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.