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Author appearances, poetry and spoken word events in London this week

Literary Death Match takes place on 15 May

Plan Ahead

LITERATURE FESTIVAL: The Asia House Literature Festival runs 6-21 May, with authors such as Brigid Keenan, Kamila Shamsie and John Keay taking part in various events. See full programme here.

FOYLES REOPENING: When Foyles on Charing Cross Road relocates to, er, further down Charing Cross Road, there will be a Grand Reopening Festival, with the likes of Hilary Mantel, Michael Palin and Jarvis Cocker. More information here. 11 June-5 July

KEATS FESTIVAL: Booking is now open for the events at the Keats Festival 2014, celebrating 200 years since Keats wrote his first poem. See full programme and book tickets here. 7-15 June

Thursday 15 May

LOCAL BUILDING: Head to Waterstones Hampstead to hear author David Burke talking about The Isokon building in Belsize Park, whose past inhabitants have include artists and spies. £5, prebook, 7pm

REVOLUTIONARY RUSSIA: Orlando Figes, author of Revolutionary Russia 1891-1991, talks at Daunt Books in Marylebone about the book. £8, prebook, 7pm

LATE NIGHT: As part of Museums at Night, Keats House opens late, with music and performance poetry. £8, prebook, 7pm

STAND UP POETRY: Bang Said The Gun, billed as “stand up poetry for people who don’t necessarily like poetry” takes place at The Roebuck on Great Dover Street. Tonight’s perfumers are Simon Munnery and Sami Switch. £7/£5, just turn up, 8pm

WAR OF WORDS: Literary Death Match see four authors read their own work for seven minutes or less, to be judged by a panel, whittled down to a final two, and competing for victory. Takes place at The Proud Archivist in Haggerston, and followed by an after party. £10, prebook, 8pm

Friday 16 May

WAR POETRY: Lyttelton Theatre at the National Theatre hosts a First World War Poetry platform, with selections read by Kenneth Cranham, Lisa Dwan and Deborah Findlay. £4/£3, prebook, 6pm

WILLIAM BLAKE: Waterstones Piccadilly hosts a discussion with The Blake Society about the impression poet William Blake made on Australia. Free, prebook, 7pm

POETS MEETING: Dodo Modern Poets meet at the Poetry Cafe tonight, hosted by Patric Cunnane and featuring up-and-coming poets James Easton, Anne Macaulay and Penny Faulkner. £7/£6, prebook, 8pm

Saturday 17 May

ANIMAL VERSE: Author John Hegley performs pieces from his new animal-themed volume of verse at the Bloomsbury Theatre. Suitable for kids aged 9 and over. £15/£10, prebook, 7pm

POETRY OPEN MIC: Lipped Ink‘s monthly event at the Poetry Cafe has a featured poet and open mic slots. £5, prebook, 7.30pm

Sunday 18 May

TORRIANO POETS: At this week’s Torriano Poets meeting, Maggie Butt shares her work. £5/£4, just turn up, 7.30pm

Monday 19 May

KING LEAR: Film and stage director Sam Mendes is at the National Theatre talking to Mark Leipacher about his production of King Lear. £4/£3, prebook, 5.30pm

EUROPEAN POLITICS: Waterstones Hampstead hosts an evening with political author and commentator David Goodhart, author of The British Dream, in the run-up to the European elections. £5, prebook, 7pm

SPY LITERATURE: Ben Macintyre talks about his new book, A Spy Among Friends with Charles Cumming at Daunt Books in Marylebone. £8, prebook, 7pm

LONDON HISTORY: Historian Jerry White is at Waterstones Piccadilly to talk about his new book Zeppelin Nights, exploring the effect of World War Two on London, in both the short and long term. Free, prebook, 7pm

PRISONOMICS: Economist Vicky Pryce is at Jewish Cultural Centre to discuss her book Prisonomics with Peter Stanford. The book was written as a result of her time in prison, and looks at the social and economic costs of keeping women in prison. £12/£15, prebook, 8pm

Tuesday 20 May

PHYSICS HISTORY: Jon Butterworth, a leading physicist on the Large Hadron Collider is at Waterstones Gower Street to talk about his new book, Smashing Physics, which covers the past 20 years of physics research. £5/£3, prebook, 6.30pm

SUBURBAN POETRY: An evening of poetry dedicated to the suburbs, especially Hampstead, at Keats House, with readings and performances. Free, prebook, 7pm

OPEN MIC: Poetry Unplugged is an open mic night at the Poetry Cafe. £5/£4, just turn up, 7.30pm

Wednesday 21 May

WAR STORY: Well-known author Tim Butcher talks at Waterstones Piccadilly about his new book, The Trigger, about the assassin who shot Archduke Franz Ferdinand and triggered the First World War. £5/£3, prebook, 6.30pm

PSYCHOLOGY: Norwegian author Karl Ove Knausgaard speaks to psychoanalyst and author Stephen Grosz at Lutyens Rubinstein bookshop. £8, prebook, 7pm

AUSTERITY: Richard Seymour, author of Against Austerity, talks at Housmans bookshop about the economic recovery. £3, prebook, 7pm

NEW NOVELS: Charlotte Mendelson and Sathnam Sanghera discuss their latest novels at Keats House, courtesy of Daunt Books. £5, prebook, 7pm

SCIENCE STORIES: The Story Sessions runs its first evening in its new location, The Cafe Of Good Hope in Hither Green. Go along to hear stories about science, from headliners and emerging acts. £3, just turn up, 7pm

SPANISH WAR: Local author Cecil Jenkins is at Waterstones Hampstead to talk about his new novel Dora Versus Picasso, set in the Spanish Civil War. £5, prebook, 7pm

CALCUTTA FICTION: Head to Southbank Centre to hear author Neel Mukherjee read from his new book, The Lives of Others, set in Calcutta in 1967. £8, prebook, 7.30pm

CANTERBURY TALES: Poets retell Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales at Telling Tales, a spoken word night at The Albany in Deptford. £10/£8, prebook, 8pm

TALL TALES: Natural Born Storytellers at Camden Head is an evening of storytelling from both experienced performers and members of the audience. This month’s theme is True Tall Tales. Free (donations welcome), just turn up, 8.15pm

Follow @LondonistLit for our pick of that day’s literary events.

This is a sponsored article on behalf of the Roundhouse.

Mark Grist in Rogue Teacher

Remember Mark Grist, the English teacher-turned-poet whose YouTube video racked up 4 million views when he took on a student in a rap battle? You can see his one-man show, Rogue Teacher, about leaving behind his teaching career, at the Roundhouse in Camden this month. He’s also currently in Mr Drew’s School For Boys on Channel 4. You’ll never look at a teacher in the same way again.

If rap isn’t your thing, Roundhouse’s season of spoken word and storytelling continues with a few other gems.

Award-winning artist, poet and lyricist Kate Tempest has joined forces with Cardboard Citizens to create a powerful piece of theatre on the universality of family. Glasshouse is three short stories, each told from the point of view of a different member of the same family, drawing the audience into a dark and gritty London, illuminated by moments of unexpected tenderness. But this is no ordinary theatre show – in the second half the audience are invited on stage to rehearse alternative scenarios and create a more positive outcome for the characters.

Alternatively, Howl 2.0 by Poejazzi is a reworking of the infamous poem by Allen Ginsberg, featuring modern artists and using visual art and music to perform the piece for a 21st century audience.

Glasshouse runs 14-18 May, Rogue Teacher runs 26-28 May, and Howl 2.0 runs 29-30 May. Tickets are all £12.50 plus booking fee, all take place in the Studio Theatre at Roundhouse.

Author appearances, poetry and spoken word events in London this week

Daunt Books has several author events going on this week. Details below.

Plan Ahead

STOKE NEWINGTON: Stoke Newington Literary Festival takes place in June, with literary salons, writer workshops, author talks and more. Full programme here. Tickets on sale now, prebook here. 6-8 June

KEATS FESTIVAL: Booking is now open for events at the Keats Festival 2014, celebrating 200 years since Keats wrote his first poem. See full programme and book tickets here. 7-15 June

FOYLES REOPENING: When Foyles on Charing Cross Road relocates to, er, further down Charing Cross Road, there will be a Grand Reopening Festival, with the likes of Hilary Mantel, Michael Palin and Jarvis Cocker. More information here. 11 June-5 July

Thursday 22 May

RARE BOOKS: Today is the first day of the Antiquarian Book Fair at London Olympia, with thousands of rare, unusual and unique items for sale. Free when prebooked, or £10-£15 on the door, 11am-5pm

SCIENCE & FICTION: Work Gallery in King’s Cross holds a book launch and one night exhibition. The book, Science & Fiction, showcases the work of the Royal College of Art Photography Programme. The evening has a guest speaker, writer and artist Tom McCarthy. Free, prebook, 6pm

NOVEL LAUNCH: At Waterstone’s Richmond, Sarah Rayner launches her new novel, Another Night, Another Day. Sarah will be in conversation with her editor Francesca Main and £1 from every ticket sold will be donated to the charity Mind. £3, prebook, 7pm

LONDON AT WAR: London historian Jerry White launches his new book, Zeppelin Nights, which discusses the capital during the First World War. He is in conversation with journalist and critic Frances Wilson at Daunt Books in Marylebone. £8, prebook, 7pm

SECOND NOVEL: Award-winning author Andres Neuman talks about his second novel, Talking to Ourselves, at Waterstone’s Piccadilly. Free, prebook, 7pm

STORIES: The Invisible Dot in King’s Cross hosts the first event in a new season of Stories, where young poets, writers, thinkers, and speakers come together to share stories on a theme. Tonight’s performers include Liam Williams, Alex Edelman, Alfie Brown and Katy Wix. £10, prebook, 7.45pm

STAND UP POETRY: Bang Said The Gun, billed as “stand up poetry for people who don’t necessarily like poetry” takes place at The Roebuck on Great Dover Street. Tonight’s perfumers are John Osborne and The Roundhouse Collective. £7/£5, just turn up, 8pm

LYING STORYTELLERS: Crick Crack Club at Rich Mix sees performers tell a lie, a lying tale, or a story about a lie or lying to compete in The Grand lying Contest, in front of an audience and a panel of judges. £8/£6, prebook, 8pm

Friday 23 May

NORWEGIAN AUTHOR: Meet author Karl Ove Knausgaard at Waterstone’s Piccadilly. He will sign copies of the exhilarating and terrifying ‘Boyhood Island’, the third book of the ‘My Struggle’ cycle. Free, prebook, 6.30pm

WRITERS WORKSHOP: Southbank Centre hosts StorySLAM:Live, a chance for writers to impress judges with a five-minute story along the theme ’Elemental’, and get feedback on their work. It’s part of Alchemy Festival. £8, prebook, 7pm

SPANISH HISTORY: Javier Cercas, a writer specialising in modern Spanish history will be in conversation with Paul Preston, author of The Spanish Holocaust, at London Review Bookshop. Cercas’ new book, The Outlaws, is set just after the end of Franco’s dictatorship. £10, prebook, 7pm

Saturday 24 May

FUNDRAISER: The Poetry Cafe holds an open mic evening to raise funds for an Anthology to Seamus Heany. £5, just turn up, 7.30pm

Sunday 25 May

KEATS HOUSE POETRY: Keats House hosts an afternoon of poetry, with an open mic and performances from the Keats House Poets and Malika Booker. Free, just turn up, 2pm

TORRIANO POETS: At this week’s Torriano Poets meeting, Richard Skinner and Marion Tracey read their poetry. £5/£4, just turn up, 7.30pm

EDIBLE BOOK LAUNCH: At time of writing, tickets are still available to the UK’s first ever edible book launch, taking place in Shoreditch. Debut novelist Sarah Holt releases her new book, Love and Eskimo Snow, with an accompanying six course meal. Prebooking essential, 7.30pm

Monday 26 May

POETRY TRIBUTE: 90 York Way in King’s Place hosts a tribute to the work of Seamus Heaney, Nobel Prize winner who died in 2013. The event includes a screening and reading of his most famous poems by contemporary poets. £6.50, prebook, 7pm

EROTIC LITERATURE: Velvet Tongue, London’s erotic literature event, takes place at Bar Kick in Shoreditch, with writers Paul Ebbs, Tom Bland, Greg Mitchell and others, plus an open mic. £5/£3, just turn up, 7.30pm

POETRY READING: Coffee House Poetry has a poetry reading, Spring into Summer, with poets Lydia Macpherson, Ian House, Jennifer Wong, Alyson Hallett, Barbara Marsh, Victoria Field, Jackie Wills and special guest Louis de Bernières. Takes place at The Troubadour on Old Brompton Road. £8, just turn up, 8pm

Tuesday 27 May

SHAKESPEARE’S WOMEN: London Jewish Cultural Centre has a talk about Shakespeare and the women who influenced him, led by Helen Fry, with biographer Chris Laoutaris, and historian and biographer Susan Ronald. £30/£35, prebook, 1pm

SETH MACFARLANE: Seth MacFarlane found fame as creator of Family Guy and Ted. He’ll be signing copies of his debut novel A Million Ways to Die in the West at Waterstone’s Piccadilly. Free, just turn up (get there early as places are limited), 6.30pm

POETRY LAUNCH: Keats House hosts Templar Poetry for the launch of Damian Smyth’s poetry collection, Mesopotamia, about the streets of Downpatrick in Northern Ireland. The 2014 iShot Poetry Pamphlet, The Outsider, by Tom Weir will also be launched. Free, prebook, 7pm

DAMASCUS: Diane Darke’s new book, My House in Damascus, tells how she bought and restored an old house in Damascus. She chats with Middle East writer Barnaby Rogerson at Daunt Books in Marylebone. £8, prebook, 7pm

SNOW QUEEN: Pulitzer-prize winning author of The Hours, Michael Cunningham discusses his new novel The Snow Queen at Waterstone’s Hampstead. £5/£3, prebook, 7pm

OPEN MIC: Poetry Unplugged is an open mic night at the Poetry Cafe. £5/£4, just turn up, 7.30pm

PARIS MEMOIRS: Memoirist Edmund White is at Southbank Centre to talk about his memoirs of his time in Paris, from his book Inside A Pearl, and about how and why he wrote it.£10, prebook, 7.45pm

LGBT WRITERS: The Polari Salon at Southbank Centre provides a platform for new and emerging LGBT literary talent and showcases the very best in queer writing. Matt Cain talks about his debut novel, Shot Through The Heart. Also featured are Sarah Westwood, VA Fearon, Kevin Franke and Helen Smith. £5, prebook, 7.45pm

Wednesday 28 May

TERRY VENABLES: Legendary England manager Terry Venables signs copies of his autobiography at Waterstone’s London Wall. Free, just turn up (get there early to avoid disappointment), 12.30pm

SHERLOCK STORY: Waterstone’s Covent Garden has an evening with Mitch Cullin, author of A Slight Trick Of The Mind, which is narrated by a 93 year old Sherlock Holmes. £3, prebook, 6.30pm

POET INTERVIEW: Poet and author Kathryn Simmonds is interviewed by psychoanalyst and critic Adam Phillips at Lutyens & Rubinstein. £8, prebook, 7pm

US NAVY: Geoff Dyer will be in conversation with Alain de Botton at The Tabernacle in Notting Hill. They’ll discuss Geoff’s new book, Another Great Day at Sea, about two weeks he spent aboard the USS George HW Bush, the US Navy’s largest aircraft carrier. £20, prebook, 7pm

MINERS’ STRIKE: Settling Scores is a book coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the miners’ strike. At Housman’s, contributors to the book, including Nick Jones and Tony Harcup, come together to discuss how recently released material has shed new light on the corrupt policing and biased coverage of the miners’ strike. £3, just turn up, 7pm

POETRY OPEN MIC: Jawdance is an evening of poetry, including guest acts, an open mic and short poetry films. At Rich Mix. Free, just turn up, 7.30pm

GREED WRITING: Homework, the monthly literary cabaret night at Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club, has a theme of Greed tonight, with writers preparing work on this theme, and performing it for the first time in front of the audience. £8, just turn up, 7.30pm

LITERARY SALON: Book Slam is a literary night taking place at Clapham Grand. Ned Beauman introduces his new novel Glow, funny poet Elvis McGonagall performs some of his latest work, and author Emma Jane Unsworth will also be appearing. £6/£8, prebook, 7.30pm

Follow @LondonistLit for our pick of that day’s literary events.

