September Book Club
For September our booksellers were set the task of choosing a book with the theme of science. This was a tricky task and we debated many amazing fiction and non-fiction titles but have decided on Mountains of Fire by Clive Oppenheimer.
These book clubs will be held in the shop and are suitable for ages 16+ years.
To book your place, please visit in-store or click here.
About the book-
We are made of the same stuff as the breath and cinders of volcanoes. No matter where we live on the planet, they have shaped our history and might one day decide our destiny. World-famous volcanologist Clive Oppenheimer has worked at the crater's edge in the wildest places on Earth, close enough to feel the heat of the lava. In Mountains of Fire we join him on hair-singeing adventures from Italy to Antarctica to learn how deeply our stories are intertwined with volcanoes.
Book Event - Climbing Days by Dorothy Pilley with Dan Richards
Book Event - Climbing Days by Dorothy Pilley with Dan Richards.
Doors open at 6:50pm
Animal Farm by George Orwell with lecturer Michael King
We are delighted to announce our next lecture will explore Animal Farm by George Orwell.
Tea and coffee will be provided throughout the session.
To book your place please click here.
About the book~
When the downtrodden animals of Manor Farm overthrow their master Mr Jones and take over the farm themselves, they imagine it is the beginning of a life of freedom and equality. But gradually a cunning, ruthless élite among them, masterminded by the pigs Napoleon and Snowball, starts to take control. Soon the other animals discover that they are not all as equal as they thought, and find themselves hopelessly ensnared as one form of tyranny is replaced with another.
Orwell's chilling 'fairy story' is a timeless and devastating satire of idealism betrayed by power and corruption.
Afterhours Book Club
Here at Books On The Hill, we love all things books so thought it would be great to get people together to have a chat about books. Discussions will be around books you love or books you are currently reading and how you are finding them. So if you love to talk about books, but don't have the time to read a set text, join us at 7pm in store for a fun-filled evening.
Tea & coffee will be available for free on the night or if you prefer please feel free to bring your own alcoholic drinks with you (glasses will be provided).
To reserve your space please click here.
Tagged: book club, Reading Rooms
The Classics Book Club
Classics can be intimidating. They have a reputation of being too highbrow and incomprehensible for us mere mortals. We at Books on the Hill, however, think that is just not true. Classics speak of a universal theme we all have first hand experience of: love, loss, friendship, hope. They are for all of us. To tackle this, we are starting a new Book Club focusing on "The Classics" from recent and not so recent history. Beginning in September, we thought it appropriate to go with an academic theme and so have chosen "Stoner" by John Williams as our first text. We are excited. Come join us.
To book you place please call us on 01727807248, visit us in-store or click here.
This Book Club will be held on the last Thursday of the month, and is suitable for ages 18+. Tea and coffee will be provided, as well as glasses should you chose to bring your own tipple.
About the book -
This is the story of a quiet man, destined to be a farmer but who becomes an academic. It is book in which nothing and everything happens and is possibly the greatest novel you've never read. William Stoner enters the University of Missouri at nineteen to study agriculture. A seminar on English literature changes his life, and he never returns to work on his father's farm. Stoner becomes a teacher.
He marries the wrong woman. His life is quiet, and after his death, his colleagues remember him rarely. Yet with truthfulness, compassion and intense power, this novel uncovers a story of universal value - of the conflicts, defeats and victories of the human race that pass unrecorded by history - and in doing so reclaims the significance of an individual life.
Poetry Afternoons with lecturer Michael King: W. H. Auden
We are delighted to announce our next Poetry Lecture Workshop will explore Selected Poems by W. H. Auden, revised and edited by Edward Mendleson.
Tea and coffee will be provided throughout the session.
To book your place, please click here.
About the book~
Edward Mendelson has significantly expanded his authoritative, chronological ordered edition of Auden's Selected Poems (first published in 1979), adding twenty items to the hundred in the original edition, and broadening the focus to reflect the wealth of forms, the rhetorical and tonal range, and the variousness of content in Auden's poetry, in the confines of one volume. In particular, there are newly included examples of Auden's mastery of light verse: the self-descriptive sequence of haiku called 'Profiles', the barbed wartime quatrains of 'Leap Before You Look', or 'Funeral Blues' itself. Also included are brief notes explaining references that may have become obscure, and a revised introduction drawing on recent additions to Auden scholarship.
Bibliotherapy and the Art of Reading for Wellbeing with Nicole Moody
Would you like to discover the link between reading and wellbeing and how this can enhance your everyday life?
“Literature offers us a powerful language that can help us understand ourselves and others and gives us the words and perspectives that can help us talk about difficult experiences.” Dr Jane Davis, Founder of The Reader
“One sheds one’s sicknesses in books – repeats and presents again one’s emotions, to be master of them.” DH Lawrence, The Letters of DH Lawrence
Bibliotherapy dates back to ancient times when libraries were seen as sacred places where answers and healing could be found. My course explores reading as an active strategy to help cope with life’s challenges, looking at the wider and deeper ways in which fiction and non-fiction can 'find' people, emotionally and imaginatively, helping develop self- esteem, emotional granularity and interpersonal relationships. Participants will be introduced to the neurological benefits of reading “for pleasure” and to a wellbeing model to help us tailor our book choices in order to thrive.
Course Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, participants will gain:
1. An understanding of the key principles of bibliotherapy and how to apply them, including choosing books ‘on prescription’ and making use of a practical, interactive approach
2. A powerful tool to foster group cohesion
3. The experience of using literature as a form of remedy and healing within our daily lives
The course does not require any prior reading ability or experience and absolutely everyone is welcome!
