On Monday the 20th December, comedian, actor, DJ and TV presenter Phill Jupitus will be coming to the shop to sign copies of his book ‘Good Morning Nantwich – Adventures in Breakfast Radio’. He will be here from 1 o’clock and if you come along to buy a book and get it signed, you can also have some mulled wine and a mince pie, because it will be SO nearly Christmas!

One of the joys of 53 London Street is its beautiful big window. It is a deliberate choice to use it as a set to make interesting and attractive displays, and not simply put books in it like other bookshops. Quite a lot of people rejoice in telling me, as often as they can, that this is a bad idea. They are wrong. So, here is our offering for Christmas this year, brought to you by me, Sam from St Columb Interiors and Boz the illustrator. There are more pictures on our facebook page. Happy Christmas!

Click the link below to vote for us in this national competition for the best independent shops, bookshop section! You have until 10th December – vote away!!!

Independent Shops Competition

LAST MINUTE NEWS!!!

The Book Hive is to host one of only two events in the UK for Australian author Alex Miller and his new novel Lovesong. A hugely respected writer in his own country, Miller’s work is less known over here. He is conducting a major – if whirlwind – media tour and having a launch and Daunt books, Chelsea and The Book Hive, Norwich. Look out for him in the press and on radio 4′s open book, and come along to the free event on the 29th September from 7.30, with wine provided by Australia House.

Alex Miller is one of Australia’s best loved writers. He is twice winner of the prestigious Miles Franklin Literary Award, Australia’s premier literary prize, the first occasion in 1993 for The Ancestor Game, and again in 2003 for Journey to the Stone Country. Conditions of Faith, his fifth novel, was published in 2000 and won the Christina Stead Prize for fiction in the 2001 NSW Premier’s Literary Awards. It was also nominated for the Dublin IMPAC International Literature Award, shortlisted for the Colin Roderick Award in 2000, the Age Book of the Year Award and the Miles Franklin Literary Award in 2001. He is also an overall winner of the Commonwealth Writers Prize, for The Ancestor Game, in 1993. Miller’s seventh novel, Prochownik’s Dream, was published in 2005. Landscape of Farewell, published in 2008, was shortlisted for the ALS Gold Medal and the Miles Franklin Literary Award and won the Annual Foreign Novels 21st Century Award from the People’s Literature Publishing House in China. Also in 2008, Alex Miller was awarded the Manning Clark Cultural Award for an outstanding contribution to the quality of Australian cultural life. Miller’s most recent novel, Lovesong, was shortlisted for the Miles Franklin Literary Award, and won the 2010 Age Book of the Year prize. He lives with his wife in Castlemaine, Victoria.

Coming up in the shop – to tie-in with the Norfolk Food Festival during September we have a number of events in store. Keep an eye on the website and this page, or pop in an get a flyer, but for now make a note of these dates…

September 1st – SUSHI AND SAKE NIGHT with the fantastic Shun, chef at Shiki in Tombland

Thursday 9th – HONEY TASTING AND TALK with Hayley from The Window coffee shop. She does bees as well as beans…
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Thursday 16th – COFFEE TASTING – Hayley again, back on the beans, repeating the fantastic coffee event of a few months back

Friday 24th – OLIVE OIL TASTING with Charles Carey, without doubt the leading authority on this amazing product and the first person to import it commercially to the UK as a speciality food. Come and sample/buy the best this little fruit has to offer from across the world. (Olives that is, not Charles…)