Author appearances, poetry and spoken word events in London this week

Brixton Book Jam takes place on 2 June. Image: JimBob @ Lambeth country Show by Stuart Taylor.

Plan Ahead

KEATS FESTIVAL: Booking is now open for events at the Keats Festival 2014, celebrating 200 years since Keats wrote his first poem. See full programme and book tickets here. 7-15 June

SHORT STORY FESTIVAL: The first ever London Short Story Festival takes place in June, with panel events, workshops and masterclasses, author Q&As, readings and inspiring writing activities. 20-22 June

Thursday 29 May

PHOTOGRAPHY BOOK: Meet photographer Rhiannon Adam who will sign copies at the launch of her new book Dreamlands / Wastelands at The Photographer’s Gallery near Oxford Circus. Free, just turn up, 6.30pm

MEET THE AUTHOR: Head to Waterstone’s Chiswick to meet Sadie Jones, who will talk about her new book, Fallout. Her previous book won the Costa First Novel Award. 6pm

NORTH KOREA: Paul French, author of North Korea: State of Paranoia, is in conversation with Harriet Evans, professor of Chinese Cultural Studies, at Daunt Books on Fulham Road about North Korea’s history, politics and relationship with the rest of the world. £5, prebook, 7pm

MOUNT LONDON: A new anthology of writing looking at London’s high points launches tonight in Rough Trade East. Free, prebook, 7pm

FRENCH NOIR: To celebrate the revival of the noir genre, Daunt Books has teamed up with the Institut Francais to launch a new series of literary talks, ‘Noir Is the Colour’. The talks feature French authors of crime fiction and noir writing. Tonight’s launch event features Pierre Lemaitre and John Harvey, chaired by Barry Forshaw. £10/£8/£5, prebook, 7pm

WAR STORY: Waterstone’s Hampstead hosts an Evening with Thomas Harding, author of Hanns and Rudolf, an account of the capture of Rudolf Höss, one of the senior Nazi officials responsible for some of the greatest atrocities of World War Two. £6, prebook, 7pm

SALINGER MEMOIR: Joanna Rakoff is at Lutyens Rubinstein to talk about her book, My Salinger Year. The book, a memoir of her time working for the New York agent for author JD Salinger in the 1990s, and her task of replying to Salinger’s fan mail. £8, prebook, 7pm

JOHN HEGARTY: Waterstone’s Piccadilly hosts an evening with John Hegarty. The founding Creative Partner of Bartle, Bogle Hegarty (BBH), will be discussing his new book Hegarty on Creativity. Free, prebook, 7pm

ARTIST FURY: Siri Hustvedt is at London Review Bookshop to read from her latest novel, The Blazing World, which is the story of an artist furious at the lack of recognition she receives. There will also be a discussion about the themes of the book. £10, prebook, 7pm

ANTHOLOGY LAUNCH: The Emma Press launches The Emma Press Anthology of Fatherhood and John Clegg’s pamphlet Captain Love and the Five Joaquins, at the Tea House Theatre in Vauxhall. Free, just turn up, 7pm

READ FITTER: Andy Miller, author of Year of Reading Dangerously, is at The Bookseller Crow in Crystal Palace to encourage people to read themselves fitter. £3, prebook, 7.30pm

STAND UP POETRY: Bang Said The Gun, billed as ‘stand up poetry for people who don’t necessarily like poetry’ takes place at The Roebuck on Great Dover Street. Tonight’s perfumers are Elvis McGonagall and Tolonda Henderson. £7/£5, just turn up, 8pm

HOWL 2.0: Poejazzi at Camden Roundhouse is a reimagining of Allen Ginsberg’s well known poem, Howl. Spoken word artists perform the poem to a backdrop of visual art and music. £12.50, prebook, 8pm. Repeated tomorrow.

Friday 30 May

SOUTHWARK CATHEDRAL: Reverend Mpho Tutu, daughter of Archbishop Desmond Tutu is at Southwark Cathedral in discussion with BBC Broadcaster Diane Louise Jordan about The Book of Forgiving, which she wrote jointly with her father. £10, prebook, 6.45pm

PHILIPP MEYER: Waterstone’s Trafalgar Square hosts an evening with Philipp Meyer, author of The Son, to discuss the novel. £5/£3, prebook, 7pm

POETRY MAGAZINE: The launch of South Bank Poetry Magazine takes place at Poetry Cafe today with poets including Paul Stephenson, Sarah Gibbons, Robert Peake, Ellen Cranitch and Ian McEwen all doing readings. £6.50/£5.50, just turn up, 7.3opm

SHORT STORIES: Lorrie Moore is at Southbank Centre to read from Bark, her first collection of short stories in 15 years. £10, prebook, 7.45pm

Saturday 31 May

SONNETS WEEKEND: Southbank Centre holds a drop-in workshop for people of all ages to have a go at creating their own poetry in several media, including sewing, based on the work of Shakespeare. Free, just turn up, 11am-5pm

A STREET CAT NAMED BOB: Waterstone’s Covent Garden is giving customers a chance to meet James Bowen, author of A Street Cat Named Bob, and the eponymous cat too. They will sign copies of their new picture book My Name is Bob. Free, just turn up (get there early to avoid disappointment), 11am

FOOTBALL BOOK: Housmans book shop hosts the launch of The Football Crónicas, a collection of short stories from Latin America in the lead-up to the World Cup. Proceeds from the book go to charity. Free, just turn up, 6.30pm

BOOK LAUNCH: Norman Finkelstein holds the UK launch of his new book, Old Wine, Broken Bottle: Ari Shavit’s Promised Land, at Conway Hall. The book is a take-down book of Ari Shavit’s My Promised Land. £3, just turn up, 7pm

Sunday 1 June

SHAKESPEARE’S SONNETS: Southbank Centre hosts a reading of every one of Shakespeare’s 154 sonnets, to celebrate the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth. £10-£25, prebook, 5pm. Alternatively, there is a free performance by Hip Hop Shakespeare of the Bard’s sonnets reimagined for a 21st century audience. Free, just turn up, 12pm. Other Shakespeare themed events going on at Southbank Centre today include Iron Tongue of Midnight and The People’s Sonnets.

TORRIANO POETS: At this week’s Torriano Poets meeting, Hilda Sheehan and Janet Sutherland read their poetry, introduced by Linda Black. £5/£4, just turn up, 7.30pm

Monday 2 June

WRITER ADVICE: Receive advice on getting your novel published from a panel of experts, chaired by bestselling novelist Kate Mosse. Takes place at Southbank Centre. £10, prebook, 6.30pm

CHILDREN’S CLASSICS: Save The Story at London Review Bookshop is a series of events which commissions well-known writers to rewrite classics for children. Jonathan Coe and Alessandro Baricco will be at the shop to present their new versions, respectively, of Gulliver’s Travels and Don Juan. £10, prebook, 7pm

BOOK JAM: Brixton Book Jam returns to Hootananny Brixton, with readings, talks and other literary happenings with contributions from Elizabeth Aaron, Doug E Graves, Joshua Idehen, Will Wiles and more. Free, just turn up, 7.30pm

D-DAY: London Jewish Cultural Centre hosts Antony Beevor, author of D-Day: The Battle for Normandy, which shows the darker side of the D-Day victories. £12/£15, prebook, 8pm

Tuesday 3 June

IRISH WRITING: London Metropolitan University’s Irish Writing Course begins today, with set Irish texts under discussion and the authors in attendance. Ongoing

SHORLISTED WORK: The shortlisted authors for the Bailey’s Women’s Prize for Fiction read their work at Southbank Centre. £10, prebook, 6.30pm

ANNE FRANK: Eva Schloss, Holocaust survivor and stepsister of Anne Frank is at Waterstone’s Hampstead to talk about her new autobiographical book, After Auschwitz. £5, prebook, 7pm

HOLLOWAY ARTS FESTIVAL: As part of Holloway Arts Festival, an evening of author readings by Chris Chalmers, Martina Evans, Melissa Harrison, Robert Minhinnick and Helen Smith takes place at Sacred Cafe on Hornsey Street. Free, prebook, 7pm

TRUE IDENTITY: Joshua Ferris is at Daunt Books in Marylebone to talk about his new comic novel, To Rise Again at a Decent Hour, about a New York dentist who faces a dilemma about his online identity and real identity. £8, prebook, 7pm

Wednesday 4 June

PHARMAPOETICA: Head to Poetry Cafe for a Pharmapoetica Workshop & Tea Tasting with poet Chris McCabe and herbalist Maria Vlotides, whose work has been shortlisted for the Ted Hughes Award for New Work in Poetry. £5/£4, prebook, 4pm

PUBLISHING CELEBRATION: Smokestack Books celebrates a decade of publishing with a showcase of Smokestack authors at Southbank Centre. Taking part are Judith Kazantzis, Richard Skinner and Martin Rowson. Free, prebook, 8pm

Follow @LondonistLit for our pick of that day’s literary events.

Author appearances, poetry and spoken word events in London this week

Penguins are the subject of a literary event at London Zoo on Wednesday

Plan Ahead

Thursday 5 June

BOOK QUIZ: Green Inc, an Irish TV company, is looking for people who enjoy reading to take part in a new quiz on books and literature. It will take place in a Central London location from 9.30am, but will NOT be filmed. If you are interested in taking part, email marie@greeninc.tv. 9.30am

INDIAN ELEPHANTS: Waterstone’s Piccadilly hosts an evening with wildlife photographer Annette Bonnier, whose book, India’s Elephants, features more than 200 full-colour images from her travels through India. The evening consists of a talk illustrated by some of the photos. £5, prebook, 6pm

FAR EAST LITERATURE: Waterstone’s Richmond hosts an evening with authors Dinah Jeffries and Isabel Wolff, both of whom have written novels about the Far East. They discuss the themes of these novels, with readings and audience questions. £3, prebook, 6.30pm

FIRST NOVEL: New author Emma Healey is at Waterstone’s Piccadilly discussing her first novel, Elizabeth Is Missing. Free, prebook, 6.30pm

MOUNT LONDON: Meet Katy Evans-Bush, Gareth Rees and Tom Chivers, three of the contributors to Mount London, an anthology of writing looking at London’s high points. Takes place at Big Green Book Shop. Free, prebook, 7pm

STAND UP POETRY: Bang Said The Gun, billed as ‘stand up poetry for people who don’t necessarily like poetry’ takes place at The Roebuck on Great Dover Street. Tonight’s performers are Nathan Penlington and Captain Of The Rant. £7/£5, just turn up, 8pm

Friday 6 June

LIT FEST: Stoke Newington Literary Festival begins today, and we’re quite stoked (sorry) for this one. Hip-hop Shakespeare, food writers and a sci-fi vs fantasy debate are just some of the highlights of the weekend-long event. Various prices, prebook, until 8 June

LAURIE LEE: The British Library hosts an evening celebrating the life and legacy of Laurie Lee. The writer, poet and artist is probably best known for Cider With Rosie and Red Sky at Sunrise. At this event, well-known literary figures such as Louis de Bernières, Tim Dee, Adam Horovitz, PJ Kavanagh and Brian Patten read from his work and reflect on his life. £8/£6/£5, prebook, 6.30pm

POETRY EVENING: Burn After Reading is a poetry evening run by emerging young poets. This month features Roger Robinson and Will Tyas. Takes place at the Gallery Cafe in Bethnal Green. £3, just turn up, 7pm

ADULT STORYTELLING: The Tea Box in Richmond has an evening of adult storytelling. £6, prebook, 7.3opm

LIPPED INK: With open mic slots, a featured poet and a spoken word session, Lipped Ink at the Poetry Cafe has something for everyone. £5, just turn up, 7.30pm

Saturday 7 June

KEATS FESTIVAL: Ten days of poetry, spoken word, music, dance, film and family activities celebrating the 200th anniversary of Keats writing his first poem begin today. Find out more here and prebook here. Until 15 June

BIG NAME DEATH MATCH: Literary Death Match brings one of its events to Stoke Newington Literature Festival (above), and we have to say, we’re pretty impressed with the line-up. Writers including Joanne Harris (author of Chocolat) go head to head reading their work, to be judged by Viv Groskop and Michael Hogan. £8, prebook, 7pm

Sunday 8 June

SPOKEN WORD: Jazz Verse Jukebox is a variety evening of live music, poetry and spoken word performances at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club. There is also an open mic spot for musicians and singers. £8, just turn up, 7.30pm

TORRIANO POETS: At this week’s Torriano Poets meeting, Alan Brownjohn and Leah Fritz read their poetry. £5/£4, just turn up, 7.30pm

SUFI POERTY: There is a Sufi Music and Poetry Night at Poetry Cafe £10/£5, prebook, 8pm

Monday 9 June

JOHN KELLY: Waterstone’s Gower Street host an evening with Irish author John Kelly to celebrate his new book, From Out Of The City. Free, prebook, 6.30pm

JASPER FFORDE: Bestselling author Jasper Fforde is at Wood Green Book Shop to talk about his career in writing and his most recent book, The Woman Who Died A Lot. £3, prebook, 7pm

VARIETY EVENING: Head to Rich Mix for Allsortz, an evening of performances including comedy and spoken word. There are main spots and open mice spots available to performers, more info here. Free, tweet @Allsortz1 to gain entry, 7pm

POETRY SLAM: Hammer & Tongue Poetry Slam returns to the Green Note in Camden. Tonight’s guests are Salena Godden and Paul Cree, plus there’s an open poetry slam. £6/£3, just turn up, 7.30pm

FATHER’S STORIES: Ahead of Father’s Day, Spark Storytelling at Hackney Attic has an evening themed around dads. Go along and listen yo other people’s stories, or get up and tell your own. £4, prebook, 7.30pm

COFFEE HOUSE POETRY: Spend an evening in the company of Pulitzer prize-winning poet and Editor of New Yorker, Paul Muldoon. He’s at Coffee House Poetry at the Troubadour on Old Brompton Road. There will also be live music from Christine Tobin. £8/£7, just turn up, 8pm

Tuesday 10 June

LITERARY SALON: Hidden Prologues, the new monthly literary salon at Radisson Blu Edwardian, takes on the work of author Nick Harkaway, including his latest book, Tigerman. £10, prebook, 6.45pm

LIARS’ LEAGUE: The theme of this month’s Liars’ League storytelling event is the Weird & Wonderful. Takes place at The Phoenix on Cavendish Square. £5, just turn up, 7pm

IMPERIAL PAST: MP Tristram Hunt is at Daunt Books in Marylebone to talk about his new book, Ten Cities that Made an Empire, which looks at Britain’s Imperial past. £8, prebook, 7pm

SPEAKEASY: Drink Shop Do in King’s Cross has a Speakeasy evening, with readings from authors such as MR Carey, Viv Groskop and Tyler Keevil. Free, prebook, from 7pm

EINSTEIN’S THEORY: Pedro Ferreira’s new book, The Perfect Theory, takes a look at Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, and Ferreira is at London Review Bookshop to discuss his book. £10, prebook, 7pm

Wednesday 11 June

FOYLES FESTIVAL: The Foyles Grand Reopening Festival kicks off today, with Michael Palin opening the travel section of the store. Throughout the festival, name such as Hilary Mantel and Jarvis Cocker will be getting involved in the big reopening. More information here. Various prices, prebook, until 5 July

PENGUIN WRITING: Sara Wheeler, a travel writer who has written much about the polar regions, is the latest writer to talk about her work at London Zoo, with specific emphasis on penguins. £12, prebook, 6.30pm

MEMOIRS: Bonnie Greer talks about her career as a playwright, essayist and novelist, and discusses the first volume of her memoirs A Parallel Life. £5, prebook, 6.30pm

SUFFRAGETTES HISTORY: Jill Liddington and Katherine Connelly are at Housman’s bookstore in King’s Cross to discuss their books about the Suffragette movement. Connelly’s book looks in detail at the life of Sylvia Pankhurst, while Liddington’s tells the story of the Suffragettes’ controversial campaign to boycott the census. £3, prebook, 7pm

SYRIA SPEAKS: Join Syrian artists and writers for a unique evening of readings and discussion of cultural resistance in the country. Takes place at Rich Mix. £4, prebook, 7.30pm

WOMEN ONLY: Loose Muse at Poetry Cafe is an event for women writers of all genres, hosted by Agnes Meadow. Open mic slots are available. £5/3£5/£3, just turn up, 8pm

Follow @LondonistLit for our pick of that day’s literary events.