Fortnightly course schedule – Autumn 2024 Classes run at Books on the Hill on the Fridays listed below, from 10.15am-12pm.
CLASS ONE - Friday 4th October
What is Bibliotherapy?
· A potted history of Bibliotherapy and its origins
· Differences approaches to bibliotherapy and what they mean
· The neurological processes behind reading and how they help us flourish.
CLASS TWO - Friday 18th October
Options:
Travel from St. Albans or meet directly in the lobby of the British Library, 96 Euston Road, (times TBC)
The Library
· The role of libraries as memory keepers for societies and as a ‘house of healing’ for the soul · The role of librarianship, libraries as ‘safe spaces’/warm hubs and the libraries of the future Activity: Journey through The British Library, Euston Road, London with your instructor as guide The British Library (BL) is the national library of the United Kingdom and one of the world’s largest libraries. Its collections include more than 150 million items, in over 400 languages including books, magazines, manuscripts, maps, music scores, newspapers, patents, databases, philatelic items, prints and drawings and sound recordings. The activity includes access to the Library “Treasures section” as a springboard for using literature as remedy
CLASS THREE – Friday 1st November
Poetry therapy and the benefits of therapeutic writing
· Poetry Therapy and the qualities that make poems particularly helpful as a wellbeing tool
· The link between reading poetry and therapeutic writing.
· How to apply an interactive approach to poetry
CLASS FOUR – Friday 15th November
Activity: Excursion to Spitalfields and its Bookstores
Options: Travel from St Albans or meet directly in London, Liverpool Street, for a guided tour of the Spitalfields area and its independent bookstores
Guided visit to this historically rich and diverse area, including visits to Libreria and the Brick Lane Bookshop, to consider the changing face of the bookstore, its relationship with its local community and to our wellbeing.
Optional tea and cake in a café (not included in the course fee).
CLASS FIVE – Friday 29th November
Putting bibliotherapy into practice
· Adopting a practical approach to bibliotherapy as an art therapy for ourselves and others
· How to set boundaries, create a safe environment and help select appropriate reading choices
· Incorporating reading for wellbeing into our daily routine · Wrap up and farewell
What is included in the course fee of £130?
Qualified, experienced and evaluated Bibliotherapy instructor
Venue for classes in central St Albans at Books on the Hill, 1 Holywell Hill, St Albans, AL1 1ER
Instructor as guide to two excursions to London: The British Library and the bookstores of Spitalfields
Reading materials, articles and online contact with the instructor throughout the course
10% discount at “Books on the Hill” in St Albans to spend on a book of your choice
NOT included-
Travel to, from and around London on excursions
Tea and cake in a café in London on 15 November (optional)
To register for the course and to embark on a journey for your wellbeing please click here and for further information please email bibliotherapyforme@outlook.com.
Places are limited – first come, first served!
www.bibliotherapyforme.com
October Breakfast Book Club
Here at Books On The Hill, we love all things books so thought it would be great to get people together over breakfast to have a chat about books. Discussions will be around books you love or books you are currently reading and how you are finding them. So if you love to talk about books, but don't have the time to read a set text, join us at 10 am in store for a fun-filled morning. This event is charged and is suitable for 18+ years.
Book here for your individual book club ticket or click here to purchase a one-year ticket.
During the event, the team may ask if we can take pictures of the event to promote future events held in store. By purchasing a ticket you are consenting to the team using these pictures for our social media channels but you are able to withdraw your consent at any time during the event.
Book Event - A Simple Intervention by Yael Inokai translated by Marielle Sutherland
We are really looking forward to welcoming Yael Inokai to discuss her new book A Simple Intervention, and the wonderful Peirene translator Marielle Sutherland.
To join us for what promises to be a wonderful eventing, please book your place here.
A Simple Intervention - A ground-breaking surgical intervention promises to free people from psychological disorders. The procedure is painless, the risks are minimal, and patients are calmer and more compliant after healing. The doctor promises them a new and productive life, free from suffering - can it be so simple? Meret is a nurse on the surgical ward.
The hospital is her home, and her uniform is her identity. She supports her patients through their interventions and is proud to be a part of the solution. But when she falls in love with another nurse, she crosses an invisible boundary and her certainty in the system begins to crumble.
With echoes of Kazuo Ishiguro and Margaret Atwood, this is the story of a world of rigid hierarchies and a love with its own rules.
Yael Inokai was born in 1989 in Basel. She studied philosophy there, and then screenwriting and dramaturgy in Berlin. Her debut novel, Storchenbiss, was published in 2012. She won the 2018 Swiss Literature Prize for her second novel, Mahlstrom. She is a staffer at the magazine PS: Politisch Schreiben and lives in Berlin.
Marielle Sutherland was born in 1976 in Hartlepool. She has a PhD in German and is a translator at the German Historical Institute London. Her publications include the selected poems of Rainer Maria Rilke (co-translated with Susan Ranson) and Rulantica: Hidden Island, by Michaela Hanauer. Marielle Sutherland was awarded the Peirene Stevns Translation Prize in 2023.
Please note, this event is 18+.
Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka with lecturer Michael King
We are delighted to announce our next lecture will explore Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka.
Tea and coffee will be provided throughout the session.
To book your place, please click here.
About the book~
One morning, ordinary salesman Gregor Samsa wakes up to find himself transformed into a giant cockroach. Metamorphosis, Kafka's masterpiece of unease and black humour, is one of the twentieth century's most influential works of fiction, and is accompanied here by two more classic stories.
