Author appearances, poetry and spoken word events in London this week
Wednesday: Housmans presents a number of perspectives on how Hackney’s changing (7pm, £3).
Leo Hollis explains why cities are good for us and Julian Baggini wonders how our future selves will use technology, at the start of a three-day Salon London at the Marylebone Pleasure Gardens (7.30pm, £12).
Xing the Line is back in Clerkenwell with (we think, it’s not terribly clear) poets SJ Fowler, Tim Atkins, Fabian MacPherson, Sarah Kelly and David Kelly (7.30pm).
Michael Bauer is at Waterstones Covent Garden chatting and signing copies of Don’t Call Me Ishmael! from 6.30pm.
Thursday: Tupelo Hassman, Nicci Cloke, Kerry Hudson and Harry Man compete for glory at Literary Death Match under the judging eyes of Ted Hodgkinson, Joe Stretch and Eric Lampaert (8.15pm, £5 / £8).
Two book swaps today: in Windsor, the Firestation Book Swap celebrates its third birthday with cake, Lesley Thomson, Amy Shindler and hosts Marie Phillips and Scott Pack (7.45pm, free). In Wood Green, the Big Green Bookshop inaugurates its own event with authors Cathi Unsworth and Stuart Evers (7.30pm, £5. Attendees will also get first dibs on their Caitlin Moran event on 4 October, which is going to sell out faster than you can breathe).
Young adult author Diane Messidoro reads from her new book How to Keep a Boy as a Pet, at Waterstones Gower Street (3pm).
Michael Buckley is at Waterstones Covent Garden signing copies of NERDS (that’s National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society to us). There will be cupcakes (from 1.30pm).
Friday: John Agard and Melanie Abrahams present London Liming, a mix of spoken word, music and carnival, at the Tricycle Theatre (8pm, free).
If you’re around Heathrow Terminal 1 between 10am-12pm, head to WHSmith to hear Vintage Children’s Classics being read.
Saturday: Alom Shaha presents the Young Atheist’s Handbook at Housmans (6.30pm).
Eileen Browne reads from her book Boo Boo Baby and the Giraffe at Foyles Royal Festival Hall, and shows the kids how to draw their own baby (2pm, free).
Meet at Mansion House tube for a John Milton guided walk (2.30pm, £9 / £7).
Tuesday: Ellie Levenson, the Big Green Bookshop‘s writer in residence, is back 9.30am-1pm to offer advice and tips.
Charlie Dark is running story workshops for children at the British Library twice a day until Thursday.
Back to the Tricycle for two events in the Trinidad and Tobago Cultural Village: Susheila Nasta launches a book about the poems of Sam Selvon (6pm, free) and poets Paul Keens Douglas, John Lyons, Eintou Pearl Springer, Fawzia Kane, Faustin Charles and Ian Dieffenthaller perform from 7.30pm (free).
Juliet Troy, Giles Goodland and Linda Black read their poetry at The Blue Bus – not actually in a bus, but in The Lamb on Lamb’s Conduit Street (7.30pm, £5 / £3).
Book ahead: Jo Shapcott and Maurice Riordan reading in the Leonardo da Vinci exhibition at Buckingham Palace (26 September, £12.50 inc exhibition admission).
Follow @LondonistLit for our pick of that day’s literary events.