Author appearances, poetry and spoken word events in London this week

Five authors talk for 15 minutes each on Monday.

Literary Festivals

KEATS HOUSE: The Keats House Festival is now underway. Theatrical tours of Keats House, afternoon tea, writing workshops, poetry readings and film screenings all take place. It ends with a Family Fun Day on 15 June. 7-15 June

FOYLES FLAGSHIP: The new Foyles flagship store on Charing Cross Road is now open. The Grand Reopening Festival begins on 11 June. See full programme for individual events. 11 June- 5 July

LITERARY KITCHEN: Aimed at writers, aspiring writers, and people passionate about books and the arts, the Literary Kitchen Festival takes place at The Peckham Pelican in Peckham. There are writer talks, reading groups, meet the agent panels and more, with many events free to attend. See website for pricing and booking details. 16-22 June

Thursday 12 June

GEORGE COHEN: The ex-England footballer will be at Waterstone’s London Wall signing copies of The World Cup: A Complete History. 12.30pm

SCULPTURE AUTOBIOGRAPHY: Wilfred and Jeannette Cass, founders of the Cass Sculpture Park, will be in conversation at Hatchards Bookshop in Piccadilly to promote Here Comes Mr Cass, Wilfred’s new autobiography. He has worked with contemporary British sculptors, such as Rachel Whiteread and Thomas Heatherwick. £5, prebook by email, 6.30pm

DAGENHAM HISTORY: Author Sheila Cohen talks about her new book, Notoriously Militant, at Waterstone’s Islington. The book is about women fighting for equal pay, based on the events at the Dagenham Ford factory, featured in the film Made In Dagenham. £5, prebook, 6.30pm

BARBER MEMOIR: Daunt Books in Marylebone hosts Lynn Barber in conversation with Deborah Ross, with Barber talking about the next instalment in her memoir. £8, prebook, 7pm

AUTHOR EVENING: Waterstone’s Hampstead has an evening with Tina Seskis, author of One Step Too Far. £5, prebook, 7pm

SURVIVORS POETRY: Head to Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden for an evening of poetry, music, variety floor spots and special guests. £3.50/£2.50/£1.50, just turn up, 8pm

Friday 13 June

ACTOR PLATFORM: In this National Theatre Platform, actress Rebecca Front shares Curious, a collection of stories loosely based on anecdotes from her own life. Actor Michael Simkins also shares his new book, The Rules of Acting. The evening is chaired by Mark Lawson and is followed by a book signing. £4/£3, prebook, 6pm

JAPANESE WRITER: London Review Bookshop in Bloomsbury hosts an evening with Masatsugu Ono. The Japanese author is also an academic specialising in world Francophone literature. He will be in conversation with Tash Aw, author of The Harmony Silk Factory, Map of the Invisible World and Five Star Billionaire. £10, prebook, 7pm

POETRY JAM: There is a poetry jam at The Tea Box in Richmond, hosted by Cecilia Delatori and Julie Mullen, followed by open mic slots. Free, just turn up, 7.30pm

POETRY PERFORMANCE: Platform 1, at Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden, is an opportunity for up and coming poets to perform alongside established acts. £5/£4, just turn up, 8pm

Saturday 14 June

DOM GILES: Local author and adventurer Dom Giles is at Waterstone’s Stratford signing copies of his book Gone Riding in which he describes his travels around the world on his trusty motorcycle ‘Heidi’. 11am

FATHER’S DAY READING: Head to Fulham Library for a reading from Daughters Across Borders: An Anthology of Stories by Daughters to Fathers. The book consists of eight women aged 20 to 50 writing about their relationships with fathers. Free, just turn up, 2pm

LOCAL BOOK SIGNING: At Waterstone’s Chiswick, Sunday Times journalist Bryan Appleyard signs copies of his new novel Bedford Park which is set locally. Prebook, 2pm

Sunday 15 June

TORRIANO POETS: At this week’s Torriano Poets meeting, Daphne Gloag and Carol DeVaughn read their poetry. Poets from the floor are welcome. £5/£4, just turn up, 7.30pm

POETRY TRAILS: Vestry House Museum in Walthamstow has a free guided poetry trail. It coincides with the installation of poems by members of Forest Poets which is also on display. Free, just turn up, 11am/2.30pm

Monday 16 June

ULYSSES READING: The Lord Palmerston in Tufnell Park hosts a celebration of James Joyce’s literary masterpiece, Ulysses, which is set on 16 June. Readings from the book are interspersed with live Irish and Italian music, plus an introduction on The Life of Joyce. £10, prebook, 6pm

VIRGINIA WOOLF: If Virginia Woolf came back to life today, what would she make of the world? This is being discussed at The Courtauld Institute of Art at Somerset House tonight. Author Maggie Gee publishes her new novel, Virginia Woolf in Manhattan, this month and will be in discussion with Alexandra Harris, author of Romantic Moderns about Woolf’s life and legacy. £8, prebook, 7pm

SPOKEN WORD: 5×15 gives five speakers fifteen minutes each to tell a story. It takes place at The Tabernacle in Notting Hill, featuring Paddy Ashdown, Lynn Barber, Jonathan Beckman, Rupert Isaacson and Ben Macintyre. £26.75, prebook, 7pm

AUTHOR SIGNING: Following on from the actor platform on Friday, Rebecca Front is at West End Lane Books in West Hampstead to read from and sign copies of her book, Curious. Free, prebook, 7.30pm

IRISH STORYTELLING: Crick Crack Club storytelling comes to Soho Theatre for an evening of Irish performance storytelling by Clare Muireann Murphy. £9/£7, prebook, 8pm

Tuesday 17 June

DON KENEFICK: As part of Adult Learner’s Week at Pimlico Library, author Don Kenefick discusses his novel The Captive Shadow. Free, prebook, 6pm

LONDON POETRY: Templar Poetry is at Keats House to launch Penelope Shuttle’s poetry pamphlet In the Snowy Air, which was inspired by a guided walk of London. Poet Jane Weir also reads from her collections. Free, prebook, 7pm

TAPAS RECIPES: Tapas and mezze restaurant Morito launches a new cookbook at Daunt Books in Marylebone. £8, prebook, 7pm

POETRY OPEN MIC: Poetry Unplugged is an open mic night hosted by Niall O’Sullivan. Takes place at Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden. £5/£4, just turn up, 7.30pm

Wednesday 18 June

CHINESE POETRY: The Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden celebrates 100 years of new poetry in China, with readings from visiting poets Jiang Tao and Ming Di. Free, just turn up, 6pm

SHORTLISTED AUTHORS: Robert Allison, Eimar McBride and DW Wilson have all been shortlisted for this year’s Desmond Elliott Prize and read from their novels at Waterstone’s Piccadilly tonight. £5/£2, prebook, 6.30pm

JORGE LUIS BORGES: Belgravia Books in Victoria celebrates the life of Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges with readings from his books and a talk from Norman Thomas di Giovanni, who wrote a biography of the writer and his wife. Prebook, 7pm

WAR WRITINGS: Housmans bookshop in King’s Cross has a double book launch with a war theme. Bruce Kent introduces Ernst Friedrich’s photobook War against War! and Anthony Zurbrugg will introduce his new book. £3, prebook, 7pm

LONDON UNDERGROUND: Photographer Bob Mazzer is at Waterstone’s Piccadilly to talk about his photographs telling stories of the Tube in the 1980s. Free, prebook, 7pm

OBSESSIVE STORYTELLING: Go to The Camden Head for Natural Born Storytellers. Five storytellers tells stories on the themes of obsession, and audience members are also welcome to take part. Free, just turn up, 7.45pm

LOUCHE WOMEN: Comedy performance poet Liz Bentley and writer/performer Caroline Smith will talk and read about topical issues at Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden. £7/£5, just turn up, 8pm

Follow @LondonistLit for our pick of that day’s literary events.

Author appearances, poetry and spoken word events in London this week

Literary Festivals

FOYLES FLAGSHIP: The new Foyles flagship store on Charing Cross Road is now open. The Grand Reopening Festival begins on 11 June. See full programme for individual events. 11 June- 5 July

SHORT STORY FESTIVAL: The first ever London Short Story Festival takes place in June, with panel events, workshops and masterclasses, author Q&As, readings and inspiring writing activities. 20-22 June

ST JUDE’S: Proms at St Jude’s has a LitFest taking place at The Henrietta Barnett School in Hampstead Garden Suburb. Speakers include Lynn Barber and Sue MacGregor. See full programme here. Tickets are £9 and should be prebooked. 21-22 June

Thursday 19 June

BAKING: Louise Johncox celebrates her cookbook at Waterstone’s Richmond. She will demonstrate her cooking skills and talk about her family’s history as bakers. 5pm

MARRIAGE HISTORY: Nigel Pickford is at Guildhall Library to discuss his book, Lady Bette and the Murder of Mr Thynn, which looks at the pressures of marrying well in 17th Century London. £5, prebook, 6pm

INAUGURAL NOVEL: First-time author Julie Chambers is at Waterstone’s Chiswick to discuss her novel, My Renaissance. 6.30pm

PSYCHOLOGY EXPERTS: Waterstone’s Hampstead hosts psychology writers Stephen Grosz and Andrew Solomon who discuss their new books about the psychology of difference, loss and change. £3/£5, prebook, 6.30pm

FAR EAST NOVELS: Isabel Wolff’s most recent novel, Ghostwritten, is set in wartime Java and Dinah Jefferies’ debut novel The Separation is set in Malaya in 1955. They are in conversation at Hatchard’s Bookshop in Piccadilly to discuss novels set in the Far East. £5, prebook, 6.30pm

HOLOCAUST NOVEL: Patrick Hicks is at Waterstone’s Piccadilly to discuss his latest novel, The Commandant of Lubizec. It is about a fictional death camp, written based on his extensive research into the stories of people at Nazi camps during WW2. £5/£3, prebook, 7pm

USSR: Author Sigrid Rausing is in conversation with historian Simon Sebag-Montefiore at Daunt Books in Marylebone. They will discuss Rausing’s book Everything is Wonderful, about her experience of living on a farm controlled by the USSR. £8, prebook, 7pm

AGAINST AUSTERITY: Richard Seymour, author of Against Austerity, is at Pages of Hackney Bookshop on Lower Clapton Road to talk about the book with journalist Dawn Foster. In the book he suggests that austerity is part of a wider elite plan to radically re-engineer society and everyday life in the interests of profit, consumerism and speculative finance. £3, prebook, 7pm

BRITISH EMPIRE: MP and historian Tristram Hunt is at Bishopsgate Institute to talk about his book Ten Cities That Made an Empire, which looks at Britain’s imperial past through the cities that epitomised it. £9/£7, prebook, 7.30pm

SUMMER PUDDING: Story Jam meets at Canvas & Cream in Forest Hill for the last event of the current season. The theme is Summer Pudding, with Stephe Harrop, Andrew Barnett-Jones, Alys Torrance, Alice Fernbank and Sarah Liisa Wilkinson trying to top each other’s anecdotes. £7/£6, prebook, 7.45pm

Friday 20 June

THRILLER LAUNCH PARTY: Big Green Bookshop in Wood Green hosts the launch party of Phil Brett’s new thriller, Comrades Come Rally. Free, just turn up, 6pm

MARY FEDDEN: Christopher Andreae celebrates the life of artist Mary Fedden at Hatchard’s Bookshop on Piccadilly. Known for her still-life painting, she died in 2012. Andreae has previously written books about other female artists including Joan Eardley, Mary Newcomb and Winifred Nicholson. £8, prebook, 6.30pm

KATE ADIE: The war correspondent and journalist is at The British Library to talk about her book, Fighting On The Home Front. The book is about women taking on roles such as policing when men went to war, and the lasting impact these changes had after the war. £5-£8, prebook, 6.30pm

DODO MODERN POETS: The monthly meet-up takes place at The Poetry Cafe in Holborn, with performances from Lisa Kelly, Keith and Suzanne Drake, Anna Beecher and PR Murry. £7/£6, prebook, 8pm

Saturday 21 June

BOOK SALE: Amnesty International Blackheath and Greenwich has a book sale in Lewisham, with thousands of good quality fiction and non-fiction books available. 9am-5pm

ALL WEEKEND: ZSL London Zoo has a non-fiction masterclass all weekend, led by international award-winning author Jean McNeil and memoir writer Horatio Clare, and includes weekend access to the zoo and zoo library. £200, prebook, 10am-5pm, 21-22 June

WATER POETRY: The Water Museum installation at Somerset House has teamed up with The Poetry Society to give the public a chance to hear canal laureate Jo Bell read as part of a spoken word programme curated by Penned in the Margins. From 12pm

LITERARY LUNCH: Hardy’s Brasserie in Marylebone hosts a literary lunch club with author Ivan Vladislavić, who will talk about his novels, The Restless Supermarket and Double Negative. £30, prebook, 12.30pm

Sunday 22 June

TORRIANO POETS: At this week’s Torriano Poets meeting, Paul McLaughlin and Beatrice Garland read their poetry. Poets from the floor are welcome. £5/£4, just turn up, 7.30pm

Monday 23 June

ABORIGINAL ART: The Rebecca Hossack Gallery in Conway Street hosts the launch of The Dealer Is The Devil – An Insiders History of the Aboriginal Art Trade. The book is written by Adrian Newstead, Director of Australia’s oldest Indigenous art gallery, Coo-ee Aboriginal Art Gallery. He will give a talk and sign books. Free, just turn up, 6.30pm

CARTOGRAPHY: Hans Ulrich Obrist, curator, art critic and the originator of cartography project Mapping It Out is at London Review Bookshop in Holborn to discuss alternative mapping techniques with novelist Tom McCarthy. £10, prebook, 7pm

COFFEE HOUSE POETRY: The theme of tonight’s Coffee House Poetry evening is What We Should Have Said. Expect spoken word performances from Huw Warren, Stuart Silver, Helen Mort, Philip Gross and Imtiaz Dharker. At The Troubadour on Old Crompton Road. £8/£7, prebook, 8pm

Tuesday 24 June

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: The latest in Dulwich Picture Library’s Contextual Lecture Series examines the life of William Shakespeare, and the effect his work had on modern day English. £10/£9, prebook, 10.30am

LONDON ARCHITECTURE: As part of London Festival of Architecture, Bloomsbury Institute has a literary salon. Tom Wilkinson, author of Bricks and Mortals and Tom Campbell, author of The Planner, will be in conversation. £10, prebook, 6.30pm

SWISS ALPS: Diccon Bewes, author of A Slow Train to Switzerland, is at Hatchard’s Bookshop in Piccadilly to talk about the book — it’s about seven people, who, in 1863, left London on a train that took them on a thrilling adventure across the Alps. £5, prebook, 6.30pm

DOCTOR ZHIVAGO: Peter Finn and Petra Couvée, authors of The Zhivago Affair, are at Lutyens Rubinstein in Ladbroke Grove to talk about the thriller, which tells the story behind the publication of Doctor Zhivago in the Cold War. £8, prebook, 7pm

PUNK AUTOBIOGRAPHY: Punk musician Viv Albertine, best known for forming The Flowers of Romance with Sid Vicious, will be talking to Dorian Lynskey, music writer for the Guardian and Observer at Big Green Bookshop in Wood Green about her new book, Clothes….Music….Boys…. £18, prebook, 7pm

POETRY OPEN MIC: Poetry Unplugged is an open mic night hosted by Niall O’Sullivan. It takes place at Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden. £5/£4, just turn up, 7.30pm

Wednesday 25 June

GRAZIA SALON: At tonight’s Grazia Salon at Momo near Regent Street, author Bryony Gordon discusses her novel The Wrong Knickers — A Decade Of Chaos, with fellow authors Elizabeth Day, Alexandra Heminsley and Helen Walsh. £5/£3, prebook, 6.30pm

CAMERA OBSCURA: Head to Diorama Arts Studio near Regent’s Park for a discussion between author Ivan Vladislavić and Patrick Flanery, with participating chair Neel Mukherjee, in which they examine the illusion of reality through literature. £5, prebook, 7pm

PUBLICATION LAUNCH: STIR is a quarterly print magazine that features articles and interviews on the international co-operative movement. The Spring issue launch takes place at Housmans bookshop in Kings Cross. £3, just turn up, 7pm

PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER: Harriet Lane followed up her pyschological thriller Alys Always with Her. She is at West End Lane Books in Hampstead tonight to discuss, and read from, Her. 7.30pm

BOOK LAUNCH: In collaboration with Liars’ League, the launch of Above Sugar Hill by Linda Mannheim takes place at Tamesis Dock on Albert Embankment tonight. short stories set in New York will be read out by professional actors. Free, just turn up, 7.30pm

LITERARY MISCELLANY: Homework is a night of literary miscellany at Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club with Tim Clare, Joe Dunthorne, Ross Sutherland and Luke Wright. Tonight’s theme is music. £8, just turn up, 7.45pm

LGBT SALON: Polari LGBT literary salon at Southbank Centre hosts Rachel Holmes, talking about her new book on the life of Eleanor Marx, alongside Julie Bindel, Alexis Gregory, Barbara Marsh and Michele Macfarlane. £5, prebook, 7.45pm

Follow @LondonistLit for our pick of that day’s literary events.