October Book Club: Mother Naked by Glen James Brown
For October, our booksellers were set the task of choosing a book with the theme of thriller. This was a tricky task and we debated many amazing fiction and non-fiction titles but have decided on the newly released Mother Naked by Glen James Brown.
To book your place, please click here.
These book clubs will be held upstairs in our reading rooms and are suitable for ages 18+ years.
About the book-
The City of Durham, 1434. Out of a storm, an aging minstrel arrives at the cathedral to entertain the city’s most powerful men. Mother Naked is his name, and the story he’s come to tell is the Legend of the Fell Wraith: the gruesome ‘walking ghost’ some say slaughtered the nearby village of Segerston forty years earlier.
But is this monster only a myth, born from the dim minds of toiling peasants? Or does the Wraith – and do the murders – have roots in real events suffered by those fated to a lifetime of labour? As Mother Naked weaves the strands of the mystery – of class, religion, art, and ale – it starts to seem as though the chilling truth might be closer to his privileged audience than they could ever imagine. Taking its inspiration from a single payment entered into Durham’s Cathedral rolls, ‘Modyr Nakett’ was lowest-paid performer in over 200 years of records. Set against the traumatic shadow of the Black Death and the Peasant’s Revolt, Mother Naked speaks back from the margins in a fury of imaginative recuperation.
October Afterhours Book Club
Here at Books On The Hill, we love all things books so thought it would be great to get people together to have a chat about books. Discussions will be around books you love or books you are currently reading and how you are finding them. So if you love to talk about books, but don't have the time to read a set text, join us at 7pm in store for a fun-filled evening.
Tea & coffee will be available for free on the night or if you prefer please feel free to bring your own alcoholic drinks with you (glasses will be provided).
To reserve your space please click here.
Please note this event is 18+.
Classics Book Club
Classics can be intimidating. They have a reputation of being too highbrow and incomprehensible for us mere mortals. We at Books on the Hill, however, think that is just not true. Classics speak of a universal theme we all have first hand experience of: love, loss, friendship, hope. They are for all of us. To tackle this, we are starting a new Book Club focusing on "The Classics" from recent and not so recent history and what classics could be more appropriate for this spooky season than Dracula by Bram Stoker.
This Book Club will be held on the last Thursday of the month, and is suitable for ages 18+. Tea and coffee will be provided, as well as glasses should you chose to bring your own tipple.
To book your place please visit us in-store, call us on 01727807248 or click here.
About the book -
A chilling masterpiece of the horror genre, Dracula also illuminated dark corners of Victorian sexuality. When Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to advise Count Dracula on a London home, he makes a horrifying discovery. Soon afterwards, a number of disturbing incidents unfold in England: an unmanned ship is wrecked at Whitby; strange puncture marks appear on a young woman's neck; and the inmate of a lunatic asylum raves about the arrival of his 'Master', while a determined group of adversaries prepares to face the terrifying Count.
November Breakfast Book Club
Here at Books On The Hill, we love all things books so thought it would be great to get people together over breakfast to have a chat about books. Discussions will be around books you love or books you are currently reading and how you are finding them. So if you love to talk about books, but don't have the time to read a set text, join us at 10 am in store for a fun-filled morning. This event is charged and is suitable for 18+ years.
Book here for your individual book club ticket or click here to purchase a one-year ticket.
During the event, the team may ask if we can take pictures of the event to promote future events held in store. By purchasing a ticket you are consenting to the team using these pictures for our social media channels but you are able to withdraw your consent at any time during the event.
November Afterhours Book Club
Here at Books On The Hill, we love all things books so thought it would be great to get people together to have a chat about books. Discussions will be around books you love or books you are currently reading and how you are finding them. So if you love to talk about books, but don't have the time to read a set text, join us at 7pm in store for a fun-filled evening.
Tea & coffee will be available for free on the night or if you prefer please feel free to bring your own alcoholic drinks with you (glasses will be provided).
To reserve your space please click here.
Please note this event is 18+.
November Classics Book Club
Classics can be intimidating. They have a reputation of being too highbrow and incomprehensible for us mere mortals. We at Books on the Hill, however, think that is just not true. Classics speak of a universal theme we all have first hand experience of: love, loss, friendship, hope. They are for all of us. To tackle this, we are starting a new Book Club focusing on "The Classics" from recent and not so recent history.
For November, to tie in with our upstairs exhibition, we have chosen Jamaica Inn by Dapne Du Maruier.
To book your place please visit us in-store, call us on 01727807248 or click here.
This Book Club will be held on the last Thursday of the month, and is suitable for ages 18+. Tea and coffee will be provided, as well as glasses should you chose to bring your own tipple.
About the book -
Her mother's dying request obliges Mary Yellan to make a grim journey across bleak Cornish moorland to Jamaica Inn, the home of her Aunt Patience and her overbearing husband, Joss Merlyn. With the coachman's warning echoing in her mind and affected by the inn's brooding power, Mary is thwarted in her intention to help her aunt. She finds herself drawn unwillingly into the misdeeds of Joss and his accomplices, and even more disturbing are her feelings for a man she dare not trust ...Jamaica Inn is a dark and gripping gothic tale that will remind readers of two other great classics, Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights.
Poetry Afternoons with lecturer Michael King
We are delighted to announce our next Poetry Lecture Workshop will explore Stevie Smith: A Selection : edited by Hermione Lee, by Stevie Smith
Tea and coffee will be provided throughout the session.
To book your place please click here.
