News

This week feels like we've all got back to normal again after the Christmas and New Year celebrations. So I hope you're making plans to attend the book events with Browsers in the coming weeks.

Another meet-the-author event has just been confirmed, so please check your diary and see if you can come along.

The date is 13th February, and that's a Wednesday...

We'll be meeting in the bookshop at 7.30pm to hear crime writer Elly Griffiths talk about her new book, 'The Stone Circle', in her bestselling series about Dr Ruth Galloway, the Norfolk-based forensic archaeologist.

If you haven't yet met Elly, or read her books, you mustn't miss this opportunity. Be assured, you will be gripped.

Elly is a fabulously entertaining guest as well as a brilliant crime writer. She's visited us at Browsers before and is always a huge hit. If you want to read more about her, click here for my interview in 'Suffolk' magazine a few years ago.

The series is set in East Anglia and they are wonderfully atmospheric. There's the usual gripping murder mystery, cleverly mixing modern day with historical crime, and there's an ongoing saga between the central characters and their personal lives, particularly Ruth's relationship with DCI Nelson.

While this is the 11th in the series, you don't need to have read any of the previous books, they each stand alone perfectly, but if you do want to find out how it all began, call into the bookshop to purchase one of the earlier titles or pick up one of Elly's other books. She's written another crime series set in 1950s' Brighton and romantic novels under her real name Domenica De Rosa!

We're looking towards the end of the year, but there are still events and activities to tell you about, and ideas for Christmas gifts too.

First of all, let me tell you about some television viewing!

The River Deben will be featured as part of a new series called 'River Walks' on Monday 10th December, at 7.30pm on the BBC. The presenter will amble along from Sutton Hoo to Ramsholt Quay and among the people she meets is local writer, Robert Simper.

We have invited Robert to join us to introduce his new book 'A Personal History of Woodbridge' on Friday 14th December but, as a tv star, perhaps he'll have other things to tell us. Come and find out. We'll be open from 6pm until 8pm for an evening's Browsing the shelves. And Robert will say a few words at about 6.30pm, and again at 7.30pm, and will then personally sign copies of his book - a perfect Christmas gift!

The packed schedule of author events is coming to a close for this year, with the visit by Alan Johnson this Friday. Do call the shop to see if there are any more tickets left.

Thank you to everyone for your kind words and support. It's been such a pleasure knowing how much you've enjoyed having these speakers come to Woodbridge.

And perhaps you noticed that one of our guests from the summer, debut novelist Anne Youngson was included on the Costa Shortlist for her book 'Meet Me at the Museum'. Read my interview with Anne here. It's good to be introduced to new and lesser known authors as well as the big names!

I'm well on the way in planning more author events in the new year, but just confirmed is the bestselling novelist Diane Setterfield who will be visiting us at Woodbridge Library on Tuesday 15th January. This will be her first event to promote her new book 'Once Upon a River', ahead of the official publication date, so we'll be among the first to read the book everyone will be talking about! Why not buy a ticket for a friend as a Christmas gift?

Thank you for reading!

We're counting down the days now to the first meet-the-author event in our fabulous line-up for November taking place in venues all over Woodbridge.

Kate Humble is joining us at Seckford Theatre on Friday, and there are just a handful of tickets left. Her book is a fabulous collection of memories of walks and people she's met. It also contains Kate's personal response to fascinating research she's discovered which proves the benefit of taking time out of the busyness of our lives to walk, and think, and be!

A few days later, Dan Snow at the Riverside Cinema will remind us that 'you can't understand the present if you can't understand the past'. We have a capacity audience for this event, but if you can't join us, then why not think about ordering a signed copy of Dan's book for a special Christmas gift?

On Tuesday 20th November we'll be gathering in the bookshop to learn all about the Suffolk landscape in terms of the impact made by the military around the time of the Second World War. I've met the two historians responsible for this study and their enthusiasm for their subject is infectious. It will be a fascinating evening and there are a few tickets left. The book is for sale in Browsers now.

And to round off our extravaganza of author events this month, artist and sculptor Maggi Hambling will be coming to Browsers on Friday 30th November to share her memories and admiration for the work of her father, Harry. The book she's published, celebrating his work, is called  'A Suffolk Eye' and Maggi will sign copies on the night. Again there are just a handful of tickets left for what is sure to be a very special evening.

Details of all these events and more are given below.

It's unusual for us to have such a packed programme of events, it's almost looking like a festival! Thank you for all your support - it's great to have such good attendances for all these speakers. I'm sure we'll all leave informed, inspired and entertained.

I hope to see you soon, and thank you for reading.

We may be having a quiet month in October while we enjoy the autumn sunshine, but November is looking very busy with some fantastic author events - there's something for your diary each week.

Just confirmed is a visit by artist and sculptor, Maggi Hambling!

We were very excited to have Maggi attend an event in the bookshop recently, so it's a huge thrill to have her return to talk to us about her own book.

'A Suffolk Eye' is a beautifully produced celebration of the work of Maggi's father, Harry Hambling.

Maggi will talk to us about how Harry only started to paint when he retired but now has a growing following of collectors of his work.

In what is sure to be a memorable occasion, Maggi will share with us something of the relationship between father and daughter, and their shared appreciation of art, as well as some details of her own current projects.

Copies of the book will be available as part of the ticketed entry, and Maggi will be happy to sign them at the conclusion of the evening.

As this event is in the bookshop, it will be a lovely, intimate gathering, but tickets are, of course, limited, so please don't delay if you'd like to join us!

We're focusing on Suffolk for another event this month as two historians will be sharing their research into the impact of military action in the second world war on the Sandlings, the coastline from Lowestoft to Felixstowe.

'A Very Dangerous Locality' will be released this month and is a very detailed, illustrated presentation of how the natural landscape lent itself to war defences, but also provided the setting for trials and experiments in offensive measures. It will be a fascinating evening to everyone interested in local history, our military past, but also the natural landscape in this county.

A further wartime theme continues with our book group choice this month. 'Death of a Hero' by Richard Aldington focuses on WWI and we will have a biographer of Aldington, a member of the book group, with us at our meeting to tell us something of the background to this novel and its author.

All this, and we do still have a handful of tickets left for the visits by Kate Humble and Dan Snow at the beginning of the month. Are you coming along?!

I hope to see you soon, and thank you for reading.

Spring may still be struggling to break through the Suffolk mist, but we had our own slice of sunshine in the bookshop this week.

Sunday Telegraph cookery writer, Diana Henry visited Woodbridge to present her beautiful new book of 'menus, stories and places', called 'How to Eat a Peach'.

Sipping Prosecco, we were all held spellbound as she regaled us with tales of Mediterranean meals, childhood ambitions to Cordon Bleu, and a love of lighthouses.

Wonderfully entertaining and inspiring, there was much laughter and wonder. And not least when all the guests were handed their own copy of the new book - dappled light and succulent fruit are pictured with the cover as soft and furry as a peach to touch.

Read my report of the event at Browsers Bookshop here.