Bob Mazzer is at Rich Mix on Monday to show his collection of Tube photos.

Literary Festival

FOYLES FLAGSHIP: The new Foyles flagship store on Charing Cross Road is now open. The Grand Reopening Festival begins on 11 June. See full programme for individual events. 11 June- 5 July

Thursday 26 June

BOOK LAUNCH: Blackwell’s on Charing Cross Road hosts the launch of Snug by Matthew Tree. The author will read from the book to a musical accompaniment. Free, prebook, 6.30pm

SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE: Angus Reid and Mary Davis’ new book A Modest Proposal: Call for a Constitution argues for the creation of a peoples’ constitution in Scotland. They discuss the book at Housmans bookshop in Kings Cross. Free, just turn up, 7pm

LGBT TENNIS: Gay’s The Word bookshop near Euston hosts author Elizabeth Wilson talking about her book Love Game. She talks about the history of lawn tennis and why it is of particular interest to LGBT individuals. £2, RSVP on Facebook, 7pm

BAD GIRLS: Observer literary editor Lisa O’Kelly is at Waterstone’s Piccadilly to talk to three young female writers whose fictional ‘anti-heroines’ are fast becoming poster girls for the modern woman. The authors are Helen Walsh (The Lemon Grove), Zoe Pilger (Eat My Heart Out) and Emma Jane Unsworth (Animals). £5/£3, prebook, 7pm

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY: Daniel E Sutherland and Cherry Smyth are in conversation at Hatchard’s bookstore about the life of artist James Abbot McNeil Whistler. £8, prebook, 7pm

BAGHDAD HISTORY:Justin Marozzi is at Daunt Books in Marylebone to talk his new book, Baghdad, which is a cultural history of the city dating back 13 centuries. £8, prebook, 7pm

AUTHOR READINGS: The Bookseller Crow in Crystal Palace hosts an evening of readings to mark the beginning of the Crystal Palace Overground Festival. The authors reading areWill Wiles, JB Morrison, Jonathan Gibbs and poet Barbara Brownskirt. 7.30pm

Friday 27 June

POETRY MAGAZINE LAUNCH: Arts Council funded poetry magazine Magma Poetry launches its latest issue at London Review Bookshop in Holborn. Main guest poets are Collette Bryce and Lorraine Mariner who will talk on their articles in the magazine, and other poets will be reading their work. Free, prebook, 7pm

BOOK SLAM: The Tabernacle in Ladbroke Grove hosts Book Slam. Hosted by comedian Sara Pascoe, authors such as Kamila Shamsie and Nikesh Shukla introduce their latest work. £6/£8, prebook, 7.30pm

EAST LONDON POETS: Six poets with strong connections to East London are at Rich Mix in Shoreditch to share their latest work. They include Graham Buchan, an Anglo-Scot resident in Tower Hamlets and Stephen Watts, who has close cultural links with local Bangla and Somali artists. Free, just turn up, 8pm

Saturday 28 June

KEATS WALK: The ever-popular Keats in Hampstead walking tour returns, guiding walkers through Keats’ life in Hampstead, accompanied by readings from his poems. Tickets usually sell out fast, so book quickly. £8/£6, prebook, 11am

SEDUCTIVE POETRY: Southbank Centre’s Festival of Love kicks off with A Poetic Guide To Love And Seduction, featuring poets whose work is in The Emma Press’s Poetic Primer for Love and Seduction. £8, prebook, 6pm

POETRY LAUNCH: British poet Tim Atkins’ latest collection, Petrarch, is launched at Rich Mix with over 20 poets reading from the book. Free, just turn up, 7pm

AUSTRALIAN POETS: The Shuffle at The Poetry Cafe is an evening of poets from Down Under including Katherine Gallagher, Diana Pooley, Cath Drake. £6/£4, just turn up, 7.30pm

Sunday 29 June

POETRY WRITING: Keats House Poets Stephanie Turner and Dean Atta lead an afternoon of poetry writing at Keats House. Free, prebook, 2pm

PRE-PUBLICATION EVENT: Gay’s The Word bookshop near Euston hosts a pre-publication launch event for The Emperor Waltz, Philip Hensher’s new novel, a week ahead of the official publication date. The author will read from the book. Free, prebook via email, 4pm

TORRIANO POETS: At this week’s Torriano Poets meeting, Caroline Natzler launches Fold. Poets from the floor are welcome. £5/£4, just turn up, 7.30pm

OPEN MIC: Write It Mic It is an open mic night at Hackney Attic Picturehouse. Actors, playwrights, comedians, spoken word artists and sketch groups all have the chance to try out new material on the audience. £5, prebook, 7.30pm

Monday 30 June

WORLD WAR ONE READING: As part of the Waterloo Festival 2014, there is a reading of poetry, letters and memoirs from World War One. Includes work by Rupert Brooke, Rudyard Kipling, Jessie Pope, Wilfred Owen and Edith Nesbit. £5/£4, prebook, 3.30pm

POETRY SHOWCASE: As part of the City of London Festival, poets Sheri Benning, Joey Connolly and Katharine Kilalea will be showcasing their work Bowler Hat in Paternoster Square. £8, prebook, 6.30pm

UNDERGROUND PHOTOS: At Rich Mix in Shoreditch, Bob Mazzer launches his book of Underground photographs. The pictures date from the 1970s and catch a series of individual moments on the Tube, and he will be talking about them. Free, prebooking essential, 7pm

CAPITALISM TALK: At The Tabernacle in Notting Hill, five speakers are given 15 minutes each to talk, unscripted, on a topic. Tonight’s topic is Capitalism and its Discontents, and speakers include budget food blogger and political activist Jack Monroe. £16.05, prebook, 7pm

ITALIAN WAYS: Tim Parks’ new book captures the essence of Italian life and looks at how Italians view themselves, with specific reference to the Italian railways. He is at Daunt Books in Marylebone to discuss the book. £8, prebook, 7pm

Tuesday 1 July

CHEF SIGNING: Italian chef Gino D’Acampo will be at Waterstone’s in Leadenhall Market signing copies of his new cookbook, Pronto! Arrive early to avoid disappointment. 12.30pm

FREUD: Lutyens Rubinstein bookshop in Ladbroke Grove hosts Adam Phillips talking about Becoming Freud. The book is a biography of Freud’s earliest years as the oldest and favoured son of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe. £8, prebook, 7pm

BOOK LAUNCH: Laurie Penny celebrates the launch of her new book, Unspeakable Things, at Waterstone’s Hampstead and will be in conversation with the performance poet Sophia Blackwell. £5/3, prebook, 7pm

LINDA GRANT: Orange Prize Winner and Man Booker shortlisted author Linda Grant is at Dulwich Books to discuss her new novel, Upstairs at the Party, which is set on a university campus in the 1970s. £8, prebook, 7pm

Wednesday 2 July

LIVING WITH CANCER: Author Mike Marqusee is at Housmans bookstore in King’s Cross to talk about his new book, The Price of Experience: Writings on Living with Cancer, which is based upon his own experience of being diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2007. £3, prebook, 7pm

Follow @LondonistLit for our pick of that day’s literary events.

Drink Shop Do hosts a Speakeasy evening on Tuesday.

Literary Festival

FOYLES FLAGSHIP: The Grand Reopening Festival comes to an end on Saturday. Remaining events include The Great Bookshop Debate and verbal face-off Literary Death Match (see below).

Thursday 3 July

DAYTIME POETRY: The Poetry Cafe hosts Poetry at 3, a day-time open mic session where poets have the chance to read up to four minutes of their poetry. Free, just turn up, 3pm

TRAVEL JOURNALS: Westminster Reference Library hosts the launch of Tea and Pineapple Cake, a book which is split into two travel journals. Tom‘s journal is set in Limehouse, and Sue‘s is set in Bournemouth. Free, just turn up, 6pm

VICTORIAN SEX: Head to Guildhall Library for an evening about sexual desire and deviancy in the Victorian era with cultural historian Fern Riddell, followed by a signing of her new book, The Victorian Guide to Sex. £5.95, prebook, 6pm

AFRICA: Waterstone’s Croydon hosts the launch of Everyday Life in an Early West African Empire. Authors Robin Walker, Siaf Millar and Saran Keita will will be discussing why African history matters in a global environment. 6pm

POETRY STUDENTS: Students who have been mentored by authors such as Daljit Nagra give the first public reading of their work at Keats House tonight. Free, prebook, 6.30pm

EAST LONDON ART: Head to Waterstone’s Piccadilly for an evening with David Buckman, author of From Bow to Biennale: Artists of the East London Group. The book is about The East London Group of artists who were at their prime during the inter-war years. Free, prebook, 7pm

SPOKEN WORD: University of London Union has a free night of music and spoken word, with performances from Chill Pill and Come Rhyme With Me’s celebrated poet Deanna Rodger. Free, just turn up, 7pm

SYRIA DEBATE: John McHugo launches his new book, Syria: From The Great War To Civil War, at the Mosaic Rooms near Earl’s Court. He is in conversation with Jonathan Fryer about why the international community have been powerless to stop the atrocities taking place in Syria. Free, prebook, 7pm

GAMESHOW BATTLE: Literary Death Match holds a special event at the new Foyles store on Charing Cross Road. Four authors (Carys Bray, John Boyne, Nick Harkaway and Anthony Anaxagorou) each read their own work for seven minutes, to be judged by a panel then whittled down for the next round. £7, prebook, 7.30pm

FEMALE AUTHORS: Evie Wyld, author of After the Fire, A Still Small Voice, is at Dulwich Books to talk to Laura Beatty, author of Pollard. The discussion is chaired by Eithne Farry, a writer and 2013 Costa judge for best novel award. Followed by a Q&A. £4, prebook, 7.30pm

BOHUMIL HRABAL: Cabaret Hrabal is an evening of literary events, celebrating Bohumil Hrabal, one of the greatest Czech writers of the 20th century. Takes place at The Horse Hospital in Bloomsbury. £7/£6, prebook, 8pm

Friday 4 July

PETE DOHERTY: Musician Pete Doherty will be signing copies of his new book, From Albion to Shangri-La, at Waterstone’s in Oxford Street Plaza. Free, but get there early, 5pm

STORYTELLING: Storytelling club-night Spark London has teamed up with New York storytelling podcast Risk for a night of yarn-spinning at Hackney Picturehouse. £15, prebook, 7.30pm

LGBT POETRY: Rosie Wilby presents Queer’Say, an LGBT spoken word event in which poets Jasmine Ann Cooray, Nick Field and Cat Brogan perform. Takes place at Canada Water Culture Space. £10/£8, prebook, 7.30pm

ADULT STORYTELLING: The Tea Box in Richmond hosts a storytelling evening for adults, led by professional storytellers. £6, prebook, 8pm

Saturday 5 July

DOGS IN POETRY: This week’s Afternoon Poems at Keats House focuses on dogs in poetry. Free with admission to Keats House, just turn up (arrive early to avoid disappointment), 3pm

GAY HISTORY: Housmans Bookshop in Kings Cross hosts the launch of Julie Bindel’s new book, Straight Expectations: What Does It Mean To Be Gay Today? Bindel tracks the changes in the gay community in the last forty years to see whether progress really has been made regarding equal rights and respect. £3, prebook, 6.30pm

Sunday 6 July

MONKEY POETRY: Today is the first in a course of six poetry writing workshops at London Zoo. The lessons will not teach nature poetry, but instead explore six essential components of poetry (metaphor, form, allusion, rhythm, cadence and sensation) in reference to the flora and fauna of London Zoo. £240, prebook, 1pm

TORRIANO POETS: At this week’s Torriano Poets meeting, Angela Kirby, June English and Patricia Griffin all read. Poets from the floor are welcome. £5/£4, just turn up, 7.30pm

Monday 7 July

WRITER’S FESTIVAL: Today’s National Theatre Platform features the writers of this year’s Connections plays, chaired by Sebastian Born as they discuss their experience of the festival. £4/£3, prebook, 6pm

CLOCK WATCHING: Troubadour Poetry closes its summer season with an evening dedicated to time. Guest poets celebrate clock-watching, punctuality, procrastination and sundials. Takes place at The Troubadour on Old Brompton Road. £8/£7, just turn up, 8pm

Tuesday 8 July

BONNIE GREER: The writer is the subject of today’s Platform at the National Theatre. Chaired by Helen Grant MP she talks about her early influences and struggles for equality in her touching, funny and thought-provoking memoir, A Parallel Life. After the Platform she will be signing copies of the book. £4/£3, prebook, 6pm

SPEAKEASY: Drink Shop Do in King’s Cross hosts a literary night of “books and booze”. Nicci Cloke and Ian Ellard present author readings, stories created and told against the clock, vintage music and cocktails. Free, prebook, 7pm

LIAR’S LEAGUE: The theme of tonight’s Liar’s League is Sons and Daughters. Actors and authors take to the stage at The Phoenix in Cavendish Square near Oxford Circus to tell stories along this theme. £5, just turn up, 7.30pm

Wednesday 9 July

AMERICAN ROAD TRIP: Waterstone’s Piccadilly hosts an evening with Meg Rosoff, best-selling author of Picture Me Gone and How I live Now, in conversation with Marcus Sedgwick, author of Midwinterblood and She is Not Invisible. They will be discussing their careers and American road trips. £5/£3, prebook, 6.30pm

POEMS ON THE UNDERGROUND: Keats House celebrates the summer set of Poems on the Underground, posted in July 2014, marking the centenary of the great Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. £5, prebook, 7pm

AIRCRAFT CARRIER: Geoff Dyer launches his new book, Another Great Day at Sea, at London Review Bookshop in Holborn. The book recounts daily life aboard an American aircraft carrier the USS George H. W. Bush, on which Dyer spent time as a kind of writer in residence. £10, prebook, 7pm

Follow @LondonistLit for our pick of that day’s literary events.

