these criteria and a very long longlist is then announced. This longlist is then whittled down to six books, by people writing reviews for the books they want to win...the full rules can be found here , but we now have the Not the Booker Shortlist. Here it is.

 

The Combinations by Louis Armand

The Less Than Perfect Legend of Donna Creosote by Dan Micklethwaite

Walking the Lights by Deborah Andrews

The Summer That Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel

Chains of Sand by Jemma Wayne

What Will Remain by Dan Clements

And we are delighted that once again, the Not the Booker Prize is going live! Wembley Arena? Nah. The South Bank? pfft. Only the Big Green Bookshop could host such an event.

Each year, the award gets bigger and bigger, with over 1500 votes for the shortlist this year.

All six authors have been invited by to attend a panel reading and discussion and Sam Jordison will be here to chair the discussion. We can't guarantee all the authors will be able to make it (two are based in the states, so we’re working on hooking up Skype, so they can be involved too), but we’re pretty sure four will be in attendance at the shop on the night.

Not only will you get the chance to meet the authors, there will also be a Q and A and a signing.

 These Not the Booker Events are really brillaint fun and this year's shortlist looks fantastic. I cannot wait to read each of them myself.

Tickets for this event are just £3 (HERE), redeemable on any of the shortlisted books on the night. Spaces are very limited and this event will sell out very quickly.

Really hope you can make it. 

EVENT. Jayne Joso joins us for a Kimono Book Party!

Thursday September 29^th – 7.00pm

Jayne Joso joins us for a Kimono Book Party!

Hurray! We’re thrilled to welcome one of our favourite authors, Jayne Joso back to the Big Green Bookshop, to celebrate the publication of her new novel “My Falling Down House”.

Having lost his job and his home, Takeo Tanaka, a young Japanese man, takes refuge in a dilapidated wood and paper house. He sets himself projects in an attempt to hold on to his sanity and as recompense for trespassing and dwelling in a house for which he makes no payment. But with only a cat and a cello for company, his ability to distinguish between real and imagined events is soon deeply challenged.

His fears and failing health keep him inside the house through four testing seasons, and he is driven to the edge of insanity as he pushes his creative abilities to keep himself occupied and retain his self-respect.

When the shapeshifter (yokai) arrives, and begins to menace him, he is again made to doubt his sanity, and then also his sight, and his hearing. Questioning his previous life brings him to a point of crisis and he renegotiates his feelings towards a crippling modern world and all that this demands. As the seasons move on, he finds himself more and more deeply drawn into a relationship with nature and simple ways of living.

Jayne received the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation Award for her new novel, given to a work of fiction or non-fiction which helps to interpret modern Japan to the English-speaking world.

This is Jayne’s third novel. Her first, “Soothing Music for Stray Cats” explores the lives of disaffected city dwellers, and was heralded as ‘the debut of a distinctive voice in contemporary British Fiction’ by social historian Joe Moran; with the Times Literary Supplement projecting that it ‘may emerge as one of the great, eccentric London novels’.

 Her second novel, “Perfect Architect”, draws on Joso’s interest in architectural and psychological space. Accompanied by illustrations by Japanese artist, Hiroki Godengi, Perfect Architect was given full-page discussion in the international magazine: ICON

To make things even more fun, it’s going to be a Japanese themed evening.

Come in your kimono, as your inner ninja, your shapeshifting alter-ego, or just as you are!

This is a FREE event, but please let us know if you’d like to come along (enquiries@biggreenbookshop.com or phone 020 8881 6767)

Refreshments will be available. 

EVENT. An Evening with Alison Moore

Thursday September 22nd - 7.00pm

An Evening with Alison Moore 

£3. BUY TICKETS HERE

 In 2012, Booker Prize shortlisted authors Alison Moore (The Lighthouse), and Tan Twan Eng (The Garden of Evening Mists) came to the Big Green Bookshop just 4 days before the Booker Prize was announced to read from and discuss their books. Those of you who were lucky enough to come to this will remember what an incredible evening it was.

And so it’s with enormous pleasure that we welcome back Alison Moore to the bookshop to mark the publication of her phenomenal new novel Death and the Seaside.

“With an abandoned degree behind her and a thirtieth birthday approaching, amateur writer Bonnie Falls moves out of her parents' home into a nearby flat. Her landlady, Sylvia Slythe, takes an interest in Bonnie, encouraging her to finish one of her stories, in which a young woman moves to the seaside, where she comes under strange influences. As summer approaches, Sylvia suggests to Bonnie that, as neither of them has anyone else to go on holiday with, they should go away together - to the seaside, perhaps”.

It really is a stunning book, and as with Alison’s previous books, the pace and control of the story is something very special. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Tickets for this event are just £3 (HERE), redeemable on any of Alison’s books on the night.

As a special deal (because our Book Group has chosen this for October’s meeting), if you buy a copy of Death at the Seaside before the event, you can get in for FREE! (just let us know you want to come and we’ll put your name down on the list).  

This is likely to be a VERY popular event, so please book EARLY.

Hope you can make it. 

