Author appearances, poetry and spoken word events in London this week
David Nicholls appears at North London Lit Fest
Photograph: © Kristofer Samuelsson
Festivals
Daunt Books Spring Festival takes place 27-28 March at the Marylebone shop. Several events are taking place including author talks, a waking book club, and events for kids. Prebook individual events via the website.
Cityread London 2014 takes place throughout April, with events including workshops, quizzes, film screenings, competitions and more. See the website for events schedule.
North London Lit Fest takes place 2-3 April. Authors in attendance include David Nicholls and Tom Chivers, plus up and coming writers will have a chance to participate in a speed-pitching session. See website for full programme.
Thursday 27 March
SEX INDUSTRY DISCUSSION: Former sex worker Melissa Gira Grant discusses her new book, Playing the Whore: The Work of Sex Work, with Laurie Penny, author of Meat Market, Penny Red and the forthcoming Unspeakable Things. At Foyles, Charing Cross Road. £3, prebook, 6.30pm
PAMPHLET LAUNCH: Head to the Poetry Cafe to celebrate the launch of two new poetry pamphlets; Andrew Wynn Owens’ Raspberries For The Ferry and Ikhda Ayuning Maharsi’s Ikhda by Ikhda, both courtesy of The Emma Press. Free, just turn up, 7pm
BOOK DISCUSSION: Head to Waterstones Hampstead for an evening with Harry Freedman. The author and Jewish scholar discusses his new book, The Talmud – A Biography: Banned, Censored and Burned, about the religious book which has faced much opposition in its 1500 year history. £6/£4, prebook, 7pm
LITERATURE EVENING: Keats House hosts London Literature Lounge, a literary evening including a poetry open mic hosted by Anjan Saha. Star guest is Phil Lawder, who will read from his book Edges. Free, prebook, 7pm
THATCHER READING: Stonewall Writer Of The Year Damian Barr reads from Maggie & Me, a book about Margaret Thatcher’s life and legacy, at West End Lane Books in West Hampstead. Free, prebook, 7.30pm
STORY JAM: Storytime isn’t just for kids. Celebrate the changing of the clocks at Story Jam O’Clock in Forest Hill. Storytellers include Emily Parrish, Susannah Gill and Lewis Barfoot. £7/£6, just turn up, 7.30pm
STAND-UP POETRY: Bang Said The Gun‘s weekly stand-up poetry shindig takes place at The Roebuck in Borough and this week features Maria Ferguson and Howard Marks. £7/£5, just turn up, 8pm
Friday 28 March
ECCENTRIC STORIES: Curioser And Curioser is an event celebrating the lives of eccentrics through the ages, with literary contributions from Laurence Sterne, Alfred Jarry, Salvador Dali, Edith Sitwell and others. Takes places in Bloomsbury. £10, prebook, 7.30pm
Saturday 29 March
BOOK LAUNCH: Head to Waterstones Piccadilly for an afternoon with Todd Selby. The photographer and illustrator is releasing his third book, Fashionable Selby. £5, prebook, 2pm
MASTERCLASS: The Word Factory is an evening of literary readings and conversation, also taking place at Waterstones Piccadilly. This month’s guest is internationally-renowned author AS Byatt. £8/£12. This month, The Word Factory is also offering a three-hour intensive writing masterclass with award-winning novelist and poet Joe Dunthorne. £60. Prebook both here. 6pm
Sunday 30 March
SPOKEN WORD: Sunday Poetry at Keats House hosts poet Indigo Williams, plus a poetry and spoken word open mic. Free, prebook, 1.45pm
TORRIANO POETS: This week’s Sunday Poetry Reading at Torriano Meeting House consists of a reading by the winner of the Torriano Competition. £5/£4, just turn up, 7.30pm
Monday 31 March
Spoke Presents: Unearthed is a showcase of the results of Spoke’s Poet In Residence scheme at six schools in East London. The poets themselves speak alongside the students they mentored at Rich Mix. £2, prebook, 6.30pm
ARCTIC SUMMER: South African, Booker-Prize shortlisted author Damon Galgut heads to Kings Place to talk about his new novel, Arctic Summer, which explores EM Forster’s travels in India. £9.50, prebook, 7pm
MEMOIRS: The Book Club in Shoreditch hosts The 4th Estate Literary Salon. The panel, consisting of writers Damian Barr, Alexandra Heminsley and Andy Miller, and chaired by Robert Collins, discuss the art of memoir writing. £7, prebook, 7.30pm
Tuesday 1 April
BIOGRAPHY TALK: Author Frances Welsh talks about her new biographical book, Rasputin, at Daunt Books in Marylebone. The book explores the life of the man who had such a large influence on Russian policy during WWI. £8, prebook, 7pm
POETRY UNPLUGGED: The Poetry Cafe hosts Poetry Unplugged, a weekly open mic night. Anyone is welcome to sign up. £5/£4, just turn up, 7.30pm
LOCAL LITERATURE: At West End Lane Books, local author Tobias Hill reads from his new novel, What Was Promised, which is set in the East End of London in the aftermath of the war. 7.30pm
POETRY SLAM: Hysteria Bar in Dalston hosts Hammer & Tongue, a poetry slam starring John Osborne, plus an open mic for anyone who is feeling particularly inspired. £5/£4, prebook, 8pm
Wednesday 2 April
SHORTLISTED STORIES: Tonight and tomorrow evening, all six stories shortlisted for the Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award 2014 will be read aloud at Foyles, Charing Cross Road. Tonight’s readers are Kulvinder Ghir, Gemma Chan and Sarah Alexander. £5/£8, prebook, 6pm
BOOK LAUNCH: Kamila Shamsie launches her new novel, A God in Every Stone, at Southbank Centre. £8, prebook, 6.30pm
ART DISCUSSION: Exhibition artist Ntiense Eno Amooquaye, writer Mary Paterson, poet Tom Chivers and Poetry Librarian Chris McCabe all discuss the effect of the environment on the act of creation at Southbank Centre. Free, prebook, 8pm
Follow @LondonistLit for our pick of that day’s literary events.