Pop-Up Festival brings books to life for children. Photo: Patrick Boyd/Pop Up Projects

Festivals

STREATHAM FESTIVAL: Although not entirely dedicated to literature, Streatham Festival has a couple of literary events going on, including a novel writing workshop with local author Bobbie Darbyshire, a chance to meet author Patricia L Graham, and a spoken word event. 10-13 July

COMIC CON: Several authors appear at London Film and Comic Con, including Mitch Benn who will be signing copies of Terra’s World, Jon Wallace, Ed Cox and Den Patrick who will giving tips to first-time authors and crime/fantasy writers Ben Aaronovitch, Paul Cornell and Suzanne McLeod. 11-13 July

POP-UP STORIES: Pop-Up Festival, a literary festival for children and their families, comes to Swiss Cottage this weekend. The festival aims to bring books to life for young readers through activities such as arts and crafts, and workshops led by by writers, illustrators, poets & storytellers. Free, 12-13 July

Thursday 10 July

MRS HEMINGWAY: Naomi Wolf, author of novel Mrs Hemingway, which explores the love life and marriages of writer Ernest Hemingway, is at Waterstone’s Richmond to discuss the book. £3, prebook, 6.30pm

REBECCA FRONT: Comedy actress Rebecca Front is at Waterstone’s Piccadilly to discuss her debut book, Curious: True Stories and Loose Connections. £5/£3, prebook, 6.30pm

SARAH RAYNER: Waterstone’s Hampstead hosts an evening with Sarah Rayner, author of Another Night, Another Day, who will be in conversation with her editor, Francesca Main. £3 (£1 donated to MIND), prebook, 7pm

POETRY LAUNCH: Issue 2 of The Screech Owl magazine is launched at Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden with poetry readings from Helen Ivory, Grant Tarbard, David Cooke, Bethany.W.Pope, Jonathan Beale, Rodney Wood & Greg Freeman. £5, 7pm

PARISIAN NOVEL: French Playwright Yasmina Reza is at London Review Bookshop in Bloomsbury with translator Sarah Ardizzone to talk about her new book, Happy are the Happy, which is about family life in modern day Paris. £10, prebook, 7pm

MURDER: Natalie Young, author of Season To Taste. Or how to eat your husband, is at Big Green Bookshop in Wood Green talking about a book in which the protagonist kills her husband and then sets about disposing of the body. £3, prebook, 7pm

SURVIVORS’ POETRY: The Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden hosts Survivors Poetry, with work from Jessica Lawrence and music from Maggie & Lucy Lyrical, Dave Russell and Kath Tait, plus there’s an open mic. £3.50/£2.50/£1.50, prebook, 8pm

Friday 11 July

BRITISH HORROR: Waterstone’s Covent Garden hosts the launch of new anthology Best British Horror. Meet the editor and some of the authors who will be there for readings, a Q&A session and signings. 6.30pm

CRIME MYSTERY: Meet debut author Emma Healey at Blackheath Library to talk about her book, Elizabeth Is Missing, an unsolved crime mystery. Hosted by Waterstone’s. 7.30pm

Saturday 12 July

POETRY WORKSHOPS: Daljit Nagra, Keats House Poet in Residence, leads a series of poetry workshops, based on examples from contemporary and historical poetry. £10, prebook, 2pm

AFRICA WRITES: Former Minister of Education of Ghana and writer Ama Ata Aidoo is in conversation with writer, translator and critic Wangui wa Goro at the British Library. Aidoo discusses the themes in her novels Our Sister Killjoy and Changes: A Love Story, which feature strong female protagonists who defy traditional gender roles. Part of the Africa Writes series of events. £8/£6/£5, prebook, 6.30pm

NEW POETS: Platform 1 at the Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden sees up-and-coming poets perform alongside established names. £5/£4, 8pm

Sunday 13 July

LONGITUDE MARITIME QUEST: National Maritime Museum in Greenwich opens a major new exhibition, Ships, Clocks and Stars this week. It celebrates the 300th anniversary of the passing of the Longitude Act in July 1714, which helps sailors to navigate. The exhibition catalogue book launch takes place on Sunday, with a discussion by curators Rebekah Higgitt and Richard Dunn. £12/£5, prebook, 3pm

POET AND PAINTER: Award-winning American poet Carol Dine is in conversation with painter and Holocaust survivor, Sam Bak, live from Boston, and actress, Thelma Ruby, at Ben Uri Gallery. They will read from Carol Dine’s new book, Orange Night. Free, prebook, 4.30pm

AFRICAN LITERATURE: Southbank Centre hosts The Caine Prize For African Writing, with each shortlisted writer reading and discussing their work. The shortlist includes Diane Awerbuck and Efemia Chela while the judging panel includes author Jackie Kay and novelist and playwright Gillian Slovo. £8, prebook, 5pm

TORRIANO POETS: This week’s poetry reading at Torriano Poets Meeting House in Kentish Town features Mimi Khalvati, Patricia McCarthy and Ruth O’Callaghan. £5/£4, just turn up, 7.30pm

Monday 14 July

POET IN THE CITY: As part of the City of London Festival, Poet in the City presents London Calling, celebrating the publication of My Voice: A Decade of Poems from The Poetry Translation Centre. International poets Al-Saddiq Al-Raddi from Sudan, Caasha Lul Mohamud Yusuf from Somalia/ Somaliland and Reza Mohammadi from Afghanistan will be reading their work, joined by UK translators. £8, prebook, 6.30pm

FOODIES: Telegraph food writer and cook Xanthe Clay and chef Dhruv Baker are at Stanford‘s in Covent Garden for the launch of Baker’s new book, Spice, which has advice on how to use the contents of the spice jars which hide at the back of most people’s kitchen cupboards. £3, prebook, 6.30pm

POETRY FILMS: Four Minute Movies is an open mic filming session for poets, storytellers & comedians at Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden. To qualify, work has to be a single piece, four minutes in length, which tells a story. £4, 7.30pm

ANTHOLOGY ADVICE: How do you edit an anthology? This is the question being answered by Jane McMorland Hunter at Stoke Newington Bookshop tonight. She has written several books, including Ode to London. £2.50, prebook, 8pm

Tuesday 15 July

TERRA’S WORLD: Mitch Benn is at Forbidden Planet on Shaftesbury Avenue to launch his second novel, Terra’s World, a sequel to Terra, and sign copies of the book. 6.30pm

POETRY LAUNCH: Templar Poetry is at Keats House in Hampstead to launch Dawn Wood’s new poetry collection Ingathering. Also launching that evening is Mslexia Poetry Prize winner Sarah Roby’s pamphlet, This Afternoon and I. Free, prebook, 7pm

ARTFUL DODGER: Big Green Bookshop in Wood Green hosts an evening with James Benmore, author of best-seller Dodger, and recently published sequel, Dodger of the Dials. £3, prebook, 7pm

AMERICAN JOURNEYS: Gruff Rhys, the lead singer and guitarist of Super Furry Animals, wrote American Interior about retracing the journey across America made by his distant relative, the pioneering explorer and cartographer John Evans. He is at London Review Bookshop in Bloomsbury to discuss it, with Iain Sinclair, whose wrote his own American odyssey, American Smoke. £10, prebook, 7pm

Wednesday 16 July

HAPPY VALLEY: Juliet Barnes talks about her latest book, Ghosts of Happy Valley, at Hatchard’s bookshop near Green Park. In the book she finds out what happened to “Happy Valley”, the Wanjohi Valley in the Kenya Highlands where a group of affluent white expatriates settled between the wars. £8, prebook, 6.30pm

BOOKSHOP BARNIES: In the first of a series of Bookshop Barnies events at the new Foyles store on Charing Cross Road, writer and broadcaster Jonathan Meades talks about his autobiography, An Encyclopaedia of Myself. Free, prebook, 6.30pm

SPACE TALK: The Star of Kings pub in Kings Cross hosts spoken word evening Utter! Space!, celebrating Apollo 11′s 45th anniversary. Writers are given a planet each and eight minutes to speak about it, going head-to-head in a battle of words hosted by Richard Tyrone Jones. £5/£4, prebook, 7pm

BOOK SLAM: Four female authors are at The Grand in Clapham. Lauren Beukes talks about her well-known novel, The Shining Girls, and Laura Lippman reads from her novel, After I’m Gone. Plus Fiona Bevan and Jess Green will also be talking. £6, prebook, 7.30pm

MUSICAL POETRY: The Centre of Things is a poetry reading with music at The Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden. Geraldine Paine, launches her second collection, The Beginnings of Trees, Anne Stewart reads from her collection, The Janus Hour, and poet, lyricist, singer, songwriter and guitarist Steve Anthony provides the music. £4, prebook, 7.30pm

Follow @LondonistLit for our pick of that day’s literary events.

Tongue Fu comes to Rich Mix on Saturday.

Literary Festival

POETRY INTERNATIONAL: Southbank Centre’s Poetry International festival, founded in 1967 by Ted Hughes, has poetry, film and spoken word performances by artists from all over the world. This year it forms part of the Festival of Love. Several events take place each day, click here for full programme. 17-21 July

Thursday 17 July

POETRY TRAIL: From today, visitors to the King’s Cross area can take part in a free poetry trail. Poems will be hidden around the area, some with illustrations, for the public to find. Free, just turn up.

MANOR TALE: Caroline Sandon’s new novel, Burnt Norton is set in a 17th century manor house in the Cotswolds, including the garden which inspired T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets. Sandon is the current Lady of the manor, and today she is at Hatchard’s in Piccadilly to talk about the discoveries she made whilst writing the book. Free, prebook, 1pm

COMEDY LESSONS: Author Tony Kirkwood is at Waterstone’s Greenwich to launch his new book, How to Write Comedy. There’s also a performance by a stand-up comedian. 6pm

SOUND POETRY: Caroline Bergvall, a sound poet, teams up with experimental Norwegian percussionist Ingar Zach and Swiss visual artist Thomas Köppel to invent a language of extremes. They feature everything from English and Nordic poetry to the lyrics of contemporary pop music. Takes place at Southbank Centre. £10, prebook, 6pm

EAST MEETS WEST: Xiaolu Guo will be at Waterstone’s Piccadilly to talk about the inspiration behind her novel, I AM CHINA, as well as her other work as a writer and filmmaker. Free, prebook, 7pm

BOOK LAUNCH: Gay’s The Word book shop near Euston hosts the launch of Rosie Garland’s new book, Vixen, about the arrival of a new priest in a village, and the danger and opportunities that this brings. £2, RSVP on Facebook, 7pm

LEFT WING THINKERS: Waterstone’s Hampstead hosts Sasha Abramsky’s celebrating his grandfather’s intellectual passions. Chimen and Miriam Abramsky created an incredible repository of thousands upon thousands of books, forming a hub of left-wing intellectual Jewish life that played host to the world’s leading thinkers (including Isaiah Berlin and Eric Hobsbawm). £3/£5, prebook, 7pm

Friday 18 July

MUSICAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY: Grammy Award-winning singer Jessye Norman is at Hatchard’s bookshop on Piccadilly to discuss her career and her autobiography Stand Up Straight and Sing! £8, prebook, 6.30pm

EROTIC FICTION: Erotic fiction writer Abbi Glines is over from the US and will be at West End Lane Books in West Hampstead to read from and sign copies of her latest book, Misbehaving. Free, prebook by email, 7.30pm

ADULT STORYTELLING: Into The Greenwood is the latest event by adult storytelling company London Dreamtime. Taking place at a secret location near Honor Oak Station, all we know about it is “The ancient gods call you into the twilight greenwood for magic and music”. £3, prebook, 8pm

Saturday 19 July

STREET CAT BOB: Meet author James Bowen and Street Cat Bob (of A Street Cat Named Bob fame) at Waterstone’s Islington. They will be signing copies of their new picture book My Name is Bob. 11am

POETRY IN THE PARK: Poetry Luv, the platform for poetry and spoken word artists, has a poetry marquee at the Lambeth Country Show in Brockwell Park all weekend. Expect two days of poetry and spoken word performances. Free, just turn up, 1pm-5pm, 19-20 July

TONGUE FU: The Tongue Fu band provide the backing track for poets, storytellers, writers and comedians to perform at Rich Mix in Shoreditch. £8/£6, prebook, 7.30pm

LIPPED INK: With open mic slots, a featured poet and a spoken word session, Lipped Ink at the Poetry Cafe has something for everyone. £5, just turn up, 8pm

Sunday 20 July

POETRY LECTURE: The Poetry Society’s Annual Lecture is given by American poet Carolyn Forché at Southbank Centre. The theme is The Poet As A Witness, Forché explores how poets have been influenced by extreme events, referencing World War One poets John MacRae and Isaac Rosenberg, amongst others. £10, prebook, 5.15pm

TORRIANO POETS: Tonight’s Torriano Poets meeting features Natacha Bryan and Nick Sunderland, introduced by Lisa Kelly. £5/£4, just turn up, 7.30pm

Monday 21 July

NEW EXHIBITION: See first edition books, original letters and artwork from much-loved children’s authors such as Mary Norton and Michelle Magorian at Waterstone’s Piccadilly. The exhibition, by Puffin books, encourages people to discover a new favourite book. Free, just turn up, until 24 August

Tuesday 22 July

MARRIAGE THRILLER: The recent rise in the new “domestic thriller” sub genre of fiction is being discussed in a Salon at Bloomsbury Institute. author of Before We Met, Lucie Whitehouse, and serial psychological thriller writer Julie Corbin the genre in relation to their own novels, with journalist, broadcaster and author Alex Heminsley. £7-£10, prebook, 6.30pm

SHORT STORIES: Graham Swift is at Daunt Books in Marylebone to launch his new collection of 25 short stories, England And Other Stories. He is in conversation with fellow short story author, K.J. Orr. £8, prebook, 7pm

SECOND CHANCE: Wilma Johnson’s book, Surf Mama, was published by a company called Beautiful Books, just before they went bust. Now, another publisher has picked it up, and she’s at Big Green Bookshop in Wood Green talking about her experiences. £3, prebook, 7pm

MAGAZINE LAUNCH: Ambit magazine hosts the launch of Ambit 217 at The Sun and 13 Cantons, with readings from John Menaghan and more writers TBA. £5, just turn up, 7pm

BOOK LAUNCH: An evening with Linda Grant is taking place at Waterstone’s Hampstead, to celebrate her new book, Upstairs At The Party, which takes place on a 1970s university campus. £3/£5, prebook, 7pm

Wednesday 23 July

MIND JUNGLES: Writer and psychoanalyst Susie Orbach is at ZSL London Zoo to continue the series of writer’s talk events, in which writers team up with zoo-keepers to discuss animals. Tonight’s event takes place in the zoo’s Tiger Territory exhibit, and the theme is “jungles of the mind”. £12, prebook, 6.30pm

GOODNIGHT MISTER TOM: Well-known children’s author, Michelle Magorian will be appearing at Waterstone’s Piccadilly for one night only talking about the inspiration behind her stories, the notebook on display in the Puffin exhibition (see Monday 21 July), and signing copies of her books. £5/£3, prebook, 6.30pm

LONDON ADVENTURE: The new edition of Arthur Machen’s The London Adventure is unveiled at Housman’s bookshop in King’s Cross tonight. It’s a memoir of the time Machen spent as a reporter in London in the 20th century, and this edition is limited to just 250 copies. Tour guide tour guide Robert Kingham will be talking at the launch. Just turn up, 7pm

CRAFT BEER: Steve Hindy, author of The Craft Beer Revolution and co-founder of The Brooklyn Brewery, is at Camden Town Brewery. The book tells the story of how 2,400 craft breweries have opened in the US. Courtesy of Big Green Bookshop. 7pm

RANTER WRITINGS: Nigel Smith’s 1983 book, A Collection of Ranter Writings, is about a group of religious and political radicals who flourished during Britain’s revolutionary movement. It has been republished for 2014, and Nigel Smith is in conversation about it with Stephen Sedley at London Review Bookshop in Holborn. £10, prebook, 7pm

YOUTHFUL TALES: At the start of the summer holidays, the Cafe of Good Hope in Hither Green hosts Youthful Tales, a selection of stories for young adults and by young adults (ages 12 and up). £3, prebook, 7pm

HOMEWORK: Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club’s monthly literary cabaret night Homework has a Monologue theme tonight. Performers include Tim Clare, Joe Dunthorne, Ross Sutherland and Luke Wright will all be performing monologues, poetic or otherwise. £8, just turn up, 7.30pm

POETRY OPEN MIC: Jawdance is an evening of poetry, including guest acts, an open mic and short poetry films. At Rich Mix. Free, just turn up, 7.30pm

Follow @LondonistLit for our pick of that day’s literary events.

For the past seven years, budding Wordsworths have taken part in Roundhouse’s Poetry Slam. This year, the competition is back, offering poets aged 16-25 from across the UK a chance to perform their work in the famous venue.

How does it work? The heats take place on 31 July and 7 August, featuring performances from well-known poets such as Hollie McNish, Dan Cockrill, Bohdan Piasecki, Inua Ellams and Deborah Stevenson. Fifteen poets each perform two of their own poems, each of which has to be under three minutes in length (so no numb bums in the audience).