About the book~
This comprehensive and welcoming edition draws on the whole of Stevie Smith's output in poetry, prose and drawings from Novel on Yellow Paper (1936) to Scorpion and Other Poems (1972). Hermione Lee's introduction and arrangement bring out the connections between Stevie Smith's different writings, and show us what an extraordinary and original writer she was. The selection is complemented by biographical and textual notes, and forms an attractive introduction to the work of an idiosyncratic English genius.
Breakfast Book Club
Here at Books On The Hill, we love all things books so thought it would be great to get people together over breakfast to have a chat about books. Discussions will be around books you love or books you are currently reading and how you are finding them. So if you love to talk about books, but don't have the time to read a set text, join us at 10 am in store for a fun-filled morning. This event is charged and is suitable for 16+ years.
Book here for your individual book club ticket or click here to purchase a one-year ticket.
During the event, the team may ask if we can take pictures of the event to promote future events held in store. By purchasing a ticket you are consenting to the team using these pictures for our social media channels but you are able to withdraw your consent at any time during the event.
Tagged: Reading Rooms
Afterhours Book Club
Here at Books On The Hill, we love all things books so thought it would be great to get people together to have a chat about books. Discussions will be around books you love or books you are currently reading and how you are finding them. So if you love to talk about books, but don't have the time to read a set text, join us at 7pm in store for a fun-filled evening.
Tea & coffee will be available for free on the night or if you prefer please feel free to bring your own alcoholic drinks with you (glasses will be provided).
To reserve your space please click here.
Tagged: book club, Reading Rooms
Afternoons with lecturer Michael King
We are delighted to announce our next lecture will explore The Machine Stops and Other Stories by E. M. Forster
Tea and coffee will be provided throughout the session.
To book your place please click here.
About the book~
A new selection of E. M. Forster's exquisite short stories, now in the beautifully designed Penguin English Library Series'We created the Machine, to do our will, but we cannot make it do our will now.
It has robbed us of the sense of space and of the sense of touch, it has blurred every human relation and narrowed down love to a carnal act, it has paralyzed our bodies and our wills, and now it compels us to worship it.'Like his much-loved novels, E. M. Forster's short stories are rich in irony and alive with sharp observations on the surprises life holds.
Telling tales of violent events, discomforting coincidences, and other disruptive happenings, his sharp and vivid prose has the ability to throw the characters', and reader's, perceptions and beliefs off balance. Selected to appeal to a new generation of readers around the world, this new selection of short stories in the Penguin English Library series celebrates E. M. Forster's unparalleled skill for storytelling, beginning with his masterful work of science fiction, The Machine Stops.
August Book Club
For August our booksellers were set the task of choosing a book with the theme of Women in Translation. We have chosen to read Not a River by Selva Almada, which was shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2024.
These book clubs will be held in the shop and are suitable for ages 16+ years.
Book your place here
About the book-
Three men go out fishing, returning to a favourite spot on the river despite their memories of a terrible accident there years earlier. As a long, sultry day passes, they drink and cook and talk and dance, and try to overcome the ghosts of their past. But they are outsiders, and this intimate, peculiar moment also puts them at odds with the inhabitants of this watery universe, both human and otherwise.
The forest presses close, and violence seems inevitable, but can another tragedy be avoided?Rippling across time like the river that runs through it, Selva Almada’s latest novel is the finest expression yet of her compelling style and singular vision of rural Argentina.
Poetry Afternoons with lecturer Michael King
We are delighted to announce our next Poetry Lecture Workshop will explore Philip Larkin Poems : Selected by Martin Amis
Tea and coffee will be provided throughout the session.
To book your place please click here.
About the book~
For the first time, Faber have published a selection from the poetry of Philip Larkin. Drawing on Larkin's four collections and on his uncollected poems, these poems have been selected by Martin Amis.
Breakfast Book Club
Here at Books On The Hill, we love all things books so thought it would be great to get people together over breakfast to have a chat about books. Discussions will be around books you love or books you are currently reading and how you are finding them. So if you love to talk about books, but don't have the time to read a set text, join us at 10 am in store for a fun-filled morning. This event is charged and is suitable for 18+ years.
Book here for your individual book club ticket or click here to purchase a one-year ticket.
During the event, the team may ask if we can take pictures of the event to promote future events held in store. By purchasing a ticket you are consenting to the team using these pictures for our social media channels but you are able to withdraw your consent at any time during the event.
Tagged: Reading Rooms
Book Club After Hours
Here at Books On The Hill, we love all things books so thought it would be great to get people together to have a chat about books. Discussions will be around books you love or books you are currently reading and how you are finding them. So if you love to talk about books, but don't have the time to read a set text, join us at 7pm in store for a fun-filled evening.
Tea & coffee will be available for free on the night or if you prefer please feel free to bring your own alcoholic drinks with you (glasses will be provided).
To reserve your space please click here.
July Book Club
For June our booksellers were set the task of choosing a book with the theme of History. So this month we have decided to read August Blue by Deborah Levy
These book clubs will be held in the shop and are suitable for ages 16+ years.
Book your place here.
About the book-
At the height of her career, concert pianist Elsa M. Anderson - former child prodigy, now in her thirties - walks off the stage in Vienna, mid-performance. Now she is in Athens, watching as another young woman, a stranger but uncannily familiar - almost her double - purchases a pair of mechanical dancing horses at a flea market.
Elsa wants the horses too, but there are no more for sale. She drifts to the ferry port, on the run from her talent and her history. So begins a journey across Europe, shadowed by the elusive woman who bought the dancing horses.
A dazzling portrait of melancholy and metamorphosis, August Blue uncovers the ways in which we seek to lose an old story, find ourselves in others and create ourselves anew.
