Bookmarked ‘Supernatural and Sci-Fi Night’ – Monday November the 7th 2011

November the 7th will see the return of Bookmarked, a literary salon hosted by Simon Savidge and Adam Lowe at Waterstone’s Deansgate in the heart of Manchester’s City Centre. Two sofa’s, two hosts, two authors with two titles to discuss and an audience ready to participate; ‘Bookmarked’ aims to bring something new and fresh to the Manchester cultural scene, and what a night they have lined up for you with two of the UK’s most exciting voices of ‘the supernatural’ and all things Dr Who…

Why do we all love a spooky story? What makes us escape into other worlds for our fiction kicks? Well, at this month’s ‘Bookmarked’ we have two authors who embody both in their wonderful works, and worlds, of fiction…

Ben Aaronovitch is a TV script writer known for his classic Doctor Who stories, which include Remembrance of the Daleks, a fan favourite, as well several spin off novels. He has also written audio stories for the BBC revival of Blake’s 7.  A former bookseller with Waterstones in Covent Garden, Rivers of London was Ben’s first original novel. Ben was born and raised in London where he still lives today.

“Witty, well plotted, vividly written and addictively readable.” THE TIMES

“An engaging mix of magic and police procedural, this is a great kick off to a very promising series as well as the most satisfying fantasy thriller to hit bookshelves in quite some time. Witty, imaginative and gripping.” SFX

Paul Magrs ‘pronounced Mars’ was born in the North East of England and lives in Manchester. After teaching English Literature and Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia and at Manchester Metropolitan University, he now writes full time, and has published fiction for both adults and children, including the acclaimed Brenda and Effie series set in Whitby. He has also written many audiobooks of Dr Who featuring Tom Baker.

‘Gloriously, zanily ludicrous … unique, idiosyncratic and unclassifiable … a cliffhanger that promises much in store. It can’t come soon enough’ Guardian

‘The combined talents of Alan Bennett, Angela Carter and The League of Gentlemen’ Independent on Sunday

Monday, 7 November 2011, 7:00PM – 8:00PM
Tickets £3, available in branch. Further details: 0161 837 3000

Further Dates For Your Diaries

• Bookmarked will be taking a well earned break in December ready and raring to go with a slightly new look and new line up in 2012.

 

Bookmarked ‘The Victorian Sensation Night’ – Monday October the 3rd 2011

October the 3rd will see the return of Bookmarked, a literary salon hosted by Simon Savidge and Adam Lowe at Waterstone’s Deansgate in the heart of Manchester’s City Centre. Two sofa’s, two hosts, two authors with two titles to discuss and an audience ready to participate; ‘Bookmarked’ aims to bring something new and fresh to the Manchester cultural scene, and what a debut night they have lined up for you with two of the UK’s most exciting female novelists who have both been shortlisted for some of the UK’s biggest book prizes…

Why do we all love a wonderful dark and brooding Victorian tale, especially at this time of year when the nights draw in? Well, at this month’s ‘Bookmarked’ we have two modern day authors, who we think do the likes of Wilkie Collins and the other sensationalist novelists proud, to discuss such fiction and why we still love it today.

Carol Birch is the author of ten previous novels, including Scapegallows (2008) and Turn Again Home (2003) which was long listed for the Man Booker Prize. She has also won the Geoffrey Faber Memorial Prize and the David Higham Award for Best First Novel. Her latest novel, Jamrach’s Menagerie, has recently been chosen for the Richard and Judy Autumn Book Club 2011 and has been short listed for the Man Booker Prize 2011.

‘An imaginative tour-de-force encompassing the sights and smells of 19th-century London and the wild sea. . . Gripping, superbly written and a delight.’  The Times

‘A captivating yarn of high seas and even higher drama.’ Guardian

Jane Harris is a British writer of fiction and screenplays. Her latest novel, Gillespie and I, was published to critical acclaim in the UK by Faber and Faber, this year. Her first novel The Observations was shortlisted for The Orange Prize for Fiction 2007 and has been published in over 20 territories, worldwide. In France, The Observations was shortlisted for the Prix du Premier Roman Etranger, (2009). In the USA, The Observations won the Book of the Month Club’s First Fiction Prize, (2007). Waterstone’s, the UK bookstore chain, chose Jane as one of its 25 Authors for the Future and in 2007 she was also nominated for the British Book Awards Newcomer of the Year and for the Southbank Show/Times Breakthrough Award. In 2011, Richard and Judy chose The Observations as one of their 100 Books of the Decade. You can read more about Jane’s experiences writing The Observations in an article written for Mslexia.

“Like a Hitchcock film, every detail is there for a reason. . . It is rare to read a literary novel where the storytelling is as skilful as the writing is fine, but in Gillespie and I, Harris has pulled off the only too rare double whammy — a Booker-worthy novel that I want to read again.” The Sunday Times

“Gillespie and I hooks the reader in with great, demented, power.” The Evening Standard

  

Further Dates For Your Diaries

• Bookmarked ‘Supernatural and Science Fiction’ Night will be Monday 7^th November 2011 at Waterstone’s Deansgate with warm up drinks at 6.30pm.
• Bookmarked are planning a special ‘Green Carnation Prize Night’ before the winner is announced on December the 7^th. For more information on the prize go here.
• Bookmarked will be having a very special Christmas Party at a hotel in central Manchester, more details to be announced.