The Grand Final takes place on 14 August,with finalists competing for the title of Roundhouse Poetry Slam Champion 2014 and to win the prestigious Colin and Helen David £500 Prize. The slam will be hosted by Dan Cockrill with judges on the night including Deanna Rodger, Inua Ellams and Lemn Sissay.

Roundhouse Poetry Slam Heats take place 31 July/7 August. Tickets are £5 each, or it’s £7.50 for a seat to watch the final on 14 August.

Take a Keats-themed tour around Hampstead, from Keats House. See Saturday.

Thursday 24 July

ANTHOLOGY LAUNCH: The Poetry Cafe hosts the launch of Poets in the Afternoon, a small anthology by 32 poets who have performed at The Poetry Cafe in the past. Free, just turn up, 4.30pm

TOTTENHAM OUTRAGE: Matt Baylis, author of The Tottenham Outrage, is at Big Green Bookshop in Wood Green to discuss the book, which is a sequel to Death at the Palace, his previous detective novel set in the Wood Green area. £3, prebook, 7pm

CHILDHOOD IN BURMA: Wendy Law Yone will be at Waterstone’s Richmond speaking about Golden Parasol: A Daughter’s Memoir of Burma, the story of her childhood in Burma and her father’s political actions during such a tumultuous period of the country’s history. £3, prebook, 7pm

BUSINESS BOOK: Local writer and deputy chair of Saatchi Richard Hytner talks about and signing copies of Consiglier, his business advice book, at West End Lane Books. Free, prebook, 7.30pm

SURF MAMA: Wilma Johnson talks about her life in France and surfing, at Clapham Books. Free, just turn up, 7.30pm

Friday 25 July

SUMMER PARTY: Fourth Friday Summer Party takes place at The Poetry Cafe, with poetry and music from Hylda Sims, Jon Sayers and the Crispy Hot Club as well as floor poets. £7/£5, just turn up, 8pm

Saturday 26 July

POETRY WALK: Keats House hosts one of the regular Keats in Hampstead walking tours today. Explore places related to Keats’ life, accompanied by readings of his poetry. These walks always sell out quickly, so book well in advance. £8/£6, prebook, 11am

LONDON ADVENTURE: To celebrate the new edition of Arthur Machen’s The London Adventure, Robert Kingham leads a ‘Grey Soul of London‘ walk, introducing the public to Arthur Machen’s Finsbury. We’ve been on this, and highly recommend it, even if you’re new to Machen. £9/£7, prebook, 2pm

MARIANNE KAVANAGH: Local author Marianne Kavanagh is at Waterstone’s Covent Garden to sign copies of her debut novel, For Once In My Life. 2pm

WORD FACTORY: The Word Factory’s summer masterclass at Waterstone’s Piccadilly features authors Evie Wyld, Cynan Jones and Naomi Wood. £8-£40, prebook, 6pm

Sunday 27 July

POETRY SALON: The London Review Bookshop near Holborn hosts its second Sunday Poetry Salon. Annie Freud, author of The Best Man That Ever Was and The Mirabelles, will be in conversation with Amy Key, who co-edits the journal Poems in Which. It’s followed by a group discussion. £15, prebook, 2pm

POETRY AFTERNOON: Keats House in Hampstead has an afternoon of poetry and spoken word with performances by the Keats House Poets and poet Miriam Nash, plus an open mic. Free, just turn up, 2pm

VELVET TONGUE: Erotic literature evening Velvet Tongue returns to The Book Club in Shoreditch with readings and performances from Pat Cash, Jacob V Joyce and Susana Medina. £5/£3, just turn up, 7pm

TORRIANO POETS: This week’s poetry reading at Torriano Poets Meeting House in Kentish Town features Kathy Pimlott, Sophie Herxheimer and Matthew Caley, introduced by Pauline Sewards. £5/£4, just turn up, 7.30pm

Monday 28 July

FOLK CLUB: Torriano Metting House in Kentish Town hosts Unity Folk Club, where various singers and poets perform. Particular focus is on those who work against war, capitalism, exploitation, privatisation, imperialism and globalisation. £3, just turn up, 7.30pm

Tuesday 29 July

POETRY READING: Well-known Vincentian and Caribbean poet and short story writer Philip Nanton has recently published Island Voices: From St Christopher & The Barracudas. He is at New Beacon Books in Finsbury Park to give a reading from the book. 6.30pm

VIV GROSKOP: Journalist, mother and stand up comedian Viv Groskop is at West End Lane Books to talk about I Laughed, I Cried (or How One Woman Took On Stand Up and (Almost) Ruined Her Life. It’s her last appearance before the Edinburgh Festival. Free, prebook, 7.30pm

POLARI: The LGBT Literary Salon returns to Southbank Centre, with Paul Bailey, Janet Ellis, Tiffany Murray, Vernal Scott and Wayne Herbert.£5, prebook, 7.45pm

Wednesday 30 July

LONDON IRISH: John Healy and Tony Murray are at Housmans bookstore in King’s Cross to discuss Murray’s new book London Irish Fictions. It’s the the first book about the literature of the Irish in London, and one of the books he studied was John Healy’s autobiography The Grass Arena. 7pm

SOVIET COOKING: Waterstone’s Piccadilly hosts award-winning food writer Anya von Bremzen, who discusses her book, Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking, in the Russian Bookshop of the store. It’s part family memoir, part historical epic and part modern day kitchen adventure. Free, prebook, 7pm

WIDEBOY FASHION: Also at Waterstone’s Piccadilly is historian Sean Longden, talking about how ‘wide boys’ dressed in the literature of the period and how their fashions were depicted on screen. Free, prebook, 7pm

ATROCIOUS POETRY: Anti-Slam Apocalypse sees poets performing their poetry terribly — intentionally. Poets fighting it out to be crowned the most cringe-inducingly terrible at the end of the night are Sophia Blackwell, Malcolm Head, Adam Kammerling and Stephen Frizzle. Takes place at Hackney Attic. £6/£5, prebook, 7.30pm

STANZA BONANZA: Reading and Portsmouth & Havant go head to head in tonight’s Stanza Bonanza at The Poetry Cafe with members of both teams doing poetry readings and performances. Free, just turn up, 7.30pm

Follow @LondonistLit for our pick of that day’s literary events.

Catch poet Mario Petrucci for an evening of war poetry on Wednesday.

Thursday 31 July

COMEDY BOOK: Comedian Katy Brand is discussing her debut novel, Brenda Monk is Funny, at Waterstone’s Piccadilly. The novel is all about life on the comedy circuit. £5/£3, prebook, 6.30pm

DEBUT NOVEL: Jessie Burton is at Waterstone’s Richmond to celebrate the release of her highly-acclaimed debut novel, The Miniaturist. £3, prebook, 7pm

LONDON CURIOCITY: Urban cartographers Henry and Matt, the creators of the Curiocity map series, are at Waterstone’s Piccadilly to talk through the process of creating their foldaway maps and tell stories of the city. Free, prebook, 7pm

EDINBURGH PREVIEW: Poet Molly Naylor previews her Edinburgh show at Battersea Arts Centre. If Destroyed Still True is a part biographical, part fictional look at friendship, growing up and our relationship with our teenage selves. £12/£9, prebook, 9pm

Friday 1 August

THEATRE LITERATURE: Neil Bartlett, past Artistic Director of the Lyric Hammersmith, is the subject of a National Theatre Platform tonight. It focuses on his new book, The Disappearance Boy, the story of a stage-hand in the 1950s. Followed by a book signing. £4/£3, prebook, 6pm (see also author reading on 3 August)

Saturday 2 August

POETS ANNIVERSARY: Dodo Modern Poets are back, celebrating the 25th anniversary of their poetry extravaganzas throughout the UK and Ireland. At Colour House Theatre in Merton, part of Abbeyfest. £9/£8, prebook, 7.30pm

Sunday 3 August

BOOK WALK: The ever popular Emily’s Walking Book Club sets off from the Hampstead branch of Daunt Books for a stroll across Hampstead Heath. Today’s text is Doris Lessing’s first novel, The Grass is Singing, a murder mystery set in Southern Africa in the 1940s. Free, prebook, 11.30am

AUTHOR READING: Gay’s The Word bookshops hosts an afternoon with Neil Bartlett at New Bloomsbury Set in St Pancras. As on 1 August, he will read from his new novel, The Disappearance Boy. £4, prebook, 4pm (see also National Theatre Platform on 1 August)

Monday 4 August

FANTASY SEQUEL: Fantasy author Brandon Sanderson is at Forbidden Planet on Shaftesbury Avenue to sign copies of Words of Radiance, the sequel to best-selling novel The Way of Kings. £18, prebook, 6pm

WAR DEBATE: War historian Douglas Newton will be in conversation with Christopher Clark, author of The Sleepwalkers, at London Review Bookshop in Holborn. Focus is on the differing views at the time about whether Britain should have entered World War One. £10, prebook, 7pm

Tuesday 5 August

CYCLING CHAMPION: Olympic and World champion cyclist Nicole Cooke is at Waterstone’s London Wall to sign copies of her new autobiography, The Breakaway. Arrive early to avoid disappointment. 12.30pm

Wednesday 6 August

STANZA BONANZA: Enfield and Herts go head to head in tonight’s Stanza Bonanza at The Poetry Cafe with members of both teams performing and doing poetry readings. Free, just turn up, 7.30pm

WAR POETRY: Poet Mario Petrucci hosts an evening dedicated to the poetry of World Wars One and Two at the Saison Poetry Library at Southbank Centre. Free, prebook, 8pm

Follow @LondonistLit for our pick of that day’s literary events.

Head to Brick Lane Bookshop for the launch of East London Suffragettes.

Thursday 7 August

POETRY AFTERNOON: The Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden hosts Poetry @ 3, a daytime poetry open mic where poets can read up to four minutes of their poetry. Free, just turn up, 3pm

MOOMINS: Foyles in Westfield Stratford City has a celebration of Moomins to mark the 100th birthday of Tove Jansson, creator of the Moomin books. Free, prebook, 3pm-4pm

DEVILSKEIN & DEARLOVE: Twice today, Malini Stevenson is reading from South African writer Alex Smith’s new young adult novel, Devilskein & Dearlove, set in Cape Town. At Balham Library at 2.30pm and Tooting Library at 4.30pm

POETRY MAG LAUNCH: Butcher’s Dog Poetry Magazine launches its third issue at The Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden. Hear poetry readings from seven poets whose work features in the issue: Jo Brandon, Natacha Bryan, Neil Fulwood, Rosie Garland, Howard Laughton, Danny O’Connor and Tom Vickers. £4, prebook, 7pm

ROUNDHOUSE SLAM: The heats of Roundhouse’s Poetry Slam take place in Camden today, with poets aged 16-25 performing their work in the famous venue. £5, prebook, 7.30pm

MEN OF LETTERS: Duncan Barrett will be reading from and discussing his new book, Men of Letters, at Clapham Books. Its uses personal stories, letters and diary entries of the men who joined the Post Office Rifles to tell the story of how World War One affected ordinary people. 7.30pm

Friday 8 August

SUFFRAGETTE LAUNCH: The East London Suffragette Festival is now underway. As part of it, Brick Lane Bookshop hosts the launch of East London Suffragettes by Sarah Jackson and Rosemary Taylor. Hear the authors talk about the local history book. Prebook, 7pm

BIRD WATCHING: Helen Macdonald, author of the recent H is for Hawk, and Tim Dee, author of two birdwatching memoirs are at London Review Bookshop to talk about birds, and about writing about birds. H is For Hawk is Helen’s memoir of acquiring and training a goshawk of her own. £10, prebook, 7pm

Saturday 9 August

PETER RABBIT: To celebrate the opening of the new Hatchards bookstore in St Pancras Station, there is a weekend of literary events themed around Beatrice Potter’s Peter Rabbit. The bookseller is reported to be the first ever stockist of the classic children’s book. Events include storytelling, activities, competitions and for the little ones a live Peter Rabbit character. 9-10 August

WAR POETRY: Keats House hosts an afternoon of war poetry, focusing on work by those not involved in combat themselves. Free with admission to the house, just turn up, 3pm

POETRY OPEN MIC: Platform 1 is an opportunity for up and coming poets to perform alongside established acts. Arrive up to half an hour early to put your name down to perform your work. Takes place at The Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden. £5/£4, just turn up, 8pm

Sunday 10 August

WHERE’S WALLY: Waterstone’s Croydon hosts a puzzle trail day, giving children a chance to search for the stripy-shirted escapee. Every correct entry wins a prize. 11am-3pm

Monday 11 August

BBC PROMS: The world famous Proms are now underway, but there’s more to them than just music. In today’s literary event, National Poet of Wales Gillian Clarke celebrates the centenary of the birth of Dylan Thomas. Takes place at the Royal College of Music. Free, 5.45pm

INTERNATIONAL STORYTELLING: Teams from Great Britain and the USA go head to head in Story Slam at The Book Club in Shoreditch tonight. Five storytellers from each team will be telling tales around the theme of “Borders”, with the audience deciding who wins. Free, prebook, 7.30pm

Tuesday 12 August

ALEXA CHUNG: The broadcaster, journalist and fashionista is at Westfield London (White City) to sign copies of her best-selling book IT, a collection of her personal writings, drawings and photographs. Free, prebook, 12.30pm

CREATIVE WRITING EVENT: Drinks, Thinks and Inks is a creative writing social event, with exercises designed to make the words flow in a relaxed environment. No writing experience is necessary, individuals and groups are all welcome. £10, prebook, 6.30pm

AWAITED NOVEL: Haruki Murakami’s new novel, Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage, is released today and there are two events to mark it. Big Green Bookshop is hosting a special event from 7.30pm, and Foyles on Charing Cross Road is waiting out until midnight when the book goes on sale.

LIARS LEAGUE: The Phoenix on Cavendish Square hosts the monthly Liars League. Actors and authors stand up to tell stories they have written along the theme of Beauty & Beast. £5, just turn up, 7.30pm

NEW POETRY READINGS: Poets Tom Pickard and Philip Terry are both reading from their latest works at London Review Bookshop in Holborn. Tom Pickard’s Hoyoot: Collected Poems and Songs pays homage to his 50 year career, and Philip Terry’s Dante’s Inferno relocates the narrative of the Inferno to the campus of Essex University. £10, prebook, 8pm

Wednesday 13 August

CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS: Objecting To War is a local project by Ben Copsey aiming to tell the untold stories of the wartime conscientious objectors of Islington and Camden who united to create Peace Pledge Union. Tonight at Housmans bookshop in Kings Cross, Ben shares some of their stories. 7pm

THE AWAKENING: Kate Chopin’s feminist novel The Awakening sent shockwaves through American society when it was first published in 1899. Now, over 100 years on, the novel and its modern relevance is being celebrated at Waterstone’s Hampstead. £5/£3, prebook, 7pm

WOMEN WRITERS: Loose Muse, hosted by Agnes Meadow, is London’s only regular event for women writers of all genres. There are also open mic spots. Takes place at The Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden. £5/£3, just turn up, 8pm

Love London Literature? See our August round-up of new non-fiction books about London.

Follow @LondonistLit for our pick of that day’s literary events.

Young poets go head to head at the Roundhouse Slam final on Thursday.