Afternoons with lecturer Michael King
We are delighted to announce our next lecture will explore Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome
Tea and coffee will be provided throughout the session.
To book your place please click here.
About the book~
What could be better during the golden age of boating on the Thames than a relaxing row up the river? So think J., George and Harris - not forgetting Montmorency the dog - but little do they suspect the mishaps, the scrapes and the japes that lie along the way. From becoming impossibly lost in the maze at Hampton Court to battles with tins of pineapple chunks, all the while attempting to limit the destruction wrought by the mischievous Montmorency, Jerome K. Jerome's classic novel of humorous misadventures and comedic authorial digressions is a paean to the banalities of everyday life and has entertained readers for more than a century.
Nature Writing Workshop series~ Summer Loving
Come and join us for a nature writing workshop ahead of the school holidays. We will celebrate the things we love about nature and our outdoor spaces in the summertime.
In this workshop you can expect to:
- Explore artefacts from the natural world to inspire your words.
- Hear examples of nature writing from a variety of authors.
- Try some creative writing exercises for yourself.
No previous writing experience is required for this informal and friendly morning. We look forward to seeing you there!
To book your place please click here or call us on 01727807248.
Please be advised this event is 16+.
About Vanessa~
Vanessa divides her time between Hertfordshire and the Hebrides and loves to write about birds, butterflies, and beachcombing. She gave up corporate life during the pandemic, taking the plunge to follow her passion for wildlife. After completing a Masters in Nature and Travel Writing with Distinction, she was announced as a Runner-Up in the BBC Countryfile New Nature Writer of the Year 2022 competition. She regularly runs nature writing workshops for the RSPB, Outer Hebrides Wildlife Festival and Species on the Edge, and writes for The Simple Things, Bird Watching and Country Walking magazines. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram @elgeeko1506.
*The course will not run if numbers are insufficient, and a refund will be provided.
Touching Cloth: Confessions and Communions of a Young Priest Book Signing
We are delighted to announce that we will be working with St Albans Cathedral at their Touching Cloth: Confessions and Communions of a Young Priest Book Signing event held at St Albans Cathedral.
Tickets can be purchased through St Albans Cathedral website at the link here.
About the book~
What makes a twenty something become a priest in the 21st century? How do you communicate the gospel to someone who’s asked you to bless their betting app? Is black really slimming? All these questions and more in a talk about ministry in the Church of England in the present day: its ups and downs and how it is much funnier than you might think.
Breakfast Book Club
Here at Books On The Hill, we love all things books so thought it would be great to get people together over breakfast to have a chat about books. Discussions will be around books you love or books you are currently reading and how you are finding them. So if you love to talk about books, but don't have the time to read a set text, join us at 10 am in store for a fun-filled morning. This event is charged and is suitable for 16+ years.
Book here for your individual book club ticket or click here to purchase a one-year ticket.
During the event, the team may ask if we can take pictures of the event to promote future events held in store. By purchasing a ticket you are consenting to the team using these pictures for our social media channels but you are able to withdraw your consent at any time during the event.
Poetry Afternoons with lecturer Michael King
We are kicking off our new Poetry Lecture Workshop with the Nobel Prize Laureate Seamus Heaney; Irish poet, playwright and translator.
Tea and coffee will be provided throughout the session.
To book your place please click here.
About the book~
It was hard to choose which book to discuss; Death of a Naturalist and his Beowulf being a firm shop favourite but after much consideration we have gone with his New Selected Poems 1966-1987, to give us a broader perspective of his work.
Book Club After Hours
Here at Books On The Hill, we love all things books so thought it would be great to get people together to have a chat about books. Discussions will be around books you love or books you are currently reading and how you are finding them. So if you love to talk about books, but don't have the time to read a set text, join us at 7pm in store for a fun-filled evening.
Tea & coffee will be available for free on the night or if you prefer please feel free to bring your own alcoholic drinks with you (glasses will be provided).
To reserve your space please click here.
Afternoons with lecturer Michael King
We are delighted to announce our next lecture will explore The Talented Mr Ripley by Patricia Highsmith.
Tea and coffee will be provided throughout the session.
To book your place please click here.
About the book~
Tom Ripley is struggling to stay one step ahead of his creditors and the law, when an unexpected acquaintance offers him a free trip to Europe and a chance to start over. Ripley wants money, success and the good life and he's willing to kill for it. When his new-found happiness is threatened, his response is as swift as it is shocking.
Nature Writing Workshop series~ Tides Are Changing
Come and join us for a nature writing workshop to mark the United Nations World Ocean Day. The theme they have chosen for this year is Tides Are Changing and this will also be the theme of this workshop. We will celebrate life in our oceans and seas as well as stories of hope.
In this workshop you can expect to:
- Explore some artefacts washed up on our shores.
- Hear examples of nature writing from a variety of authors.
- Try some creative writing exercises for yourself.
No previous writing experience is required for this informal and friendly morning. We look forward to seeing you there!
To book your place please click here or call us on 01727807248.
About Vanessa~
Vanessa divides her time between Hertfordshire and the Hebrides and loves to write about birds, butterflies, and beachcombing. She gave up corporate life during the pandemic, taking the plunge to follow her passion for wildlife. After completing a Masters in Nature and Travel Writing with Distinction, she was announced as a Runner-Up in the BBC Countryfile New Nature Writer of the Year 2022 competition. She regularly runs nature writing workshops for the RSPB, Outer Hebrides Wildlife Festival and Species on the Edge, and writes for The Simple Things, Bird Watching and Country Walking magazines. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram @elgeeko1506.