Bookmarked Last Week Was Criminally Good…

Why do these evenings come and go so quickly? One minute the authors Val McDermid and M.J. McGrath were sat with hosts Adam Lowe and Simon Savidge (see image below) at Waterstones Deansgate before the audience were seated at 7pm, then suddenly it was all over…

Both authors kindly treated us to a reading of their latest novels before a delightful discussion ensued, from psychopaths to polar bears the conversation hardly stopped and we had some corking questions from our audience.

Both authors then happily signed lots of copies of their novels and had time for a chat with each audience member, it was a delight.

A big thanks to both Val and Melanie for coming, and another big thanks to the audience who both authors said were great and the whole evening had ‘a really lovely atmosphere’.

We will be back on October the 3rd, same place same time, for an evening of ‘the sensational’ more details to be announced shortly!

Bookmarked ‘Crime Night’, Monday 12th of September…

Val McDermid will be celebrating the release of her 25^th novel, the latest in the Tony Hill series, by coming to “Bookmarked” – a new literary salon co-hosted by Simon Savidge and Adam Lowe at Waterstone’s Deansgate – along with a special guest.

Monday 12th September, 7pm at Waterstone’s Deansgate in the heart of Manchester – “Bookmarked” aims to bring something new and fresh to the Manchester cultural scene. It has already featured two of the most talked-about and bestselling first-time novelists of 2011, Sarah Winman and SJ Watson. Now for their second evening of bookish entertainment they return with crime writing legend Val McDermid and her special guest, and debut crime writer, M.J. McGrath. Tickets £5 or £3 for Waterstone’s Loyalty Card Holders, telephone 0161 837 3000.

About the Authors

Val McDermid was born in Kirkcaldy, a small town in the heart of the Scottish mining community. She graduated in English at St Hilda’s College, Oxford before going on to be an award winning journalist for sixteen years. Her first novel was published in 1987 since then she has written 24 bestselling novels, translated into more than 30 languages, with over two million copies sold in the UK and over 10 million worldwide. The Retribution is her 25th.

Val was the recent recipient of the Pioneer Award at the 23rd Annual Lambda Literary Awards. In 2010, she was awarded the prestigious CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger.  This followed her induction into the Hall of Fame at the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards in 2009. The popular ITV series Wire in the Blood based on McDermid’s books and ran for an impressive six series. A regular broadcaster she is currently working on a drama serial for BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour and a BBC Radio 4 documentary about The Chalet School books.  She writes full time and divides her time between Cheshire and Northumberland.

“Her work is taut, psychologically complex and so gripping that it puts your life on hold.” The Times

M.J. McGrath was born in Essex. The author of critically acclaimed, bestselling memoirs Silvertown and Hopping and The Long Exile, Melanie won the John Llewelyn-Rhys/Mail on Sunday award for Best New British and Commonwealth Writer under 35, for her first book Motel Nirvana. The Long Exile is the story of the 1950s forced relocation of Inuits to Ellesmere Island – the setting for White Heat. M.J. McGrath has travelled extensively in the Arctic, living with Inuit families and learning about their lives, culture and language. She has eaten pickled beaver paws and instant powdered moose, narrowly avoided wolves and worn fur for survival purposes. She lives and works in London. White Heat is her first novel.

‘A striking debut, especially good at working glimpses of the Inuit way of life into its plot.’ Sunday Times

And Septembers Authors Are…

Get ready for what is going to be a criminally good night in the city centre of Manchester on September the 12th as Bookmarked gets even ‘bloody’ better with one of the UK’s most successful crime writers Val McDermid…

photo by Mimsy Moller

The hosts Simon Savidge and Adam Lowe are thrilled to be hosting Val and are looking forward to lots of thrilling reading in the weeks leading up in preperation to discuss Val’s latest novels ‘Trick of the Dark’ and the forthcoming seventh Tony Hill novel ‘The Retribution’. Val will also be introducing a special guest, soon to be announced.

Tickets are available now from Waterstones Deansgate.

It would be a crime to miss it… sorry we couldn’t help ourselves.

Bookmarked Debut Night… The Dust Has Settled

Well after a strange week in Manchester we feel the dust has settled and we can now take time to really celebrate, yet not brag, how well the very first night of Bookmarked went. We want to thank the lovely authors Sarah Winman and SJ Watson who both read wonderfully…

Sarah Winman reads...

And answer questions with great thought and witt…

SJ Watson discusses…

We also want to thank our lovely audience for turning up, not all of you are in this photo… how did you manage that?

 

The spell bound audience...

We can say that the hosts, Simon Savidge and Adam Lowe, were thrilled with the event and the turn out which made the evening such a success, thank you for all your thoughtful questions and for being such a great delightful audience. You can see at the end it was smiles all round.

After the event its smiles all round for Sarah Winman, SJ Watson, Simon Savidge and Adam Lowe

We look forward to seeing you all next month, the date and author will be announced later today, so keep your eyes peeled for news.

A Big Bookmarked Thanks…

A huge thank you to those of you who made part of the fantastic turn out at last nights ‘Debut Night’ which was also the opening night of Bookmarked, Manchester’s newest Literary Salon, at Waterstones Deansgate. Who knew that we could have filled the room (and sorry to those of you who had to perch on the window ledges or stand) on our opening night. You can see from this picture that the hosts and authors were feeling rather delighted about it all…

Sarah Winman, Adam Lowe, Simon Savidge & SJ Watson

So really, a big thank you from us. We hope we will see you at the next event in September when we have the wonderful Val McDermid (and a special guest) joining us for another night of fun, laughter and bookish banter. More pics and thoughts on the opening night when we have had a chace to digest it all… and had a little rest.