Thursday 14 August

KEW GARDENS HISTORY: Brian Webb and Peyton Skipwith make an appearance at Waterstone’s Hampstead to talk about their book, Edward Bawden’s Kew Gardens, which provides an insight into the social history of the park. £5/£3, prebook, 7pm (See also Monday 18 August)

POETRY SLAM FINAL: Tonight’s the final of the Roundhouse Poetry Slam 2014 at Camden Roundhouse. The original fifteen poets aged 16-25 have been whittled down and tonight sees the finalists perform in a slam hosted by Dan Cockrill. Judges are Deanna Rodger, Inua Ellams and Lemn Sissay. £7.50, prebook, 7.30pm

Friday 15 August

PANIC: Author Lauren Oliver will be at Hatchards on Piccadilly to sign copies of her novel Panic. 5.30pm

PROMS PLUS LITERARY: Nature writers Horatio Clare and Miriam Darlington celebrate the life of Gavin Maxwell, author of Ring of Bright Water at BBC Proms tonight – because it’s not all about the music. Free, 5.45pm

Saturday 16 August

KEATS IS NOT ON FACEBOOK: What would Keats make of modern-day London? Or Rome? At Keats House, Helen Burke reads poems written for the Keats-Shelley House in Rome, which also feature in her new collection Here’s Looking at You, Kid. Free with admission to house, just turn up, 3pm

Sunday 17 August

WAR AT THE PROMS: Novelist and poet Helen Dunmore, author of several books exploring the First World War, and writer Simon Heffer discuss the myths and realities behind the idea of the Lost Generation as part of BBC Proms. Takes place at the Royal College of Music. Free, 5.45pm

Monday 18 August

JUDGE A BOOK: Want to get involved in judging the Guardian First Book Award this Autumn. Head along to Waterstone’s on Gower Street for a preliminary meeting on how you can get involved. Free, 7pm

KEW GARDENS HISTORY: Brian Webb and Peyton Skipwith make an appearance at Waterstone’s Richmond to talk about their book, Edward Bawden’s Kew Gardens, which provides an insight into the social history of Kew Gardens. £3, prebook, 7pm (See also Thursday 14 August)

Tuesday 19 August

SIMPSON & I: Waterstone’s Hampstead has an evening with BBC journalist and author of Simpson & I, Oggy Boytchev. It’s his memoir of working in international news reporting alongside John Simpson. £5/£3, prebook, 7pm

POETRY LAUNCH: The launch of Issue 12 of poetry publication Ariadne’s Thread takes place at The Old Ship in Richmond, with a night of free music and poetry. There’s also an open mic for anyone wanting to read their own poetry. Free, just turn up, 7.30pm

Wednesday 20 August

ZOO WRITER: The latest in London Zoo’s series of writer talks sees poet David Harsent hosting an evening focused on African hunting dogs. Chaired by poet and ZSL Council Member Ruth Padel. £12, prebook, 7pm

SHORT STORIES: Waterstone’s Hampstead hosts an Evening with Tom Barbash, who will be discussing his new collection of short stories with David Mitchell, author of Cloud Atlas. £5/£3, prebook, 7pm

LONDON POETRY: Londonphile John Constable, is at Housman’s bookshop in King’s Cross to read from his first collection of poetry. His work includes play collection Southwark Mysteries. £3, 7pm

***

Book ahead for your chance to see TV presenter Clare Balding in conversation in conversation with authors such as David Nicholls (One Day), Kate Mosse and Caitlin Moran.

Follow @LondonistLit for our pick of that day’s literary events.

Adult storytelling with London Dreamtime.

Magical storytelling with London Dreamtime.

Thursday 21 August

UNDERSTANDING SHAKESPEARE: St James Studio near Victoria has a Shakespeare masterclass with Giles Taylor. More for thespians than casual readers, you’re advised to bring a 12-15 line piece of Shakespearean verse so you can then learn to speak with clarity and ease. Don’t fancy getting that involved? Observers can go along too and take part in the Q&A. £40 for participants/ £15 for observers, prebook, 10.30am-4pm

WILFRED OWEN: As part of the BBC Proms, poets Michael Longley and Fred D’Aguiar will discuss war poet Wilfred Owen’s work, which inspired Britten’s War Requiem. Takes place at the Royal College of Music. Free, just turn up, 5.45pm

NEW NOVEL: Jacqueline Winspear, author of the Maisie Dobbs crime novel series has written a new stand-alone novel set during World War 1. She will be at Swiss Cottage Library to talk about it tonight. £5, prebook, 6pm

TAMING OF THE HAWK: Head to Waterstone’s Richmond for a evening with Helen Macdonald, author of H is for Hawk. It’s the story of her real life experiences taming a goshawk after the death of her father. £3, prebook, 7pm (See also, Wednesday 27 August)

Friday 22 August

ICELANDIC NOVELS: BBC journalist and expert on the Norse sagas Eleanor Rosamund Barraclough joins novelist Joanna Kavenna to discuss Icelandic culture at the BBC Proms Free, just turn up, 5.45pm

MAGICAL STORYTELLING: Hear supernatural tales of ships, waters and the beautiful Others on The Faeries of the Mines walk. London Dreamtime’s storyteller Vanessa Woolf and musician Nigel of Bermondsey lead a night-time storytelling expedition in a slightly muddy location near Deptford Creek. Location revealed on booking. £2 suggested donation, prebook, 8pm

Saturday 23 August

CHARLES DICKENS: The Charles Dickens Museum near Holborn hosts An Evening With Miriam And Michael. Actress Miriam Margolyes is in conversation with world leading Dickens academic Professor Michael Slater about the author and women. There’s also a guided tour of the museum. £30, prebook, 6.3opm

Sunday 24 August

PUFFIN CLASSICS: Today is the last day of the Puffin Book Summer Exhibition at Waterstone’s Piccadilly. see first editions, original letters and artwork from much-loved children’s authors such as Mary Norton and Michelle Magorian Free, just turn up, all day

Monday 25 August

POETRY WALK: Keats House hosts one of the regular Keats in Hampstead walking tours today. Explore places related to the poet’s life, accompanied by readings of his poetry. These walks always sell out quickly, so book well in advance. £8/£6, prebook, 11am

MICHAEL MORPURGO: The well-known author appears at Kings Place alongside musicians including an acapella trio for an evening of poetry and music marking the centenary of the First World War. £9.50-£12.50, prebook, 6.30pm

Tuesday 26 August

HARUKI MURAKAMI: Following the release of his much-hyped new novel, Haruki Murakami’s book is being discussed at The Japan Foundation. Particular focus on the connections and meanings between colours and characters. Free, prebook, 6.3opm

Wednesday 27 August

LYDIA DAVIS: In a rare public appearance, author Lydia Davis is at London Review Bookshop in Holborn to read from and discuss her work. £10, prebook, 7pm

TAMING OF THE HAWK: Head to Waterstone’s Hampstead for a evening with Helen Macdonald, author of H is for Hawk. It’s the story of her real life experiences taming a goshawk after the death of her father. £5/£3, prebook, 7pm (See also, Thursday 21 August)

RHIDIAN BROOK: Waterstone’s Richmond has an evening with author Rhidian Brook, who will be discussing his best-selling novel, The Aftermath, a thriller set in a post-war Germany. £3, prebook, 7pm

HOMEWORK: The monthly literary cabaret at Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club. This time, the writers will have prepared something linked to the theme of obituary-writing. £8, just turn up, 7.30pm

***

Book ahead for your chance to see Stephen Fry, historian Dan Cruickshank, author John Sutherland and more at the Soho Literary Festival, which takes place 24- 28 September.

Follow @LondonistLit for our pick of that day’s literary events.

Catch an adaptation of the Rime of the Ancient Mariner at Southbank Centre

Thursday 28 August

SOVIET GHOSTS: Fine art photographer, Rebecca Litchfield is at Waterstone’s Croydon for the signing of her newly published book, Soviet Ghosts, which shows historical locations that were once part of the Soviet Union. 6pm

GLITTERATI: A new literary event taking place at the Grosvenor House. Tonight’s panel consists of authors Ali Harris, presenting her latest release Written in the Stars, Paige Toon with Thirteen Weddings and Jane Costello with her new book, The Time of Our Lives. £25, prebook, 6.30pm

WRITING FOR TEENS: Maureen Johnson and Sarah Rees Brennan are at Waterstone’s Piccadilly to talk about their work for young adults and answer questions. £4/£3, prebook, 6.30pm

GRAHAM SWIFT: Booker Prize winner Graham Swift is at Waterstone’s Hampstead to introduce his latest collection of short stories. England And Other Stories. £5/£3, prebook, 7pm

PHILOSOPHY NOVEL: Author Lars Iyer is at London Review Bookshop in Holborn to discuss his latest novel, Wittgenstein Jr, about a group of Cambridge philosophy students, deeply under the influence of their teacher, nicknamed ‘Wittgenstein’. Iyer will be reading from his work, and discussing it with the philosopher and Wittgenstein biographer Ray Monk. £10, prebook, 7pm

Friday 29 August

BBC PROMS: Novelist Martin Amis discusses The Zone of Interest, his 13th novel, in which he revisits the Holocaust for the first time since his controversial book Time’s Arrow. At The Royal College of Music. Free, 5.45pm

ANCIENT MARINER: Coleridge’s epic poem, the Rime of the Ancient Mariner is performed in a musical adaptation by theatre group The Tiger Lillies at Southbank Centre. £20-£30, prebook, until Sunday

Saturday 30 August

HARUKI MURAKAMI: Following the release of his much-hyped new novel, Haruki Murakami is signing copies of it at Waterstones Piccadilly. Free, but get there early, 11am

Sunday 31 August

POETRY SALON: London Review Bookshop in Holborn has a Sunday Poetry Salon. Poets Kayo Chingonyi and Sarah Howe will be in conversation over afternoon tea. £15, prebook, 2pm

TRAVEL POETRY: Keats House in Hampstead has an afternoon of travel poetry with Laila Sumpton, looking at what people seek to find on holiday, what they hope to get away from and what they gain from new experiences. Free, prebook, 2pm

Monday 1 September

LITERATURE FESTIVAL: Battersea Literature Festival begins today with a host of events based around the Battersea and Clapham Junction areas. Various prices, prebooking recommended, until 15 September

LONDON MEMOIR: Daunt Books in Holland Park hosts the launch party of PP Wong’s first novel, The Life of a Banana. PP Wong is the first British born Chinese novelist to be published and her debut novel is inspired by her own experiences growing up in London. Free, just turn up, 6.30pm

FOODIE: Chef Rachel Allen is at Waterstone’s Piccadilly to celebrate the publication of her new book, All Things Sweet. There’s a live cookery demonstration in Café W and there will be an opportunity to ask questions and have books signed. £5/£3, prebook, 6.30pm

IAN MCEWAN: Head to Cadogan Hall to hear author Ian McEwan talk about his new novel The Children Act, which explores the conflict between science and religious conviction. £18-£30, prebook, 7pm

WORDS AND MUSIC: There’s an evening of Words and Music at The Social on Little Portland Street, with poets offering previews of their forthcoming pamphlets, an author discussing his new graphic novel and Marcus O’Dair previews his new biography of Robert Wyatt. £6/£8, prebook, 7pm

EXILED INK: The monthly gathering of writers exiled from their homeland takes place at the Poetry Cafe, hosted by Jennifer Langer. £4/£2, just turn up, 7.30pm

Tuesday 2 September

BOOK SIGNING: David Mitchell, author of Cloud Atlas, releases his new book, The Bone Clocks, today. He’s at Foyles on Charing Cross Road to sign copies. The event is free, but expected to be popular, so prebook, 5pm. See also tomorrow’s events.

MOVIE WRITING: Greg Mosse leads a creative writing workshop on movie structure as part of Southbank Centre’s Creative Writing School. £15, prebook, 6.30pm

ALI SMITH: Novelist Ali Smith is at London Review Bookshop in Holborn t0 read from her novel, How to be Both, and discusses it with Alex Clark of The Guardian. £10, prebook, 7pm

FAMILY MEMOIR: Waterstone’s Hampstead has an evening with biographer Lyndall Gordon where she will discuss her new memoir, Dreams Of A Mother And Daughter. £5/£3, prebook, 7pm

1940s AMERICA: Amy Bloom talks about her new novel Lucky Us, set across the 1940s in the United States. She’ll be with Anita Sethi at the Society Club in Soho. Free, prebook, 7pm

OPEN MIC: There’s a poetry open mic at Poetry Cafe, hosted by Niall O’Sullivan. £5/£4, just turn up, 7.30pm

Wednesday 3 September

DEBUT NOVEL: Nina Stibbe, best known for her memoir Love, Nina, is at Waterstone’s Covent Garden to discuss her debut novel, Man at the Helm. £3, prebook, 6.30pm

DAVID MITCHELL: Following on from yesterday’s appearance, David Mitchell reappears today. At 12pm he is at London Review Bookshop to sign copies of The Bone Clocks. Free, prebook, 12pm. He’s then hotfooting it over to The Royal Geographical Society in Kensington for the official UK launch event of the book. £20/£33.50, prebook, 7pm

POETRY SALON: Poet Dean Atta makes an appearance at Waterstone’s Piccadilly, reading from his collection of poetry which has been long-listed for the Polari First Book Prize. Also performing are performance poet Keith Jarrett and short-story writer Yrsa Daley-Ward. Free, prebook, 7pm

DO BOOKS: Artist and designer James Victore is at Rough Trade East at the Truman Brewery in Brick Lane, talking about his work creating the visual identity for East London indie press, Do Books. Free, just turn up, 7pm

BOOK SLAM: The Clapham Grand hosts literary club night Book Slam. Authors Mark Watson and Simon Rich are the headliners, poetry is by Sophia Thakur, and there’s music too. £6/£8, prebook, 7.30pm

DISABILITY ARTS: At Southbank Centre, Debjani Chatterjee MBE, Hilary Porter, Frank Bangay and John O’Donoghue read selections of poetry at a collaborative event between Disability Arts Online (DAO) and Survivors Poetry. Free, prebook, 8pm

NEW AUTHOR: PP Wong is at Clapham Books reading from and talking about her new novel, The Life of a Banana. Free, just turn up, 7.30pm

***

Book ahead for your chance to see TV presenter Clare Balding in conversation in conversation with authors such as David Nicholls (One Day), Kate Mosse and Caitlin Moran.

Follow @LondonistLit for our pick of that day’s literary events.

See the new Tom Phillips exhibition at Southbank Centre

Festivals

Battersea Literature Festival is going on until 14 September, with David Mitchell, dogs, and a woman in a window.

Thursday 4 September

007: Roger Moore is at Hatchards St Pancras, signing copies of his new book, A Last Man Standing: Tales from Tinseltown. £20, prebook, 1pm

POETRY AT 3: The Poetry Cafe has a daytime open mic for poets to share their work. Free, just turn up, 3pm

ICELAND MAYOR: Jón Gnarr is the ex-mayor of Reykjavík in Iceland and famous for his unusual policies (such as refusing to work with anyone who hasn’t watched The Wire). Tonight he is at Foyles on Charing Cross Road to talk about his book, How I Became the Major of a Large City in Iceland and Changed the World. £5, prebook, 7pm

BABY P: Ray Jones, author of The Story Of Baby P, is in conversation with Patrick Butler, editor of society, health and education policy for The Guardian, about the death of baby Peter Connelly and the social workers who were blamed. At Big Green Bookshop in Wood Green. £3, prebook, 7pm

THIS BOOK IS GAY: Gay’s The Word bookshop near St Pancras hosts the launch of This Book Is Gay by James Dawson. It’s a comical yet poignant memoir of Dawson’s experience growing up in the LGBT community. Free, just turn up, 7pm

POETRY SLAM: The Genesis Poetry Slam is back for the Autumn season at Genesis Cinema in Bethnal Green, hosted by Sam Berkson and Michelle Madsen. Free, just turn up (prebook to take part), 7pm

NINA STIBBE: Burgh House in Hampstead hosts Nina Stibbe to celebrate her first novel, Man at the Helm. Courtesy of Daunt Books. £5, prebook, 7pm

LONDON SALON: Waterstone’s Piccadilly’s London Salon focuses on Mount London. It’s a book by a collection of authors focusing on the highest points in London, from Crystal Palace to Primrose Hill. Free, prebook, 7pm

LONDON SPORT: West End Lane Books in West Hampstead hosts local author Simon Inglis to talk about his new book, Played In London. It covers the more unusual sports, venues and players of London’s sporting past. Free, prebook, 7.30pm

NAKED BOYS: Naked Boys Reading is a literary salon evening in which men read naked. It’s celebrating its second birthday at Ace Hotel in Shoreditch with an evening of book-based nudity. £7, just turn up, 8pm

TALK TO STRANGERS: The Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden hosts a spoken word night with music and comedy. £5/£4, just turn up, 8pm

Friday 5 September

MARY BERRY: Cook Mary Berry is at Selfridge’s to sign copies of her new book, Mary Berry Cooks the Perfect. Free to attend, but your copy of the book must be purchased from Selfridge’s (proof of purchase/receipt required), 1.30pm