*The course will not run if numbers are insufficient, and a refund will be provided.
June Book Club
For June our booksellers were set the task of choosing a book with the theme of History. So this month we have decided to read The Wager by David Grann.
These book clubs will be held in the shop and are suitable for ages 16+ years.
Book your place here.
About the book-
A mesmerising story of shipwreck, mutiny and murder, culminating in a court martial that reveals a shocking truth. On 28th January 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell. They were survivors of His Majesty’s ship the Wager, a British vessel that had left England in 1740 on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain. While chasing a Spanish treasure-filled galleon, the Wager was wrecked on a desolate island off the coast of Patagonia.
The crew, marooned for months and facing starvation, built the flimsy craft and sailed for more than a hundred days, traversing 2,500 miles of storm-wracked seas. They were greeted as heroes. Then, six months later, another, even more decrepit, craft landed on the coast of Chile.
This boat contained just three castaways and they had a very different story to tell. The thirty sailors who landed in Brazil were not heroes – they were mutineers. The first group responded with counter-charges of their own, of a tyrannical and murderous captain and his henchmen. While stranded on the island the crew had fallen into anarchy, with warring factions fighting for dominion over the barren wilderness.
As accusations of treachery and murder flew, the Admiralty convened a court martial to determine who was telling the truth. The stakes were life-and-death—for whomever the court found guilty could hang.
Breakfast Book Club *SOLD OUT
Here at Books On The Hill, we love all things books so thought it would be great to get people together over breakfast to have a chat about books. Discussions will be around books you love or books you are currently reading and how you are finding them. So if you love to talk about books, but don't have the time to read a set text, join us at 10 am in store for a fun-filled morning. This event is charged and is suitable for 16+ years.
Book here for your individual book club ticket or click here to purchase a one-year ticket.
During the event, the team may ask if we can take pictures of the event to promote future events held in store. By purchasing a ticket you are consenting to the team using these pictures for our social media channels but you are able to withdraw your consent at any time during the event.
Young Readers Book Club
Does your child enjoy reading? And do they enjoy talking about books? Then get ready for our Young Readers Book Club!
The Book Club will be split into two teams – one group of Fantastic Five-to-Eight year olds, and the Amazing Nine-to-Eleven year olds. Each group will read a different book on the same theme.
For the May half term we’re looking at … Historical Fiction!
After reading the book at home, we will all sit together in our beautiful store to talk about the book. Everybody in each group will have the opportunity to discuss the book and create their own review! We will then ask the children to draw a picture to present their review!
Which book will win the book of the month? Will it be ….
Friend or Foe by Michael Morpurgo (5-8 year olds) Friend or Foe is a gripping World War II story from War Horse author and former Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo. Evacuated from London, David and Tucky feel like the war is a long way away from their new life in the countryside. Then one night the skyline of the moor is lit up with gun flashes, and the distant crump of bombing miles away brings the war back to them and shatters their new-found peace.
or…
I, Spy : a Bletchley Park mystery by Rhian Tracey (9-12 year olds) A thrilling mystery adventure set in Bletchley Park at the start of World War II, based on true events. Twelve-year-old Robyn has grown up in Bletchley Park, where her father works as a driver. When she's not at school, there's nothing she likes more than helping her dad in the garages. Then the war begins and everything at Bletchley changes. Robyn is assigned to help with the carrier pigeons that take messages to the Allies.
Our ticket options includes a copy of the book and attendance for one child for £10. You can collect your book in store by booking your place here or you can sign up in store with one of our booksellers.
Book Club After Hours
Here at Books On The Hill, we love all things books so thought it would be great to get people together to have a chat about books. Discussions will be around books you love or books you are currently reading and how you are finding them. So if you love to talk about books, but don't have the time to read a set text, join us at 7pm in store for a fun-filled evening.
Tea & coffee will be available for free on the night or if you prefer please feel free to bring your own alcoholic drinks with you (glasses will be provided).
To reserve your space please click here.
Nature Writing Workshop series~ Going, Going, Gone
Come and join us for a Nature Writing Workshop where we will honour Endangered Species Day and shine a spotlight on the animals and plants that we want to save from extinction.
In this workshop you can expect to:
- Explore a range of prompts to inspire your writing.
- Hear examples of nature writing from a variety of authors.
- Try some creative writing exercises for yourself.
No previous writing experience is required for this informal and friendly morning. We look forward to seeing you there!
To book your place please click here or call us on 01727807248.
About Vanessa~
Vanessa divides her time between Hertfordshire and the Hebrides and loves to write about birds, butterflies, and beachcombing. She gave up corporate life during the pandemic, taking the plunge to follow her passion for wildlife. After completing a Masters in Nature and Travel Writing with Distinction, she was announced as a Runner-Up in the BBC Countryfile New Nature Writer of the Year 2022 competition. She regularly runs nature writing workshops for the RSPB, Outer Hebrides Wildlife Festival and Species on the Edge, and writes for The Simple Things, Bird Watching and Country Walking magazines. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram @elgeeko1506.
*The course will not run if numbers are insufficient, and a refund will be provided.
May Book Club
For May our booksellers were set the task of choosing a book with the theme of Action & Adventure. So this month we have decided to read A Hundred Million Years and a Day by Jean-Baptiste Andrea.
These book clubs will be held in the shop and are suitable for ages 16+ years.
Book your place here.
