On Friday 11th November at 6.30pm, October Books will be hosting a talk with renowned historian Alice Hunt. Hunt will be discussing her new book Republic: Britain’s Revolutionary Decade 1649-1660 with Professor Mark Stoyle of the University of Southampton. Despite spanning only ten years, the 1650s was an incredibly...
Books
Vampires, demons, and ghosts with the most: reading for October
By Laura McCarthy. In October, we revel in the joys of pumpkin carving; autumnal walks on bright, crisp mornings; and, of course, in consuming our favourite Halloween themed media. When it comes to reading, I have some suggestions which I have listed here, organised by “creature” this time around....
Review: October Books’ open mic poetry
By Laura McCarthy. October Books’ open mic poetry evening is a monthly event, hosted by the Southampton bookshop on the third Friday of every month, with the next being on Friday 18th October. I went along to the September event. So, what can you expect? Initially, I had no...
If personalities were books, which would you be?
By Laura McCarthy. I’m sure some of you will admit to completing personality quizzes in magazines as a child or possibly an online Myers-Briggs questionnaire as an adult. Maybe you enjoy learning what your star sign says about you. Yes, there’s certainly something appealing about the idea of discovering...
Short stories weave together a sense of belonging through diversity
Bridges not Borders: An Anthology of South Asian Writing, edited by Cardiff- based Aiysha Jahan and Susmita Bhattacharya from Winchester is published today (11/9/24). This anthology of short stories is part of a wider project, Write Beyond Borders, funded by The Arts Council England and AHRC, which seeks to...
Top picks for late summer reads
By Laura McCarthy. Still holding onto summer? Top reading picks for seasonal readers. If you’re anything like me, you enjoy reading books which suit the season. You want a book which you can read in the garden on hot August days or one you can take camping. There’s nothing...
Learn to make plant-based puddings at October Books
You don’t have to be vegan to enjoy plant-based food, especially when it’s delicious desserts! Find out how to create your own tasty ‘afters’ at October Books’ ‘We can learn to… make vegan and plant-based desserts. On Saturday 8th June, 11am – 12.30pm, join Lucy Parr, Cordon Bleu trained...
Author talk on The Broken Promise of Infrastructure at October Books
New book The Broken Promise of Infrastructure tackles the divisive cultural politics that have been used to deflect attention away from Britain’s failing infrastructure, from Brexit through to the ‘levelling up’ agenda. Building on more than a decade of research, this book argues that infrastructure projects are always far...
Los Angeles poet laureate Lynne Thompson, author talk and book signing in Southampton
You can join Lynne Thompson, Los Angeles poet laureate, for her author talk and book signing of Blue on a Blue Palette at Southampton’s radical independent bookstore October Books, on Wednesday 8th May. Blue on a Blue Palette reflects on the condition of women—their joys despite their histories, and...
Book Review: Vague Wisdom by Will Vigar
By Anita Foxall Will Vigar’s new poetry collection, Vague Wisdom, should be top of your shopping list if you are looking for a good poetry book. It is rich in images and memories, some borrowed from art and cinema, some very personal. Poetry has always been present in his...