BBC PROMS: Poets Andrew Motion and Kate Clanchy are at BBC Proms to discuss Philip Larkin and his collection, The Whitsun Weddings, which was first published 50 years ago in 1964. Takes place at Royal College of Music. Free, 4.45pm

KNAUSGAARD: London Review Bookshop hosts an evening with Karl Ove Knausgaard, author of six autobiographical novels. Takes place at St George’s Church in Bloomsbury. £12, prebook, 7pm

SPOKEN WORD: Head to Only Connect Theatre in King’s Cross for a series of spoken word performances by young people from the New Horizons Youth Centre and Somers Town Community Centre, who will recite original modern day fairy-tales based on their experiences of life in NW1. Organised by Youth Sauce. Free, just turn up, 7pm-8pm

LIPPED INK: The Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden hosts Lipped Ink, a monthly evening with poetry open mic slots, a featured poet and spoken word. £5, just turn up, 7.30pm

Saturday 6 September

BOOK FAIR: Conway Hall in Holborn hosts the Free Verse Poetry Book Fair. As well as the books on offer, there will be performances and a chance to meet people with similar book-based interests. 1oam-4.30pm

HILARY MANTEL: The author joins New Statesman contributing writer Erica Wagner for a conversation about the Tudors, the challenges of historical fiction and the story behind her literary adaptations. Takes place at Aldwych Theatre. £20, prebook, 11.30am

BOOK BIRTHDAY: East London publisher Penned in the Margins celebrates its 10th birthday at Rich Mix with readings and live sets from poets and authors including Ross Sutherland and Hannah Silva, plus DJs, roundtable discussions. £5, prebook, 6pm-1am

Sunday 7 September

WALKING BOOK CLUB: Daunt Books in Hampstead is the start point for a literary walk across Hampstead Heath, discussing William Trevor’s novel, Love In Summer. 11.30am

POETRY: Owen Lowery performs his poetry, and Poet in the City present poetry in sign language at Southbank Centre. £8, prebook, 2pm

TORRIANO POETS: This week’s poetry reading at Torriano Poets Meeting House in Kentish Town features Roisin Tierney and Martin Malone, introduced by Lisa Kelly. £5/£4, just turn up, 7.30pm

LITERARY SALON: The inaugural East End Literary Salon takes place at Ophelia in Dalston. See rehearsed readings of plays by five upcoming playwrights including James Paul Avery and George Brant. Pay what you can, prebook, 7.30pm

Monday 8 September

ROBERT FROST: Matthew Hollist, who has written about the friendship between American poet Robert Frost and Anglo-Welsh poet Edward Thomas, is joined by Frost’s biographer Jay Parini to discuss Frost’s work. Part of BBC Proms, takes place at the Royal College of Music. Free, 5.15pm

WITCHING HOUR: Foyles on Charing Cross Road hosts authors Deborah Harkness, Karen Maitland and Katherine Clements to discuss their new novels, all of which have a witchcraft or supernatural theme. £5, prebook, 7pm-8pm

ALLSORTS: The open mic night returns to Rich Mix in Shoreditch with spoken word artists, rappers, singers, comedians and more all taking to the mic. Free, Tweet @Allsortz1 to gain entry, 7pm

CLARE BALDING: The TV journalist is at RIBA on Portland Place to talk about her book, Walking Home: My Family and Other Rambles, about a journey with her brother across the 71 mile long Wayfarer’s Walk. £20-£31.50, prebook, 7pm

MOVIES: 4 Minutes Movie is an open mic / filming session for poets, storytellers and comedians at the Poetry Cafe. Perform one single piece, four minutes in length. £4, 7.30pm

POLARI: Southbank Centre’s LBGT literary salon, Polari, hosts author Joanna Briscoe talking about her latest novel, Touched. Briscoe is joined by writers including Carole Morin, Trudy Howson, Collin Kelley and Juliet Jacques. The shortlist for the Polari First Book Prize 2014 is also announced tonight. £5, prebook, 7.45pm

Tuesday 9 September

TOM PHILLIPS: A new exhibition at Southbank Centre tracks Tom Phillips’ A Humument through its recent incarnations across digital platforms and allows readers to randomly seek advice from the pages of the book. Free, just turn up, until October

POETRY RECITAL: There is a free recital of the work of famous poets including Rupert Brooke, Evelyn Underhill, A.E. Houseman, Siegfried Sassoon, John Mcrae, Wilfred Owen and Isaac Rosenberg, alongside a clarinet recital. Takes place at Wesley’s Chapel on City Road. Free, just turn up, 1pm

AMERICAN WILD: The latest issue of Granta is launched at Foyles on Charing Cross Road, with the theme of the American Wild. Stories on this topic have been contributed by several authors. £5, prebook, 7pm

THEATRE PLATFORM: Author Mark Haddon and Olivier-Award winning playwright Simon Stephens are the subjects of a National Theatre Platform, about their work on bringing Haddon’s book The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time to the West End stage. £4/£3, prebook, 5pm

LIARS LEAGUE: The Phoenix on Cavendish Square hosts the monthly Liars League. Actors and authors stand up to tell stories they have written along the theme of High & Low. £5, just turn up, 7.30pm

MICHAEL PALIN: To celebrate the publication of his third volume of diaries, Michael Palin presents his new one-man show at Southbank Centre. £14.75-£29.50, prebook, 7.30pm

NEVER MIND THE FULLSTOPS: Team captains Dan Simpson and Paula Varjack, plus guests Amy McAllister, Emma Jones, Sam Berkson and Gary from Leeds go head to head battling with verse at Hackney Attic. £5/£4, prebook, 7.30pm

Wednesday 10 September

EARL BIOGRAPHY: Alex Larman, biographer of The Earl of Rochester is at Hatchards on Piccadilly to talk about his book, Blazing Star: The Life and Times of John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester. Free, prebook, 1pm

SHORT STORIES: Author Graham Swift is in conversation at Foyles on Charing Cross Road, discussing England and Other Stories, his first short story collection in over 30 years. £5, prebook, 7pm

LOOSE MUSE: The regular event for female writers is back, featuring an open mic slot. At The Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden. £5/£3, just turn up, 8pm

POETRY LAUNCH: Go to The Prospect of Whitby in Wapping for the launch of Chimene Suleyman’s debut collection, Outside Looking On, set in and round Canary Wharf. There’ll be readings from Joshua Idehen, Musa Okwonga and of course Chimene Suleyman. Free, just turn up, 7pm

***

Follow @LondonistLit for our pick of that day’s literary events.

Author Kate Mosse talks taxidermy at Horniman Museum

Festivals

Battersea Literature Festival is going on until 14 September, with David Mitchell, dogs, and a woman in a window.

Hampstead and Highgate Literary Festival runs from 14-16 September. See our picks of events to attend.

LAST CHANCE: Books About Town, the painted book benches which have appeared at various locations around the city, ends on 14 September. Among our favourites is the Mary Poppins bench in the shadow of St Paul’s Cathderal. Which is yours?

Thursday 11 September

LONDON BUSES: A new book, Ole Bill – London Buses and the First World War by Dr William D. Ward, is launched at the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden. Dr Ward will give an illustrated talk based on the research for his book, followed by a Q&A session and a book signing.£10/£8, prebook, 6.30pm

MUSEUM LAUNCH: Author Kate Mosse – not to be confused with the model of similar name — is at the Horniman Museum in Forest Hill to celebrate the launch of her new book, The Taxidermist’s Daughter. Themed activities include taxidermy talks and demonstrations, live music and more. There’s also a rumour that Sandy Toksvig will be one of the special guests. £10, prebook, 6.30pm

BYRON AND KEATS: Dr Christine Kenyon Jones is at Keats House in Hampstead to talk about the famously antipathetic relationship between Keats and Byron. £5, prebook, 6.30pm

EDUCATION: Former Children’s Laureate Michael Rosen is at Foyles Charing Cross Road to talk about the current state of education in the UK, and the importance of play and multidisciplinary learning approaches. The event is aimed at adults. £5, prebook, 7pm

EAST END LONDON: Head to Brick Lane bookshop for the launch of A Toby In The Lane, a book about the history of East End markets and street traders. Particular focus is on immigrant communities, whose businesses had to fight for survival in the area. Prebook, 7pm

DYLAN THOMAS: The Welsh poet is celebrated at Kings Place with a symposium made up of a diverse panel including poets, authors and biographers. It celebrates Thomas’s centenary year. £14, prebook, 7pm

THE GREAT BELOW: Local author Maddy Paxman is at Big Green Bookshop in Wood Green to launch her book, The Great Below. It’s a memoir of her life after her husband died, and how her grief reminded her of the past. £3, prebook, 7pm

SLAM: Dan Simpson and Paul Sweeney present a mix of comedy and poetry battling it out in Stand Up and Slam at Hackney Attic. £8/£7, prebook, 7.30pm

SHARK: Will Self is at London Review Bookshop to read from his new novel, Shark, which covers the hidden history of the late 20th century. He’ll also be signing copies. £10, prebook, 7pm

CHARACTERFUL: Novelist Hilary Mantel and actress Harriet Walter are in conversation, chaired by the playwright Timberlake Wertenbaker. They discuss how to capture and portray the personality of a character. At Union Chapel. £20/£12, prebook, 7.30pm

BANG SAID THE GUN: Spoken word event Bang Said The Gun is back after a Summer break. Expect poetry, spoken word, an open mic and performances by Raymond Antrobus, Hannah Jane Walker and Chris Thorpe. At The Roebuck in Borough. £7/£5, just turn up, 8pm

COMEDY/POETRY: Stand Up and Slam at Hackney Attic features comedians and performance poets going head-to-head on stage, with the audience deciding the winners of the evening — comedy or poetry — at the end. £8/£7, prebook, 7.30pm

Friday 12 September

BBC PROMS: The Poetry Society and BBC Proms have paired up for the Proms Poetry Competition. Tonight at the Royal College of Music, poets Daljit Nagra and Ian McMillan introduce the winning entries, some of the winners read their work on stage. Free, 5.45pm

HACK ATTACK: Nick Davies is at Big Green Bookshop in Wood Green to talk about his new book, Hack Attack, which gives an insight into the phone hacking scandal that has been in the news over the last few years. £5, prebook, 7pm

POETRY: Described as a “poetry piss up for those of us who don’t like poetry”, Fraff at Rich Mix sees various poets performing poems which rhyme which are not about love. Brace yourself for the bestest shitty poem award. £8, prebook, 7.30pm

Saturday 13 September

CITY LIT FEST: The adult learning centre, based in Holborn, has a day-long celebration of published writers, poets and academics from City Lit. Enjoy fascinating readings and lectures, and visit exhibits from a range of publishers and magazines. £5 per event, prebook, all day

POET LAUREATE: Emerging Poet Laureates perform at Kings Place, thanks to Poet in the City. The event is part of the lead up to the crowning of 2014 Young Poet Laureate for London on National Poetry Day in October. £6.50, prebook, 2pm

KEATS POETRY: Today’s Afternoon Poems at Keats House in Hampstead has a theme of journeys, travel and transportation, led by the Keats House Poetry Ambassadors. Free with admission, just turn up, 3pm

THE ENGLISH: Also at Kings Place is Matt Rudd, senior writer at The Sunday Times, who has just written an anthropological book about the English, and will be discussing it. £6.50, prebook, 4pm

OPEN MIC: Platform 1 at the Poetry Cafe in Covent Garden is an opportunity for up-and-coming poets to perform alongside established acts. Go along and watch, or bag yourself an open mic spot. £5/£4, just turn up, 8pm

Sunday 14 September

PEN AND PAPER: Author Simon Garfield and Shaun Usher, activist for the offline written word, are in conversation with the aim of encouraging people to step away from machines and put pen to paper the old fashioned way. At Kings Place. £6.50, prebook, 5pm

TORRIANO POETS: This week’s poetry reading at Torriano Poets Meeting House in Kentish Town is a Grey Hen Press reading featuring Maggie Butt, Wendy French and Anne Stewart, reading from Running Before the Wind, Poems about the Sea. £5/£4, just turn up, 7.30pm

Monday 15 September

LAYDEEZ DO COMICS: The female-led graphic novel forum is at Foyles Charing Cross Road, providing somewhere for graphic novel artists (male and female) to test out new ideas. Free (donations for cake welcome), prebook, 6pm

CHARITY ANTHOLOGY: Poetry anthologist Daisy Goodwin presents a selection of poems from her new book 100 Poems To See You Through, at the British Library. Proceeds from the book will go to Maggie’s, a charity that provides support for people with cancer. £8/£5, prebook, 6.30pm

C.P. CAVAFY: Kings Place hosts a celebration of the life and work of poet C.P. Cavafy, led by poet David Constantine and author Louis de Bernières. £9.50, prebook, 7pm

STATIONERY: James Ward talks about his new book, Adventures in Stationery, at Big Green Bookshop. He’ll be asking why people who invented such magnificent items as highlighters and paper clips are not better remembered for their work. Free, but bring your favourite item of stationery, 7pm

PERFORMANCE STORYTELLING: Adult storytellers Crick Crack Club are at Soho Theatre for an evening of performance storytelling by Mikael Oberg, set in the dark northern forests of Scandinavia. Ages 14+. £9/£7, prebook, 8pm

Tuesday 16 September

JACK REACHER: Internationally best-selling author Lee Child is at Hatchards St Pancras to sign copies of his new Jack Reacher thriller, Personal. 1pm

LITERARY LUNCH: Dine with best-selling author Esther Freud in South Kensington ahead of her new novel, Mr Mac and Me, being published. The event raises money for First Story, an organisation which helps young people to improve their literacy skills. £60, prebook, 12pm

LIONS: London Zoo continues the series of writer talks with historian and author Tom Holland presenting an evening on Asian lions. Holland will be on hand to answer questions along with scientists and zoo keepers, and the evening is chaired by poet and ZSL Council Member Ruth Padel. £12, prebook, 6.30pm

NEW NOVELS: Scottish writers Ali Smith and Alan Warner appear together at Foyles Charing Cross Road to discuss their new novels, both of which have been released recently. £5, prebook, 7pm

PUBLIC ASSETS: James Meek will be at London Review Bookshop to talk about his new book, Private Island, about the privatisation of public assets. He’ll be in conversation with journalist Dawn Foster. £10, prebook, 7pm

DEBUT NOVEL: First time author Nickolas Butler is at Dulwich Books to talk about his debut novel Shotgun Lovesongs. It’s his only appearance in London, so it’s expected to be popular. £10/£3, prebook, 7pm

TEMPLAR POETRY: Keats House in Hampstead hosts an evening of poetry on behalf of Templar Poetry. Readings from prize-winning poets Nigel McLoughlin and Christopher James. Free, prebook, 7pm

Wednesday 17 September

STORY SESSIONS: Arachne Press‘ bi-monthly live lit event, The Story Sessions, is at the Cafe of Good Hope in Hither Green. This time, the theme is Beastly Tales, so expect to hear plenty of stories that feature animals of all kinds.

WAR POETRY: Judith Palmer, Director of the Poetry Society, will introduce and read some of the women’s poetry that emerged from World War One, at The Fleming Collection in Mayfair. £7.50, prebook, 6.30pm

CITY LANDSCAPE: London film-maker Patrick Keiller’s new essay collection, The View from the Train: Cities and Other Landscapes, is celebrated at Housmans book shop in King’s Cross. £3, prebook, 7pm

RUSSIAN LITERATURE: Russian novelist Vasily Grossman wrote Life and Fate (the only manuscript ever to be itself arrested by the Soviet authorities). Grossman’s translator, Robert Chandler, will be at London Review Bookshop talking about his work and what it achieved. £10, prebook, 7pm

CRAP TIME LORD: Richard Tyrone Jones brings his Edinburgh show to The Star of Kings in Kings Cross to explain why, since he has two hearts and a cancelled BBC series, he is just like Doctor Who. Also with Jackie Hagan. Pay what you like, just turn up, 7pm

YOUNG ADULT: YA author James Dawson gives this year’s Patrick Hardy lecture at the Embankment Rooms, discussing how relationships are shown in children’s books. £10/£5, prebook, 6.30pm

Follow @LondonistLit for our pick of that day’s literary events.