EVENT. How to Pitch to a Literary Agent

Wednesday September 21^st – 7.00pm sharp!

How to Pitch to a Literary Agent

With Hattie Grunewald from Blake Friedmann Agency.

£6. BUY TICKETS HERE.

An amazing opportunity for budding authors to learn some vital lessons on how to approach an agent when you’re pitching your book to them.

We’re delighted that Hattie Grunewald, from one of London’s biggest (and best) agencies will be here to offer essential advice if you’re looking to give yourself a better chance of doing a successful pitch.

Hattie graduated from University of East Anglia in 2013 with a BA in English and Creative Writing, and started work as an intern at Blake Friedmann the very next week. She assists Carole Blake, handles short fiction and permissions on behalf of Blake Friedmann clients, and is now building her own impressive list.

We wanted to set up this event after this recent blogpost appeared online from a “disgruntled” author. DO NOT DO THIS.

Hattie will be in conversation with Chris Brosnahan, who looks after our thriving Writers Group.

There’ll be opportunities to ask Hattie your own questions and after the event, there’ll be drinks and a chance to chat some more.

Tickets are just £6 (a bargain!), which can be purchased HERE.

Hope you can make it. 

Tona de Brett

Many of our regular customers already know that Tim’s Mum is Tona de Brett, legendary singing teacher to the stars (check this out if you don’t believe me) In fact I would be surprised if there was anyone in Wood Green, Hornsey or Muswell Hill who didn’t know. It is said that in order to gain access to Crouch End you must know that Tona briefly taught Annie Lennox.

Tona

Well, Tona – with the help of author & journalist Chris Charles – is writing her memoirs, and she could do with a little assistance.

We're looking for anyone who was taught by Tona, and we have set up an email address solely to collect their memories/stories of Tona. It is  tonadebrettbook@hotmail.com

Tona has lived and worked in Muswell Hill for over 50 years and, in that time, has taught hundreds (possibly thousands) of people. We want to hear from as many as possible. From the people she taught piano to as children to the megastars who came to top up their singing skills.

If you've ever had the pleasure of being taught by Tona, or can can share this with people who might be able to help, we'd really appreciate it. 

National Anthems. An evening with Alex Marshall & Rhodri Marsden

Tuesday May 24^th – 7.00pm-9.00pm

A Celebration of National Anthems

With Alex Marshall and Rhodri Marsden

 

There are a couple of hundred songs that are sung by millions across the world each day, that school children know by heart and sports fans belt out perfectly even after eight beers. And they aren’t pop songs – they are national anthems.

 

In his brilliant new book Republic or Death, Alex Marshall brings the incredible stories of the world’s national anthems to life. Taking in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and the Americas North and South, he embarks on an adventure that includes cycling the route along which French revolutionaries marched as they first sang La Marseillaise; entering a competition for the best singer of the Star-Spangled Banner; and attempting to bribe his way to an audience with the king of Nepal in order to uncover the story behind the only national anthem written on a Casio keyboard.

The book will be available at the shop for £8.99 and Alex will doubtlessly be happy to sign copies for you.

Alex will be joined by the multitalented and charming Rhodri Marsden.

Rhodri is currently in no less than three bands. Scritti Politti, Prescott and everybody’s favourite TV theme tribute band Dream Themes. In 2014 he talked (and played) at The Boring Conference, highlighting the similarities between 198 of the World’s national anthems. It went down a storm. And for one night only Rhodri will be recreating this momentous event right here at the Big Green Bookshop.

This is a FREE event, but please let us know if you plan on coming along, as I have a feeling it will be VERY popular.

Don’t miss it!

Judy Dyble - Book Launch. Friday May 13th.

Friday May 13^th – 7.00pm

Launch Party for ‘An Accidental Musician’, Judy Dyble’s Autobiography.

Please join us for Judy’s glorious return to the Bookshop (Judy will be performing too!)

 

The original female singer for Fairport Convention, Judy left the band after their first album, aged 19 (replaced by Sandy Denny).

 

Judy's boyfriend at the time, Ian McDonald answered an ad in Melody Maker and joined Giles, Giles and Fripp, the forerunner of King Crimson. Judy joined this band, but left when her relationship with McDonald ended.

She then teamed up with ex-Them singer Jackie McAuley to form Trader Horne, but in 1973, Judy left the music business when she married DJ Simon Stable (Count Simon De La Bedoyere). Simon died in 1994, and apart from the odd appearance at Fairport Convention's Cropredy Festival, Judy didn’t perform again for many years.

 

 In 2003, she restarted her musical career and produced several albums to great critical acclaim. 2015's 3-CD anthology sold out immediately and was well reviewed in Prog magazine, amongst others.

 

Judy’s autobiography, written with journalist and author Dave Thompson captures Judy’s extraordinary story perfectly.

Please come along to help celebrate with Judy. As an added bonus she’ll be joined by Alistair Murphy, Jeremy Salmon to (as she put it) “sing a bit” too!

The book will be available on the night and Judy will be very happy to sign copies for you.

This is a FREE event, but judging by her last appearance at the bookshop, it will be VERY busy, so please make sure you get here early.