About the book-
A Hundred Million Years and a Day is a pocket-sized epic adventure story of a professor's journey to an Alpine glacier. When he hears a story about a huge dinosaur fossil locked deep inside an Alpine glacier, university professor Stan finds a childhood dream reignited. Whatever it takes, he is determined to find the buried treasure. But Stan is no mountaineer and must rely on the help of old friend Umberto, who brings his eccentric young assistant, Peter, and cautious mountain guide Gio. Time is short: they must complete their expedition before winter sets in. As bonds are forged and tested on the mountainside, and the lines between determination and folly are blurred, the hazardous quest for the Earth’s lost creatures becomes a journey into Stan’s own past. This breathless, heartbreaking epic-in-miniature speaks to the adventurer within us all.
Afternoons with lecturer Michael King
We are delighted to announce our next lecture will explore The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
Tea and coffee will be provided throughout the session.
To book your place please click here.
About the book~
The Great Gatsby is F. Scott Fitzgerald's brilliant fable of the hedonistic excess and tragic reality of 1920s America. This Penguin Classics edition is edited with an introduction and notes by Tony Tanner.
Young, handsome and fabulously rich, Jay Gatsby is the bright star of the Jazz Age, but as writer Nick Carraway is drawn into the decadent orbit of his Long Island mansion, where the party never seems to end, he finds himself faced by the mystery of Gatsby's origins and desires. Beneath the shimmering surface of his life, Gatsby is hiding a secret: a silent longing that can never be fulfilled. And soon, this destructive obsession will force his world to unravel.
In The Great Gatsby, Fitzgerald brilliantly captures both the disillusionment of post-war America and the moral failure of a society obsessed with wealth and status. But he does more than render the essence of a particular time and place, for - in chronicling Gatsby's tragic pursuit of his dream - Fitzgerald re-creates the universal conflict between illusion and reality. Like Jay Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940) has acquired a mythical status in American literary history, and his masterwork The Great Gatsby is considered by many to be the 'great American novel'. In 1920 he married Zelda Sayre, dubbed 'the first American Flapper', and their traumatic marriage and Zelda's gradual descent into insanity became the leading influence on his writing. As well as many short stories, Fitzgerald wrote five novels This Side of Paradise, The Great Gatsby, The Beautiful and the Damned, Tender is the Night and, incomplete at the time of his death, The Last Tycoon. After his death The New York Times said of him that 'in fact and in the literary sense he created a "generation"
Bibliotherapy and the Art of Reading for Wellbeing with Nicole Moody
Would you like to discover the link between reading and wellbeing and how this can enhance your everyday life?
“Literature offers us a powerful language that can help us understand ourselves and others and gives us the words and perspectives that can help us talk about difficult experiences.” Dr Jane Davis, Founder of The Reader
“One sheds one’s sicknesses in books – repeats and presents again one’s emotions, to be master of them.” DH Lawrence, The Letters of DH Lawrence
Bibliotherapy dates back to ancient times when libraries were seen as sacred places where answers and healing could be found. My course explores reading as an active strategy to help cope with life’s challenges, looking at the wider and deeper ways in which fiction and non-fiction can 'find' people, emotionally and imaginatively, helping develop self- esteem, emotional granularity and interpersonal relationships. Participants will be introduced to the neurological benefits of reading “for pleasure” and to a wellbeing model to help us tailor our book choices in order to thrive.
Course Learning Outcomes:
By the end of the course, participants will gain:
1. An understanding of the key principles of bibliotherapy and how to apply them, including choosing books ‘on prescription’ and making use of a practical, interactive approach
2. A powerful tool to foster group cohesion
3. The experience of using literature as a form of remedy and healing within our daily lives
The course does not require any prior reading ability or experience and absolutely everyone is welcome!
Fortnightly course schedule – Summer 2024 Classes run at Books on the Hill on the Fridays listed below, from 10.15am-12pm
CLASS ONE - Friday 10 May
What is Bibliotherapy?
· A potted history of Bibliotherapy and its origins
· Differences approaches to bibliotherapy and what they mean
· The neurological processes behind reading and how they help us flourish.
CLASS TWO - Friday 24 May
Options:
Travel from St. Albans or meet directly in the lobby of the British Library, 96 Euston Road, (times TBC)
The Library
· The role of libraries as memory keepers for societies and as a ‘house of healing’ for the soul · The role of librarianship, libraries as ‘safe spaces’/warm hubs and the libraries of the future Activity: Journey through The British Library, Euston Road, London with your instructor as guide The British Library (BL) is the national library of the United Kingdom and one of the world’s largest libraries. Its collections include more than 150 million items, in over 400 languages including books, magazines, manuscripts, maps, music scores, newspapers, patents, databases, philatelic items, prints and drawings and sound recordings. The activity includes access to the Library “Treasures section” as a springboard for using literature as remedy
CLASS THREE – Friday 7 June
Poetry therapy and the benefits of therapeutic writing
· Poetry Therapy and the qualities that make poems particularly helpful as a wellbeing tool
· The link between reading poetry and therapeutic writing.
· How to apply an interactive approach to poetry
CLASS FOUR – Friday 21 June
Activity: Excursion to Piccadilly’s Bookstores
Options: Travel from St Albans or meet directly in London, Waterstones main entrance, 203-206 Piccadilly (times TBC)
Guided visit to two of London’s signature bookstores, including the oldest book shop in London, Hatchards, and the largest, Waterstones, to consider the changing face of the bookstore and its relationship to our wellbeing.
· Optional tea and cake at The Wolseley (not included in the course fee).
CLASS FIVE – Friday 5 July
Putting bibliotherapy into practice
· Adopting a practical approach to bibliotherapy as an art therapy for ourselves and others
· How to set boundaries, create a safe environment and help select appropriate reading choices
· Incorporating reading for wellbeing into our daily routine · Wrap up and farewell
What is included in the course fee of £130?
