Author appearances, poetry and spoken word events in London this week
Thursday 16 January
Three traditional fairytales are getting a darkly comic retelling at The Space on Westferry Road until 18 January. £9 / £7, 7.30pm / 2.30pm Sat matinee
Writers Kate Mayfield, Wendy Wallace and Essie Fox talk stories of death and destiny, the Victorian way of death and Kensal Green Cemetery at the place itself. £7 including gin cocktail, 6.30pm
Mr Gee and Tom Hyatt join the Bang Said the Gun regulars at the Roebuck in SE1 for a night of stand up poetry. £7 / £5, 8pm
Scott Pack and Marie Phillips host the Firestation Book Swap in Windsor with guests Gareth Roberts and William Sutton. Take a book to swap and it’s free to get with homemade cake. £5, 7.45pm
Friday 17 January
Mark “Mr T” Thompson and Sarah Thompson host Lipped Ink at the Poetry Cafe, with guests and open mic. £5, 7.30pm
Saturday 18 January
Hear some poems by Rudyard Kipling at Keats House. Free, 3pm
Lucy Hughes-Hallet reveals the unknown Charlotte Bronte in a day-long seminar at Waterstones Piccadilly. £99, 10am-5pm
Sunday 19 January
Bedford poets Dick Hancock, Sarah Davies, Zakia Carpenter Hall and Ian McEwen are at Torriano Poets in Kentish Town. £5 / £3, 7.30pm
Monday 20 January
Ladeez Do Comics presents Isabel Greenberg, Penelope Mendonca and Dr Geraldine Perriam at Foyles Charing Cross Road. Free, prebook, 7.30pm
Take your poems, flash fiction and random bits of prose to the Poetry Cafe for the Farrago SLAM! hosted by John Paul O’Neill, with Greta Bellamacina, Isabel del Rio, Mike Galsworthy, Alison Hector-Rooms, Ben Jacobs, Celia Morris and more. £6 / £5, 7.30pm
Tuesday 21 January
Louise Doughty talks about and signs copies of her latest novel, Apple Tree Yard, at West End Lane Books. Book by emailing info@welbooks.co.uk or calling 020 7431 3770. Free, 7.30pm
Malika Booker hosts Architects of Our Republic at Woolwich Centre Library, with films commissioned to mark the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr’s I Have A Dream speech and a guest performance from Rachel Long. Free, 7pm
Crime writer Peter May is at Waterstones Piccadilly talking about his new novel Entry Island. £5 / £3, 6.30pm
Niall O’Sullivan hosts the Poetry Cafe‘s weekly open mic night, Poetry Unplugged. £5 / £4, 7.30pm
Go to the issue 9 launch of Ariadne’s Thread in Richmond, with readings and prize giving. Free, 7.30pm
Join Hazel Frew, William Palmer, Deirdre Shanahan and Samantha Wynne-Rhydderch for the launch of new Rack Press pamphlets, in Covent Garden. Free, 7pm
Acumen Magazine comes to the Lumen Poetry Series, with Leah Fritz, Williams Nkurunziza, Ruth O’Callaghan, David Perman and Michael Swan. £5 / £4, 7pm
Lucinda Hawksley is at Kensington Central Library talking about her biography of Princess Louise. £5 / £3, 6.30pm
Wednesday 22 January
Joelle Taylor hosts Jawdance at Rich Mix, with guest Mab Jones and open mic. Free, 7.30pm
Brilliant poet/comedian/musician Liz Bentley and writer/performer Caroline Smith are louche women performing at the Poetry Cafe. £7 / £5, 8pm
Jeremy Seabrook talks about his new book, Pauperland: Poverty and the Poor in Britain, at Housmans. £3, 7pm
Follow @LondonistLit for our pick of that day’s literary events.