Qualified, experienced and evaluated Bibliotherapy instructor
Venue for classes in central St Albans at Books on the Hill, 1 Holywell Hill, St Albans, AL1 1ER
Instructor as guide to two excursions to London: The British Library and the bookstores of Piccadilly
Reading materials, articles and online contact with the instructor throughout the course
10% discount at “Books on the Hill” in St Albans to spend on a book of your choice
NOT included-
Travel to, from and around London on excursions
Afternoon tea and cake at The Wolseley or other (optional)
To register for the course and to embark on a journey for your wellbeing please click here and for further information please email bibliotherapyforme@outlook.com.
Places are limited – first come, first served!
www.bibliotherapyforme.com
In Conversation with Katherine May
We are pleased to welcome Katherine May to our shop on Wednesday 8th May at 7pm to discuss her new book Enchantment. During the evening we will be asking how she found the writing process, her research methodology, her publishing process, and much more.
To join us please book your place here. Second ticket release available here.
About the book~
From the internationally bestselling author of Wintering. Our sense of enchantment is not only sparked by grand things. The awe-inspiring, the numinous, is all around us, all the time. It is transformed by our deliberate attention. The magic is of our own conjuring. Feeling bone-tired, anxious, and overwhelmed by the rolling news cycle and the pandemic age, Katherine May seeks to unravel the threads of a life wound too tightly.
Could there be another way to live - one that feels more meaningful, more grounded in the places beneath our feet? One that would allow us to feel more connected, more rested, and at ease, even as seismic changes unfold on the planet? Craving a different path, May explores the restorative properties of the natural world and begins to rekindle her sense of wonder. It is a journey that takes her from sacred wells to wild moors, from cradling seas to starfalls. Through deliberate attention and ritual, she finds nourishment and a more hopeful relationship to the world around her.
Enchantment is an invitation to each of us to experience life in all its sensual complexity and to find the beauty waiting for us there.
Breakfast Book Club
Here at Books On The Hill, we love all things books so thought it would be great to get people together over breakfast to have a chat about books. Discussions will be around books you love or books you are currently reading and how you are finding them. So if you love to talk about books, but don't have the time to read a set text, join us at 10 am in store for a fun-filled morning. This event is charged and is suitable for 16+ years.
Book here for your individual book club ticket or click here to purchase a one-year ticket.
During the event, the team may ask if we can take pictures of the event to promote future events held in store. By purchasing a ticket you are consenting to the team using these pictures for our social media channels but you are able to withdraw your consent at any time during the event.
Book Club After Hours
Here at Books On The Hill, we love all things books so thought it would be great to get people together to have a chat about books. Discussions will be around books you love or books you are currently reading and how you are finding them. So if you love to talk about books, but don't have the time to read a set text, join us at 7pm in store for a fun-filled evening.
Tea & coffee will be available for free on the night or if you prefer please feel free to bring your own alcoholic drinks with you (glasses will be provided).
To reserve your space please click here.
Things With Wings~ Nature Writing Workshop *Postponned*
Come and join us for a workshop on nature writing. The creatures that I love the most are the ones with the power of flight. They have a spirit and freedom which captures the imagination. From birds to butterflies, from bees to bats, I hope these animals will inspire your writing too!
You can expect to:
- Explore different types of nature inspired by things with wings.
- Hear examples of nature writing from a variety of authors.
- Try out some creative writing exercises for yourself.
No previous writing experience is required for this informal and friendly morning. We look forward to seeing you there!
To book your place please click here or call us on 01727807248.
About Vanessa~
Vanessa divides her time between Hertfordshire and the Hebrides and loves to write about birds, butterflies, and beachcombing. She gave up corporate life during the pandemic, taking the plunge to follow her passion for wildlife. After completing a Masters in Nature and Travel Writing with Distinction, she was announced as a Runner-Up in the BBC Countryfile New Nature Writer of the Year 2022 competition. She regularly runs nature writing workshops for the RSPB, Outer Hebrides Wildlife Festival and Species on the Edge, and writes for The Simple Things, Bird Watching and Country Walking magazines. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram @elgeeko1506.
*The course will not run if numbers are insufficient, and a refund will be provided.
April Book Club
For April our booksellers were set the task of choosing a book with the theme of Humour. So this month we have decided to read Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim.
These book clubs will be held in the shop and are suitable for ages 16+ years.
Book your place here.
About the book-
'To Those who Appreciate Wistaria and Sunshine. Small medieval castle on the shores of the Mediterranean to be let For the month of April, above a bay on the Italian Riviera.'Four very different women--the dishevelled and downtrodden Mrs Wilkins, the sad, sweet-faced Mrs Arbuthnot, the formidable widow Mrs Fisher, and the ravishing socialite Lady Caroline Dester--are drawn to the shores of the Mediterranean that April. As each, in turn, blossoms in the warmth of the Italian spring and finds their spirits stirring, quite unexpected changes occur.
The Enchanted April (1922) is a deceptive and timely novel immured in a post-war context, a period noted for its wistful and sometimes satiric writings. Von Arnim's novel is part of this oeuvre and portrays an escape to a carefully described pastoral enclave away from encroaching urbanisation and the spread of new technologies, in an era when the Great War had left many emotionally and physically starved. The journey to San Salvatore by four unhappy women is an escape from stifling parochialism, constraining social and gendered expectations as well as stultifying insularity, but the evocation of an extraordinarily aesthetic and 'enchanted' location suggests more than personal recuperation.